Whilst menopause can be defined as the 12 months after ceasing menstruation, it’s so much more than that, including the years of perimenopause leading up to it.
With so much more awareness of the challenges it creates, a woman can now more easily access the hormone replacement therapy or other treatment that is right for her to provide support during this time. The great thing is that this passage in a woman’s life often opens up the chance to focus on herself, while looking at supportive therapies and lifestyle changes.
During this phase, there’s also a different kind of ‘pause’ where there’s a unique opportunity for a woman to focus on herself and her needs, and an opening for transformation – not simply just ‘getting through’ the menopause. Often during a woman’s life, she has cared for others, and put her family or career before herself, so this chance to look introspectively instead can be incredibly powerful.
In addition to the physical and emotional changes that the menopause brings, there are often life changes happening during this phase of a woman’s life. These changes may bring a sense of questioning one’s identity or thinking back to previous times when she felt happy or more like herself. Perhaps now during this time her children are more independent, or have left home entirely, or her career and relationships no longer feel fulfilling.
The reality is nothing will feel the same as before, because the menopause is like a rebirth, a new beginning in a woman’s life. Whilst it can feel like a mourning of what was, which must be given space, this is quite possibly the first chance to dig deep and really ask some pertinent questions that have likely never been asked before, such as:
- What brings me joy in my life currently?
- What nourishes, and feeds my sense of wellbeing on a deep level?
- What aspects of my life are aligned to my sense of purpose?
- What do I feel is still in me that I haven’t yet done for myself?
These are big questions and give a sense of the things that are already present, and an awareness of some of the opportunities to create change, and bring in some new experiences that are aligned to a woman’s values and purpose. Often a woman might not be able to answer all these questions without having time to think and reflect. This is where the internal enquiry and ‘pause’ is so valuable, and having awareness on this deep level, even subconsciously will bring about new ideas and inspiration.
This is the chapter of a woman’s life where she really has the chance to think about what she wants. This doesn’t have to be done alone, and this is the reason why Donna Power founded Meno-Pause, as a menopause mentoring solution. Not only to work through all the practical and supportive aspects of menopause, but also to embrace the bigger life questions and ensure each client is on track to achieve her own personal goals and aspirations. Everyone deserves that.