Useful lifestyle changes to help you work through the menopause

A study has found that 14 million working days are lost every year to the menopause.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

With the number of women over the age of 50 making up a large proportion of the UK workforce – a rise of 38 per cent since 2009 – it is time to remove the stigma surrounding the menopause.

The menopause is a natural life phase that begins for many women around the age of 51. However, in the months and years leading up to the menopause, the transition period known as the perimenopause can give rise to new symptoms and changes many women are not even aware of. Inevitably, many of these symptoms can be exacerbated by negative or discriminatory attitudes in the workplace.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Founder of The Merry Menopause and menopause and menstruation educator, Jo Fuller said: “It is so important for women to understand the physical and emotional changes that take place during their menopause transition and the impact this will have on day to day life. By educating herself to understand her menopause, a woman can plan her life and work around the natural ebbs and flows of her hormones.

Jo FullerJo Fuller
Jo Fuller

Anxiety is a common symptom that many women experience as part of the menopause. This can present difficulties at work with struggling to concentrate, low self-esteem or a lack of self-confidence which results in a lot of women not putting themselves forward for promotions or resigning all together.”

During the menopause and perimenopause, fluctuating hormone levels contribute to an imbalance in the brain and heightened levels of anxiety.

Recent research conducted by Anxiety UK and Kalms revealed that 85 per cent of women believed their anxiety was triggered by the menopause, with an alarming 61 per cent of these women recommended anti-depressants as a result, contributing to many women prescribed unnecessary medication.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Jo added: “Removing the stigma around the menopause is key to creating a more diverse and inclusive workforce that makes women feel supported throughout all stages of their lives. Talking more openly about the menopause with friends, family members or colleagues can help to normalise the conversation and remove some of the fears many women feel when it starts to impact their everyday lives.”

Here are 5 useful lifestyle changes to help you work through the menopause:

Stay active: Exercise releases endorphins, the hormones which trigger a positive feeling in the body, but it also helps the body to detoxify itself, flushing out unwanted toxins which can trigger symptoms. Not only will you feel great, it will benefit your heart, bones, mental health and go a long way to improve any issues with sleeplessness!

Eat well: A whole-foods diet which contains a variety of fruit, vegetables and high-quality proteins may help to reduce menopause symptoms. Limit processed foods, caffeine and alcohol, especially in the evenings, as these have been linked to triggering hot flashes throughout the night which can contribute to broken sleep.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Try a traditional herbal remedy: Anxiety is a common symptoms of the menopause. Pharmaceutical grade lavender oil is clinically proven to reduce symptoms associated with anxiety. Less harmful than commonly prescribed anti-depressants, pharmaceutical grade lavender oil is comparable to treatment with pharmacological medication without experiencing symptoms such as sedation or addiction.

Get organised: If you’ve had a bad night's sleep or you’re feeling particularly foggy, maintaining concentration throughout the day can be a real challenge. Write your to-do list the night before so you’re on top of key priorities for the next day ahead.

Talk more: Everyone's experience of the menopause is different and it’s important we don’t shy away from speaking up and being more open about the symptoms so many women experience, in order to make the workplace a more comfortable and supportive environment.

The anxiety-relieving effects of uniquely prepared, pharmaceutical quality lavender oil are available only in Kalms Lavender One-A-Day Capsules.

A message from the Editor, Gary Shipton:

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news, I am asking you to please purchase a copy of our newspapers.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspapers.

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.

Stay safe, and best wishes.

Related topics: