EMOTIONAL CONSIDERATIONS OF MENOPAUSE

YOUR BRAIN ON FIRE

MENOPAUSE

PASSAGE INTO THE WISDOM YEARS CAPACITY TO BE OPEN TO CONSTANT INTUITIVE KNOWING,

RESEEDING THE COMMUNITY

AN AWAKENING

PERCEPTIONS

IRRITATION

SLEEP ISSUES

FOCUS CONCENTRATI

ON AND

MEMORY

CONSIDER… Ever walk into a room with some

purpose in mind, only to completely forget what that purpose was? Turns out, doors themselves are to blame for these strange memory lapses. Psychologists at the University of Notre Dame have discovered that passing through a doorway triggers what's known as an event boundary in the mind, separating one set of thoughts and memories from the next. Your brain files away the thoughts you had in the previous room and prepares a blank slate for the new locale. It's not aging, it's the damn doors! Thank goodness for studies like this!

FRUSTRATION WITH PHYSICAL

CHANGES

LOW MOOD AND

DEPRESSION

Little interest or pleasure in doing things?

Feeling down, depressed, or hopeless?

Trouble falling or staying asleep, or sleeping too much?

Feeling tired or having little energy?

Poor appetite or overeating?

Feeling bad about yourself - or that you are a failure or have let yourself or your family down?

Trouble concentrating on things, such as reading the newspaper or watching television?

Moving or speaking so slowly that other people could have noticed? Or the opposite - being so fidgety or restless that you have been moving around a lot more than usual?

Thoughts that you would be better off dead, or of hurting yourself in some way?

THINGS YOU CAN DO…

Healthy diet Exercise – walking as a form of

meditation Relaxation - breathing Sleep - can really impact irritation Quiet time Avoid triggers Connections Passions Humour Self Care

SHIFT YOUR PERCEPTIONS

A Commitment to yourself

WHAT DOES YOUR “INNER VOICE” SAY?

Is it…• Reassuring and positive?

• Harsh, criticizing, punishing and belittling?

CHALLENGE THE INNER CRITIC

What would I tell a friend who was going through the same thing as me and came to me

for advice or support?

IN MOVING FORWARD THE CHOICE IS MINE

Video Clip: The Cosby Show- Menopause