Embracing Menopause as a New Beginning

It can be helpful to reframe Menopause as a time of transition rather than a burden. Increasingly, as opposed to the end of something many women are beginning to view menopause as a time for rebirth and evolution. Seeing things this way can be empowering and liberating.

Menopause — the cessation of menstruation and, therefore, a woman’s reproductive years — usually starts between ages 45 and 55. The natural process may bring hot flashes, mood swings and changes in the body like no other, but it is also a time for self rediscovery. As the dust settled from their hormonal roller coaster, a lot of these women found not only an increased sense of clarity at this time in their lives but for some a purpose that felt brand new to them.

Embracing menopause is one of the most liberating part. No monthly periods to worry about, no chance of getting pregnant: women who have gone through the menopause are unburdened by such stresses and many feel more liberated at 52 than they did at 33. This freedom spurs many to embark on travel adventures, new hobbies or even prioritize bettering themselves with self-care practices that contribute to their overall health.

Navigating this transition is only possible with the support of your community. Opening up to others who are experiencing those same changes can bring understanding and reduce some feelings of isolation. For other women, they gain strength while talking through their thoughts and feelings about menopause with friends, family or in a support group.

This stage of life also brings with it an clarion call for women to place a higher premium on their health. During menopause, physical and mental health is greatly improved by regular exercise, a healthy diet, mindfulness practices. Through embracing holistic health women can empower themselves to face the changes head on and come out stronger than ever before.

In the end, women can see menopause as a fresh start and use it to discover more about who they are while taking joy in how fortunate they have been. It also shows, that the journey is as important as the destination and this in-between world can be about discovery of who you really are; Journey into your very soul. If you can start to view this time as a chapter in your life rather than the end of one and welcome — not just mourn-–the accentuated opportunities that lay ahead, something entirely different emerges.