Traditionally at this time of year, we are told we should be thinking about making New Year resolutions. But is this the right thing, particularly when your menopause symptoms make doing anything feel that much harder?
Wanting to improve yourself or feel better isn’t necessarily a bad thing. But I would like you to think about things a little differently this year, to give yourself a better starting point that comes from a place of kindness and respect rather than all the things you dislike about yourself.
If your goal is to banish your annoying perimenopause and menopause weight gain, the thing to bear in mind is our bodies change as we get older. Just as our bodies change from our teens into our twenties, so this continues as move into our 40s, 50s and beyond. Are you striving for something unobtainable?
If your goal is to improve your symptoms such as sleep disruption or anxiety or brain fog, considering what you can add to your diet and lifestyle, rather than what you can take away might be the mindset shift you need to consider. Often, it is what your body is lacking that creates symptoms.
Your body is remarkable. Think of all the things it has enabled you to achieve so far.
There is a sweet spot that will be different for each of us, where we can be healthy and comfortable in our skin while living a lifestyle that helps us to feel good.
So, how about trying something new this year?
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results. Albert Einstein
Tip #1
You do not have to start implementing change now just because it’s a new year. You can start whenever you like. In an hour, tomorrow, next week, 3 months time. It just has to be when you feel ready in order to set yourself up for success.
Tip #2
Many women I work with want to see a reduction in their weight. Resist the urge to start constantly weighing yourself. Please don’t start comparing yourself to your friends. Please don’t start celebrating ‘thinness’ when all the before and after photos start appearing in a few weeks time (they do not tell the full story I promise )
Tip #3
Resist the urge to go ‘all in’. Identify what your goal is. Ask yourself whether this is realistic. Identify 10 small actions you can take to get you there, write them down. Look at your list. Which of these actions excites you? Of the actions you’ve highlighted, which of them would be easy for you to do, right here, right now? Highlight these. You should be left with a few actions that you have highlighted for both. This is where you start. Long term change comes about from feeling good about yourself and finding ease. Not from punishing fitness regimes or severe calorie restriction. This is where my clients are successful and seeing change they have never been able to achieve before.
So, what will YOU change this year? What will YOU do differently? If you feel you need some support with this, because, let’s face it perimenopause and menopause is hard work to navigate with brain fog in the mix. Let’s work together so I can help guide you through all the individual steps you need to take to change your lifestyle, so this year will be the year you finally succeed.
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