A HEALTHY YOU
Navigating Menopause
Awareness, Support, and Self-Care
October is Menopause Awareness Month, an observance dedicated to increasing understanding of the symptoms, treatments, and holistic approaches that can help women navigate this important stage of life.
For many, menopause can bring a range of physical and emotional challenges. Common symptoms may include hot flashes, night sweats, heart palpitations, skin flushing, brain fog, mood swings, and sleep disturbances. Alongside these physical changes, many women experience shifts in mental health — with increased risks of depression, anxiety, and alcohol or substance use. Cognitive difficulties such as trouble concentrating, short-term memory lapses, and low motivation are also common during this transition.
While a number of new prescriptions are on the market to manage menopause symptoms, some widely suggested lifestyle changes to try to minimize menopause symptoms include:
- Exercise
- Deep Breathing
- Yoga
- Acupuncture
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- Mindfulness
Studies have also shown that menopause can be controlled with diet. A diet rich in Vitamin D and B12 and low in sugar, alcohol and processed food can be helpful during this challenging time. Vitamin D is known to play an important role in the maintenance of calcium homeostasis and bone metabolism. Menopausal women are at risk of reduced bone density and increased risk of fracture due to a decline in estrogen levels.
Other Resources
Learn more about the benefits to Vitamin E, probiotics and other supplements for maintaining bone health, decreasing hot flashes and easing depression during the menopause years.
Article by Verywell Health.
The importance of supporting women during menopause is becoming more widespread in the US and an increasing number of employers are offering menopause education for their employees. The World Health Organization, states that social, psychological and physical health support during the menopausal transition and after menopause should be an essential part of health care.
Article by the World Health Organization.
Offers more resources and information on menopause treatment and management.
About the Author
Cynthia Conigliaro is the Sales and Marketing Director for Organizational Wellness and Learning Systems (OWLS), a consulting firm focused on employee emotional wellbeing and organizational culture analysis. For almost five years she has worked alongside the owner of OWLS to design and implement mental health related employee wellness trainings and workshops for organizations across the United States.
For almost 15 years she has had her own health and wellness coaching business. Cynthia works with individuals and groups and runs virtual and in person workshops for employees on a variety of health and wellness topics relating to both physical and mental health. She is an Infinite Possibilities Certified Trainer and a Resilience and Life Coach. She has been a volunteer with the Worksite Wellness Council of Massachusetts (WWCMA) for the past 4 years where she sits on both the Programs Committee and the Marketing Committee. Cynthia has her Master of Social Work and her Master of Business Administration from Boston College and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a Minor in Spanish from College of the Holy Cross.