Are you taking care of yourself during the menopause journey? If there’s ever a time in life when you need self-care, it’s now! And it starts with managing stress. While it may seem inevitable in life, stress is a destructive force with potentially devastating consequences. Stress during the menopause journey can affect your symptoms and add to risks for certain health conditions. Try these menopause self-care ideas to relax, cope, de-stress, and improve menopause symptoms. They’re all non-hormonal ways to change your mindset about stress.
What You Need To Know: Self-Care for the Menopause Journey
Self-care is a critical way to nourish your body, mind, and soul. During the menopause journey, a self-care routine that incorporates stress management techniques is critical to improving your quality of life, menopausal symptoms, and your overall short and long-term health. While self-care (proactive) and stress management (reactive) are different concepts, the tools are often similar during the menopause journey.
These self-care ideas are typically free, hormone-free, and easy to do at home. Science backs up their benefits. They can include exercise, healthy foods, gratitude, mindfulness, identifying triggers, laughter, empowerment, instant stress busters, taking time to do "nothing," music, guided imagery, letting go, and talking to your healthcare practitioner.

What is self-care?
Self-care includes all the ways you take steps to support your mind, body, and spirit.
It encompasses activities that improve your health and well-being, social connections, and resiliency so that when a stressful situation arises, you can handle it and help mitigate the many negative consequences of chronic stress.
Self-care vs stress management
Self-care is proactive, whereas stress management is more reactive. With self-care, you’re nourishing the mind, body, and soul regardless of stress.
It’s important to consider that self-care shouldn’t be viewed as a last resort you activate only when you’re stressed or things feel like they are unraveling. It should be part of a regular routine to which you are committed and which you prioritize, even if you have to put it on your calendar as a reminder.
While distinct concepts, during the menopause journey, the many self-care strategies and stress management techniques are often similar because of the way stress impacts your body and menopause symptoms.
Managing the stress of menopause
Even those of us who think we thrive on stress are internally harming our bodies when stress is a normal state of affairs and is unrelenting. There’s no escaping it, even if you function well.
Stress was declared America’s #1 health problem in 1983, and it’s only gotten worse.
Menopause can make stress worse because you may not know how you’re going to feel day to day. Will it be a hot flash, disruptive sleep, or brain fog that derails your day? The unpredictability of hormone fluctuations can add to your stress and make symptoms like hot flashes worse.
An analysis of data from the Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation (SWAN) showed women+ upset by a stressful event experienced 21% more vasomotor symptoms than women with no life stressors.
It’s not just hot flashes that stress can impact during the menopause journey. Stress can change, exacerbate, or increase your risk for:
- reproductive changes
- decrease your sexual desire
- worsen menopause symptoms (weight gain, sleep, gastrointestinal, hot flashes, depression, migraines, hair loss)
- osteoporosis
- dementia and Alzheimer’s
- cardiovascular disease
- hair loss
In the SWAN study, researchers said it’s unclear why the hot flashes were worse in stressed women, but it’s thought a woman’s psychological response to stress made the symptoms worse.
What’s your psychological response? Do you let stress roll off your back, or do you stew over it for a while?
Is stress management part of your self-care routine?
In the study, women+ who were “still upset” by a stressful event reported the most severe symptoms.
However, women+ who experienced the same event but were no longer upset by it did not report worse symptoms.
So, developing stress management techniques as part of your self-care routine will help you make this time in life an opportunity to make a change for the better.
For fast-acting relief, try slowing down.
~ Lily Tomlin
Menopause self-care strategies
Self-care strategies are a great way to manage and cope with stress while also improving menopause symptoms and quality of life.
So, what concrete steps can you take to live a less stressful, more harmonious life over the long haul? Here are some stress-busting coping strategies:
- Reflect on your symptoms and accept them without judgment.
- Empower yourself.
- Change your mindset.
- Identify your stress triggers and responses.
- Stop stress in its tracks.
- Let go of things.
- Practice mindfulness.
- Try guided imagery.
- Take time to do nothing.
- Create “me time.”
- Listen to music.
- Move your body.
- Focus on healthy eating habits.
- Practice good sleep hygiene.
- Practice self-compassion.
- Start a gratitude practice.
- Find support.
- Laugh – no joke!
- Connect with your healthcare practitioner.
