Five non-pharmacological options for helping manage peri/menopause
1 Find good support, this might include friends who are supportive, a counsellor or therapist and/ or a GP who is a member of the Australasian Menopause Society.
2 Move your body in ways that help regulate your nervous system, like walking and yoga.
3 It a great time of life to add a weights program twice a week to help with bone density.
4 Eat well with lots of fruit and vegetables as well as foods containing calcium, drink plenty of water and reduce or eliminate alcohol and quit smoking. (Gah, that old chestnut, but still true.)
5 Inform yourself with high quality information through evidence based books, podcasts and websites like the Australasian Menopause Society.
Five ways the people in your life can help with peri/ menopause
1 Take over cooking duties so you don’t have to stand over a hot stove if hot air triggers hot flushes for you. (Unless you really love cooking). If hot flushes aren’t an issue for you, maybe there is some other household task a family member could take over.
2 Understand that symptoms and experiences are different for everyone so they believe you when you say how symptoms are affecting you.
3 Accommodate having the heating/ cooling set to temperatures that are comfortable for you without complaint.
4 Be willing to go out of the house, give you some time to yourself and don’t take it personally if you need more space than usual.
5 Don’t suggest you go to the doctor to get something to help you ‘calm down’. Yes, you might be in perimenopause but you can feel angry (or other emotions) for legitimate reasons.