Menopause and Mindset: How Your Lifestyle Shapes the Experience

Someone said, “I don’t think every female goes through menopause?”

@Google says: Yes, every person assigned female at birth will go through Menopause if they live to the appropriate age. [1]

What is Menopause?

Menopause is a biological stage of life when a person’s menstrual periods stop permanently, not just a feeling, though it does involve many intense physical and emotional sensations. [1, 2]

For many of us, it goes deeper than that.

When people ask if Menopause is a feeling, they are usually reacting to how deeply it alters their mind and body. The transition can trigger distinct physical sensations and emotional states.

Menopause is harming me more than anything else in my life. Someone said, ‘They don’t believe every woman goes through menopause because they know a lot of females at menopausal age, and they aren’t going through what I am.’

Why am I feeling everything mentally, emotionally, and psychologically?

I began studying my life. I am an introvert, very antisocial. I will go days without talking to anyone but my husband. I volunteer two days per week as a Teacher’s aide. I don’t leave my house unless I have to. That includes going to the market once or twice per week and paying my bills on one of those days.

I don’t speak unless someone speaks to me. I spend most of my life with my children, husband, and one of my sisters I am close to. I read, clean, cook, write, walk for exercise when I can, and think. That’s my idea of fun. Nobody comes to my house. I don’t go to anyone’s either. My life is drama-free because I avoid everyone. I am not afraid of being alone, and I can hear when life speaks in every language. That gives me time to think about my life, living, my world, and everything going on in it.

As a deep thinker, how I live and view life, and all of the hell and heaven it sends my way, is different. Menopause and science don’t know this.

I live a quiet life. Having time to think lets me feel everything going on in my life and the world. Being too aware can be a weapon, too. Living a quiet life, I can see and hear life, not only mine but yours too. I learn from everything and everyone. Menopause doesn’t know this.

I began reading the life manuals of many menopausal women I know, and I noticed something different.

They are more outgoing. They socialize a lot. They never let their minds idle. Every time I see them, they are talking to someone. They spend their day working, then socializing after work. On the weekends, the ones who don’t work don’t sit around doing nothing. They shop, cook, and clean, then go out and enjoy themselves with friends or family. It’s like they are running on E, because at night, when they lie down to sleep, life and its reality come back to them.

No matter what our day is, at night, when we lie down, life begins to speak, and we all must listen. All of us hear; not all of us act on it. It’s like the night replays our past, present, and, for the aware ones, future life.

It’s like socializing and enjoying their lives on a different level is their antidote. They seem happier on the outside. I don’t know what they do when I am not around and what’s going on in their personal lives or relationships. But many of them don’t stop living. These women have packed their lives with so many activities they can’t hear when life is speaking to them.

My life is simpler, quieter, less dramatic, with more time to think and hear when life speaks. With more time to think, I am mentally alert. Being alert, I can see and feel more. Feeling more affects me emotionally. When my emotions become a problem, my mind suffers. Menopause is smart; it knows attacking us mentally is the best route.

My brain is my CPU. If anything threatens it, I am in trouble.

Menopause threatens my entire life and survival, just because of how I live, think, who I am, and what I want for myself and my life. This is how I want to live. Simple, drama-free, kind, and loving. I want more control of my life.

I don’t know how long I can fight this. Some days, I want to let go. I know life is a fight, and the fight ends with death. But I will take one day, just one day per month, when Menopause leaves me alone.

Feeling everything with brute force isn’t easy. Seeing your life go in a direction you know isn’t for you hurts. It hurts more when you aren’t in control. We can’t control Menopause and how it affects us. But I can control how I react to its side effects. And being aware gives me that power.

I never allow my personal feelings to get in the way of what is right. Menopause is constantly testing me in this area to think with my emotions. I never move by strength. I move by will. The job, or chore, will get done now, no matter how I feel. Menopause is also testing me here.

I don’t share my pain or sorrow with anyone. No matter how I feel, you have to read me emotionally to know something is wrong. Menopause is testing me here too. My best is involuntary action. Menopause is trying to play with this too.

I have a positive and pleasant personality. The pain and strain of Menopause are working on that too. It’s trying to change me from depths and places inside of me that it thinks I can’t reach. How I live allows me to connect, reach, and get to places inside of me that many people can’t go.

It’s a good thing I know myself, and no one can tell me who I am. That part menopause can’t touch, because I love myself too.

Life is so amazing. Knowing hell, you can plan and counteract it. Being aware is power. Power to make your best decision. Menopause doesn’t know that cruelty and thoughtlessness are tools for me. How it’s treating me is making me more aware, focused, and stronger. I am learning from it to be and do better than what life and science say. Science isn’t always right. Science doesn’t know all of us.

#Iintend2Survive, but I still need one day for myself. Lol. I am feeling better just writing this. This is good.

Maybe it will leave me alone today. Lol.

Ladies, don’t let Menopause and its issues control your life. Find ways to stay focused and aware. Then enjoy your life, your way! With your rules and your laws!

Thank you for reading this piece. I hope you enjoyed it.