From Anxious to Assured: Navigating Anxiety in Your Perimenopause Journey

Anxiety during perimenopause is an unseen yet constant companion in many women’s lives. It’s a result of fluctuating oestrogen levels, affecting stress hormone production and emotional balance. During this phase, hormones can make life seem like a bewildering dance, where you don’t know the steps. So, how can we manage our anxiety and move to a calmer state of play? The answer lies in a powerful antidote: acceptance.

Redefining Acceptance

Acceptance isn’t about passive resignation; it’s a conscious choice, a mindset shift. It’s about disarming the threat of perimenopause and facing it head-on. Acceptance doesn’t mean defeat; it’s an empowering strategy to make peace with our present situation. It’s about acknowledging the natural phase of womanhood and being open and vulnerable about our emotions and needs.

Overcoming Resistance and Fear

Our survival instincts, rooted in our limbic system, often perceive perimenopause as a threat, leading to resistance and anxiety. Resistance, while a natural protective mechanism, becomes a breeding ground for fear and anxiety. It limits our creative thinking and traps us in frustration and fear. However, when we shine a light of loving acceptance on this resistance, it truly transforms our experience.

Embracing Change with Curiosity

Acceptance involves recognising that perimenopause isn’t a punishment or a sign of weakness. It’s about being honest about our changing bodies and needs and bringing curiosity to our experiences. This change isn’t permanent; it’s a snapshot in time. By embracing acceptance, we open up to self-compassion, acknowledging our struggles without self-criticism and creating a nurturing environment for growth.

The Path to Liberation and Understanding

Perimenopause is an opportunity to re-evaluate and reorient ourselves. By embracing acceptance and compassion, we pivot from stagnation to liberation, allowing ourselves to navigate perimenopause with ease and understanding. This acceptance leads to resilience and a calm space to breathe and be.

Finding Support and Community

Joining communities like HushPeri® or The Perimenopause Hub and engaging with resources can help on this journey. Sharing experiences and embracing acceptance can dissolve anxiety and transform lives.

A Simple Exercise for Acceptance

To get you started, try this simple exercise to explore acceptance in your perimenopause journey:

Settle in: Find a comfortable spot and focus on your breath.

Breathe, notice, and acknowledge: Acknowledge your current state without judgement.

Visualise acceptance: Visualise a soothing light of acceptance, representing calm and wisdom, filling you with each inhale.

Affirmation: Repeat to yourself, “I am open to accepting myself just as I am.”

Reflect: After the exercise, reflect on any changes in your feelings.

Remember, this journey is about gradual shifts towards acceptance, not quick fixes. Embrace this pathway with openness, and let acceptance transform your perimenopause experience into one of dignity, courage, and self-compassion.

To find more tips and advice on acceptance, and meet our experts who want to help you feel epic going forward, visit the Mental Health Support Hub.