Click on the one you’d like to start exploring, so you can begin to more effectively ease your mind of stress.
1. Reflect on your symptoms and accept them without judgment.
What menopause symptoms are bothering you? Be honest with yourself, and accept all of them, even the ones you don’t want to talk about, like painful sex, vaginal dryness, and GI upset.
Acknowledge each and every one of them. You can even use the menopause diary to track them day by day.
This exercise can help you shift your mindset about menopause and start you on a path toward self-renewal and self-care.

Menopause Diary
How are you doing today? Better than yesterday, or are you experiencing more symptoms? Make it easy to track your symptoms with the Menopause Diary.
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Even if those symptoms are affecting your relationship with your husband or spouse/partner or those night sweats disrupt your sleep, take a deep breath and accept them.
Accept them without judgment. Don’t think about their impact. Accept them for what they are – part of this natural stage of life.
Don’t judge your response to them. Accept them and move on.
2. Empower yourself.
Now that you know which menopause symptoms you experience, become knowledgeable about them. Education is empowerment during the menopause journey.
Knowing what to expect can:
- Increase your sense of control.
- Bring greater certainty to a time when things can be confusing.
- Reduce your levels of stress.
- As a result, you can potentially reduce the frequency and severity of menopausal symptoms, as well as the risk for many chronic physical and mental conditions.
Know that you have options during the journey. But understand your doctor may not be knowledgeable about all of them. Studies show many doctors do not have sufficient training in the menopause journey.
There is more than hormone therapy. For example, there is a new FDA-approved hot flash medication that’s hormone-free and others, both FDA-approved and prescribed off-label. You can also try herbal medicine, acupuncture, yoga, exercise, and dozens of other non-hormonal techniques.
Become empowered about your symptoms and options to manage them, so you can make a change for the better.
3. Change your mindset.
Now that you’ve acknowledged your symptoms without judgment and are knowledgeable about your options, you’re ready to change your mindset.
Think of this journey as a time of:
- self-awareness and self-reflection
- self-care
- renewal, or even transformation
The menopause narrative has been negative for a long time, but the tide is beginning to change. Women+ are speaking out, workplaces are slowly adding menopause-friendly policies, and women’s health solutions are becoming more available.
If you’re not in a positive place yet, consider your mindset about menopause. Is it positive or negative? Learn how to switch that mindset to one of positivity and tap into the power of a changed mindset. It’s empowering when you do, and your experience can be different and less stressful.
You can even try this mindfulness technique, known as RAIN. You can read or listen to the script, which was detailed in a pausitive health webinar.
RAIN is extremely helpful if you’re struggling with the sense of loss that menopause can bring. It can help you accept how you’re feeling without judgment.
4. Identify your triggers and stress response.
Changing your mindset means managing stress, an inevitable part of life.
Do you know what triggers your stress? Perhaps some things are obvious, but are they all?
Self-reflection can help you figure out all the reasons you feel stressed. If you spend time figuring this out, you can identify potential patterns, which will make it easier to get ahead of the triggers and eventually eliminate at least some of them as triggers in the first place.
The pausitive health mood log helps you track emotional triggers, including stress.

Get Relief From Your Emotions
Having mood swings? Track how you feel, identify your triggers, and find ways to calm the emotional firestorm with this mood log.
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Once you complete the mood log, look for patterns or trends.
Then, determine ways you can prevent or avoid certain stressors. We outline many below.
When/if you are triggered, use these stress-relieving techniques. Even if you can’t control the stressor itself, you can lessen your stress response.
5. Find a way to stop stress in its tracks
How do you stop the downward spiral when you get stressed and overwhelmed?
Some common “emergency” stress-stoppers you can activate in the moment include slowly counting to 10, going for a walk, or tapping.
Determine for yourself how you can stop stress in its tracks.
One strategy may be to walk away from the stressful task and return to it the next day when you are in a better mindset and prioritize what’s on your plate in a way that brings less distress.
Another is to schedule your workday in a way that reduces self-imposed distractions, e.g. turn off email and phone alerts, so you odn’t get off-task and stressed.
It may also be as simple as breathing! When you’re stressed, take slow, deep breaths in and then out. Concentrating on your breathing can help you refocus your mind and manage your emotional response to a situation.
