Society has historically viewed menopause as something to be avoided or dreaded. While the journey through perimenopause and menopause can be rough at times, once you’re there, it can be a time for celebration. When most women think about perimenopause, we imagine hot flashes, mood swings, and all the negative connotations. But it doesn’t have to be all bad! Lean into this new version of yourself. Go after those dreams you’ve put off. Embrace your vibrancy. Welcome a new zest for life! There are positive things about menopause. Here are five of them…
Find more posts on menopause and Erin’s journey here.
#1 | Stable Hormones
You may be thinking…stable hormones!? Are you kidding!? I feel like I’m all over the place! That’s because a woman’s regular period cycles and then the hormone swings of perimenopause can make it feel that our personalities are always shifting from assertive to sensitive and back again. It’s enough to make many women feel out of touch with this version of themselves.
According to Harvard Health, a Harvard Medical School publication, when women are in menopause, hormones finally settle and stabilize. Hormones enter a lower-level balance, and then they stay there, which means you’ll start feeling calmer, less anxious, and more self-confident.
Without mood swings, energy levels and desires don’t ebb and flow as much. This stability can lead to meeting personal goals more easily. When we don’t have as many moments of self-doubt, we can achieve more.
It’s not that we become different people. It’s more that we become more of the person we actually are.
Read how Erin handles her perimenopausal symptoms here.
#2 | More Energy For Life
Once the symptoms of perimenopause have eased, many women find they have a lot more energy. We can become unstoppable powerhouses. With our energy skyrocketing, menopausal women are ready to evaluate where they are in their lives.
This surge of energy is often called “menopausal zest.” Anthropologist Margaret Mead coined the term, and is famously quoted as saying, “There is no more creative force in the world than a menopausal woman with zest.”
Women are often categorized as having three lives: before having kids, raising kids, and after raising kids. Often, menopausal women were in the “after raising kids” category. But our modern lifestyle has improved both our health outcomes and our longevity. We aren’t really entering our midlives until our 50s, at which time we have the ability to completely pivot and do something new. With the abundance of energy, we still have a ton to offer the world!
It is this intersection of circumstances and hormones that creates the energy increase – many women no longer have young children and our hormones have balanced. You can boost your “zest” by making sure you’re exercising regularly, getting outside and enoying nature, eating healthily and staying hydrated.
#3 | More Empowerment
We all know those women- the ones who can say what’s on their mind without fear of being judged. More of us can get to that place of self-assurance only after menopause.
Having hormones that are balanced definitely helps. But confidence also comes from the life experiences we’ve racked up. By this point in our lives, we’ve been through enough obstacles to know what matters and what doesn’t. We know we can’t please everyone, so we don’t feel obligated to try.
Empowerment breeds more empowerment.
When we know we’re in control of our lives, it gives us the determination to go after what we really want. Maybe it’s the corner office or learning to oil paint. It doesn’t matter what it is, we know we finally have the freedom to work for it.
Our empowerment can manifest in different ways. We don’t fear cultivating our style, embracing our sexuality, or finally ending toxic relationships.
#4 | Better Self-Care
One of the main reasons women say they don’t follow or stick with a self-care routine is lack of time. In many ways, menopause can come at a point in life when we have more opportunity, time and desire to take better care of ourselves.
Often, our entry into menopause comes at a time when our children are either out of our nest or closer to adult independence.
Not to blame our children, but they really do make demands on us that are difficult to ignore. We want to parent them and give them the attention they need to grow into capable, successful, independent adults.
When they do, they don’t need us to be such hands-on parents. We’ve done our job! With the children more distanced from us, we can more easily let go of the guilt that can stop us from giving ourselves the attention we deserve.
Combining letting go with the empowerment and surge of energy we feel gives us permission to take better care of ourselves.
#5 | Bonding With Other Women
Reaching menopause is a milestone. When you get there, you start finding other women who are there too. It helps to be able to have people who understand what you’re going through. They’re in the trenches with you.
It also helps to have trustworthy women on your team to compare notes and talk with you through some of the more difficult aspects of perimenopause. Perimenopause can cause strain in some relationships, but the intensity of emotions can also bond you and help develop deep and lasting relationships with other people.
Being in the menopause “club” means you understand the physical and emotional changes all women face. You have wisdom and are ready to embrace this stage of your life. Finding like-minded women reinforces all the other positives of reaching menopause.
Do you have any positives you’ve noticed or learned while going through perimenopause or menopause? Please share in the comments below; we’d love to hear them!
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Thank you so much for this positive and enlightening post about menopause. I enjoyed it, and needed the reminders about the upside of this time of life!
Yes, every season of life has its benefits, and it is nice to highlight them for a time that is usually viewed negatively. Let’s work to change that perspective!