Navigating the Abyss: Finding Nourishment in Menopausal Transitions

Last week, I shared with my community the profound impact of mood swings during menopause, perimenopause, and post-menopause. It's not just a fleeting feeling but can feel like a slingshot into the abyss, leading to a shutdown mode devoid of vitality. I struggled during this period and was unprepared for its challenges. However, the support and shared experiences from other women made me realize that we don't have to navigate this journey alone.

We often overlook how menopause affects highly sensitive people, creativity, and spirituality. Personally, connecting with spirit becomes difficult during these times of shutdown. This time around, I embraced the void instead of rushing out of it, viewing it as a seed planted deep in the dark. It’s a place of preservation and detachment, much like shutting out the summer sun to find a cooler, more settled room.

My therapist’s question, "What will feel nourishing right now?" has become a mantra. Nourishment can take many forms, whether it's binge-watching Netflix, drinking more water, or simply being a good friend to yourself. I created a playlist to accompany you during these moments, designed to sit with you rather than solve the problem.

I'm also working on a PDF with resources that have been incredibly helpful during this transition.

You can listen to the playlist NOURISHING in SHUT DOWN on Spotify. Meanwhile, I invite you to connect with others, even if you feel like isolating yourself. Many of us are on this journey, finding our new becoming. This is an individual journey, but we can do it together.

 

Sending you all my love. Until next time. Thank you.

 

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Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Last week, I shared with my community how I hate when I read mood swings as
a kind of side effect or symptom of the menopause, perimenopause,
postmenopause, as if it was like Ben and Jerry's flavor.

(00:20):
I don't think we talk enough about how deep and profound this can get.
And it doesn't feel like a mood swing.
It's more like a slingshot into the abyss and you find yourself into this shutdown
mode without vitality and how I struggled during this period.

(00:46):
Period, and I didn't really anticipate how difficult this and challenging this was going to be.
And I received a lot of responses and real connection into these experiences and shared resources.
And I realized that, first of all, obviously, I don't have to do this alone.

(01:10):
You don't have to do this alone.
And how wonderful women are in sharing and supporting each other.
We are really there for each other.
I also don't think we talk enough about how this affects highly sensitive people

(01:31):
and how this affects creativity and connection to spirituality.
I wonder what your experience is being a menopausal or perimenopausal woman and your relationship.
How does your relationship change with spirituality?

(01:53):
For instance, for me, it turns out to be very difficult to connect with spirit when I'm in shutdown.
And it feels as though the tools that I have and that work in other occasions
don't seem to really be working anymore.
What I learned this time in being in the void or in shutdown is that this time

(02:20):
around I did not try to rush out of it.
It feels like a seed has been planted deep in the dark.
This time, I don't feel the void as an oppressive place, but rather a place
not limited by boundaries.
A bit like when you are in like a hot summer afternoon and you want to leave

(02:42):
the arrogant sun out of the window and you need to cool down your environment.
And therefore, you kind of shut
the blinds and, you know, shut all the stimulation and noise light out.
And you're in this cooler room that feels a little bit more settled, even though it's dark.

(03:07):
One of the gifts of shutting down is that, is to detach, is to disconnect and preserve yourself.
My therapist asked a question not long ago that I have adopted as a mantra during this period.
And the question is, what will feel nourishing right now?

(03:29):
Not so much of what will feel good, but nourishing.
Because nourishing can look and feel very different.
Sometimes nourishing could look like binge watching Netflix or not listening
to music or drink a little bit more water, even though I never drink enough water.

(03:55):
So I'm not going to profess that. Do you know what I mean?
So what if you could be a good friend to yourself during this transition and
ask yourself what would feel nourishing?
And allow yourself not to rush out of the shutdown.

(04:15):
I also have a playlist that I created with the aim of sitting with it rather
than trying to get out of it.
A bit like when you have a young child who is sad or is having a tantrum and
you want to be with them rather than solve a problem for them.

(04:38):
And, you know, the playlist has that aim.
It's been designed to sit with you whilst you are in that place.
And I'm working on a little PDF with some of the resources that have been incredibly
helpful when you use them together during this period of transition.

(05:03):
So that's coming up soon. But in the meantime, I want to leave you with the
idea, the feeling and the invitation to really connect.
Even when you feel like isolating yourself, which is totally fine, do that too.

(05:25):
But do not lose yourself in isolation.
Rather, connect from that place.
Because like you, many, many,
many, many of us are struggling and trying to find a way and the form and the

(05:46):
shape of our new becoming.
And this is something that although it's an individual journey,
we can totally do it together.
I'm sending you all my love. Until next time. Thank you.