Knowing these techniques can stop stress in its tracks or reduce the likelihood of a response to a situation that causes further stress.

6. Letting go of stress.
“Let it go!” We all know the famous Frozen song lyrics, and sometimes you just have to let whatever is bothering you go. As hard as that may be in some situations.
Stress builds when you feel you don’t have control over a situation. So, if you let go when you don’t have control, you can release some of that stress or tension.
Remember that study on stress and menopause? The women who were still upset by a stressful event experienced worse menopause symptoms.
Create an “internal locus” or sense of control. Recognize you do have control over your response to a stressful event, even if you can’t control your exposure to a trigger.
By believing you can control your response, you’ll become more resilient and feel less impact from these events.
Don’t stress over hot flashes
So, rule number one in the Be Less Stressed guidebook is – DO NOT stress about stress.
Observe it without judgment.
Let’s face it, hot flashes can be stressful and paralyzing, especially if you’re sitting in a meeting with co-workers when your body temperature suddenly increases and your face becomes flushed or sweat begins to run.
It may sound simplistic to say – let go of stress. Especially when you’re dealing with bothersome menopause symptoms repeatedly throughout the day.
There’s no doubt it’s difficult to manage multiple hot flashes a day or weeks upon weeks of sleepless nights.
But, observe each hot flash or middle of the night awakening without judgment.
Do not add more stress to the situation.
Learn to accept the hot flashes. Find coping mechanisms, like paced breathing or reframe your thoughts with a cognitive brain therapy approach, to help manage your reaction during a hot flash.
Don’t worry about what other people think. Accept it for what it is.
That switch in mindset can reduce stress. In a way, you’re rewiring your brain and creating pathways to manage situations so they no longer overwhelm you.
Surviving a sleepless night
The same holds true for a sleepless night. How often do you wake up in the middle of the night worrying about things you have to do or didn’t get to the day before?
Relax your mind before bed, and let go of the worries of the day with a guided meditation.
That way, you clear your mind before bed, so you’re less likely to be jolted awake at 3 am.
Hormones may still jolt you awake.
When that happens, utilize sleep techniques to manage to fall back asleep and stop worrying about the implications of not sleeping.
Letting your mind wander and worrying about falling back asleep will be counterproductive. When you start worrying about everything you have to accomplish the next day and how difficult it is because you can’t fall back asleep, you’re going to make the situation worse.
You can let go of your worries when you have a sleep hygiene routine during the day and before bed that utilizes techniques that can put you back to sleep.
You can put your worries in a mental box and decide in the morning if you really want to unleash Pandora.
7. Practice mindfulness
Mindfulness is another way to stop stress in its tracks and let go of what bothers you. You can do it in just a few minutes.
Since it’s an ongoing life practice and perfect is not the goal, just jump right in and get started so you have one more way to manage stress and deploy it when you need it most.
Mindfulness is a non-judgmental way of bringing your attention to the present moment. You spend time enjoying now and let your worries drift away.
Doing this has been shown to help menopausal women+:
- reduce cortisol levels (stress hormone)
- decrease hot flashes
- improve symptoms of depression and anxiety
You can start a mindfulness practice with a simple breathing meditation. Just a few minutes can help lower your blood pressure and heart rate and can bring a sense of calm so your internal engine doesn’t rev so high, hard, and at full speed.
You can also explore the power of mindfulness and how to be more mindful in daily life in our pausitive health mindfulness for menopause article.
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)
In addition to mindfulness itself, there’s a specific practice to reduce stress called Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR).
It was first developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn, MD. MBSR can include practices like:
- yoga
- body scans
- mindfulness meditation
- breathing exercises
These techniques help you become aware of stress and find pathways to reduce it.
When Chinese peri and post-menopausal women used this clinical program, they learned how to recognize thoughts, feelings, and sensations and respond to them in a non-reactive way.
They observed, recognized, and accepted them without judgment.
They focused on openness, acceptance, and self-compassion.
They achieved this through sitting and walking meditation, yoga, and body scans.
MBSR sessions led to a reduction in depression and anxiety.

8. Guided imagery
If you’re struggling with stressful symptoms, guided imagery can help you change your mindset.
Guided imagery is a technique that directs and focuses your imagination in positive ways. It involves guided meditation and self-hypnosis.
