5 Self-Care Tips to Feel Your Best in Menopause

These science-backed self-care tips can make your perimenopause or menopause years your best years.

As a woman, you’ve experienced many different transitional seasons in your life. Puberty, pregnancy, postpartum, and eventually menopause are biological transitions that bring different mind-and-body changes and challenges for women that can be stressful to navigate. If you’ve fallen victim to extra belly weight, restless, sleepless nights, or unexplained irritability, you’re not alone. 

Reflecting on all of the seasons of change you’ve experienced can be a timely reminder of your resilience and resolve to overcome life’s curveballs and obstacles, and perimenopause or menopause should be no exception. In fact, transitioning into menopause can be a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with yourself and—after all the self-sacrificial servitude to your marriage, children, career, aging relatives, or all of the above and more—prioritize yourself in this season so you can look and feel like yourself again.

Menopause is an inescapable part of the aging process—why not make the best of it? Or better, why not implement some new habits so you feel better at 48 than you did at 25? After all, researchers have found that women actually get happier later in life, with negative mood and depressive symptoms decreasing significantly as they matured into menopause and after. So hang in there: there is light at the end of the tunnel. In the meantime, apply these 5 practical self-care tips to feel better while you adjust to the many changes menopause brings.

5 Self-Care Tips to Feel Great During Menopause

1. Keep your cool. Hot flashes are a hallmark of menopause with 75% of menopausal women experiencing them, and they can really damper your daily life, but implementing some small changes can make those times when you feel like you just stepped out of a sauna (but you’re in the midwest in the winter) more bearable. Keep your cool by:

• avoiding synthetic tight-fitting clothing and instead opt for lightweight, breathable fabrics like cotton and linen
• carrying a portable fan (no shame in your game!), and 
• wetting washcloths and keeping them in the freezer when the HFs strike.
  

2. Think water-based. Yes, this is a double entendre emphasizing the importance of both staying hydrated and using water-based lubrication unapologetically for, you know, your more intimate moments. Vaginal dryness is another challenging and discouraging aspect of menopause, but many women find relief from water-based lubricants or vaginal moisturizers. Lube reduces friction and can enhance pleasure for you and your partner, which can make sex more enjoyable and take the stress out of feeling like the “oven” hasn’t fully “preheated” yet. Drinking enough water can reduce bloating and alleviate dry skin, too.
   
3. Make time for enriching friendships or hobbies. Because mood swings are menopause’s ugly cousin, friendships or hobbies that bring you joy, laughter, or incite curiosity are essential for your mental health and can make this season more enjoyable. And this isn’t only the case for lightening the load of menopause, but can lead to a much longer, happier life. In fact, in one Harvard study, the greatest social determinant of a long life was flourishing close relationships and embracing community. 
   
4. Nourish yourself with nutrition and daily movement. Opting for a primarily whole-food diet full of lean proteins and tons of veggies as well as getting 30 minutes of daily movement each day are both hands down the best ways to make the most of—and feel your best during—menopause. Getting consistent exercise has been proven to promote a healthy weight, improve sleep, and keep the good vibes rolling. Functional strength training can be especially helpful for building muscle, since muscle mass decreases with age (and especially during menopause).
   
5. Consider Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). If you’ve tried everything and aren’t experiencing the positive changes you’d hoped, maybe it’s time to consider Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT) to supplement your diet and lifestyle changes and accelerate your progress or relief.
   
   Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) is the most effective treatment for menopausal symptoms, including hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia, vaginal dryness, heart palpitations, joint pain, and loss of sexual desire—all symptoms that can last an average of seven years. In addition, a new study published in the journal of the American Academy of Neurology found that women who don’t use HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy) or go into early menopause could have a higher risk of having a stroke.
   
   Benefits of HRT include: 

• Looking and feeling younger
• Preventing bone fractures and osteoporosis
• Lowering your risk of some cancers
• Weight loss
• Higher sex drive
• Better energy levels and motivation
• Mood regulation
• Improved quality and quantity of rest
• Improved recovery from workouts or injuries
• Overall body composition and bone health improvements
• Decreased menopausal symptoms
• Lowered risk of developing diabetes and other chronic conditions

Menopause is a part of life, but it doesn’t mean you have to suffer in silence, or at all. Our team of experts stands at the ready to help you navigate perimenopause and menopause. 

Meet Joi: Your BFF in Menopause and Beyond

Choose Joi’s team of experts is dedicated to personalizing your treatment plan and helping you achieve your health and wellness goals based on your unique challenges and lifestyle. Our two-step approach makes it easy to reclaim your health and happiness and brings the convenience and quality of care you’ve been missing in healthcare today right to your doorstep. Contact us today for a consultation.