Proactive Perimenopause and Beyond
Thriving during the years leading up to menopause and beyond is entirely possible with a holistic approach to your physical, mental, and emotional health.
If you follow gurus on social media, it’s easy to think that the solution to the challenges of perimenopause and menopause is as simple as menopausal hormone therapy (MHT). This kind of isolating dialogue leaves many women who are unable to have MHT such as breast cancer survivors, wondering what their options are.
The good news is, you have options and choices, no matter your circumstance, even without MHT.
While the transitional years can bring challenges, you can take proactive steps to ensure you live a fulfilling, healthy, and vibrant life.
Here are some strategies to help you not just survive but thrive through this life stage and into the years that follow:
1. Prioritize Physical Health
- Exercise Regularly
Staying active is crucial for maintaining bone density, muscle strength, heart health, and mental well-being.
Activities like walking, strength training, swimming, yoga, or Pilates can improve flexibility, strength, and cardiovascular health.
Regular exercise can also alleviate symptoms of menopause, such as hot flashes and mood swings.
- Eat a Nutrient-Rich Diet
A balanced diet full of fruits, vegetables, enough protein, whole grains, and healthy fats supports overall health.
Focus on calcium and vitamin D to protect bone health.
- Maintain a Healthy Weight
Weight gain during perimenopause and menopause is common due to changes in hormone levels that cause a shift in where we store fat and how much.
By eating well and exercising regularly, you can maintain a healthy weight, reducing the risk of chronic conditions such as heart disease and diabetes.
- Get Adequate Sleep
Sleep disturbances are common during (peri)menopause. The disrupted sleep affects not only your mood but energy levels and quality of life.
Creating a sleep routine, reducing caffeine, and keeping a cool, dark, and quiet environment can help. It is important you prioritize sleep for its impact on mental health and overall well-being.
- Regular Health Check-ups
Regular screenings for heart health, breast cancer, cervical cancer, osteoporosis, and other health conditions are essential.
Stay on top of mammograms, bone density tests, and blood tests, among others as guided by your doctor.
2. Focus on Mental and Emotional Well-being
- Managing Stress
Chronic stress can intensify physical symptoms of menopause and lead to mental health challenges.
Techniques like mindfulness, meditation, deep breathing, or progressive muscle relaxation can help reduce stress.
If these techniques are not enough, it may be worthwhile exploring options to see a psychologist or for deep seated issues, psychotherapy to help address them and find healthier coping strategies.
Occasionally it may be helpful to consider medications with your doctor.
- Build Strong Social Connections
We know that social engagement is vital for mental health.
Stay connected with friends, family, or support groups. Positive relationships can offer emotional support and decrease the risk of loneliness and depression.
- Cultivate New Interests
For those of us with children growing up and getting on with their own lives, it can be bittersweet especially if we cherished the opportunity to care for them all these years. You may wonder what life holds in store for you now as empty nesters.
As life changes, it’s a great time to explore new hobbies, learn new skills, or focus on long-desired goals.
Whether it’s traveling, taking up a new sport, or starting a creative project, finding things that bring you joy and fulfillment is key.
- Seek Professional Help if Needed
If you’re struggling with depression, anxiety, or overwhelming emotional changes, don’t hesitate to seek support from a therapist or counselor.
Mental health is just as important as physical health, and therapy can provide strategies for coping.
3. Hormonal and Medical Support
- Consider Menopausal Hormone Therapy (MHT)
For some women, MHT can be effective in relieving symptoms of perimenopause and menopause, such as hot flashes, mood swings, and vaginal dryness. It’s important to discuss the risks and benefits with your doctor.
- Explore Non-Hormonal Alternatives
If MHT isn’t right for you, other treatments, such as antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications, can help manage symptoms.
- Embrace Preventative Health
Taking steps to manage and prevent health conditions that become more common in our post-menopausal years—such as osteoporosis, heart disease, and diabetes—will set the foundation for a healthy life well into your 70s and beyond.
4. Self-empowerment and Personal Growth
- Embrace Your Changing Body
As an aesthetic doctor, I see the immense confidence a well thought out plan such as my signature FFA can bring to patients.
Equally I remain troubled by the commoditisation of the medical aesthetics industry due to the lack of regulation at present. It gives rise to vulnerable people being preyed upon.
Rather than focusing on how your body is changing and attaching judgement to it,is is important to recognise that you are so much more than just a changing face or body.
This can be a good time to reevaluate your relationship with beauty standards and embrace some of the changes that come with age while working proactively to improve the concerns that you can reasonably change.
- Redefine Your Purpose
Perimenopause and the years beyond often coincide with children becoming more independent or entering new life phases. This can be an opportunity to rediscover personal goals, passions, and purpose.
Our children were never meant to be reliant on us forever though it’s easy to think when they’re young, that these years will never end.
The focus can now shift to what brings you joy and fulfillment, whether that’s advancing your career, contributing to your community, or pursuing creative passions.
- Cultivate a Growth Mindset
Embrace the idea that life is a continual journey of learning and growth.
Staying curious, open-minded, and adaptable will help you thrive as you age.
Age doesn’t have to limit your possibilities as long as we’ve planned for it well, physically and financially—there are always new opportunities to explore.
5. Engage in Meaningful Activities
- Volunteer or Get Involved in Community
Volunteering can provide a strong sense of purpose, fulfillment, and connection. Whether it’s mentoring, teaching, or working with local organizations, giving back to the community can positively impact mental well-being.
- Stay Mentally Active
Mental stimulation is important in maintaining cognitive health. Engage in activities that challenge your brain, such as reading, puzzles, learning a new language, or playing an instrument.
Keeping the mind active can reduce the risk of cognitive decline.
- Nurture Spirituality
If you practice religion or have a spiritual practice, continue engaging with that. Spirituality can provide comfort, meaning, and peace during times of change.
6. Embrace the Wisdom of Aging
- Shift Your Perspective on Aging
Aging is a natural part of life, and the 50s, 60s, and 70s can be some of our most fulfilling years if we care for ourselves well.
With age comes wisdom, resilience, and a deeper understanding of what truly matters.
Embrace the freedom to live authentically and without fear of judgment. Ageing unapologetically is also an opportunity to model healthy behaviours to our daughters.
- Redefine Success
As we age, the idea of success in later life may look different from what we thought it would in our earlier years.
Instead of focusing on traditional career or family milestones, it may help you to think about success as leading a life of meaning, joy, and well-being.
By staying proactive and adopting a holistic approach to physical and mental health, you can experience a positive transition through menopause and live vibrant, fulfilling lives well into your 70s and beyond.