November 5, 2024 • 10 mins
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2. Click here to get the free guide: 5 Natural Ways To Reduce Menopause Symptoms.
2. For more information about Lynda and how she supports women on their health journey, click here to learn more.
3. Interested in seeing if nutrition coaching with Lynda is right for you? Click here to book a free discovery call with Lynda.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:01):
Welcome to Joyful Menopause,where we are diving deep into
the real issues that affectwomen in their prime.
And today, we're tacklingsomething that's powerful but
often invisible, perfectionism.
And something you maybe haven'tconsidered, how perfectionism
might be making your menopausalsymptoms worse.
I'm your host, Lynda Enright, afunctional nutritionist with 25
(00:24):
years of experience helpingwomen manage their health in a
way that is sustainable and mostimportantly, not driven by
perfection.
Perfectionism may have been theinvisible force driving you to
excel in your career and caringfor family and even in the
expectations you set foryourself.
But what if this very drive forperfection is doing more harm
(00:46):
than good, especially as wenavigate the complexities of
life during perimenopause andmenopause?
In this episode, we will explorewhy perfectionism might be
stealing more peace than itbrings, how it affects your
health, how it might beintensifying stress and even
magnifying menopause symptoms.
Maybe you wouldn't consideryourself a perfectionist per se,
(01:08):
but if you've ever felt the needto be perfect in any aspect of
your life and health habits,your diet, exercise, or routines
to feel better, this episode isfor you.
And stay until the end, I'lltell you about my client
Carolyn, who finally startedlosing weight when she followed
the tips we'll be talking abouttoday.
So let's get started.
(01:44):
I want to start today with somequestions for you.
Why do you want to be healthy?
And what does healthy mean toyou?
What are your health goals?
And what do you want your healthfor?
So take a moment to think aboutthat.
Often we focus on being healthybecause we want to feel good,
have energy, be present in ourlives.
But somewhere along the way,especially as we get older and
(02:06):
face new challenges likeperimenopause or menopause, that
desire can shift into somethinga bit more rigid.
Many of us begin to feel that ifwe don't do everything
perfectly, if we don't eatright, exercise enough, or stick
to our routines exactly, we'llnever feel the way we used to.
That pressure to do it all rightcan become overwhelming, and
(02:28):
that's where perfectionismcreeps in.
It can tell us that if we're notdoing everything perfectly,
we're failing.
But here's the catch.
Perfectionism is not the key tohealth.
In fact, it can make thingsworse.
There is, maybe not a surpriseto you, a connection between
perfectionism and stress.
What happens when you try to beperfect?
It can increase your levels ofstress because honestly,
(02:50):
perfection is rarely attainable.
And stress is a huge factor whenit comes to menopause symptoms.
When you push yourself to meetunrealistic expectations, you
are adding unnecessary stress toan already challenging time.
During menopause, your body ischanging in significant ways.
Hormonal shifts, likefluctuations in estrogen, can
(03:12):
make you more susceptible tostress, and that stress can
amplify symptoms like hotflashes, sleep disturbances,
mood swings, and fatigue.
The more stressed you feel, themore intense these symptoms can
become.
Think about it.
If you're already frustrated bythe symptoms you're
experiencing, maybe it'sinsomnia, brain fog, or weight
gain, and you believe that theonly solution is to be perfect,
(03:34):
it creates a vicious cycle.
You try harder, but the symptomspersist, or they get even worse,
leading to more frustration andstress.
The cycle continues, making youfeel like you're failing, even
when you are actually doing yourbest.
So I have another question foryou.
What are your symptoms gettingin the way of?
Are they preventing you fromliving the life you want?
(03:56):
Perhaps your brain fog is makingit harder to focus at work or
your sleep issues are keepingyou from being present with your
family.
These are real challenges, butperfectionism doesn't solve
them.
What you need to recognize isthat the desire to be perfect is
often fueled by frustration.
This frustration of not feelinglike you used to, and it's
(04:16):
completely normal, of course, tofeel this way.
But the truth is.
Trying to be perfect only addsto the frustration.
It prevents you from givingyourself grace and accepting
that your body is changing, thatyou are changing.
Here's the good news.
You don't need to be perfect tofeel better.
In fact, letting go ofperfectionism can be one of the
(04:36):
most powerful things you do foryour health.
So start by shifting your focusfrom perfection to progress.
Instead of striving for aperfect diet or an exercise
routine, aim for consistency.
Find what works for you and yourbody right now.
Some days you might have theenergy for a full workout, while
other days a simple walk is justgreat.
(04:57):
And that's totally okay.
It's also important toprioritize self compassion.
Understand that you are doingyour best and that is enough.
Your body needs time and careduring this transition.
Rather than punishing yourselffor not meeting an impossible
standard, reward yourself forthe small steps that you take
(05:19):
each day.
