Certain Common Intersections in P&M may Look like “No Big Deal” Until States of Unwell Begin to Define How we Live.
Take the following as a perspective on how a simple intersection can feed a cycle of not feeling well:
1. Think of a pattern of interrupted sleep, which could be triggered by hormonal driven night sweats and how it affects our energy levels the next day all throughout the day.
2. As a result, this might challenge our desire to exercise or do anything that requires an optimal level of energy like cooking dinner, therefore leading us to opt for staying home watching TV while eating a high calorie, pre-cooked processed meal with no nutritional value.
3. Consequently, this food choice could fuel the continuum of sleep deprivation (in this case, already happening with hormonal driven night sweats) but now with uncomfortable heartburn or indigestion that will make stress hormone levels that are already high, higher as well as adding to our mood imbalance.
4. The intersection then becomes a cycle of endless unwell given that the hormonal imbalances we don’t control have an effect in every aspect of what we do control.
So for the circumstances we don’t control, there are many we do and they are tied to choices. And within those choices is the effort we could all put into evaluating ourselves and what exactly structures our daily struggles which become amplified in perimenopause & menopause.
Throughout the journey, it becomes essential to create good sleep hygiene, incorporate movement, make the right nutritional choices, and find alternatives to cope with everyday stress and promote healthier emotional & mental states only if we are hoping to mitigate menopause’s impact. And it takes work especially if we feel hopeless and incapable of triggering the motivation needed to achieve a better mindset throughout it all.
But better is possible and if you feel you can’t find the way to do it, ask for help. Build a community of support out of health professionals, family, friends, and services.
We promise you that it is possible to envision and work towards building the standard of living we deserve for the next 50 years ahead of us and it starts with never settling, downgrading, or normalizing unwell as the ultimate result of aging. Your physical, mental, and emotional health deserves to be your priority, now.