Guided imagery is so powerful that athletes and cancer patients use it to overcome obstacles. It’s a great stress-relief technique as well.
During guided imagery, you focus and direct your imagination. For example, a gymnast might imagine what it feels like when she lands a dismount perfectly. You invoke all the senses with this technique – more than just envisioning the performance.
Jane Ehrman, M.Ed., of Images of Wellness and a former Mind/Body Coach on staff at the Cleveland Clinic’s Center for Integrative Medicine for 8 years, describes guided imagery as purposeful daydreaming.
You use your imagination while engaging all your senses.
If you’re having a hot flash, imagine yourself in a cool place.
If you’re stressed, imagine you’re on a beach. What do you see and hear? Your relaxation response has positive impacts on your health and can relieve pain, improve sleep, reduce stress, and support the immune system.
Watch this 4-part guided imagery pausitive health webinar series with Ehrman.
For a series of guided imagery meditations, Ehrman offers monthly subscriptions to Minute Meditations. None of them are that lengthy, making it easy to find that moment of zen in your busy life.
9. Take time to do “nothing”
Though we often complain about being too busy, it seems human nature these days tends to revel in non-stop activity. It’s almost as if we take on packed schedules, no vacations, and constant technology connection as a badge of honor. We never stop running the race.
Doing “nothing” is actively doing something. It’s:
- decompression
- reflection
- recharging
- mental decluttering
Ironically, many of us face more challenges with slowing down than we do with trying to multi-task and burn the candles at both ends, even though it does not feel right.
Researchers at the University of Virginia and Harvard found that people aren’t happy when they’re alone with nothing to do; they’d rather be busy.
In these studies, the participants did nothing for 6-15 minutes. That’s not a long time; yet, they still struggled.
Interestingly, psychologist Timothy Wilson doesn’t blame technology. He thinks smartphones are a response to our need to always have something to do. We just think they’re to blame, but not being able to do anything is an inherent problem in all of us.
While it’s difficult to do nothing, it’s a proven way to:
- help ease your mind
- be more productive
- increase happiness
Much like sleep recharges you, the simple step of doing “nothing” may seem small but will do your brain a world of good.
How to do nothing
So, do nothing! Yes, do it every single day. Even if it’s just five minutes.
Over time, increase the number of times per day or the amount of time in a single session you give yourself to clear your mind and relax your body.
Find time each year to take a technology vacation. If you unplug for a few hours a day or even just one day a week, you’ll feel refreshed.
You have to disconnect to reconnect with yourself. Bask in the quiet, and self-reflect.
10. Create “me time.”
When was the last time you put yourself first and genuinely focused on “me time?” It’s an essential part of menopause self-care.
During “me time,” you can do nothing or something small, but make it be simple and something you truly enjoy.
Here’s how to establish “me time:”
Schedule this time each day or week, whatever fits into your schedule.
This is as important as a doctor’s appointment or work meeting that you would schedule. You don’t have to go to do anything.
Keep it simple.
“Me time” can be as simple as:
- relaxing outside
- reading a book
- making yourself a cup of tea
- listening to music
- doing nothing
- practicing mindfulness
- taking a bath
Make this time a priority. Even just 15 minutes a day can make a huge difference in your mindset about life, the menopause journey, and your symptoms and health.
Choose “me time” activities that fill your cup.
What do you love to do? That may be harder to answer than you think, especially if part of your journey is trying to find yourself while so many things in life may be changing. During “me time,” indulge in activities you love. Think about what brings you joy and peace. For some, it’ll be something calming, while others will find comfort in a run or other aerobic activity. Do what fills your cup with happiness.
Try to make these activities device-free, allowing you to reconnect with yourself on a deeper level.
Create a ritual.
Sometimes, it can be hard to disconnect your mind and body from the chaos and stress of daily life. When you create a ritual during your scheduled “me time,” it helps your mind and body transition into Zen healing mode. You also have something to look forward to during “me time.”
Again, keep it simple. “Me time” doesn’t have to be elaborate.

11. Listen to music.
There’s power in listening to music, whether it’s while you exercise, do chores around the house, or to de-stress.
Music therapy is scientifically proven to change how a person feels, including reducing stress.
Think about it – do you turn on certain songs when you’re going for a run for an added motivational boost? Do you play other songs when you’re sad?
