‘Why we need to talk about menopause!’

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The menopause can be such a massive deal for most women. It's such a significant milestone in our lives as it marks the end of one era and the beginning of a whole new one. But sadly, for many of us, it can also be a real struggle to get through.
 
And it’s not just the prospect of hot sweats and unwanted hair-growth that cause the problems. It’s the fear of losing your identity as a woman, losing your sex appeal, disappearing into old age, the possibility of becoming ugly and fat, and the fear of the unknown.

The crazy thing is that whilst we love to talk about so many things in our lives, it’s incredibly rare for us to feel at ease talking openly about the menopause. Even our doctors are usually more concerned with dealing with the physical symptoms than discussing anything else. So many of us fall victim to the myths that surround the menopause and all of its supposed changes.

We believe the menopause is something to feel ashamed about. And so, we refused to believe that our fertile years could be coming to a close, we battle with our sense of self-worth, self-value and self-esteem and we fear how others will judge us if they find out the truth.

We ask ourselves questions like:
 “How can I ever feel sexy again now I’m ‘over the hill?” “What do I have to look forward to but blue rinses and hearing aids?” Will I ever fall in love with my body again?

And our society does reinforce these terribly negative views about ageing women.  We’ve all fallen into the trap of believing that we must be young, beautiful and fertile to hold any value as women. And so, when the menopause arrives, it can hit us hard.

We get caught in a fearsome whirlwind of symptoms, emotions and deep-seated fears. We don’t have a clue whether these changes in our bodies are normal, or whether we have cause for concern, because nobody has ever told us what to expect. And we feel utterly ashamed.

So, we bottle it all up inside and accidentally keep that taboo alive and kicking. And it needs to stop!

No matter how difficult it feels talking openly about the menopause, you absolutely must do it. Tell your daughters what you are feeling, share your symptoms and your struggles. Explain what is happening in your body, warts and all, so that they can have a better understanding of what might lie ahead for them too, without denial or a sense of taboo.

You’ll be giving her one of the best gifts out there - one of generation-to-generation support, love, understanding and insight that will help her when it becomes her turn.

Show her that she can regain control if her symptoms start to get the better of her by tweaking her lifestyle, nutrition and mindset to better support her body. Suggest that she cut down on stimulants, make more nutritious food choices, and get comfortable with saying no to others and yes to herself more often.

What kind of legacy does this leave for our daughters or granddaughters if we allow ourselves to think like that and refuse to be open about our experiences?

How will they make sense of what they’re experiencing when they start experiencing those hot flushes, suffer mood swings, witness their sex drives vanish or keep missing their period?

How will they ever know that they’re still just as beautiful and wonderful and valuable if we haven’t found the inner strength to share our own experiences of this time of transformation?

And what does this tell the men in our lives about the female body?

How can they ever be understanding and supportive partners if they don’t understand what the women they love are struggling through?

And don’t think you can avoid tricky conversations because you don’t have a daughter! Even sons need to understand what the menopause really is so that they too can provide the much-needed love and understanding that will make a massive difference. This is how we can make our boys into men. ;)
 
So enough of the taboos and secrets.

It’s time to stand up and openly discuss the menopause for the sake of our future generations. We need to stop treating the natural part of life with shame and allow it to become what it really is - a time of celebration, transition and new beginnings.  

Isn’t that what you’d like your children to remember?  

The time has come to smash this last remaining taboo so we can empower women everywhere to welcome the menopause with open arms.

That’s why I’ve created this FREE course too, so you start to regain your confidence and feel happy, energised and in control. https://www.smarterchange.co.uk/balance-and-thrive-email-course