Five Things to Look Forward to During Menopause
Menopause is often treated as a disease or a medical condition to be fixed, rather than as a natural part of aging. Our culture casts such a negative light on this phase of life, even though studies have shown women’s attitudes about menopause are either relief-based or neutral. Worse yet, internalizing these negative views can exacerbate your menopausal symptoms. Many articles have been written on the dreadful symptoms of menopause, but there is a surprising lack of dialogue about how wonderful the post-menopausal phase of life can be. Depending on when you reach menopause and your life expectancy, some women will spend a third of their life in post-menopause. So, let’s talk about why menopause is a rewarding and enjoyable phase of life.
- You Say Goodbye to Your Menstrual Periods
Though some women will experience hot flashes, mood swings, and vaginal dryness during menopause, there is a significant positive tradeoff: no more periods! Periods come with their own symptoms that you have to deal with, including menstrual cramps (some that are as painful as heart attacks), pre-period acne, sore breasts, exhaustion, bloating, diarrhea or constipation, headache, mood swings, and trouble sleeping—and these symptoms crop up every month for decades. Plus, you have to plan for your period each month, especially if you plan to swim.
- The Best Is Yet to Come
Menopause is temporary, and so are most symptoms (though vaginal dryness is typically not). Nearly all of the irritating symptoms will go away or can be treated. Menopause has been touted as the age where you begin to hit your stride and can advocate for yourself. For many people, menopause encompasses some of their top-earning years, so financial concerns may decline. It’s common to experience a newfound sense of empowerment, too, where you can draw on the past for wisdom and create a future that suits you to a tee. Further, life satisfaction tends to increase with age, so rather than a sense of an ending, menopause should be thought of as an upward trajectory.
- Sex Gets Even Better
Without the inconvenience of periods and birth control, you can have the best sex of your life during menopause. Though your hormone production dips, the brain is widely recognized as the most powerful sex organ. Diminishing libido can be addressed with therapy, activities that encourage mindfulness, and medication. Years of experience, creativity, and wisdom can help boost your sex life to previously unattainable levels.
- You Feel So Free
One term that’s not often associated with menopause—though it should be—is liberation. When you reach menopause and are no longer focused on getting pregnant or raising children (if you chose to have them) and balancing family life with a career, you can focus on what you want to get out of life. When the multiple pressures society puts on the female form fade away (like being fit and attractive, getting married, and having children), you have more bandwidth to prioritize your goals. An article in Oprah Magazine puts it like this: “You might even call it the discovery of a lifetime: that menopause, far from being the tragic end of the best part of a woman’s existence, can actually be a threshold, a gateway, the passage to the you you’ve been waiting your whole life to become.” And it’s true, out of the flames of hot flashes, you might find you emerge stronger and happier with yourself than you ever felt possible.
- You Realize How Good You Look
Menopause does change your body—it’s easier to gain weight in your midsection and more difficult to gain muscle mass—but some of that change is for the better. Your body image may even improve. A survey showed that almost three-quarters of women feel as attractive as they were before menopause, and sixty percent say they feel better than ever.
Make the Most of Menopause
Menopause can be such a fulfilling time of life. If symptoms like vaginal dryness prevent you from enjoying it to the fullest, try the Membrasin® 2-Step Start Pack, which is estrogen-free and provides an inside/outside approach to supporting natural vaginal moisture, and find out why women across the country swear by it.
