10 things I failed at while trying to manage my perimenopause.
Looking back is easy. You can connect the dots only after you’ve gone through the hard parts. Here’s my collection of 10 things I absolutely screwed up and would do differently.
1. Feeling guilty about resting.
Pregnant women get to rest as their body goes through a huge transition. Why don’t we allow ourselves the time to REST as our body shifts from making hormones in the ovaries to making them in the adrenal glands?
2. Trusting my doctor and gynecologist.
She said I wasn’t ready for HRT even though my vag was turning inside out. It took a Bartholin cyst the size of a plum for the University hospital to address my needs hormonally. I benefited tremendously from a vaginal estrogen cream when I was 48 years old.
3. Didn’t change my nutrition.
I am a trained health coach. I know better, right? I ate whole foods and YET… I kept GAINING weight. I then lost 9 kilos at age 51 by balancing my blood sugar and intermittent fasting.
4. Working out too hard.
I kept getting hurt. Estrogen is anti-inflammatory and helps women with muscle repair and collagen! So, now my workouts have become walks, and I pace myself with yoga flows.
5. Not talking to my mom about her Menopause.
So weird how I never spoke to my mom about her menopause. Apparently, it was TERRIBLE, but she never told me about it. Why don’t we talk more?
6. Thinking menopause meant just losing my period.
No period = less estrogen / progesterone = less neurotransmitters
This means… brain fog, loss of joy, fatigue, reduced motivation :-(
7. Drinking Wine.
Did you know, women digest alcohol differently? We have less water in our bodies than men and therefore we feel its effects more. Effects of alcohol include bad sleep, more hot flushes, night sweats and weaker bones.
8. Not eating enough fat.
Turns out, many hormones are made out of fat. I now add in FAT bombs, avocados and butter with salt sprinkled on top.
9. Being angry.
For 6 months I had extreme moments of ANGER. I just needed to be in a dark room, with lots of warmth. I couldn’t look at my husband or son. Everything felt wrong.
10. Not giving myself enough space just to be.
Perimenopause is more than shifting hormones. Your brain reorganizes itself. Old memories, injustices and old hurts come up so that you can deal with them and allow them to rest. Mentally, you try to think but sometimes the thoughts don’t connect. And that’s why, having space to just wander without a plan is so key to healing and digesting this experience.
You can try journaling, or you can try my free reflection guide or maybe a Menopause Yoga Class will help you feel amazing..
Learn from my mistakes.
Perimenopause can be a unique experience, if we just give it space.
xo Vanessa
