Menopause can feel unsettling, off-putting, and shocking if it hits you all at once. And sometimes, it does indeed hit all at once. Suddenly, you have new aches and pains, you’re overwhelmed by a hot flash, and you’re irritable. These changes, and more, might start to make you feel helpless, vulnerable, and (gasp) old. But the reality is menopause can be an amazing transition into your wisdom years. Here’s how to face that transition with confidence:
1. Take Care of Your Immediate Health Needs
No matter how positive you are, and how relentlessly optimistic about the future, it’s near impossible to be confident if you’re in pain. And yes, due to the hormonal fluctuations that come with menopause, many women experience discomfort and pain. Whether it’s joint pain, vaginal dryness, migraines, or frequent UTIs, you deserve relief. Before you can hope to embrace the next stage of your life, you must take care of your immediate health needs.
At times, getting relief can be a conundrum. You need to get good sleep to support your changing body, but you can’t sleep because you’re in pain. So, the first step is to take preventative measures into your own hands. Use vaginal moisturizers to help combat vaginal dryness or take a daily UTI supplement to help you get ahead of UTIs. Do what you need to get your equilibrium on a good track. Taking these initial proactive steps can help set the stage for long-term confidence.
2. Engage in Vigorous Exercise Most Days of the Week
There are few things more confidence-building than exercise. The unfortunate element, however, is that the less you exercise, the more tired and lethargic you are likely to feel. Furthermore, the less you exercise, the more the aches and pains of menopause are likely to affect you. Also, the more likely you are to develop health conditions like osteoporosis, which hits women particularly hard due to the drop in estrogen during menopause.
You can offset those health conditions and increase your energy by exercising more. In most cases, daily walks and light weightlifting can have a huge impact on your health in the best ways. But, if you’re looking for confidence, look for opportunities to exercise vigorously. This means jogging, cycling, swimming, aerobics, and, of course, heavy weightlifting. Within just a few weeks, you’ll find yourself holding your head higher.
3. Find the Others
One of the hardest parts of menopause for women’s mental health is the feeling of isolation and loneliness. Your husband can’t relate, and neither can your kids. Maybe your mother has been through it, but she’s not going through it now. This leaves you feeling misunderstood and can exacerbate feelings like anxiety, stress, and depression. Like with most conditions, the longer they’re left to fester, the worse they get.
You can turn those feelings of isolation and loneliness around quickly by finding other women going through menopause. Being in good company can remind you that there are millions of women going through what you’re going through. Join or form a book club, an exercise class, or a walking club. Get together for commiseration sessions and spa days. Friendship is an incredible medicine that will make you feel strong and confident in no time.
4. Laugh and the World Laughs with You
Here’s the thing about sadness, misery, and self-pity: you’re often alone in those feelings. People will see you having those experiences and avoid you at all costs, eventually fulfilling your feelings of being lonely and isolated. It’s a natural human response to want to avoid negative experiences in the hopes of avoiding being infected by them. While misery may love company, company does not love misery. And misery does not beget confidence.
So, you will have to turn it around and move yourself into a more positive, joyful space to attract “the others” and boost your confidence. You can engage in meditation, talk to a therapist, and, of course, exercise, which will elevate your mood. But also: watch funny videos, go to comedy shows, and work on seeing the hilarious side of life. The smile you wear will become your signature look, and it’s a sure pathway to feeling confident.
5. Eat the Cake and Drink the Wine
Finally, let go a little. Later in life, doctors, nutritionists, and many other people in the world of influencers and coaches will tell you all the things you shouldn’t be doing. And, sure, they’re not wrong. You shouldn’t be drinking to excess or devouring entire pizzas or sheet cakes in a single sitting. But, you also don’t want to hyper-fixate on your health so much that you take the joy out of life.
Unless you have a problem with alcohol or a condition like diabetes, let yourself live a little. Have the glass of wine with your girlfriends at the spa. Eat the cinnamon roll at Sunday brunch. Crack open your favorite Ben & Jerry’s every once in a while. Yes, you want to be healthy, but that doesn’t mean you can never treat yourself. Find the balance between focusing on exercise and nutrition and indulging when you’re called to. Your confidence will surely skyrocket when you feel in control of your journey.
In the end, there are many ways to embrace your menopause journey with confidence, and much of it has to do with self-care. Exercise, eat good food, find good friends, take care of your health concerns, and stay active in general. Menopausal and postmenopausal women still have so much to give to the world. And the world needs you to be strong, healthy, happy, and confident. You’ve got this.
