What Are The Benefits/ Advantages Of The Menopause?
This may sound like a strange question. After all, you’ve most probably just gone through several years of unpleasant symptoms that have made your life difficult and knocked your self-confidence. But please bear with me.
If you’ve now officially reached menopause, no periods for at least a year (2 years if your periods stopped before you were 50) then you will probably have noticed some pleasant changes.
The perimenopausal symptoms that have been driving you crazy should have eased off considerably, and if you’re lucky (fingers crossed!) they may have stopped completely. Okay, so you might still get the odd hot flush and the odd day when your brain isn’t up to full speed, but after what you’ve just been through that’s nothing. Let’s face it you’ve had enough experience in coping with it to be an expert by now.
You’re feeling better than you have done for years but what happens next?
Freedom
A small word that has a huge meaning. Freedom means different things to each of us. You’ve travelled the rocky road through perimenopause into menopause and reached a new stage in your life. You’re a more mature, wiser and a stronger woman ready to enjoy the coming years.
So, what’s this freedom and what could it mean for you?
The first, and most obvious thing, is freedom from monthly periods. Not just the bleeds themselves but the usual monthly symptoms that many of us experience with them. No more stomach cramps, headaches and mood swings. Carrying sanitary protection in case it’s early becomes a thing of the past. No more calculating whether you’re likely to have PMS or your period when you’ve got a special occasion coming up. No more worrying about an unplanned pregnancy.
Many women find they lose their sex drive during perimenopause but it often returns once they reach menopause itself. Add to this that there is no longer a worry about an unplanned pregnancy and a couple’s sex life can take on a new dimension. If you’re more relaxed and now have more privacy at home you could find that your intimate moments are more pleasurable. You also have the opportunity to be more adventurous.
While the use of condoms for sexual health reasons is still important for those of us who are starting a new relationship, contraception will now be a thing of the past. I know some women are upset by the realisation that their childbearing years have passed, but if you’ve reached menopause in your late 40s or early 50s and have had a family, it really is somebody else’s turn. Let’s face it, you’ve been there and done that. You’re still an important part of your children’s lives and always will be, but now it’s their turn. You’ve been through the sleepless nights, dirty nappies, tantrums, school runs in the rain, and a thousand other things that go with caring for your children. Now it’s time for you to put yourself higher on your list.
Your children are now older, more independant and no longer need a babysitter. They might even have left home to build lives and families of their own. Either way you have more freedom.
So how can you make the most of it?
How about trying something new? It’s the perfect chance to start a new hobby or resume a hobby that you had to put aside because of commitments. Maybe you’d like to get involved with local community activities or do some volunteer work. You could go to evening classes and study something that’s always interested you but you never had the time for. It’s a great way to meet new people and make new friends. You’ll also have the freedom to socialise more regularly with both your old and new friends.
It’s worth remembering that socialising is good for you. Spending time with friends or family is not only fun but is also relaxing and helps you to de-stress. It’s also good for your brain. Socialising helps to keep your brain active and you often learn something new. Even if it’s just a piece of juicy gossip that makes you smile.
Holidays will take on a different meaning. You won’t need to go to family/child friendly holiday destinations anymore. You can go somewhere exotic or off the beaten track if you want to. Or even go on an adventure holiday if you’re a bit more daring. The same applies to having a day out. You won’t need to worry that the children will be bored if you go walking in the hills or to a place of historical interest, and so you end up opting for yet another theme park. The choice is now yours so do what pleases you.
The menopause can be a time for making decisions about what you want to do for the rest of your life. This can include your working life. A lot of women start to re-assess their career once they’ve reached menopause, especially if they have been in the same line of work for a long time.
Menopause is often a good time to have a career change or get back into a career that you gave up to take care of your family. You’re probably feeling more confident and more courageous by now and ready to make some changes. You’re also more experienced and have gained valuable skills that you can transfer to a new role. Depending on your finances you could be in a position to work less hours allowing you more time to enjoy your new freedom.
You’re now higher on your to do list (hopefully right near the top) and taking care of yourself is more important than ever now you’ve reached menopause. This is a good time to take a look at your diet and how much regular exercise you’re getting. Most of us will find that we are heavier and our body shape has changed. And probably in a way that we’re not happy with.
I reckon most of us already know what we should or shouldn’t be eating. But I’m sure that most of us are guilty of not sticking to a healthy diet all of the time. We’re only human after all.
Take an honest look at your diet and make some healthy changes. You don’t have to do it all at once if that seems daunting, just make a healthy swap each day until your diet has improved. Then do your best to stick to it. You should notice that you start to feel better and you could lose some excess weight too.
Regular exercise has many benefits. It’s good for losing excess weight and maintaining a healthy weight. You’ll get fitter, stronger and have more stamina. It also reduces stress levels and helps you to sleep better which is a bonus.
It’s important to keep your bones strong once you reach menopause so weight-bearing exercise becomes even more important. You don’t have to run a marathon, unless you want to of course. There are lots of simple ways to stay in shape and improve your fitness. See my easy exercise article for some tips. Check out your local gym to see what classes or instruction is available. If you prefer to exercise at home there are a lot of online on demand fitness training programmes and workout dvds that you could use. You can have fun getting fit with your friends and add a little friendly competition to keep your motivation up. Choose something that appeals to you and go for it.
Menopause is the perfect time for making changes in your life or just taking a step back and having a bit more ‘me’ time. You can do both of course, which is great. Whatever you choose to do to with your life in the coming years do it your way and enjoy it.
