Menopause – keep talking

With the new term underway, units back up and getting into the swing with new faces brightening the line up, and potential volunteers coming through the door in the form of parents, we know it’s autumn. October is likely to bring changes, not least of all, a drop in temperatures. A change in season can remind us of the seasons of our lives that inevitably change and there will be a percentage of you who will be in perimenopause or menopause.

October is World Menopause Month with October 18 being World Menopause Awareness Day. What might you do to make a positive impact on those around you with menopause in mind? Do you know anyone who is struggling with symptoms? We certainly need to bring this topic into our daily communications as it affects so many of us. You might experience any number of unwanted symptoms; sleeplessness, flushes, anxiety, joint pain, or loss of confidence.

Sharing resources with friends might be one way to make an impact. And remember it’s not all doom and gloom, we’ve gone beyond the days of a ‘shut up and just get on with it’ attitude. You may find that your perspectives on life change as you go through menopause yourself; how you view your body, what your life goals might be, what your priorities are or might be going forward.

Getting a balance in your life could be key, with a promise to put some more good habits in place to navigate the menopause and put us in a good position health wise for the rest of our lives. We know that addressing the bad habit of unhealthy eating can have a transformative impact on how we feel about ourselves and making sure we keep our sense of humour about it all is crucial. This book came out in 2020, ‘Still Hot!’ by Kaye Adams and Vicky Allan: https://www.waterstones.com/book/still-hot/kaye-adams/vicky-allan/9781785303371 Some solidarity from lots of names we know.

If you know of anyone who might be interested in finding out more about menopause this site offers some resources in the form of podcasts: https://www.nhmenopausesociety.org/resources/ and this one is more geared towards workplaces with a variety of useful resources like apps, posters and booklets and you may find something to download that would suit your volunteering locations locally   https://www.balance-menopause.com/balance-for-the-workplace/

Wishing you a healthy October with plenty of interesting communication in your work life, your guiding life and your personal time. Here’s to a menopause confident month! See you in November.