Menopause:
Understanding Its Impact on All of Us

What is Menopause?

Menopause is often associated with women, but it can affect anyone with female sex characteristics, including non-binary individuals and trans men. Understanding menopause is crucial because its physical, emotional, and social impacts extend beyond personal health—affecting individuals in the workplace, at home, within relationships, and throughout their social lives.

What Happens During Menopause?

Menopause occurs when estrogen levels drop significantly, causing the ovaries to stop producing eggs and eventually leading to the end of menstrual periods. Medically, menopause is defined as 12 consecutive months without a period, though this only applies to natural menopause, as menopause can occur in different ways.

The hormonal changes during menopause don’t just affect the reproductive system—they can impact the body physically, psychologically, and cognitively:

Physically: Decreased estrogen can cause symptoms such as hot flushes, night sweats, joint pain, and weight fluctuations.
Psychologically: Mood swings, anxiety, depression, and emotional sensitivity are common emotional effects.
Cognitively: Many experience difficulty concentrating, memory lapses, and mental fatigue, often referred to as "brain fog."

There are nearly 50 known impacts of menopause – many of us are familiar with disrupted sleep, migraines, hot flushes and night sweats but there are others which are lesser known such as tinnitus, resurgence of trauma and heightened anxiety, restless legs, tingling and numbness in limbs to name a few.

Types of Menopause

Menopause can be triggered in the following ways:

1. Natural Menopause

Process: Happens naturally as part of aging.
Challenges:
- Symptoms may be difficult to identify initially.
- People may attribute symptoms to other stressors, delaying treatment or support.

2. Early or Premature Menopause

Cause: Occurs before age 45 due to genetics, medical conditions, or unknown reasons.
Impact:
- Emotional strain due to unexpected infertility.
- Feelings of grief, isolation, and strained relationships.
- Lack of peer support, making the experience more isolating.

3. Medical or Induced Menopause

Cause: Surgery (hysterectomy, ovary removal) or hormone-suppressing treatments.
Impact:
- Sudden onset with severe symptoms due to abrupt estrogen loss.
- Research shows 74% of individuals undergoing this type of menopause describe its impact as "severe" or "unbearable."
- Medical focus on the primary health condition may lead to neglect of menopause-related support.

Key Factors Affecting Menopause Experience

Stress Management
- Chronic stress suppresses essential hormones like estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone, intensifying menopause symptoms.
Life Experiences & Trauma
- Trauma, racism, or significant life events can make menopause more challenging.
- The pandemic triggered early menopause for some due to increased stress and uncertainty.
Knowledge & Awareness
- Lack of education about menopause can cause delayed diagnosis and heightened anxiety.
- Early intervention improves outcomes and helps manage symptoms better.
Personality & Coping Style
- A person’s resilience, support system, and coping mechanisms can influence how they experience menopause.

How Harley Street Consulting Can Help You

At Harley Street Consulting, we understand that menopause affects more than just your physical health—it can impact your emotional well-being and cognitive functioning. That’s why we provide personalised education, compassionate support, and expert guidance throughout your menopause journey. We work closely with you to manage stress, adopt positive lifestyle changes, and build strategies that empower you to thrive—not just during menopause but well beyond it.

Our Unique Support Services Include:

Menopause Meditation App:
- Reduce Stress through guided mindfulness exercises.
- Promote Better Sleep with calming bedtime meditations.
- Ease Hot Flushes and Night Sweats with targeted relaxation techniques.
Tailored Medical Guidance:
- If additional medical assistance is required, we’ll guide you to the right specialists to ensure you receive personalized, expert care.

You don’t have to face menopause alone let us help you navigate this phase with understanding, support, and care.

Menopause Meditations

Menopause is a natural and transformative life stage, but it often brings with it a unique set of challenges that can leave us feeling overwhelmed and misunderstood. I know this all too well, having personally experienced the complexities of menopause myself.