Today I watched a video (link) titled “How to calm menopause anxiety”. I would suggest it might be better titled as “How to calm peri-menopause anxiety.” I say that because it focuses on a symptom that tends to happen as we transition from “normal” periods to that place where we no longer have periods (after 1 full year of no periods we are then in menopause). Even with this slight tweak to the title, I felt there was many really practical and do-able tips in this video.
Hydration
I had not realized, but apparently dehydration can induce anxiety. Also dehydration can lead to similar symptoms like heart palpation. So, a really simple tip she gives if you find yourself getting anxious or feeling a panic attack coming on is to drink a full glass of water. She especially points out that sometimes if you get first thing in the morning anxiety, it may especially be related to hydration.
Low blood sugar
Low blood sugar levels can actually trigger anxiety symptoms. In the video she recommends eating little and often.
Relaxation / Meditation
She really encourages 30 minutes each day of “me time.”
Deep breathing
Her recommendation is breathing in very slowly to the count of 4, pause, then breath out slowing to the count of 4. I would add, if you are a Christian, you may want to look into breath praying. The basic idea is you breath a scripture phrase, or truth in slowly, pause then breath a scripture phrase, or truth out slowly.
Walk
In the video she suggests even a 10 minute walk, especially outside is great.
Journaling
She suggests that not only should you journal your feelings, but jot down facts about what you observe. She suggests that these may lead you to see patterns, for example does the anxious feeling happen every afternoon around 4. If so, maybe it is blood sugar related. I would caution with this, let this serve you, not the other way around. I say this because the thing with anxiety is sometimes it can lead to over-reaching for control.
I hope you find some of these practical tips helpful.