Music therapy is increasingly used in healthcare settings delivered by trained music therapists to improve both physical and mental health, including stress reduction.
When you listen to music, it can affect your mind and body:
- reduce cortisol levels
- lower your heart rate
- decrease blood pressure
- reduce negative emotions and feelings
- increase positive emotions
While music therapy sessions are more involved than just listening to music at home, the DIY approach can also make a significant difference in how you feel.
Depending on the songs you listen to, the impact on you may be different than it is for someone else. Overall, music can help you cope with stress and menopausal symptoms like lack of sleep or a hot flash.
It can transport your mind to another place, helping you make a change for the better.
12. Move your body.
While doing nothing is important for menopause self-care, moving is also just as important. Exercise can improve menopause symptoms, reduce risks for conditions like osteoporosis, and improve your overall mood.
When you’re stressed, it’s easy to drag your feet to start or lose sight of your physical activity routine.
Studies prove this. In a review of 168 studies on stress and exercise, almost 73% found higher stress is associated with less exercise.
While moving your body is another demand on your time, exercise provides benefits quickly. It reduces the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline, which, over time can have a damaging effect if levels chronically run high. It also triggers your body to release endorphins, which naturally lift your spirits and de-stress you.
Also, physical activity is a distraction from the overwhelm that likely stresses you. It allows you to remove your brain from work, emails, and parental duties. Exercise forces you to “stop” thinking about your To-Do list and focus on something else.
In a study of women before, during, and after menopause, published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, physically active women reported less stress than inactive women. After menopause, those who were active also reported less anxiety and depression, which can show up for the first time in some people during perimenopause.
It’s never too late to get physically active. In this study, everything counted as an activity. So, start small and work your way up to an aerobic workout. Every little bit counts!
Types of exercises for menopause
Exercise doesn’t always have to be high-intensity, and you don’t have to focus a long time on it. Many 30-minute workouts are effective. Focus on ones that have women’s needs in mind, including ones focused on osteoporosis prevention.
Exercises to manage stress
Even something as simple as walking can help de-stress you. Being out in nature, listening to music, and taking your mind off your life stressors can ease your mind.
When exercising and eating healthy, you’ll likely see other benefits, like weight loss and increased strength. These, in turn, add more confidence and once again serve as stress relief. When you feel better, you feel less stressed.
Let’s explore some lesser known but effective mind-body exercises.
Tai Chi
Tai Chi is an ancient Chinese tradition that focuses your mind and breathing through slow and low-impact body movements. It’s perfect for every age and ability, especially older adults or anyone recovering from an injury. Again, the goal is to focus on the present and clear your mind of all your worries.
The exercise can decrease stress and pain while improving mood, balance, and flexibility.
Yoga Nidra
There are many forms of yoga. No matter which one you choose, there are many benefits, especially for stress relief.
Most people are familiar with traditional yoga, which involves different body positions.
You practice yoga nidra lying down. It translates to “yogic sleep,” but there’s no sleeping and no poses! It’s a form of guided yoga using a specific protocol that transforms your body and mind through heightened awareness.
It involves elements of guided imagery, mental body scans to identify areas of tension and discomfort, and rhythmic breathing.
In a yoga nidra state, you relax your senses, body, breath, and conscious and unconscious mind.
When you reach a level of deep relaxation, your body benefits. It relieves stress, improves sleep, helps you reframe negative thoughts, and enables you to hit the reset button, so you experience more calm and ease in your life.
How to practice yoga nidra
So, how do you get started with yoga nidra?
Richard Miller is a leader in the teachings of yoga nidra and identifies 10 steps to practicing this ancient therapy. The overall idea is to work through your thoughts and emotions, create positive affirmations, set a goal and focus on your breathing, so you come away with a greater sense of awareness and a healthier well-being.
You can also listen to a yoga nidra audio guide to walk you through the practice and on the path to more joy.
Be accountable
No matter which exercise you prefer, hold yourself accountable, whether with a friend, personal trainer, a fitness class, or keeping track of your activity with an app. Even if you go to a group class or follow a trainer, keep tabs on what you’re doing and how you’re progressing.
Take note of how you feel before, immediately after, and the following day. Include activities beyond the usual thoughts that come to mind with “exercise.” Examples include gardening, dancing, and taking the stairs instead of the elevator.
