5 Quick Morning Habits For Women In Menopause

The M word is something many women dread thinking about. But although menopause signifies the end of the reproductive cycle and brings about some uncomfortable changes, it doesn’t have to be the end of a healthy relationship with your body. 

This natural biological process typically triggers a wave of physical, mental, and emotional symptoms that can be hard to manage when you aren’t sure what your body needs. However, just like any other reproductive phase, there are ways to curb their intensity and bring some much-needed relief. 

If menopause is on your mind, and you want to make this transition easier, we can help. We’ve taken a look at some of the hormonal processes to expect during menopause and dived into five quick yet effective morning habits that can help to alleviate them throughout the day. 

What Happens To The Body During Menopause?

Hormones play a major role in the body, and during menopause, they tend to behave pretty erratically. The two main female reproductive hormones (estrogen and progesterone) in particular start to fluctuate in production, causing a variety of uncomfortable physical, mental, and emotional symptoms. 

These include:

• Hot flashes 
• Insomnia
• Fluctuating libido
• Vaginal dryness
• Mood swings
• Weight changes
• Heart palpitations

These symptoms can make it difficult to function normally during the day, and often cause significant pain and frustration. But fortunately, there are ways to reduce their intensity. 

5 Quick And Easy Morning Tips For Dealing With Menopause

The morning is one of the best times of the day to practice healthy habits. When you start your day off right, it becomes a lot easier to cope with whatever responsibilities you have to deal with. If you’re going through menopause, try making these habits a part of your morning routine: 

1. Hydration station

First things first: drink a tall glass of water. Dizziness and dehydration are some of the most common grievances of menopausal women, and water is the solution to them both. 

A good water consumption goal is 700 millilitres (or just over 3 baking cups) within the first hour of waking up. Make sure it’s room temperature, not cold, as cold water can stress out your digestive system. If you aren’t a big fan of plain water, jazz it up with cucumber, lemon, mint, or fresh berries.

This can make your water taste great and encourage you to sip on it for the rest of the day.  

2. Eat a nutritionally balanced breakfast

A balanced, varied diet is important for everyone, but menopausal women in particular need to keep up their nutrient and vitamin intake. Some delicious yet nutrient-packed brekkie ideas include:

• Classic bowl of oats
• Greek yoghurt and fruit
• Eggs on whole toast 
• Avocado on whole toast 
• Natural smoothies and juices 
• Tofu scramble 

These breakfast dishes contain everything you need to power up for the day and put any fatigue or dizziness at arm’s length.

And there are loads of other breakfast options that help you to feel good and balance your hormones—just remember to steer clear of things with a high sugar or salt content, and saturated fats. 

3. Take your supplements as needed

Dietary supplements are manufactured products that contain essential vitamins and minerals. If you struggle to get them in through your diet, supplements will suffice as an alternative. 

There are dozens of different supplements, all of which target a different aspect of physical health. Menopausal women can benefit the most from the following vitamins and minerals: 

• Vitamins B, B6, and B12
• Calcium 
• Magnesium 
• Vitamin D 
• Flaxseed 
• Vitamin K
• Omega 3 

Taking supplements with zinc, selenium and copper is also a good idea as these minerals offer added support for women in menopause.

Zinc boosts hormone production and immunity, selenium can help to combat hot flashes and dry skin, and copper improves bone density. 

4. Oxygenate your body  

Getting some good oxygen into your lungs is beneficial on a number of levels. It helps keep your mood stable, reduces anxiety, gives you energy, and improves mental focus. 

So, how do you oxygenate your body? Well, depending on how you feel, this process can take the form of physical exercise or simply some deep breathing.

Either way, you’ll come out the other end feeling a little more revitalised, refreshed, and centred than you were before. 

Health experts recommend brisk jogging, walking, swimming, yoga, or cycling for menopausal women. On your rest days, engage in some gentle, deep breathing in a quiet space for a bit of relaxation. 

5. Have a cool shower 

A cool shower has many health benefits, many of which tie in well with the common symptoms of menopause, such as brain fog, drowsiness, or mood swings. Some of the most notable benefits of a cold (or tepid) morning shower include:

• Boosts your immunity 
• Decreases anxiety 
• Improves circulation
• Boosts metabolism
• Reduces inflammation
• Relieves headaches 

On top of all that, it simply wakes you up in a way that other morning habits don’t. And if you’ve just returned from some light exercise, the cool water will be even more refreshing. 

Bonus Tip: don’t caffeinate too early

So many of us rely on that first cup of coffee to get us up and about, and menopausal women are no exception.

But drinking caffeine too early in the day can exacerbate some of the more common menopause symptoms, such as anxiety, heart palpitations, and hot flashes. 

While cutting caffeine out completely is ideal, reducing your intake and shifting the time of day you consume it can make a big difference. Try to wait until at least 10:00 or 11:00am before your first cup. 

Summary

Everyone experiences menopause differently, so there’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to treating the symptoms.

But these tips are designed to help support the most common pain points of this hormonal phase so that women with all types of bodies can experience relief when they need it most. 

Stats show that menopause negatively affects 50% of women’s home life and 34% of women develop menopausal-related depression and anxiety.

Therefore, taking care of your body’s basic needs is one of the simplest and most effective things you can do to combat the tougher indications of menopause.

Drinking enough water, sticking to a well-balanced diet, staying active and avoiding unhealthy habits can only make your body stronger. 

Whether you’re just at the start of your menopausal journey or several years deep, learning how to nurture your body as it undergoes these natural changes is one of the best ways to practice self-love.