How coaching can help women in menopause

If you are a woman in your 50s, you are very likely to be in menopause.
Menopause occurs in every woman’s life. Regardless if they have had children or not, sooner or later, women find themselves dealing with the end of their monthly period; for the majority of them, that is a time when they face very disruptive symptoms.

According to an imaginative theory by Zhao Xiao Lang, a Chinese medical doctor, when a woman is around 50 years old, blood leaves her reproductive apparatus because she does not need it anymore. The blood is then redirected to the heart, providing it with nutrients and energy to enable her rebirth.
 
I'm not backing or referencing this scientifically, but I do find it inspiring because I believe that middle-aged women need to look at this time as the moment to take back control of their body, their time, and their life. It can be an occasion to be born again.

Symptoms and psychological consequences

Menopause is not an easy ride. Only 20% of women who go through menopause do not experience any symptoms. The other 80% can experience hot flushes, night sweats, mood swings, low mood, muscle tension, joint pain, reduced libido and some more - varying from woman to woman - with significant physical and psychological consequences. And these symptoms may affect their overall well-being and productivity in their personal and professional life.

Emotional challenges

Middle-aged women are the so-called “Sandwich generation”. They can feel squeezed between ageing parents who need help and care and teenage children who spend hours in their rooms with their door shut, keeping their closest family out of their lives. Or they might find themselves without purpose when their grown-up children go to University and leave the “nest”. 

And this is the time when a woman often stops feeling good in her own body. Fat may start accumulating around the waist; skin elasticity and radiance can gradually reduce; the influence of gravity upon her body can become visible. These external age signs are accompanied by emotional consequences: a sense of feeling invisible and some seeing this point in life as the beginning of an inevitable decline.

Setting goals and creating healthy habits

If you are in menopause and experiencing symptoms and/or the psychological consequences related to mid-life changes, a coach can help you take care of your body and implement a wellbeing programme that includes exercising regularly.

Implement regular physical activity

• It can prevent weight gain, which also reduces the risk of many conditions and diseases; it also strengthens the bones, reducing the risk of fractures and osteoporosis.
• It may boost mood, self-confidence and self-esteem and prevent cognitive decline and risk of depression.

How a menopause coach can help

• Identify new wellness goals. They may regard getting rid of bad habits, or focus on increasing your cardio fitness and bodies abilities. 
• Design an action plan to maintain regular physical activity and develop healthy habits.
• Build a positive mindset to follow through.
• Be held accountable: having to answer another person for your actions motivates you to stay on track with your goals.
• Be supported in overcoming the obstacles that are stopping you from being consistent in your new behaviours.

A coach can also help you promote self-development actions that will serve as a confidence and self-esteem boost. You will learn how to replace negative thinking with new, positive and growth-oriented beliefs.

On a spiritual side, a coach can encourage you to commit to regular mindfulness practice, which may improve the overall level of your well-being. Mindfulness meditation and – in general – a mindful approach to life have proved to provide positive effects in boosting mood, controlling blood pressure, and reducing the level of stress and anxiety. 

Menopause cannot be avoided, but we can embrace the change without fear and make this time of our life a time of pride and an occasion for growing and learning.

When to seek additional support

Menopause can affect us all differently, and there is no need to struggle through symptoms on your own. If symptoms are having a significant impact on your physical or emotional well-being, relationships, work or everyday life, speak to your GP or another appropriately qualified healthcare professional. They can help you understand what you are experiencing and discuss the treatment and support options that may be suitable for you.

Menopause coaching does not replace medical support, but it can work alongside it. A coach can give you space to think about how this stage of life is affecting you, identify what you would like to change and support you in taking practical steps towards your goals.