Every health choice, no matterhow small, counts.
What we are talking about todayis eliminating perfectionism to
reduce your menopause symptoms.
So let's talk about solutions.
I have practical tips to helpyou let go of perfectionism.
Shift away from all or nothingthinking.
Perfectionism might make youfeel like if you can't do
(05:42):
something perfectly, it's notworth doing it at all.
What might be better is to patyourself on the back for all the
good things you do for yourhealth.
Maybe you don't have time for anhour long workout, but can you
do 15 minutes?
That's still progress, and itall adds up.
Focus on what you can do, ratherthan what you didn't do.
Practice self compassion.
(06:04):
Be kind to yourself, especiallyon tough days.
Instead of criticizing yourselffor not being perfect, offer
yourself the same empathy youwould give a friend.
Remind yourself that you'renavigating a major life
transition, and I expect alsoprobably juggling a lot of balls
at the same time, and it's okayto not have it all figured out.
(06:25):
Set realistic, flexible goals.
Perfectionism tends to come withrigid, often unrealistic goals,
instead set smaller, achievablegoals that fit your current
lifestyle.
For example, if you're aiming toeat healthier, try adding one or
two more vegetables into yourmeals each day, rather than
overhauling your entire diet atonce.
(06:46):
Thinking in extremes neverworks.
Change generally works a lotbetter when you take one step at
a time.
Recognize your wins, whetherthey're big or small.
Keep track of what youaccomplish in a day, no matter
how minor that may seem.
Celebrate the fact that you tooka walk, prepared a healthy meal,
or simply took time to rest.
(07:08):
Recognizing these wins helpsshift your focus away from what
you think you didn't doperfectly.
This may be the most importantone.
Embrace rest as part of yourroutine.
Perfectionism often makes usfeel guilty for resting, but
rest is essential, especiallyduring menopause.
Allow yourself time to rechargewithout feeling like you're
(07:29):
wasting time.
Resting is productive because ithelps you restore energy, reduce
stress, which in turn helps easeyour symptoms.
So here's the takeaway.
Perfectionism is not your pathto feeling better.
In fact, it might be one of thereasons your menopause symptoms
feel so overwhelming.
By letting go of the pressure todo everything perfectly and
(07:50):
embracing progress overperfection, you'll reduce stress
and you might even notice thatyou start feeling better.
So let's go back to where westarted.
What do you want for yourhealth?
What would not having menopausesymptoms allow you to do in your
life?
I recommend you start withchoosing one strategy today that
you can work on.
I find really the best wayalways to make changes towards
(08:12):
better health is one small stepat a time.
And to help you do just that,you can grab my free guide.
Five Natural Ways to ReduceMenopause Symptoms.
In it, you'll find lots ofspecific things you can start
with to create your best healthduring perimenopause and for
many decades to come.
And with that, I recommend youtake one small thing and just
pay attention to that.
You can't tackle all of it atonce, but each small change adds
(08:36):
up to big improvements in yourhealth.
Let me say that again because Ithink it's so important.
Each small change adds up to bigimprovements in your health.
So to get that guide, go to theshow notes below and click on
the link for the free guide.
My client Carolyn started withjust one component of the second
step and she started gettingresults immediately.
(08:56):
On that note, as promised, Iwant to finish up by telling you
a story about Carolyn.
Carolyn came to me with lots ofsymptoms.
She couldn't lose weight inspite of lots of effort.
She was exhausted all the time.
She had regular headaches andher digestion was a mess.
She worked full time in astressful job.
She had lots of demands at homeand she was in perimenopause.
(09:17):
Caroline was counting everycalorie, paying attention to her
macros, and she was exercisingtwice a day.
She had a hard workout in themorning, and then she would go
for a walk after work.
No wonder she was exhausted.
She was working so hard to doeverything right, to be the
perfect mom and employee, to getback into the clothes that she
felt good in, limiting her foodand exercise a lot to try to do
(09:39):
all that.
But it wasn't working.
She felt worse than ever.
The first thing I had Carolyn dowas cut back her exercise to one
time a day and on some days tomake it gentle exercise like
yoga.
Then I had her start eating moreand creating an anti
inflammatory, highly nourishingdiet.
We talked also about her worklife balance and found ways to
(10:00):
ask for help and not let thestress of the workday ruin her
evening.
She honestly couldn't believeit, but finally, when she
stopped trying so hard to do itall perfectly, She started
losing weight.
She was sleeping better atnight.
She was enjoying her work andher family more and her
digestion was back to normal.
Remember, your health is notabout achieving a perfect
(10:22):
version of yourself.
It's about being kind to yourbody and giving yourself the
grace to navigate this new phaseof life with flexibility and
self love.
Thank you for joining me todayon Joyful Menopause.
