In this article I’m taking all things midlife, hormones, peri, menopuase and PCOS. I’ll be sharing some of the things that I with I’d of known sooner.
But I’d love to hear from you to share in the comments what has been the things that you have found the hardest to deal with?
Know that you are not alone and the more we bring awareness to the various different symptoms the more that we can support each other.
I started experiencing what I thought were menopause symptoms at the age of 40 (i’m now almost 42) when my periods just stopped and I started to experience some of the symptoms common with peri menopause, low energy mood swings, being hot like all of the time and the weight creeping on even though I haven’t changed my diet or workouts.
After a full year of blood tests and internal examinations which are always fun it was concluded that I actually had PCOS. I am still having to go under regular blood tests to check hormone levels as early menopause is still a possibility as I have been experiencing menopausal symptoms along side it.
It’s been 2 years now since the symptoms started and it’s been something of a shock to the system as I just was not expecting these changes and it hit me hard as what felt like as soon as I tipped over the age of 40.
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So let’s get into the symptoms that I wish I had known about sooner.
1 Sleep Problems
This has become the biggest one for me as someone who has always slept really well. I was not prepared for poor sleep and it severely affects me. I now really have to work on the key steps of no caffeine after mid day, a nighttime and wind down routine which I talk about in the article below and always the use of Magnesium (Better You is my favourite Magnesium brand) to help get a good night sleep.
2. Tiredness & Brain Fog
This goes hand in hand with the first one and is always much worse on days when sleep has been disrupted. But even when my Ultrahuman ring is telling me I got adequate sleep I can have days where I just feel exhausted, have a headache that lasts all day long and have the inability to do simple tasks later in the day. I now try and front load my working day to get the most important tasks done in the morning, which is easy for me as someone who is self employed and can set my own schedule. But this is a huge challenge for many women that a lot of people don’t realise. I have also found that movement and breathwork can help with this area at times when I feel like my brain is just not functioning.
3. Weight loss resistance
I have gained weight over the last couple of years and though I’m not overly focused on weight loss. I try to work towards nourishment, fueling and improving energy levels but it can be frustrating when you don’t really change much in your diet only to see the number on the scale increasing. Whilst I can now manage my weight to be pretty stable, losing weight is incredibly difficult, not impossible but it’s certainly more challenging.
Believe me I know all of the steps, and have done various videos on this. Yet it is still challenging and I feel you have to come to work on an element of acceptance with your body and in this phase of your life. Your whole perspective and mindset around health and fitness needs to shift and I really feel like midlife women need to focus on health, energy and longevity over the number on the scale if you want to avoid feeling frustrated with health and fitness.
4. How My Body Responds To Stress
My body really feels it when I try and do too much. As a person that likes to be on the go I have really had to listen, tune in and ultimately slow down a little. I have cut back from doing high stress activities such as long form cardio and instead focus on my strength. and as well as prioritising sleep, I now implement more meditation and breathwork to try and manage the stress on my body.
5. Your Skin Changes
I have always been very minimalist with my skin care. Meaning I’m a wash your face and throw on some moisturiser type of person. And thankfully I have always had good skin. But since experiencing hormonal changes and imbalances and almost like a switch over night once I turned 40 I started to notice my skin changing, especially the bags under my eyes. Collagen production decreases by 30% during menopause. It means your skin loses elasticity and firmness.
I have started to become a lot more intentional about my skincare and also a little particular about what I put on my skin too. Some recent research shows that the use parabens and phthalates may can be cancer forming. And so the quality and what is inside my skincare products, the things we put on every day is important to me.
I was super happy when I came across the amazing skincare line from Wild Mint and they very kindly sent me some to try out. Their products are natural, vegan and toxin free cosmetics.
I have been testing it for the last month and it’s been a wonderful compliment to my skincare routine, which has now also become an essential part of my nighttime and wind down routine that also supports sleep. Taking a few moments in the evening to take care of my skin just feels like that extra little bit of self care, it helps me to relax and wind down for the day. As mentioned above this is a big part of working to manage stress levels.
My skin is just feeling clear and also really hydrated. At the time of testing we are in the winter season and as I am usually out on the mountain a lot snowboarding, I can often get really dry skin on my chin and dry cracked lips a lot too. And with using this 5 step system I haven’t had any of that. My skin just feels in really good condition.
I love that this is a British made brand that cares about not putting toxins into the skin and is also passionate about using sustainable packaging too.
- The products have hyaluronic acid which is effective in treating dryness.
- This routine doesn’t have rash chemicals, meaning there is no risk of disrupting your hormones.
- The formulas are packed with superfoods rich in antioxidants, which support the skin’s ability to produce collagen naturally.
I know Investing in skincare can feel like a risk, and an extra expense, but what’s really great is that they offer a 60 day money-back guarantee! If the products aren’t right for you, they’ll refund you without returning them.
They have also kindly given a whopping 50% discount for you guys when you use the code EMMACOLSEYNICHOLLS you can save on the 5 step system to try it out for yourself. CLICK HERE to check them out now
Midlife, ageing and menopause it something that none of us can avoid, but with greater awareness we get to know that we don’t have to go it alone, there are things you CAN take control of to help yourself feel your best through this time.
I want us all to embrace ageing and make this process easier.
Share some of your best tips or tools in the comments and let’s all support each other.
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