It is incredible to think that until fairly recently the word ‘menopause’ was said in quiet, hushed tones by women ashamed to admit that they were going through something that every single woman will go through at some point in their life isn’t it. Society has conditioned us to resist aging, almost to the point of refusing to admit it even exists, which has only added to the potential shame for women to admit that they are indeed menopausal.
We have Davina McCall mainly to thank for raising awareness for everyone about the menopause with her 2 TV shows for Channel 4 about the subject. She started the conversation which was long overdue and is now gaining momentum with more and more women feeling supported enough to speak about their own experiences. Davina has said that she was ‘warned against’ talking publicly about her menopausal experiences because it could affect her career. ‘’I was told not to talk about it, that it was ageing and a bit unsavoury. Clearly that didn’t go well because I am sat here talking to you,’’ she explained in an interview with The Sun. She added: ‘’Making this film and talking about all this personal stuff on camera wasn’t easy but do you know what? I’m not going to be embarrassed about a transition half the population goes through.’’
https://www.channel4.com/programmes/davina-mccall-sex-mind-and-the-menopause https://www.channel4.com/programmes/davina-mccall-sex-myths-and-the-menopause
I am sure many of us are grateful that she was brave enough to speak up and also make a stand to make a difference – thanks to her honesty and transparency we are all better informed about the menopause and able to help ourselves as well as those around us who are going through what can be an incredibly difficult time.
My own experience has been difficult – brain fog, unable to maintain focus on work or projects at home, disrupted sleep and fatigue as well as really painful joints – something I was not expecting at all and which frightened me initially into thinking I had arthritis. I also began to feel anxious about random things, something I have never felt before and isn’t part of the confident person I usually am. I didn’t contact my doctor for a couple of years – mainly due to the pandemic and the difficulty in being able to secure an appointment to see my GP face to face, and also not really wanting to just be given generic HRT which may not have been the best option for me. I eventually made an appointment privately to see a specialist – something which was expensive but worth it as I was prescribed HRT treatments which suited me and have made a massive difference to my day to day life. The doctor I saw has written a book which I have also found useful https://gynae-expert.co.uk/natural-menopause/ – detailing diet, lifestyle and exercise tips which enhance the HRT and all combine to allow me to give myself the optimum self-care I can.
Davina and her documentary were the reason I made the call and made the appointment – if you haven’t seen it I highly recommend you watch both of them. They are informative and at times eye opening – whether you are going through the menopause yourself or have a friend / partner or family member who is – these films will give you an insight into what is happening and how you can best support and understand what you / your loved one is / are going through.
Transitioning through these last couple of years hasn’t been easy, I have had to adjust my mindset – allow myself the time and space to accept this change, to acknowledge that it is happening and to allow a new chapter to begin. I have days where I need to listen to my mind and body and allow them to rest and I also embrace the days where I have the energy and focus to get stuff done – my main lesson has been to be kind to myself and to go with the flow, being flexible enough to change my plans where I need to without giving myself a hard time.
I have also found some positives from the whole experience – I am more self-aware, more accepting of who I am and what I need / want from life, I am also happier to take life at a slower pace and allow more down time for myself and the biggest positive change has to be starting my own business which allows me to support others and make a difference.
It is extremely encouraging to see more and more businesses implementing programmes to support employees through the menopause but as a society we still have a way to go – to allow women to speak up about their experiences and needs without judgement, to readily provide the HRT prescribed (at the time of writing this there are still shortages with some medication), to better educate GP’s and other medical professionals around the menopause, to allow focused face to face appointments to discuss their needs and also to accept that the menopause will happen to every woman at some point in her life and to be mindful of the women in our lives and the support we can give them.
We place so much emphasis on our physical wellbeing and we are all now realising our mental wellbeing requires the same amount of focus too. Just like a personal trainer is there to advise, keep us on track and make us accountable to be physically fit, we at Emerge are able to offer one to one sessions that will enable you to overcome any negative or limiting beliefs and thoughts that may be holding you back. We will also support you to work and focus on your confidence and goals, so that you are able to achieve everything you want to in life.
It may be that you require a couple of sessions to get you back on track and reignite everything you already know, or you may wish to embark on a journey to achieve those lifelong goals and dreams. Whatever your goal, whatever your dream know that it’s all achievable and Emerge will support your growth with integrity to fulfil your purpose and we very much look forward to hearing from you to discuss how we can support you.
About the authors – Sarah & Carmen are Life & Wellbeing Coaches, Founders of www.emergebewhoyouare.co.uk their passion dedicated to enabling people to boost and maintain their resilience and fulfil their full potential. Please contact them to learn how they can support you in living your best life. You can also follow them on Facebook and Instagram for a daily dose of positivity @emergebewhoyouare.
