New Year’s Resolutions for Every Menopausal Woman
I was chatting with a friend the other day, comparing our menopause experiences, and we both agreed that sometimes it feels like we have been lost control of our own bodies and minds.
We decided we should do our best to elbow the menopausal madwoman out of the way and take back the steering wheel to save our sanity and restore a more harmonious lifestyle this year.
Yes, yes I know, everyone always plans to change their life in the New Year but hopefully you will agree that these suggested New Year’s resolutions are both quite easy to keep and totally worth the effort!
Keep Calm
If you are occasionally possessed by the menopausal rage that leaves you moody, unpredictable, and frankly at times quite scary, resolve to recognize and deal with meltdown situations better.
My friend and I both agreed we can usually hear ourselves being screechy and unreasonable and recognize our anger is motivated less by our partner or children’s minor infractions and more by fluctuating hormone levels.
Yes, he forgot to put the garbage out, or she left her shoes by the door again, but do they really deserve the type of dressing down usually reserved for offences punishable by life imprisonment?
As soon as you realize you are being unreasonable, stop, apologize and explain. It may be embarrassing but the people who love you would rather you did that then rant on just to save face.
Stopping sooner might prevent hurtful things being said in the heat of the moment which can be hard for your loved ones (or work colleagues!) to forget.
Work out ways to minimize the chance of a meltdown by tackling trigger points. Maybe keep a snack in your bag if low blood sugar makes you moody.
Get More Sleep
Maybe it’s sleep deprivation opening the door to release your inner demon? There are lots of resolutions you can make to help improve the length and quality of sleep.
The simplest solution to try is just to make sure you get to bed at a reasonable time, and avoid stimulants like caffeine and too much screen time.
If your mattress is years old, consider getting a new one, and remember to change pillows frequently before they become more mite than filling!
Use sheets made from natural or breathable fabrics and if you wear pajamas, natural fabrics like cotton is best for these too, especially if you suffer from night sweats.
Exercise
It’s a New Year tradition for people to take up exercise and adopt a healthy eating plan. Along with helping to tone up and stay trim, these two changes can actually help your sleep.
Regular weight bearing exercise can also help maintain muscle mass, which often deteriorates during menopause.
