3 Wellness Practices to Kickstart 2023 with a Fresh Mindset

While much ado can be made about the beginning of a new year, it does present us with an opportunity to evaluate what is and isn’t serving our health and wellbeing. As we kickstart 2023 and many of us return to the bustle of our everyday lives – hopefully after a rejuvenating break! – it’s important to take a moment to assess how you can support your physical, mental and emotional health throughout the demands of another year.

We’ve rounded up three wellness practices that can help you to welcome 2023 with a fresh, ready mindset. Check out our tips below and find the tools you need to make this a year where your health is prioritised, not pushed down the to-do list.

1. Find an exercise routine

Exercise routines don’t need to look the same for any two people. If you’ve spent the last year resenting every morning when you’ve laced up your sneakers and stepped out for a run, it may be time to find a new way to move your body and support your ongoing longevity.

With so many exercise options on the table, you can experiment with the kind of fitness experiences that are enjoyable, rewarding, shaped for your individual needs and preferences and, ultimately, able to be consistently slotted into your schedule.

You can prioritise building an exercise routine that truly meets your needs by:

• Beginning with the options that are free, including YouTube workouts, classes included in your gym membership, or community-run group events. You don’t need to invest a fortune in order to shake up your routine.
• Pushing yourself out of your comfort zone. Have you always wanted to try hot yoga, but you’ve never been brave enough to step into a class? Find a friend to go with you and treat it like an experiment. If you love it, you’ve just discovered a new tool you can integrate into your fitness toolkit. If it’s not for you, at least you’ll stop wondering! 
• Making quick spurts of activity more accessible. If you’re working from home and want to be moving more regularly throughout the day, investing in a few key pieces of equipment can add easy movement to your routine. Sit-stand desks combined with under-desk treadmills/walking pads have exploded in popularity. Keeping a couple of weights in your home office allows you to pump out some arm and abs routines during a lunch break.

2. Evaluate your diet

The food we eat has a substantial impact on our daily energy levels, how comfortable and equipped we feel, and our long-term health and wellbeing. Building a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and proteins is particularly important for women experiencing menopause or perimenopause symptoms.

A balanced diet brings a number of benefits for those in any stage of menopause. This is a key tool in reducing the impact of menopausal symptoms, with a healthy, balanced diet leading to improvements in symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, weight gain, mood management, sleep quality and more.

Check your diet to make sure it’s serving your menopausal needs:

• Monitor your calcium intake. Two to four servings of dairy products and calcium-rich foods a day can play a significant role in ongoing wellbeing for women throughout each stage of menopause.
• Ensure you’re getting enough iron. For older women, the recommended dietary intake is 8 mg of iron a day. This can be easily achieved by incorporating meat, fish, eggs, leafy greens, nuts and certain enriched grains. 
• Keep up your fibre intake. Whole-grain breads, cereals, fresh fruit and vegetables can provide the fibre necessary for regular digestion and healthy bodily functions.
• Embrace fruit and vegetables. Aim for at least 1.5 cups of fruit and 2 cups of vegetables each day.

3. Prioritise your sleep schedule

Sleep is crucial for menopausal and perimenopausal women. During menopause, it’s common for women to experience changes to their regular sleep patterns. This is a result of fluctuating hormones and is often worsened by the impact of menopausal symptoms like hot flushes and night sweats.

Without enough sleep, you’ll quickly notice impacts on your memory, your ability to concentrate, your energy levels and your mood – there’s a reason toddlers are cranky if they miss their regular nap!

Of course, maintaining a regular sleep schedule is often easier said than done for menopausal women. By prioritising choices and activities that promote healthy sleep, you can increase your odds of achieving a restful night.

These include:

• Following a regular sleep schedule. Aim to go to bed and get up at the same time, increasing your body’s ability to follow regular cues and routines.
• Skip out on late-afternoon naps. These can be disruptive to a full night’s sleep, so aim to hold off if you’re sleepy towards the end of the day.
• Make sure your bedroom isn’t too hot or too cold, and reduce the amount of noise impact on the space. It’s crucial for your bedroom to be as quiet and restful as possible.
• Ditch the evening glass of wine. While it may seem counter-intuitive, studies have found that even a small amount of alcohol can make it more difficult to stay asleep if you wake up throughout the night. 

As regular sleep also plays a key part in regulating our metabolisms, building a restful sleep routine can help manage other menopausal impacts, such as weight gain and the increased risk of associated chronic diseases.

Find support for menopause’s impacts

Regardless of what 2023 holds for you, it doesn’t need to be the year where you navigate the impacts of menopause on your own.

The Australian Menopause Centre has been treating women since 2003, providing effective relief from menopause symptoms. Sign up to our newsletter to receive tips, tricks and long-term treatment options for menopause in your inbox.