I get it! I have been there too!
Until 2014, I was an ex-corporate, frazzled and unfulfilled marketeer, and a mother of three boys who saw more of their nanny than they did of me.
For decades, I had put myself at the bottom of the list. I was juggling every aspect of my life; working with my husband running our family business and looking after my boys as well as ageing parents. This is why they call this the ‘sandwich generation’ – divided between caring for our children and our parents and working hard to pay the bills. You get it I’m sure – sometimes you feel like a piece of cake and everyone wants a piece of you until there is none left. I was trying – but often failing – to ensure that my own mental health and wellbeing was adequately supported.
After years of self-neglect as I started to reach my mid forties things started to change. My mindset wasn’t strong, I started noticing my body change and ageing became evident on my skin and in my body. Depressing to say the least. What was happening to me? I started to feel anxious and definitely saw a change in my moods and my patience – as did those around me.
I needed to make some major changes towards living a healthier, happier life – for me as well as for my family. Without my own health and wellbeing, how could I possibly support those I loved?
It took me nearly 4 years of investing in coaching, mentoring and studying nutrition, menopause and health coaching to allow me to understand the importance of helping myself before I could help other women at this stage of their lives to tackle life’s obstacles and to flourish.
Why do we feel this way?
Midlife, the age range that spans between 40 and 65, can be challenging for women. During this time, women are not only dealing with biological changes, but they’re also dealing with work problems, relationship and family issues, teenagers, ageing parents, death – all while striving for their own personal goals. It can be a very stressful time as women find themselves facing various health problems in particular anxiety.
With decreasing hormones and physiological changes, including fluctuations in sleep, mood and sex drive, this disruption and the resulting feelings often cause a woman to enter a period of self-reflection around their own needs – and how those needs aren’t being fulfilled.
How do you know it’s something deeper rather than a moment of frustration?
- Depression and anxiety.
- Unhappiness – a total lack of joy.
- Lack of motivation or desire to put time into certain activities.
- Lack of confidence in yourself and how you look.
- Dissatisfaction with career and other life choices.
Make the changes you want
The words ‘midlife crisis’ put a negative spin on this period. But it doesn’t have to be bad; it can be a wonderful opportunity to re-evaluate your life.
Why not take the chance to pause and spend time and energy finding out what’s meaningful to you?
As a child, I was told that I had to strive for success and my strong work ethic is evident in my passion, only now I am applying it to something I absolutely love: helping women regain positivity and good health through their menopause experience, encouraging and coaching them to see a clearer direction for a more joyful and fulfilled midlife – and beyond.