5 Helpful Ways to Handle Stress During Menopause

Menopause is a significant life transition for women, and it’s certainly not without its stressors. With physical and emotional changes often making women feel like they’re on an emotional rollercoaster (with no choice about when they’ll get off), stress is a common experience in the day-to-day life of a menopausal woman.

While some of menopause’s impact can be difficult to reduce, stress reduction techniques can contribute to a greater sense of control, peace and wellbeing. We’ve gathered five different ways to handle stress during menopause, giving you the strategies you need to be empowered and in the driver’s seat through this major life transition.

1: Build a regular exercise routine

A regular exercise routine is a great source of health support for all people of all ages. However, when it comes to menopause, the benefits of a regular exercise routine can’t be overstated.

Regular exercise brings many proven health benefits, including the reduction of stress and the promotion of positive overall health and wellbeing. For menopausal women, a regular exercise routine can help to reduce some of menopause’s symptoms, including hot flushes, mood swings and joint aches and pains.

No two exercise routines need to be alike. Building this routine is about finding what works best for you in terms of your movement preferences, your schedule and your individual health circumstances. It’s worth giving a few different forms of exercise a try until you find the one that’s the best fit for you – swimming, walking, or even dance classes are great options to explore.

2: Introduce meditation

If you’re not already meditating on a regular basis, it’s time to embrace the practice. Meditation is one of the easiest ways to access mood-boosting benefits, as well as your overall health and wellbeing.

Meditation is a natural and effective way to fight the stress and anxiety associated with menopause. With proof of its abilities to promote relaxation and reduce negative thoughts and emotions, even a few minutes of meditation a day can help to reduce the stress you experience.

As menopause can also impact cognitive function, meditation’s support for focus, attention and working memory is beloved by many women looking to maintain their brain health throughout the menopause transition.

Finally, meditation has proven links to improvements in sleep quality and quantity. If night sweats are disrupting your sleep, regular meditation can help to reduce symptoms of insomnia, promoting a positive state of mind for optimal rest.

3: Implement and maintain a healthy diet

This may seem like obvious advice when it comes to mental, physical and emotional health and wellbeing, but the importance of a healthy diet during menopause can’t be overstated.

A balanced diet has a major role to play in the reduction of stress, as well as the promotion of overall health and longevity. When our bodies don’t receive the nutrients they need to function properly, they’re less equipped to handle stressful occurrences

The experience of menopause itself can place stress on the body. Significant hormonal changes can lead to multiple impacts on its ability to regulate, contributing to overall stress levels. By eating a diet that’s rich in nutrient-dense foods, you can create the healthiest baseline possible, giving it additional reinforcements as it experiences major hormonal changes.

In contrast, a diet that’s high in processed foods and added sugars can lead to increased inflammation, creating the potential for symptoms of stress to be worsened. By sticking to whole grains, fruits, vegetables, lean proteins and healthy fats, you’re giving your body the best tools possible as it navigates through menopause’s stressors.

4: Connect with others

One of the most important things you can do to reduce stress during menopause is to regularly connect with others. Our friends and family members can help to provide support, community and belonging, all integral factors in how grounded and calm we feel during this major life transition.

It can also be helpful to connect with others who are going through a similar experience. Support groups or friends who are also experiencing menopause can help to normalise your experience, making you feel less alone in the transition and offering tools and resources as you navigate through each change.

You may also find a sense of reward through offering your own experiences in these relationships, helping other women to understand their symptoms and finding community in the process.

If you’re not used to sharing, keep in mind that speaking about your own experience with menopause can help to break the ice for others. With too many women fearing vulnerability in how they communicate about their health, there’s a powerful opportunity to build connectedness and togetherness by breaking through these walls. 

5: Practise mindfulness

When we’re busy, overloaded and looking to meet the demands of each day, it can be difficult to practise mindfulness. This is a crucial habit, however, in reducing your stress levels during menopause.

Mindfulness can directly contribute to an increased sense of calm, relaxation and acceptance. By focusing on the present moment and working to accept it without judgement, you may be able to reduce the impacts of negative thoughts that are often tied to feelings of stress and anxiety.

This can be particularly useful in the throes of menopause’s symptoms when physical and emotional impacts can be difficult to manage. By practising mindfulness, women can build a stronger sense of awareness and acceptance, helping to navigate the negative emotions and stress that can come with them. 

Mindfulness is also a great source of resilience, enabling those who practise it to develop their coping skills. These can come in handy across the many years of menopause!

Conclusion

Ultimately, menopause isn’t meant to be navigated alone. We encourage women across Australia to find the support they need to reduce their stress and alleviate their systems. To learn more about how we can support you in your menopause journey, contact our team. We’re ready to help!