Menopause and Mental Health: Creating an Empowering Transition
While we celebrate World Menopause Day in October, the opportunity to embrace the female body and transitional period into perimenopause can last all year long (insert existential screams because WTF this one comes with LOTS of feelings).
So often, we hear women dread the days of menopause or feel like it might become a constraint on the way they love to live their lives. And yes, physical changes that feel like they come out of nowhere are super frustrating, but there’s also so much empowerment that comes from this time of change. Whether you’re looking at menopause as a relentless battle of confusion or feel ready to take it in stride, we’re here for you.
Even within our own team and community, it became so clear that there just isn’t enough conversation or research to support menopause awareness and education. And what’s available can feel, well, like the world is ending a bit. Understanding a bit more about the hormonal shifts happening within can make it easier to create a game plan around the impact on emotional and mental well-being.
Super important note before we dig in: While we may use the word woman or female throughout, this is for anyone whose body will experience perimenopause or menopause. It’s also for anyone who simply wants to build an understanding of this topic to make sure the people in their lives feel seen throughout the transition.
So, let’s break it down.
A Closer Look at Menopause and Mental Health
Before we deep dive on the definitions of menopause and perimenopause (you’ll see how they relate soon), know that it’s going to take on a different meaning to each and every individual walking through the experience. You can read a lot about these topics online with the advice of Dr. Google or see the latest holistic hormone remedies from Instagram’s biggest influencers, but it’s so important to create an open mindset around what it will be like for you uniquely.
You can think about menopause like you’d think about puberty, periods, or the journey to have a baby (pausing to make space for the many transitions a woman can go through). No matter how much you learn, your experience is going to look different from anyone else. Maybe there are similarities you can find with other women (we love a moment to feel seen with shared experience!) and maybe there are things you encounter along the way that you weren’t prepared for.
Our goal today isn’t to share a long list of definitions and medical advice but instead to really empower you to take on this transition or support someone who may be walking through it with a compassionate outlook. Now that we’ve established our little (but oh so necessary) disclaimer, let’s cover some high level topics that will help anyone reading up on menopause for the first time.
What is menopause?
This super natural hormonal shift marks the close of a woman's reproductive years and shifts into a new stage of life. A common age range for menopause is between 45 and 55, but just like everything else surrounding this topic, it varies y’all!
With a wide span of potential menopausal symptoms, the body concludes the process of a monthly menstrual cycle and hormones begin to stabilize. The process may include a bit of a journey while the body adjusts, but remember, this is something we’re created to do (yay to no more monthly periods, and now we have to deal with what that means).
What is perimenopause?
If you’ve never heard of perimenopause before this, you’re not alone . Perimenopause is the start of the transition to menopause when the body is getting ready to shift. The menstrual cycle might continue, but some new symptoms can signal that the time is coming to enter the post-reproductive years.
The biggest thing to know about perimenopause is that it can begin as early as a woman’s 30s, and so often it goes undetected. Knowing it is a possibility can support self-care that the body and mind need at this time instead of menopause symptoms leading to confusion, unexplained discomfort, or feeling more disconnected from yourself (I mean you can still be confused or frustrated AF but whatever helps right?).
How the Body Experiences Menopause
We’ll quickly touch on some of the body impacts of menopause to help paint a more complete picture of what may be experienced. This can help strengthen that understanding of how the mind-body connection is at play when we discuss the mental health impacts below.
Symptoms of menopause can include:
P.s. brace yourself, this list can bring up a LOT as you go through it. It’s one of those “are you kidding me?” moments.
You might find simple tasks taking much more energy than usual and difficulty concentrating.
You may find yourself more irritable than usual and this is impacting your relationships.
Physical health and weight gain can change with hormone levels that impact metabolism.
Motivation can feel low, like there’s a weight that’s hard to shake off.
Activities or people you used to enjoy might not feel the same anymore.
Sometimes, you may feel disconnected from yourself or others, like you're observing from the sidelines.
Sleep can get tricky—either too much or too little, or restless nights.
It can be hard to concentrate, and even small decisions feel more challenging.
Your emotions might feel muted, like it’s hard to fully engage, even in meaningful moments, especially with premenstrual syndrome.
Even with loved ones around, a sense of loneliness can quietly settle in.
Physical fatigue or sleep problems can show up, maybe due to night sweats.
Mood swings can result from hormonal changes.
Slowly pulling away from social situations and sexual activity, even though deep down you still crave connection.
In some cases, symptoms of depression can appear around the distance between older children and a new part of life to accept.
How the Brain Experiences Menopause
With all the physical symptoms of menopause can come some very typical mental health impacts.
On the biological level, producing less estrogen can impact mood symptoms, sleep, and energy levels, which feels out of the ordinary or can intensify with the stress of day-to-day life. Minor stressors can feel like big triggers, and emotions can feel intense very quickly.
Estrogen dropping during this time has been linked to:
Shift in communication skills
Neuroplasticity (learning new things)
Mood shifts
Low libido
Fear or sadness around midlife
Body image challenges
Energy levels
Now, there’s another element to unpack because we’re only human! We have to give the mind some grace, as the realization of a big life transition and new obstacles like hot flashes or low libido can lead to more emotion and big feelings. It’s okay if it feels like something to cope with, and that’s why it’s so important to talk about.
Giving ourselves grace is so needed, but sometimes hard to access when the world around us may not always take an empathetic lens to these internalized body and mind shifts. So much of menopause is invisible to the outside and the lack of understanding can create shame around it instead of compassion. We’re here to help you feel all the permission to change that.
While research has a long way to go, there are newer studies that offer many individuals validation for the way they experience further mental health impacts in this transitional stage:
Perimenopausal women have a significantly higher risk (around 40%) of experiencing depressive symptoms and being diagnosed with depression compared to premenopausal women.
