When menopause brings all kinds of symptoms and challenges to your day, there’s nothing quite as powerful as starting off on the right foot and giving yourself the best support possible to combat its impact. A morning routine is a sacred ritual for some of us, but for others, no two mornings look quite the same.
With all kinds of personal preferences and daily demands impacting how our mornings go, finding the right morning rituals and routines that are going to support you throughout your menopause health isn’t quite as easy as following a set of instructions. After all, as with all aspects of your health during menopause, a supportive routine has to be centred on your personal needs, not the other way around – but there are some key ingredients you can fold in to give yourself valuable support each morning.
We’re diving into the world of morning rituals to assess how we can each start the day right for our own unique needs, examining the power of a morning routine that’s specifically and strategically designed to support your health.
What’s all the fuss about a morning routine?
We’re not here to tell you what time to set the alarm clock for, but it is worth noting that even science has positive things to say about the power of a healthy, sustainable morning routine. From the benefits of waking up at a regular time to starting the day with a brisk walk, research continues to point to numerous strategies that can give us necessary mental, emotional, and psychological boosts at the very beginning of our day.
Morning rituals can provide significant support for our menopausal health via:
- Creating consistency. When so much around us is changing, consistency can help to alleviate the emotional stress of the unknown. A morning routine is one way to create easy predictability at the beginning of each day, helping to reduce feelings of stress, anxiety, and overwhelm. Even in the midst of menopausal symptoms, your morning routine can remain a place of stability, offering you control over certain elements and experiences within your day.
- Protecting time and space for self-care exercises. When the calendar gets full, it’s all too easy to abandon self-care structures. Let’s face it: the calendar gets full every week. By building time for self-care into your morning routine, you can help to protect your mental health by investing in yourself day in and day out.
- Boosting your mood and energy. If your morning rituals include activities like exercise, mindfulness, or a hearty breakfast, you’ll be taking key steps towards boosting your energy levels and improving your mood. No matter what the day brings, a morning ritual can help you build a firm foundation for meeting your own needs across physical and emotional factors.
- Regulating circadian rhythms. No, the circadian rhythm isn’t a myth – and it’s important to keep ours protected and regulated. By getting exposure to natural light in the morning, you can give your body the support it needs for this regulation, which is a powerful way to invest in the health of your sleep quality. Since good sleep is so important throughout menopause, the more you can do to contribute to high-quality sleep, the better.
- Allowing space to check in with yourself. If your days are full and demanding, when else are you able to assess how you’re tracking? Throughout menopause, paying attention to your health and wellbeing on a number of different markers is crucial. This data is what’s necessary to build personalised treatment plans with your healthcare team. By taking a brief moment each morning to do a self-evaluation before the day begins, you can capture this necessary data, creating the context you need for your ongoing health journey.
Looking for more ways to support your health during menopause? Find resources and personalised treatment plans at the Australian Menopause Centre.
How to design an energising morning ritual
When it comes to designing your own energising morning rituals to support your menopause health, there are two things to prioritise: personalisation and consistency. Even if there’s a dream routine that your best friend swears by, it doesn’t mean it’s the right fit for you. Evaluating your needs is the first step in building a routine that’s going to be enjoyable, impactful, and sustainable.
When designing this routine, factors that can be useful to consider include:
- Hydration. This one’s a simple way to quickly improve your morning routine and serve you well throughout the day. By starting the day with a glass of water, you’re building a great foundation for your ongoing hydration needs, fighting the dehydration that’s so common due to menopausal symptoms.
- Movement. Whether stretching, taking a walk, fitting in a yoga session, or embracing another form of exercise you like, getting your body moving in the morning is not only great for your physical health, it’s great for your mental health.
- Mindfulness. Menopause poses real challenges to your emotional wellbeing, and mindfulness is one way to strengthen your resources in this area. Even just a few minutes spent in meditation can help you to connect with yourself before the day begins in a mindful and meaningful way.
- Nutrition. We love breakfast all the time, but during menopause, breakfast is a powerhouse that gives us many of the nutrients we need for the day ahead. A balanced breakfast that includes protein, healthy fats, and fibre is a firm recommendation for your morning routine.
- Sunlight. Whether you’re sitting in the yard or standing by a window, natural sunlight can help to regulate your mood, your circadian rhythm, and your state of mind.
- A self check-in. Take just a few minutes to assess how you’re feeling physically and emotionally. This regular habit can help you to stay attuned to your needs, identifying opportunities where you can better support yourself throughout your ongoing menopause journey.
Conclusion
Whether your morning routine begins at 5am or 8am, this is the secret weapon that can turn bad days into brilliant days. Find more support for your menopausal journey at the Australian Menopause Centre. We’re here for you from the moment your morning ritual begins through to the end of every day, delivering personalised guidance and practical tools to support you throughout your menopause experience.
About The Author - AMC Team
Our team consists of doctors, nurses, program assistants, naturopaths and nutritionists that join their wealth of knowledge to offer our patients and website visitors interesting and insightful articles to assist you understand the symptoms you are experiencing and how to relieve them.