5 Things I Wish I’d Known Before Perimenopause

Now that I’m comfortably into my 50s, I can look back over the past dozen years and take stock of everything I learned during perimenopause–knowledge I wish I’d had before the roller coaster ride that is that time of life. I just was not adequately prepared for all the shifts and changes (something I hear from a lot of other women too). I spent a decade doing tons of research on all the different symptoms I was experiencing, and it took up A LOT of my time and energy. That is why I want to share with you the most important things I’ve learned–to save YOU time and energy, trial and error. Because if you have a better idea of what to expect, you can make a plan to support your body pro-actively. With that, here are 5 things I wish I’d known before perimenopause.

1. Perimenopause can start much earlier than you think it will.

As I share in my Ultimate Perimenopause Guide, I was in my late 30s when perimenopause started for me. At least that’s when I noticed for the first time ever my period being irregular. (It came several days later than usual and let’s just say that perimenopause was not the first conclusion I jumped to.) The mood swings and irritability came next and, by the time I had reached my mid 40s, I was experiencing a range of perimenopause symptoms. So if you’re in your late 30s and think you’ve got tons of time until you need to start worrying about these things, think again.

2. It’s not just ‘a phase before your periods stop.’ It can be a 10 year journey.

Perimenopause is, of course, different for each woman (one of the things that you quickly learn when you’re looking for concrete answers to all your questions). Some women have hardly any symptoms; others have all the symptoms. If you’re anything like me, your experience will be somewhere in between. Be prepared to spend about a decade of your life in perimenopause, with all the various symptoms that come with it. In my Ultimate Perimenopause Guide, I delve into the different stages of perimenopause, the symptoms you can expect in each one, and what you can do both pro-actively and in the moment to help alleviate them. Trust me, you don’t want to be suffering through mood swings, insomnia, weight gain, bloat, anxiety, hot flashes, brain fog, dryness (and the list goes on…) for 10 years if you don’t have to!

3. Perimenopause can do a number on your body–even if you’re a healthy person.

If you know me at all, you know I am a natural health enthusiast. I’ve taken good care of my body for as long as I can remember. I never really had any serious health-related issues (knock on wood). But I am here to tell you: perimenopause can do a number on your body, even if you think you’re a healthy person–and stress just makes it all the worse (see below). If you aren’t proactive in finding balance through lifestyle modifications like nutrition, exercise, stress management, herbs and supplements, it’s probably not going to be a fun ride.

4. Stress will make your perimenopause symptoms way worse.

For so many women, our 40s are one of the most stressful decades of our life: Dealing with kids, aging parents, a career, and all the other expectations and obligations our society puts on women. For me personally–aside from going through a divorce in my 30s–my mid-40s were the most stressful time in my life to date. (I go into more details about this, as well as the science behind hormones and stress in my Ultimate Perimenopause Guide.) Needless to say, I was stressed out, overwhelmed and exhausted–and my hormones paid the price. If there was only one thing I wish I could have done differently before I hit perimenopause, it would be to get my stress under control. I implore you to do this before it’s too late.

5. Self-care really does make a world of difference.

The term ‘self-care’ has, unfortunately, become something of a cliché and often gets a bad rap in our society. To make matters worse, the ‘self-care industry’ wants us to buy more and do more to take care of ourselves–and then we just end up feeling worse when we can’t keep up with one more thing to buy and one more thing to do. The truth is that self-care isn’t an external fix; it’s an internal process that involves cultivating greater self-awareness and making different decisions. If you haven’t done this by your 40s, now is the time. Embracing self-care made a world of difference for me during perimenopause–I am now a firm believer in making myself a priority, setting healthy boundaries and the power of self-compassion–and I am confident it will for you too. You will feel so much better, and your interactions with others and the world around you will become healthier and more positive. If you have a hard time with this concept of self-care I get it, and I encourage you to examine the obstacles that are getting in your way. That is why I created my Self-Care MasterClass–to share actionable strategies that have worked for me, and to empower other women to take good care of themselves. After all, you deserve to feel good. You deserve to thrive–in your 30s, 40s, 50s and beyond.

 

If you found this blog post helpful, you can check out even more insider tips on nutrition, exercise, stress management, herbs and supplements for perimenopause here.

You might also like my blog post, What Oprah and I Know for Sure.