October is designated as Menopause Awareness Month, and while hot flashes and night sweats often dominate the conversation, it's crucial to shed light on the often-overlooked aspect of perimenopause: the mental and emotional challenges that can emerge as early as your 40s.
HORMONAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL TRIGGERS
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Estrogen Decline: Estrogen levels drop significantly during menopause, affecting serotonin and norepinephrine, neurotransmitters responsible for mood regulation.
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Progesterone Imbalance: Progesterone, another hormone, may decrease relative to estrogen, contributing to mood swings.
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Subconscious Beliefs: Negative subconscious beliefs can significantly impact anxiety levels, self-esteem, and the ability to embrace aging. These beliefs may have roots in childhood experiences and conditioning.
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Midlife Crisis: Menopause can trigger a midlife crisis, as it serves as a reminder of life's impermanence. This crisis can bring to the surface conditioned responses learned in childhood, such as feelings of impotence, isolation, body shaming, hyper-productivity versus procrastination, self-criticism, and catastrophizing.
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Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs): Research, such as the Mayo Clinic study has shown a correlation between ACEs and the severity of menopause symptoms. Unresolved childhood trauma and negative programming can manifest as menopausal mood disorders.
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SIGNS OF MOOD DISORDERS IN MENOPAUSE
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Depression: Persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and low energy.
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Anxiety: Excessive worry, restlessness, and irrational fears.
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Irritability: Heightened sensitivity, anger, and frustration.
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Mood Swings: Rapid and unpredictable shifts in emotions.
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Sleep Disturbances: Insomnia or disrupted sleep patterns.
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Loss of Interest: Reduced enthusiasm for previously enjoyed activities.
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Difficulty Concentrating: Impaired cognitive function and memory lapses.
- Procrastination and Hyper productivity
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Isolation: Growing apart from friends and activities.
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Body Shaming: Skipping group events due to self-criticism.
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Self-sabotage: Overindulging in sugary or carb-loaded foods.
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Destructive behavior: Excessive drinking, late nights, misuse of medication.
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Nutrition: A well-balanced diet rich in nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and B vitamins can support mood stability.
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Gut Health: A healthy gut microbiome positively influences mood. Incorporating probiotics and fiber-rich foods can aid gut health.
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Regular Exercise: Physical activity releases endorphins, promoting a sense of well-being and reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety.
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Therapy and Support Groups: Professional therapy, seeking support from loved ones or participating in support groups can provide valuable emotional support.
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Positive Programming: Engage in practices that promote positive self-talk, self-compassion, and a hopeful outlook on the future, replacing old, limiting beliefs with empowering ones.
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Lifestyle Adjustments: Incorporate stress-reduction techniques such as mindfulness, meditation, deep-breathing exercise, and relaxation exercises into your daily routine.
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Finding Meaning and Purpose: Many women feel the call to find more meaning and purpose in their lives, shifting away from materialism towards the spiritual. Women with a greater sense of meaning often experience reduced stress in the body, which contributes to a smoother menopause transition.
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Menopause can indeed mark a return to joy in our lives. It's an opportunity to nurture ourselves as caring parents we may not have had and to wholeheartedly embrace our magnificent selves.
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Welcome to the world of CLEAN BEAUTY, where purity meets potency. In this article, Candice Battista, the founder of The Eco Hub, will dive into the essence of clean beauty, exploring its benefits and guiding you toward making informed choices for a healthier, more radiant you.
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If you still don’t know where to shop your clean beauty products, check out The Earth Hero’s. They offer a huge variety of products from beauty items over green cleaning and much more.
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PUMPKIN SEEDS are a good source of phytoestrogens. Phytoestrogens are compounds found in plants and are comparable to human estrogen, capable of producing estrogenic effects.
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If you want to deep-dive into this subject check out this beautiful selection of books, from trauma-healing over motivation to inspiration.
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Considering the recent global developments, I cannot help but conclude that we need many more women in key political and economic positions. With more women in power, our world could witness fewer wars, reduced fear, and diminished aggression.
I'd therefore like to share with you a quote from Leymah Gbowee:
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“WAR IS THE ULTIMATE ABSURDITY, WHERE HUMANITY'S GREATEST POTENTIAL FOR PROGRESS CLASHES WITH ITS DARKEST INSTINCTS." -
LEYMAH GBOWEE
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Have a great rest of the week!
If you feel like nothing's working for you and need guidance during this menopause phase, check out my coaching program here
Also do check out the fabulous menopause holistic kit here
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