{"id":117650,"date":"2022-10-19T09:00:33","date_gmt":"2022-10-19T08:00:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stories.qvcuk.com\/?p=117650"},"modified":"2022-10-18T16:57:50","modified_gmt":"2022-10-18T15:57:50","slug":"henny-flynn-mindset-and-mood","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stories.qvcuk.com\/menopause-your-way\/guest-author\/henny-flynn-mindset-and-mood\/","title":{"rendered":"Henny Flynn on menopause, mindset and mood"},"content":{"rendered":"

Many women talk of how confusing it feels when they begin to experience menopause. And while we may know about many of the physical symptoms, we\u2019re often unprepared for the changes it can bring to our mindset, emotions and mood.<\/p>\n

When things feel overwhelming, remembering we\u2019re not the only one going through it can be a really useful part of what helps us manage what we\u2019re experiencing. Research shows that over 50% of women experience symptoms like brain fog, word loss, increased anxiety and loss of confidence during menopause. These can all affect the way we feel – and that affects our mood and our mindset.<\/p>\n

Alongside this sense of connection with others, it\u2019s useful to know there are some practical things we can do to support ourselves too. They range from tools that help us feel calmer in the moment, to ones that help us change the way we think.<\/p>\n

I think of these tools as ‘practical compassion’.<\/p>\n

What does ‘mindset’ actually mean?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Before we dive into looking at these tools, it might be useful to quickly explore what we mean by \u2018mindset\u2019. When I first heard the term, I didn\u2019t have a clue what people were talking about. And I had even less of a clue about what I could do about it!<\/p>\n

The best definition I\u2019ve since found is this:<\/p>\n

Your mindset is a set of beliefs that shape how you make sense of the world and yourself. It influences how you think, feel, and behave in any given situation.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

So when our mindset is more positive, the way we look at the world is more positive. And the opposite is true if we have a more negative mindset.<\/p>\n

We used to believe that people\u2019s mindset was broadly fixed – but neuroscience now shows us how elastic our brains are and that we CAN change our mindset to better support ourselves. This is particularly useful when things are feeling hard to manage and we\u2019re caught in a negative spiral.<\/p>\n\"\"\n

In short, our mindset directly helps us manage our mood.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s important though that we don\u2019t adopt a stiff-upper-lip, pretending everything is ok. Rather, we\u2019re looking to be more compassionate with ourselves, acknowledging that sometimes it feels hard and reminding ourselves there are ways through.<\/p>\n

The role hormones play<\/strong><\/p>\n

So, how do our hormones affect our brain?<\/p>\n

We often think about our sex hormones – progesterone and oestrogen particularly – as being centred in our reproductive system. But, of course, they travel throughout our body. And oestrogen (amongst many other hormones) is also recognised as being important for our brain function.<\/p>\n

Cortisol, the hormone we commonly associate with stress, actually shares the same pathway through our bodies as oestrogen and progesterone. So when we\u2019re stressed we\u2019re also inadvertently inhibiting the benefits of those hormones. And during menopause, of course, our production of them fluctuates – so the more we can do to reduce excess cortisol\u2026 the more we benefit from the oestrogen and progesterone we are producing.<\/p>\n

The important thing is that we need cortisol – we need all the hormones we naturally produce! They all have a valuable job to do. But over-production of hormones like cortisol and adrenaline isn\u2019t great for our system.<\/p>\n

Excess cortisol also leads to insulin resistance, which can lead to weight gain. Another common symptom of menopause, it can add to feelings of anxiety or loss of confidence, which can in turn affect our mood.<\/p>\n

So we can see this potential downward spiral of cause and effect. What we need to do is change direction – to lift our mood and change our mindset!<\/p>\n

Three acts of practical compassion<\/strong><\/p>\n

1) Did you know that putting your hand on your heart for just a few minutes begins to release oxytocin, the care-giving hormone?<\/p>\n

When we release oxytocin it helps balance out the cortisol and adrenaline that can get activated by feelings of stress or anxiety. You\u2019re basically telling your brain that you\u2019re ok and that it doesn\u2019t need to be so alert.<\/p>\n

I spend a LOT of time with my hand on my heart! You can do it anywhere at work or home:<\/p>\n