Approaching middle age can come with all sorts of anxieties – children leaving home, elderly parents, and a society that values youth – so throw hormonal changes into the mix and you’re bound to feel a little out of sorts. Just know you’re not alone. To help you balance menopause and mental health, we’ve created the new Restore Balance wellbeing range. The blend is created by our Aromatherapist, Jo Kellett, informed by her experience as a graduate educator in using essential oils in Menopause, Puberty, Fertility, and Pregnancy.
Did you know that one of the most common symptoms of perimenopause and menopause is a change in mood, affecting 70% of women?
In this article, we’ll look at hacks to help reduce the psychological impact of menopause as well as how you can incorporate Restore Balance products into your daily routine.
Menopause and mental health
The psychological symptoms of menopause include:
- Sadness or depression
- Anger and aggressiveness
- Stress
- Low self-esteem
- Poor memory and concentration (brain fog)
Just like PMS, these symptoms can cause all sorts of disturbances to your life, work, and relationships. Poor sleep is another symptom you might experience. It’s a bit of a weird one, as it’s both mental and physical, cause and effect. For example, night sweats can make it hard to sleep, which causes tiredness and irritability, which causes poor concentration and anxiety, which makes it hard to sleep…and so on!
If you have perimenopause or menopause symptoms you can speak to a doctor, nurse, or pharmacist for advice about treatments and things you can do. You might also adopt these 5 balancing routines to help minimize the impact on your mental health.
5 hacks to reduce the psychological impact of menopause
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Take time to relax
Find something, anything, that keeps your stress levels low and commit to it every day or week. This might be walking in nature, yoga, tai chi, or meditation.
To enhance your de-stress practice, you can apply the Restore Balance Roller Ball to your pulse points. In an external panel test on 116 menopausal and perimenopausal women, 3 out of 4 women found they experienced a more balanced mood when using it.
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Keep a diary
Recording how you feel each day is a great way to externalize what’s on your mind without having to brain-dump on everyone around you. It’s also a helpful record to have to hand if you do decide to see a medical professional about your mental health.
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Pamper yourself
From teenage sleepovers to a cosy Friday night in front of the TV, there’s no better way to boost your confidence than a pamper night. If your self-esteem is suffering, show yourself some love with a relaxing bath or shower using the Restore Balance Bath & Shower Wash. (If you suffer from hot flashes, keep the temperature tepid or cool)
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Cut back on alcohol
A couple of glasses of wine in the evening might improve your mood at first, but it eventually has a sedative and depressive effect that can make you feel down. Drink in moderation, saving it for the weekend or celebrations, to reduce the impact.
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Talk it out
Keep talking to other people going through the same thing, be it family, friends, colleagues, or online communities. To circle right back to what we said at the beginning – you’re never alone.
We hope you find these tips helpful and if there are any other natural remedies you swear by we’d love to hear them in the comments.
Sources:
NHS Inform: Menopause and Post-Menopause Health
Mental Health Foundation: Menopause
Hormone Health: 10 ways to even out your menopause mood swings
Mental Health UK: How can menopause affect your mental health