Many people discover they are far more sedentary than they realized but also find that, although they may not jump for joy during the time they spend being active, they do feel better afterward and experience more energy and some dissipation of stress levels.
Make exercise fun! It can be a shared activity, like a family bike ride or working out with friends.
Dancing, pickleball, boxing, or yoga, anyone?
Talk to your doctor before you begin a new workout routine to ensure you are choosing physical activities that are safe for your particular situation.

13. Focus on healthy eating habits.
When you’re stressed, what’s your relationship with food? Do you eat more or less? Do you crave foods high in salt/sugar/fat or make excuses to eat foods you normally wouldn’t?
Compared to men, women+ are more likely to have bad eating habits due to stress, which includes over- and under-eating. And succumbing to cravings for high-fat, high-sugar, high-salt, low-fiber foods. When you eat these foods, you may experience an initial sense of comfort and calm, but it is often short-lived and ends with you feeling sluggish with no energy.
- improved mood
- improved depression
- less stress
During the hormonal transition, healthy eating can also help you manage symptoms and feel better. You want to eat a rainbow of foods, avoiding those that are processed/include trans fats/high-fructose corn syrup, to get the right combination of vitamins and nutrients women+ need during the menopause journey. Try these 9 types of food on the menopause journey.
Some foods you’ll want to avoid, especially if you experience hot flashes, as certain foods can trigger hot flashes. This includes caffeine, processed foods, fatty meats, and spicy foods.
Alcohol and caffeine (and smoking) can also worsen hot flashes. So, reduce your consumption as much as possible.
Mindless eating
Keep a food diary. List what you eat and drink, the time of day, and your stress level. There are dozens of free apps that can help keep you accountable.
Most people are surprised by the quality (or lack thereof) of what they are consuming and both the quantity and frequency of their intake. The connection between stress and eating mindlessly to feel better also becomes clear.
Are you grabbing fast food because you don’t have time? Try meal planning, cooking in batches, and cutting up fruits and veggies so you have healthy options on the go.
Are you working and eating at the same time? Or checking your phone while you eat? Try to find a ten-minute break to focus only on what you’re eating. Try mindful eating. You’ll eat less and better.
Focusing on what you eat isn’t just about eating more fruits and vegetables. Some foods, like chocolate, are proven to lower your stress!
Foods contain nutrients that:
- provide energy
- relieve stress
- promote alertness
- help you bounce back faster
- calm you down
- promote the formation of healthy nerve cells
It’s not just the food you eat but everything else you put in your body, too, including cigarettes and alcohol. Smoking or alcohol may help calm you in the moment, but the longer term impacts can have a negative effect on your health. New research suggests alcohol is not safe in any amount no matter how little, and alcohol during menopause can trigger hot flashes and impact your sleep.
Be intentional and mindful of what you eat, and your body will thank you.
Need a little help? Use the pausitive health grocery list next time you go shopping.

Make A Change For The Better!
This menopause grocery list contains a combination of foods specifically selected to help you feel better today and even better in the future.
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14. Practice good sleep hygiene to get more sleep.
How many hours are you sleeping? Adults need about 7-9 hours, but for women on the menopause journey, it’s not just the number of hours you sleep but the quality of that sleep that can impact how you feel.
Most people will find they are accumulating a sleep deficit during the week, which negatively impacts the degree of concentration, focus, clarity, and patience they can apply at work and home.
They also find it more challenging to summon the energy to eat well and engage in some form of physical activity.
Not sure how well you’re sleeping? If you can’t tell by the way you feel when you wake up after sleeping well or after having sleep issues, consider waring a fitness tracker to monitor your habits. The following date, rate your energy and stress levels. Are there any trends based on how long or how well you slept?
Chronically not getting enough sleep increases your risk of weight gain, heart disease, diabetes, and hypertension.
If sleep is an issue, focus on ways to get more sleep with sleep hygiene. These are habits during the day, night, and middle of the night (if you wake then) to help you sleep better.
- Target getting no less than 7 hours and no more than 9 hours of sleep a day under normal circumstances.
- Go to bed at the same time each day.
- Make sure your bedroom is dark, quiet, and a cool temperature (in the 60s).
- Avoid electronics and screens before bedtime.