If you found this episodehelpful, be sure to subscribe
and stay tuned for more insightson thriving during menopause.
Until next time, take care ofyourself and remember progress,
(10:45):
not perfection.
Welcome to Joyful Menopause,where we are diving deep into
the real issues that affectwomen in their prime.
And today, we're tacklingsomething that's powerful but
often invisible, perfectionism.
And something you maybe haven'tconsidered, how perfectionism
might be making your menopausalsymptoms worse.
I'm your host, Lynda Enright, afunctional nutritionist with 25
(00:24):
years of experience helpingwomen manage their health in a
way that is sustainable and mostimportantly, not driven by
perfection.
Perfectionism may have been theinvisible force driving you to
excel in your career and caringfor family and even in the
expectations you set foryourself.
But what if this very drive forperfection is doing more harm
(00:46):
than good, especially as wenavigate the complexities of
life during perimenopause andmenopause?
In this episode, we will explorewhy perfectionism might be
stealing more peace than itbrings, how it affects your
health, how it might beintensifying stress and even
magnifying menopause symptoms.
Maybe you wouldn't consideryourself a perfectionist per se,
(01:08):
but if you've ever felt the needto be perfect in any aspect of
your life and health habits,your diet, exercise, or routines
to feel better, this episode isfor you.
And stay until the end, I'lltell you about my client
Carolyn, who finally startedlosing weight when she followed
the tips we'll be talking abouttoday.
So let's get started.
(01:44):
I want to start today with somequestions for you.
Why do you want to be healthy?
And what does healthy mean toyou?
What are your health goals?
And what do you want your healthfor?
So take a moment to think aboutthat.
Often we focus on being healthybecause we want to feel good,
have energy, be present in ourlives.
But somewhere along the way,especially as we get older and
(02:06):
face new challenges likeperimenopause or menopause, that
desire can shift into somethinga bit more rigid.
Many of us begin to feel that ifwe don't do everything
perfectly, if we don't eatright, exercise enough, or stick
to our routines exactly, we'llnever feel the way we used to.
That pressure to do it all rightcan become overwhelming, and
(02:28):
that's where perfectionismcreeps in.
It can tell us that if we're notdoing everything perfectly,
we're failing.
But here's the catch.
Perfectionism is not the key tohealth.
In fact, it can make thingsworse.
There is, maybe not a surpriseto you, a connection between
perfectionism and stress.
What happens when you try to beperfect?
It can increase your levels ofstress because honestly,
(02:50):
perfection is rarely attainable.
And stress is a huge factor whenit comes to menopause symptoms.
When you push yourself to meetunrealistic expectations, you
are adding unnecessary stress toan already challenging time.
During menopause, your body ischanging in significant ways.
Hormonal shifts, likefluctuations in estrogen, can
(03:12):
make you more susceptible tostress, and that stress can
amplify symptoms like hotflashes, sleep disturbances,
mood swings, and fatigue.
The more stressed you feel, themore intense these symptoms can
become.
Think about it.
If you're already frustrated bythe symptoms you're
experiencing, maybe it'sinsomnia, brain fog, or weight
gain, and you believe that theonly solution is to be perfect,
(03:34):
it creates a vicious cycle.
You try harder, but the symptomspersist, or they get even worse,
leading to more frustration andstress.
The cycle continues, making youfeel like you're failing, even
when you are actually doing yourbest.
So I have another question foryou.
What are your symptoms gettingin the way of?
Are they preventing you fromliving the life you want?
(03:56):
Perhaps your brain fog is makingit harder to focus at work or
your sleep issues are keepingyou from being present with your
family.
These are real challenges, butperfectionism doesn't solve
them.
What you need to recognize isthat the desire to be perfect is
often fueled by frustration.
This frustration of not feelinglike you used to, and it's
(04:16):
completely normal, of course, tofeel this way.
But the truth is.
Trying to be perfect only addsto the frustration.
It prevents you from givingyourself grace and accepting
that your body is changing, thatyou are changing.
Here's the good news.
You don't need to be perfect tofeel better.
In fact, letting go ofperfectionism can be one of the
(04:36):
most powerful things you do foryour health.
So start by shifting your focusfrom perfection to progress.
Instead of striving for aperfect diet or an exercise
routine, aim for consistency.
Find what works for you and yourbody right now.
Some days you might have theenergy for a full workout, while
other days a simple walk is justgreat.
(04:57):
And that's totally okay.
It's also important toprioritize self compassion.
Understand that you are doingyour best and that is enough.
Your body needs time and careduring this transition.
Rather than punishing yourselffor not meeting an impossible
standard, reward yourself forthe small steps that you take
(05:19):
each day.
Every health choice, no matterhow small, counts.
What we are talking about todayis eliminating perfectionism to
reduce your menopause symptoms.