The Penn Ovarian Aging Study noted a four-fold increase in depression in women with no history of depression during their menopausal transition compared to their pre-menopausal status
Over 50% of people going through the menopause experience neuropsychiatric conditions, such as depression and insomnia.
Embracing the transition with confidence
If you find yourself in a loop of anxiety about what’s ahead, carrying the heaviness of depression, or struggling to navigate, your experience is valid and deeply understood. Menopause can feel like a sea of change sending constant waves to overcome. Sometimes the water is refreshing and invites you in, while other times it’s so rough that you question your strength. Staying afloat means first accepting that nature has a mind of its own and learning how to work with the ebbs and flows.
Like any big change, you may want to ignore menopause or push it away by turning to coping mechanisms that distract from what’s going on. Or, maybe you’re looking for someone to talk to and need space to process what you feel inside and out. Taking time to tune in and see what you need is a big help, and it's never too early.
Even if you’re years away from perimenopause, talking about what comes up when you learn more about it, any fears, inner dialogue, and how you view yourself is part of processing it to find a place of peace around it. We’re not saying you’ll suddenly start your countdown calendar to the day menopause is at its peak, but:
What if you created space around it to not be inherently good or bad?
What if it’s just about being present with what is and taking it one day at a time, leaning on intuition to guide what you need along the way?
What would it be like to accept extra support and be gentle with yourself?
How can you redefine what strength looks like in this phase to find your way through with grace and compassion?
Cultural Considerations for Menopause and Mental Health
Talking about such a life-changing aspect of women’s health can’t go without the acknowledgement of cultural factors at play. The transition to menopause and its effect on mental wellbeing can absolutely be impacted by socioeconomic status and ethnicity. It’s important to bring awareness to these areas as part of the conversation.
Ethnicity: Menopause can differ across various racial and ethnic groups, with different cultural attitudes toward the experience. That may impact whether or not women seek support for any difficult mental health impacts, and what’s accessible if they do.
Gender Identity: Those who don’t identify with being female, but undergoing the biological changes of menopause may feel an array of grief or increased emotions around embracing a shift that doesn’t feel congruent with who they are. The already-low level of support and research around mental health during menopause can feel even more scarce, or misaligned in these instances.
Financial strain: Women facing economic challenges or limited resources can have additional stress on their plates and fewer or different quality healthcare options.
Racial stigmas: Women of color may be holding more emotional burden stemming from systemic racism or discrimination. There are also obstacles that come with finding the safety of culturally competent healthcare providers.
Finding community within your unique experience and all of the factors can feel like a breath of fresh air knowing that while you can focus on self care and what you’re needing in this time, you don’t need to navigate it alone.
A Few Ways to Lean Into Self Care During the Menopause Transition
Self care is so individual, because what your body and mind may need to feel nourished is different from anyone else. No one can tell you exactly what may make you feel your most empowered, but finding some inspiration gives you a starting point to explore what you need. And remember, you can enjoy the process of trying things on for size, then confidently leaving behind anything that’s just not for you.
Explore some mindful movement
The body loves to move, and gentle movement with no other intention but to feel good can be really supportive to mental health. Moving is a natural endorphin boost that can support emotions processing throughout this transition and help you feel really in tune with anything yourself. There’s never a bad way to move. Take time to tune into your energy levels to see what works. Yoga, walking, swimming, hiking, and strength training are all some ideas for regular exercise for times of high and low energy.
Make time for you (really!!)
This is usually where anyone balancing too much to do with not enough time gives a HUGE eye roll, and hey we get it (I’m even eye rolling as I write this)! Sometimes feeling like you don’t have any time for yourself can be when you need that self-care time the most (especially when your body is navigating this new phase). Even if you could carve out 5 minutes a day to be with your body, your thoughts, and your feelings, you’ll create the habit of checking in to see what you need more or less of.
Keep it simple with the body’s basic needs
It might feel like your body has a mind of its own, but supporting it with the simple aspects of nourishing food staying hydrated can go a long way. Trust me, we’re not saying you have to cut out everything or enter the crazy world of diet culture (despite what TIkTok would have us think). This can look like spending some time in the kitchen with a good playlist and trying out some new recipes. It can also look like turning to some healthy (but delicious) snacks when the fatigue kicks in.
Surround yourself with community
Yep, we’re mentioning it again! There is truly nothing like community and connection. We have amazing tools right in front of us in family, friends, co-workers, and romantic relationships. Making an effort to spend time with other people, laugh, make memories, and share stories can help the transition to menopause not feel so isolating. Even if you don’t talk about what’s going on inside your body, the feeling of togetherness can do wonders.
-> Grab more tips for self care around complicated family dynamics.
You’re Never Alone
The menopausal transition and hormone health are big topics that we totally geek out over at Modern Therapy. We’ve seen many people share their stories in session, but many of us have also walked through some confusing and emotionally-charged hormonal shifts ourselves. We want to always be that safe space where you can come to talk about anything, and feel the warmth of a coach or therapist who gets it.
Supporting menopause with a therapist
Create a place you can release fully and talk through the emotions and mood changes that come with menopause with a therapist who’s here to listen and guide you through it. Feel supported with anything that comes with your experience from insomnia and body image concerns to the interpersonal relationship with yourself through a compassionate lens.
Supporting menopause with a coach
The transition of menopause can be empowering when you have a plan of action to support yourself during it, and have room to take a creative approach to what this next phase of life can look like. Working with a coach can help you get still and practice mindfulness to become closer with yourself in the present, while also crafting your vision for what an aligned and fulfilling life looks like and how to get there intentionally with lifestyle changes.
