Feeling strung out? Or overwhelmed – may be a double whammy!
So is this you? Spinning plates? Running the kids around – ‘Mum’s’ taxi, caring for elderly parents trying to squeeze a social life back in to your life after the 2 or so years of a pandemic, forever feeling like you are catching your breath and hello perimenopause hits too – anxiety, low mood, anger, irritability, and the list goes on…. – sound familiar (YES, I hear that echo!)
I’ve feel like this too – hideous isn’t it, almost like an out of body experience. I get it – memory went, felt overwhelmed, kept forgetting to replace the loo roll – went right out of my head multiple times, as soon as I left the bathroom – sooo annoying, brain fug (aka fog) & concentration all went to pot!
So, here’s some simple tips & strategies around introducing techniques into our daily routine to manage our overwhelm, which can make a huge difference. It’s so important to carve out small pockets of time for ourselves to rest & recoup so we can give back & support others. Oxygen mask on first – note to self too, as a reminder! To build resilience to stress and anxiety, allowing the mind to rest for improved sleep & digestion, you need to give your body 10 minutes of TLC a day.
So, what’s it going to be for you?
- Taking back your power & control (as I like to call it), so tracking – if you are still having periods, spotting (and yes you can be peri and still have periods) Menopause is the day of no more periods, so when you haven’t had a period for 12 months, so it really is a ‘day’ in time. And actually, you can do this too, if you are post-menopausal – track feelings, moods, emotions, behaviours to see patterns. We can take back control when we can acknowledge what’s going on for us. Dr Louise Newson’s balance app is good for this or a good old spreadsheet or your phone (as I like to do).
- It is all about our support network – family, friends, menopause Facebook groups (Perimenopause hub), communities, what’s app (Hot flushed). You are not alone. Tune into Davina’s Menopause Monday on Instagram – read her book Menopausing – and there are many others I could recommend…
- Nutrition – nourishment, hydration & supplements. Long & short of it, our digestion/microbiome plays such a key role in our menopause experience.
- Exercise – we are talking yoga, Pilates, strength-based exercises. Get out in nature for a vitamin D top up, move & walk. Take in the sights & sounds – ‘ground’ yourself.
- Stretch – Soothe – Breathe: Stretch away stress: Restorative yoga pose Do ‘legs up the wall’ – Lie on your back, legs up against the wall, feet parallel to the floor, your bottom near the skirting board. Keep knees relaxed, feeling a light stretch. Say in position for 10-15 minutes. Try Cat/cow stretch yoga pose. Get into child’s pose. Stretch your neck – Stand straight & shoulders back. Drop your chin down, placing one hand on it, with the other positioned on the back of your neck, pull your neck gently upwards. Hold the stretch for 20-30 seconds.
6. Breathe to relax: Try out different mindful breathing techniques – 4-7-6 breath, box breathing. I’ve been trying out Qigong breath work: 6 second breath to soothe yourself. I’m big into Chinese medicine at the moment – check it out.
7.Tune into sensations in your body – what are the related emotions? What can you do to shift these? Be accepting & non-judgemental – catch yourself being critical or an unhelpful thought going around your head – add a simple statement alongside the thought “that’s ok” and notice how it feels to shift the emotion.
8.Try a gratitude diary to ground yourself – write down 3 things you are grateful whether it be in the morning or evening – your choice – whatever works for you timing wise. This could include your morning cup of coffee or enjoying a sunny day. Affirmations are good too, in the shower: “I’m courageous”, “I am brave”, I’m resilient”.
9. Get out of your head! & Journal. Find yourself a lovely diary – Amazon do a great 6 minute one – have your favourite cuppa & let your thoughts, feelings & emotions flow.
10. Relaxation: Take a wellness bath – Try magnesium salts to relieve muscle tension & encourage a deep & restful sleep. Consider meditation or alternative therapies such as massage & reflexology.
So, what will be in your toolkit to activate, soothe & calm your parasympathetic nervous system, managing your fight, flight & freeze response?
We can all find ourselves in overwhelm – if we acknowledge it & connect with it through curiosity, we pick up on it and can do something different versus being swept along the crest of the wave of anxiety & stress – which becomes cyclical for us. Focus on small moments & successes rather than the overthinking cycle we can find ourselves in – aka the ticker tape going around our heads as I like to describe it.
If you would like an impartial space to talk things out & work through strategies to look after yourself during peri and/or menopause or beyond – touch base with me (get in touch link) for a free 20 minute introductory chat, to see if this will be good for you. Then, we can zoom or meet face to face (@nizelsgcc).
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