Women between the ages of 45-55 that are going through Peri-Menopause or
Menopause can
face a variety of challenges and changes in this time of transition. Symptoms
like hot flashes, night sweats, urinary leakage and mood swings can be life-altering
for some women, and lead to an enormous amount of stress. It is only natural
that these rapid changes would lead to a diminished quality of life and higher
levels of anxiety.
The good news is that, although you cannot control the physical symptoms
that your body is facing, you can control your reaction to them. Once you have noticed your
triggers for increased stress, you can begin to think about engaging in coping
mechanisms, so you do not fall into negative spirals and a poor emotional
state.
One beneficial practice that you can do to combat high stress levels and
anxiety is to introduce the practice of meditation into your life. Meditation can help to bring you to a state of calm and does not allow negative thoughts to take over. Additionally, meditation could help to promote improved mood and memory, regulate cravings, prevent weight gain and relieve the effect of the stressors in your everyday life.
Breath work is a very important component of meditation: the more you connect to your breathing, the more it
helps bring awareness to the physical symptoms. For example, if you are experiencing a hot flash accompanied by an increase in perspiration, you should begin to breathe consciously, to bring awareness to your body. Once you begin harmonizing with your body, rather than fighting its symptoms, your hot flashes may slow down, decrease in temperature and eventually diminish. The more we fight harmony with our bodies, the stronger the symptoms react and lead to increased levels of stress and anxiety.
Try this effective cooling breath technique now: slowly breathe in through a rolled, rounded tongue, then slowly exhale through your nose. Repeat 3 – 4 times, so the inhalations delivers a gentle cooling energy to the body.
Additionally, it is important to note that while meditating on your own is effective, meditating collectively with other women is even more powerful. When women meditate together, they create a very strong frequency of healing energy within a community, all experiencing the same struggle. This is one of the many reasons why community and support systems help those who are undergoing daily struggles and increased levels of stress.
Tips to promote better sleep during peri-menopause and menopause:
Meditate before bed and maintain a regular sleep schedule to make sure you get a healing sleep every night
Avoid naps during the day
Exercise regularly, but not right before sleep
Avoid excessive caffeine
