DEPRESSION, ANXIETY AND THE MENOPAUSE
As with the lead up to your period, your changing hormones can cause you to feel
more emotional and tearful. This is exasperated during the menopause and these feelings can either come in waves or increase over time to an overwhelming level.
There are several things you can try to help combat anxiety and low moods, including:
* Behavioral therapy
* Deep breathing
* Exercise
* Diarising your feelings
* Meditation
* Reading
* Yoga
* Socialising
* Speaking with your GP
* Spirituality and mindfulness
* Thought reframing
Mindfulness is a meditation in which you focus on being intensely aware of what you see and feel in the moment, without interpretation or judgment.
Practicing mindfulness involves breathing methods, guided imagery, and other practices to relax the body and mind to help reduce stress. Recent research shows mindfulness meditation may be as effective at reducing anxiety as medication for some people.
Try this exercise the next time your mind is stuck on the worry setting.
Sit quietly. Look around you and notice:
* 5 things you can see; Your hands, the sky, a plant on your colleague's desk
* 4 things you can physically feel; Your feet on the ground, a ball, your friend's hand
* 3 things you can hear; The wind blowing, children's laughter, your breath
* 2 things you can smell; Fresh-cut grass, coffee, soap
* 1 thing you can taste; A mint, gum, the fresh air
This exercise helps you shift your focus to your surroundings in the present moment and away from what is causing you to feel anxious. It can help interrupt unhealthy thought patterns.
It's recommended you speak to a health care provider about your anxiety and depression should any of these situations occur:
* Your anxiety becomes an obstacle in any aspect of everyday living, often causing difficulties for six or more months.
* Your anxiety becomes a negative influence in relationships creating barriers in life.
* Your anxiety leads to isolation producing thoughts of hopelessness or helplessness.
* Your anxiety controls your life with emotional or physical response to excessive worry.
Seek support from a therapist, medical professional, family member, friend, community support person, crisis line resource or a crisis center. Depending on the severity of your anxiety and depression, a behavioral therapy plan, anti-anxiety medication and coping mechanisms may be recommended for your situation.
Let me know your experiences and your own techniques to help
Love and Light xx
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