Perimenopause: Putting You Back in the Driver’s Seat
When was the last time you felt good? Full of energy, strong, healthy and in a steady flow? Maybe it’s been a few years, or a few decades, or maybe it’s been never. I often ask my clients this question and more often than not, the answer is almost always, “before I had my kids.”
Why is it that when we have little humans our bodies and minds seem to go to hell? Is this just a right of passage for mothers or is there a way to find ourselves stronger, healthier and more peaceful than we ever have?
What if we told you, you can feel stronger, happier, healthier and more free?
Each phase of motherhood has its own challenges, both physically and emotionally, but the years of our upper 30s and 40s can take a toll on us. Perimenopause is the period of transition between normal menstrual cycles in our fertile years and menopause, or stopping of menstruation, and can last a few years up to a decade. From the never-ending chaotic “it’s fun but busy” kids’ schedules, to possibly caring for aging parents, growing or starting a new career or looking for a new meaning or sense of identity, all on top of a body that suddenly feels foreign, perimenopause can be a wild and not always fun rollercoaster ride. Suddenly you find the weight creeping on, the energy tanking, sleeping erratic, and emotions all over the place. Plus, things like night sweats, hot flashes and hair loss taking over you. Maybe what you’ve been doing all these years is suddenly not working and it makes no sense as to why. You feel totally out of control.
However, there are many things we can do to put ourselves back in the driver’s seat of our health. There is no one perfect supplement for finding balance in our bodies, rather, it’s learning to balance the foundations of health such as nutrition, sleep, stress, movement, perspective and many others. It’s learning to shift out of the “go-go-go” mentality and starting to pause before we automatically say ‘yes’ to everything. It’s starting to put things into our bodies and minds that nourish us rather than deplete us (that includes who we spend our time with). You can’t supplement your way out of a high-stress, inflammatory lifestyle, no matter how much social media tries to tell us we can. However, perfection isn’t the goal either, it’s balance.
Making lifestyle changes in a body that feels foreign, with a schedule that feels overwhelming, surrounded by conflicting information coming at you, can feel paralyzing. Working with a women’s health coach who is specifically trained on the unique needs of women gives you a partner who can guide and support you through this journey. Someone who can take the overwhelm out and help you create small, manageable, realistic changes that are specific for your health vision. When working with a New Heights Health Coach, we help you create your health vision, do a deep dive into your health history and look beyond the surface to really get to know you, your strengths and your challenges. Then, we help connect the dots and create a plan that is addressing all of the important foundations of health to bring balance back into your life.
Menopause is thought of in our culture as something to dread, to just brace for and get through. But what if we looked at this time as more of a rebirth, a time for us to take control of our bodies, minds and lives? We can step into this next chapter as our little ones get bigger feeling stronger, happier, healthier and more free than we’ve ever been.
Curious if health coaching is for you? Schedule a Complimentary Discovery Session with Megan or Breinne for us to hear your story and learn more.
