Day 6: Overview of Symptoms and Bodily Changes

So, now that you know more about menopause, its history and what to expect of the process, it’s time to talk more specifically about symptoms.

Remember, the experience of menopause is different for every woman. While there are symptoms that are common and most of us will experience some of them, not all of us will experience every single one or even in the exact same way. The only exception is the end of our periods. We will all experience that, although at different times.

So let’s talk about symptoms, changes in our bodies and what to expect.

Around your late 30’s to early 40’s, your body’s hormone balance starts to shift. Your ovaries begin producing less and less estrogen. You’re entering perimenopause, the time before your period actually ceases for good.

There’s a long list of symptoms that women normally experience during this time.

First, there’s the hot flashes – spontaneous flashes of heat that can last from a few seconds to a few minutes. They’re related to your body’s cooling system that becomes faulty as your estrogen levels plummet. You feel a rush of heat as your body tries desperately to cool itself. They can be embarrassing, uncomfortable and sometimes, a bit scary.

Then there’s night sweats – the night version of hot flashes. Night sweats can wake you from a sound sleep, sweaty and anxious. They can make falling back to sleep difficult. Over time, night sweats can significantly impact your ability to get restful, restorative sleep.

Women can also experience problems with Sleep – trouble falling asleep, staying asleep or even waking up very early in the morning

Changes in your mood can also be common – mood swings, low or sad mood, a loss of interest in things, irritability, anxiety…

Things also start changing down there – leaky bladder, vaginal dryness. This can also impact your sex drive or make sex uncomfortable.

Most of us also see changes in our appearance- our hair can become thinner and drier, our skin changes, and maintaining our weight can suddenly become a lot more challenging than it used to be.

If you’re already experiencing any of these symptoms, the most important thing to remember is – you are not alone. Most of these changes are completely normal, and although they can be a pain to deal with, at least we’re all in it together.

The second most important thing to remember is this: how we perceive and deal with our symptoms matters. A positive attitude and approach can help us reduce the impact of many of these symptoms – both physical and psychological – and a negative outlook can make everything a lot worse.

We’ll dive into this more in the next lesson, but for now, think about your symptoms. Are you aware of any particular thought patterns surrounding them? Do you see them as positive, negative, or neutral? Remember, how we choose to think about things impacts how we react to them. Make some mental notes about your thoughts and feelings related to symptoms. Sometimes they can be overwhelming – and taking the time to acknowledge them can be a big first step in not letting negative thoughts control you.