Quite often, people think about menopause as a quick, difficult experience for women, if they think about it at all. The reality is that once a woman enters menopause, the menopausal journey lasts the rest of her life, and while it presents challenges, it doesn’t have to be excruciating. The key to moving through menopause with grace is to understand the stages, what to expect, and what tools to use for managing on your own terms.
1. PeriMenopause
Perimenopause is the hormonal shift a woman goes through that signals the onset of menopause. It can last for over a decade, or it can last only a few short years. At the point of entering perimenopause, you might not even realize your symptoms are related. They can be as simple as headaches, fatigue, and a slight change in menstruation. You might have lighter or heavier periods than “normal,” and you may experience spotting between periods or after sex.
You may also experience moodiness, anxiety, heightened levels of stress, and brain fog. It’s difficult for many women at this stage to recognize the changes in their bodies, because so many women already have these issues. Thanks to raising kids, managing careers, and caring for aging parents, you may already feel stressed, anxious, exhausted, and struggling to concentrate.
Age: In general, perimenopause begins for women in their mid to late 40s, but it can start much younger, as early as the late 30s. Women who start perimenopause early typically have a family history of early onset or can be brought on by other conditions such as an autoimmune disorder or cancer treatments.
How to Respond: Women in their late 30s and into their 40s will benefit from beginning to pay closer attention to their bodies cues. Any difference from “normal” should be heeded and addressed. The onset of perimenopause is a cue that your estrogen levels are dropping. The earlier you respond, the more easily navigating this journey will be. Prioritize sleep, a nutrient diet high in protein, and plenty of exercise, including weight lifting to start.
2. Menopause
Menopause is the point in time when a woman stops menstruating. You may miss your period for several months at a time, and then you may menstruate again. You’re officially considered “menopausal” once you have gone a full year without menstruating. It is during this period that symptoms can become worse, including vaginal dryness, hot flashes, joint pain, sleep problems, skin changes, and bone density loss.
The challenge of menopause is realizing that each of these issues can lead to the other issues, starting a cycle that feels impossible to break. Without enough sleep, you don’t want to exercise, and without enough exercise, you have trouble getting to sleep. Add in a poor diet, alcohol or cigarettes and you might feel like a mess all day every day.
Age: The average age of menopause is 51 years old, but again, it can begin much earlier or much later depending on biological and environmental factors.
How to Respond: If you haven’t already begun changing your lifestyle, now is the time to make sure you do. Diet, exercise, and good sleep are the pillars of having a healthy body and mind as an older woman. At the same time, be sure you treat any immediate concerns. For example, many menopausal women get frequent urinary tract infections. You can help prevent these with a UTI supplement.
3. PostMenopause
“Postmenopause” is defined as the period after 12 months have passed since a woman’s last menstrual period. In reality, there is no “post” menopause. While the symptoms of menopause may calm down, you’ll still be dealing with the lasting effects of having far less estrogen production than you had in earlier years. This reality can mean persistent vaginal dryness, poor bladder control, achy muscles and joints, and a decrease in bone density.
If you haven’t been taking care of your body and mind up to this point, this time might hit you like a ton of bricks. You may feel like you’ve been beaten up by menopause, and now you’re just exhausted and in pain all the time. The biggest reminder for this stage of life is that it’s never too late to pick yourself up and start getting into shape, mentally and physically.
Age: Women are menopausal for the rest of their lives. You may experience many of the listed symptoms as long as you live. However, there are many steps you can take to help make them better or even disappear altogether.
How to Respond: In addition to diet, exercise, and sleep, you can also contribute to a healthy, happy experience later in life by finding a community of other women at the same age. Community for women in midlife and beyond goes a long way toward uplifting your mental state, getting you more active, and encouraging healthy habits. Also consider taking up yoga, meditation, and other mindful practices that keep you positive about your life.
In the end, menopause is a journey all women go on, and how that journey goes depends largely on how you respond to it. It can be incredibly liberating for many women to no longer have to worry about the mess and stress of periods. Take it as a sign that you’re one of the privileged women who “gets to” age, and you can see it as a wild adventure rather than simply something to tolerate.
