Menopause, Coaching and Making Time and Space for Change
Menopause can be about more than symptoms. It can also be a much bigger life transition.
The 18th of October is World Menopause Day.
It therefore feels like a good time to talk about menopause, but perhaps not just about the symptoms.
Menopause can bring hot flushes, sleepless nights, brain fog, tiredness, changes in mood and all sorts of physical changes.
It can also be a much bigger life transition.
Things can feel different.
Things that used to work for us might not work in quite the same way anymore.
And sometimes we find ourselves asking questions we hadn’t expected to ask:
What do I need now?
What matters to me?
What do I want the next chapter to look like?
There isn’t one menopause experience. We are all different, and so are the lives we are living alongside it.
Our work, relationships, families, responsibilities, ambitions, health and sense of who we are all form part of the picture.
And this is where I think coaching can be really helpful.
Sometimes, we just need time and space to think
Coaching isn’t about telling someone what they should do.
It’s not about having all the answers.
And it’s certainly not about replacing medical advice or support when that’s needed.
For me, coaching is about creating some time and space.
Time and space to stop.
Time and space to think.
Time and space to talk about what is really going on.
Sometimes that might be about confidence.
Sometimes it’s work or leadership.
Sometimes it’s about boundaries, energy, or trying to find a better balance.
Sometimes it’s about identity.
Perhaps you’ve spent years being there for everyone else and suddenly find yourself wondering where you fit into all of that.
And sometimes you don’t really know what the issue is.
You just know that something feels different.
That’s okay too.
We don’t always need to arrive with a clearly defined problem.
Sometimes the conversation helps us work out what the question actually is.
And then there is the outdoors
This is the bit that feels particularly important to me.
I love coaching outdoors.
There is something different about walking alongside someone rather than sitting opposite them in a room.
There is movement.
Fresh air.
The changing landscape.
The opportunity to pause.
Sometimes we walk and talk.
Sometimes we stop.
Sometimes the conversation takes an unexpected turn because something we’ve seen or noticed prompts a thought.
And sometimes it’s simply easier to talk when we’re walking.
I don’t think we always need to understand exactly why being outdoors can help us think differently.
Sometimes we just notice that it does.
A change of environment can change a conversation.
Being outside can give us a little distance from the noise of everyday life.
And perhaps, that is particularly valuable at a time when life already feels a little noisy.
Menopause isn’t something we simply have to ‘get through’
I don’t want to make menopause sound like a positive experience for everyone.
It can be difficult.
It can be exhausting.
And for some women, the symptoms can have a huge impact on everyday life.
But I also think there is room to see this stage of life as an opportunity to pause and take stock.
To ask ourselves some questions:
What do I want more of?
What am I ready to let go of?
Where am I putting my energy?
What have I learned about myself?
What do I want the next few years to look and feel like?
Maybe it’s not about getting back to who we were before.
Maybe it’s about getting curious about who we are becoming.
And that is where coaching comes in for me.
Not fixing.
Not advising.
Not telling you what to do.
Just creating the time and space to stop, reflect, explore, and perhaps see things a little differently.
This is at the heart of what I do through Conscience Coaching and Consulting, creating thoughtful, supportive time and space where people can pause, explore what matters to them and consider what comes next.
And if that conversation happens while we’re walking outdoors, even better.
Sometimes we just need someone to walk alongside us while we work out what comes next.
If you’re navigating perimenopause or menopause and would like to explore what coaching could offer, I’d love to hear from you.
Sometimes the first step is simply making some time and space to think.