How to Handle Stress During Menopause?

Does menopause sound like freedom to you? Well, it is definitely not that for the majority of women. The transition can be a life-changing experience, and the symptoms women report are quite extensive. With all the changes occurring in the body and the fluctuation of hormone levels during this time, menopause may cause women significant discomfort.

This discomfort disrupts a woman's personal and professional life, resulting in severe stress and anxiety. The addition of stress, whether it is caused by menopause or other external factors, can often amplify these symptoms. Once these symptoms are amplified, menopause becomes more challenging for women. Therefore, women are advised to relax and rest during this period.

However, taking plenty of rest does not guarantee you will not feel anxious and stressed. Most women try their best to distract themselves, but the high fluctuation in their hormone levels makes all their attempts fail. Therefore, they end up feeling overwhelmed and isolated.

Stress and menopause are undoubtedly a harmful combination. Therefore, it is no surprise that most menopausal women scroll on the internet to find a solution for stress management. Are you scrolling for the same? For managing stress during menopause, there are a few solutions - anti-depressants and natural remedies. However, the best approach would be to go for natural remedies, which come without any side effects.

Scroll down to learn how to handle stress during menopause naturally!

Impact of Stress on Menopausal Women

If you feel stressed during menopause, your cortisol levels will dramatically increase—usually, progesterone and estrogen work against cortisol's impact on the body. Due to the optimal levels of progesterone and oestrogen, a woman's body is capable of buffering stress.

However, during perimenopause, progesterone and estrogen levels drop. Once these levels start dropping, the cortisol buffering effect weakens. High cortisol levels will cause depression in women, impacting their physical and mental health. Here are a few symptoms caused by high cortisol levels:

• Lack of sleep
• Low energy levels despite resting and taking a balanced diet
• Frequent colds
• Cravings for junk food
• Bloating and other digestive problems
• Low sex drive
• Weight gain
• Mild to severe mood swings
• More aches and pains

Natural Remedies to Manage Stress During Menopause

Leaving stress unmanageable during menopause can significantly affect your physical and mental health. You will no longer be able to focus on your personal and professional lives. However, most women do not wish to put their lives on hold because of menopause. If you belong to the same category, here are a few natural remedies to manage stress and make your menopause journey easy:

Exercise Right

To manage stress during menopause, women should start an exercise routine. A vigorous workout is definitely not recommended as it will become a source of stress. Therefore, trying something like yoga, aerobics, or a gentle workout session is good. By doing so, your body will release endorphins, natural mood boosters. Consistent workouts during menopause will not only keep your mood elevated but also improve your sleep.

Start Meditation

Does menopause affect your physical health only? Of course not. It is just another myth on the internet about stress and menopause. If menopause affects your mental health, you should do something to keep your mind calm and relaxed. The more your mind is relaxed, the less stressed you will feel. The best way to do so during menopause is to practice meditation.

Meditation will help menopausal women in stress relief as well as have notable effects on their mood and calmness throughout the day. According to a study, women who meditated during menopause reported low-stress levels than others.

Eat Healthily

Maintaining a healthy and nutritious diet is important for menopausal women to keep their bodies in good shape. If you eat more junk and unhealthy foods, your body will not get sufficient vitamins and minerals to cope with menopause symptoms. It will eventually take a toll on both your physical and mental health. If you don't want that to happen, you must ensure food intake from all the major groups.

Here is what you need to eat during menopause to keep your body and mind healthy:

• Dark green leafy vegetables like spinach and kale
• Dairy products like cheese, milk and yoghurt
• Fish, preferably salmon, tuna, and mackerel
• Fruits, especially plums, grapes, blueberries and other berries
• Flax and chia seeds
• Chickpeas and other legumes

Now, when you know what to take, you should also know what not to take during menopause. Here are a few food options that will not only increase your stress levels but also worsen your menopause symptoms:

• Processed foods
• Refined carbohydrates like pasta, potatoes and white rice
• Sugary foods
• Alcohol
• Spicy foods

Drink Herbal Teas

Herbal teas are great for introducing a little moment of zen into your daily routine, especially during the menopausal phase. They are packed with many beneficial ingredients to help soothe the nerves and promote relaxation and well-being. Consistent intake of herbal teas will lower your stress levels and help alleviate menopause symptoms.

If you cannot find the perfect menopausal tea for yourself, check out Mother Cuppa Tea. We have 100% natural and organic tea blends to help women with menstruation, pregnancy, menopausal and fertility-related issues. For stress management, our Relax tea blend will work like magic for you. It has effective ingredients like Puffed Quinoa, Oat flowering tops, and Levander to help you with stress and menopause symptoms relief.

While Puffed Quinoa will help improve your sleep and relax the muscles, the Oat flowering tops will strengthen the nervous system in times of stress and promote relaxation. Lavender will act as a natural anxiety reliever and promote a sense of calm. When combined in a cup of tea, all these ingredients will help lower your stress levels and alleviate menopause symptoms.

Conclusion:

Menopause can undoubtedly feel like a big change for women physically and mentally. Therefore, taking care of yourself the most during that challenging phase is important. If you are feeling stressed and overwhelmed, leave whatever you are doing. Grab your favourite book or binge-watch your favourite season. However, sometimes it may not work out. If that happens, it is a sure sign that physical and mental health is deteriorating.

To make things better, you will have to be more consistent in your efforts. Take time for yourself and regularly practice all the natural remedies mentioned above to keep your body and mind in good shape during menopause. If you want to learn more about menopause and other women-related issues, check Mother Cuppa Tea blogs.