Menopause symptoms, including hot flashes and sleep disruption, can lead to anxiety, and vice versa. You’re not alone in experiencing this vicious cycle – a study of over 3,500 women aged 40 to 59 found that around 60% of them experienced anxiety due to menopause symptoms. Stress hormones and inflammatory markers in the body can be a part of the connection between stress and menopause. Although not yet entirely understood, serotonin and norepinephrine, which play a role in the body’s thermoregulation, are believed to contribute to this link. So, when anxiety increases these hormone levels, it leads to more frequent hot flashes, disrupting sleep.
Instead of resorting to hormone therapy, there are simple acts of mindfulness that can help you manage menopause symptoms. Combining mindfulness exercises with improvements to your daily life, such as a menopause-friendly diet and getting regular exercise, can significantly impact your symptoms. Here are three mindful techniques to try:
Focusing on Your Breath
Breath awareness is a simple method to practice mindfulness. Concentrate on your breath and bring your attention to your physical sensations, thoughts, and emotions. Simply allow them to pass without judgment and return your focus to your breath. This helps you become an objective observer filled with acceptance and positivity. Yoga is a great way to practice breath awareness and improve your overall well-being.
Body Scanning
Body scanning is a guided meditation technique that takes your awareness through different parts of your body sequentially. This helps you become more aware and allows experiences to come and go with ease. You can find various guided meditation resources online, such as YouTube and meditation or relaxation apps.
Hatha Yoga
Hatha yoga consists of gentle stretches, slow movements, and deep breathing exercises. These activities foster nurturing and body-mind connectedness. For example, the Cat Pose provides a gentle way to connect your breath with movement and stretches your entire spine.
By practicing these techniques, you gain awareness of the present moment, which can bring you into a place of peace and acceptance. Over time, these practices will become part of your daily activities, not only improving your emotional state but also leading to positive physiological outcomes.
Research shows that mindfulness meditation can significantly reduce stress hormone levels and inflammatory markers in those who practice it regularly. Those who only receive general stress management education, on the other hand, see increases in their stress response and inflammatory markers. Although mindfulness may not eliminate every aspect of anxiety or menopause symptoms, it is evident that it positively influences physical symptoms while increasing your resilience and ability to cope with various stressors.
So, while anxiety and menopause symptoms may seem like an inevitable part of life, there are simple mindfulness techniques available to keep them in check. Try incorporating these practices into your daily routine to manage anxiety and menopause symptoms, allowing you to take control of your well-being and live a more peaceful life.