So let's talk about solutions.
I have practical tips to helpyou let go of perfectionism.
Shift away from all or nothingthinking.
Perfectionism might make youfeel like if you can't do
(05:42):
something perfectly, it's notworth doing it at all.
What might be better is to patyourself on the back for all the
good things you do for yourhealth.
Maybe you don't have time for anhour long workout, but can you
do 15 minutes?
That's still progress, and itall adds up.
Focus on what you can do, ratherthan what you didn't do.
Practice self compassion.
(06:04):
Be kind to yourself, especiallyon tough days.
Instead of criticizing yourselffor not being perfect, offer
yourself the same empathy youwould give a friend.
Remind yourself that you'renavigating a major life
transition, and I expect alsoprobably juggling a lot of balls
at the same time, and it's okayto not have it all figured out.
(06:25):
Set realistic, flexible goals.
Perfectionism tends to come withrigid, often unrealistic goals,
instead set smaller, achievablegoals that fit your current
lifestyle.
For example, if you're aiming toeat healthier, try adding one or
two more vegetables into yourmeals each day, rather than
overhauling your entire diet atonce.
(06:46):
Thinking in extremes neverworks.
Change generally works a lotbetter when you take one step at
a time.
Recognize your wins, whetherthey're big or small.
Keep track of what youaccomplish in a day, no matter
how minor that may seem.
Celebrate the fact that you tooka walk, prepared a healthy meal,
or simply took time to rest.
(07:08):
Recognizing these wins helpsshift your focus away from what
you think you didn't doperfectly.
This may be the most importantone.
Embrace rest as part of yourroutine.
Perfectionism often makes usfeel guilty for resting, but
rest is essential, especiallyduring menopause.
Allow yourself time to rechargewithout feeling like you're
(07:29):
wasting time.
Resting is productive because ithelps you restore energy, reduce
stress, which in turn helps easeyour symptoms.
So here's the takeaway.
Perfectionism is not your pathto feeling better.
In fact, it might be one of thereasons your menopause symptoms
feel so overwhelming.
By letting go of the pressure todo everything perfectly and
(07:50):
embracing progress overperfection, you'll reduce stress
and you might even notice thatyou start feeling better.
So let's go back to where westarted.
What do you want for yourhealth?
What would not having menopausesymptoms allow you to do in your
life?
I recommend you start withchoosing one strategy today that
you can work on.
I find really the best wayalways to make changes towards
(08:12):
better health is one small stepat a time.
And to help you do just that,you can grab my free guide.
Five Natural Ways to ReduceMenopause Symptoms.
In it, you'll find lots ofspecific things you can start
with to create your best healthduring perimenopause and for
many decades to come.
And with that, I recommend youtake one small thing and just
pay attention to that.
You can't tackle all of it atonce, but each small change adds
(08:36):
up to big improvements in yourhealth.
Let me say that again because Ithink it's so important.
Each small change adds up to bigimprovements in your health.
So to get that guide, go to theshow notes below and click on
the link for the free guide.
My client Carolyn started withjust one component of the second
step and she started gettingresults immediately.
(08:56):
On that note, as promised, Iwant to finish up by telling you
a story about Carolyn.
Carolyn came to me with lots ofsymptoms.
She couldn't lose weight inspite of lots of effort.
She was exhausted all the time.
She had regular headaches andher digestion was a mess.
She worked full time in astressful job.
She had lots of demands at homeand she was in perimenopause.
(09:17):
Caroline was counting everycalorie, paying attention to her
macros, and she was exercisingtwice a day.
She had a hard workout in themorning, and then she would go
for a walk after work.
No wonder she was exhausted.
She was working so hard to doeverything right, to be the
perfect mom and employee, to getback into the clothes that she
felt good in, limiting her foodand exercise a lot to try to do
(09:39):
all that.
But it wasn't working.
She felt worse than ever.
The first thing I had Carolyn dowas cut back her exercise to one
time a day and on some days tomake it gentle exercise like
yoga.
Then I had her start eating moreand creating an anti
inflammatory, highly nourishingdiet.
We talked also about her worklife balance and found ways to
(10:00):
ask for help and not let thestress of the workday ruin her
evening.
She honestly couldn't believeit, but finally, when she
stopped trying so hard to do itall perfectly, She started
losing weight.
She was sleeping better atnight.
She was enjoying her work andher family more and her
digestion was back to normal.
Remember, your health is notabout achieving a perfect
(10:22):
version of yourself.
It's about being kind to yourbody and giving yourself the
grace to navigate this new phaseof life with flexibility and
self love.
Thank you for joining me todayon Joyful Menopause.
If you found this episodehelpful, be sure to subscribe
and stay tuned for more insightson thriving during menopause.
Until next time, take care ofyourself and remember progress,
(10:45):
not perfection.
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