Do you listen to your body?
I am often asked if there is a secret to a good menopause and I say ‘no’ only knowledge and a little effort!
I am literally gobsmacked by how little many women know about their own bodies, and I would recommend every woman do a quick lesson on what is where in the body and what it does. No need for an anatomy course but just basic, simple stuff (kids’ books are great for this!). Knowing what goes on inside us often gives us a clue as to what is happening when we experience new symptoms, and this is especially useful during the menopause.
I was very lucky in that my menopause was generally symptom free; but if I got stressed, run down or tried to do too much (which I often did!) then I suffered with night sweats and hot flushes (see the breathing blog). But, eventually I realised that my body always gave me a signal or two if I was getting too near my tipping point. Firstly, my digestion would play up: I‘d get a bit bloaty or sluggish. If I ignored that then I would start to feel really fatigued, and then lastly my right eye would start to twitch with a vengeance! After that, if I carried on regardless, the flushes and sweats would begin.
So I learned to listen to how my body was feeling and if any of the signs started then I would look at my lifestyle and diet and make quick changes such as not pushing myself and relaxing instead. My motto became don’t do today what doesn’t need doing at all! Or cutting out caffeine and bad food choices… It always amazed me how quickly I felt better!
I’ll talk about ‘effort’ in my next blog post!
