Welcome to the #MenoPARTY!

How to embrace this exciting chapter of your life

Nearing 51, stand-up comedian Cally Beaton recently wrote an article in the Guardian about totally embracing her age and loving it. In fact, Cally says that she feels more attractive now than she did when she was 20. There’s a lot to be said for that level of self-love and acceptance, but not everyone is fortunate enough to have such a positive experience of the menopause, and I get it. I’ve had clients who have found it to be quite traumatic. The loss of periods can make some women feel like they are no longer feminine, or as though their youth has gone. It can become a real identity crisis. But on the other side of the coin, there are those of us who feel free in this new chapter of our lives.

While I’m on board with Cally’s ‘bring it on’ stance regarding The Big M, I must admit, it wasn’t all plain sailing for me in the beginning. Yes, I had the hot flushes that made me want to tear all my clothes off, and some mood swinging days and sleepless nights. And sure, I recall some crazy moments, like screaming in a petrol station because I got petrol on the soles of my shoes, which left the pedals slippery – the hormones were definitely marching up and down that day!

Whichever side of the coin you’re on, most of us can’t get around the physical symptoms attached to the menopause. The most I took to cope with everything was some gentle homeopathy. Hypnotherapy can also help with a lot of the symptoms.

In the immortal words of Édith Piaf: ‘Je ne regrette rien.’ What a relief not to have periods any more. I feel great, I feel young and think I look young, and I seem to attract as much male attention now as I did in my twenties. Maybe that’s because the moment you realise you’re so much more comfortable in your skin, your assertiveness and confidence grows, which draws people to you. Most of my friends are younger than me and I feel just as optimistic as them in developing new plans for the future.

So if you’re anxious about the menopause and think it makes you less beautiful or less of a woman, let me assure you that you are still every bit the woman you were before the menopause. You are beautiful and nothing can ever take that away from you.

* If you require help with this, please contact me to find out more.