- Avoid large meals, caffeine, and alcohol before bedtime.
- Establish a ritual that signals to your body that it’s time to move into sleep mode, e.g., reading a book, doing a few yoga poses meant to aid relaxation, going through a body scan meditation.
Learn other sleep hygiene techniques to get a better night’s sleep like binaural beats and about the power of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which can help with both sleep and hot flashes.
15. Practice self-compassion.
Are you as kind and supportive of yourself as you are a friend? Practicing self-compassion during the menopause journey can be an effective way to carve out more time for yourself.
If you’re having a hard time with hot flashes, sleepless nights, or rollercoaster emotions, be kind to yourself. The menopause journey affects all of us differently. Acknowledge and accept how you are feeling and what you are experiencing in a non-judgemental way.
When you practice self-compassion, you also establish healthy boundaries. You’re establishing limits and honoring your needs and feelings.
You can jumpstart this practice with these simple steps:
- Remember, there are only so many hours in a day.
- You can’t please everybody all of the time. And it’s not your job, much less even possible to do!
- “No” is a complete sentence. Learn more about this approach.
16. Gratitude
Another way you can practice “me time” is to focus on gratitude. It doesn’t always have to be focused on you, and should extend to those around you too.
Gratitude can help change your perspective about menopause. It adds meaning to life and helps you build resiliency.
So, what is gratitude? It’s a state of mind that uses positive psychology to change the way you think and feel.
Gratitude can:
- help you sleep better
- lower stress
- improve relationships
- boost happiness
- reduce depression
- decrease anger
Why does this happen? A study on eliminating negative thoughts and promoting positive emotional states found cortisol levels decreased by 23%. They focused on caring and vigor and less on guilt, hostility, burnout, anxiety, and stress.
When practicing gratitude, expert Linda Roszak Burton says be as specific as possible. Write a list of things for which you’re grateful or things that went well in your day. If you like to write, capture them in a journal.
Write a list of people for whom you’re grateful. Don’t just remind yourself of your gratitude, take steps for a greater impact by telling them or writing a letter expressing your appreciation.
If you’re a visual person, use images to remind yourself of the things or people that you’re grateful for.
While it may seem challenging to be grateful for the menopause journey(!), you can make it happen.
You can keep your gratitude journal as simple as you’d like or create one that reflects on all your “me time” rituals.
Ready to jumpstart a gratitude practice? Get started here.
17. Find support.
Finding support throughout your menopause journey is important to maintaining a positive outlook. Leaning on just one person may not be enough, especially if you are having a lot of stress and a heavy burden of menopause symptoms.
For instance, women+ who have hot flashes at work are more likely to have intentions of quitting. This is a normal life transition. You should not feel you have to quit work because of a hot flash. Change is slowly happening. Women+ are no longer silent in the workforce, and employers are responding by helping women+ cope worldwide, but in the U.S. the momentum is not as great as in countries like the U.K.
So, having support at home and work could help you stay in the workforce longer and decrease your overall stress.
Loneliness can age you, so you definitely don’t want to walk through the menopause journey alone.
Having someone to talk to about your menopausal symptoms can also help you realize what you are experiencing is normal. That conversation can also help you find new solutions you weren’t aware of or weren’t sure were effective.
Support can create normalcy, companionship, and empowerment during this time in your life.
We invite you to join the pausitive health menopause community to find support among others on the journey.

Free Support
For Your Menopause Journey!
Only available for a limited time!
Access a one-stop menopause journey digital destination that provides personalized text messages that focus on educational topics you select and offers many other features such as a diet assessment with recommendations, solutions from collaboration partners to address menopausal aches and pains (the musculoskeletal syndrome of menopause – MSM), pelvic floor issues, virtual care, lifestyle tools, and a supportive community.
18. Laugh – no joke!
When you have a support system, you’ll also likely find yourself laughing more, which, all joking aside, can reduce stress.
It’s called “laughter therapy,” and it’s an easy, free way to reduce stress without medication. It may also have other health benefits, including:
- improving mental health
- boosting your mood
- improving respiratory function
- improving cognitive function
- improving pain tolerance
- reducing insomnia
- improving circulation
- reducing stress
- relaxing muscles for up to 45 minutes
So, how does it work? Laughter is a distraction that forces your mind to think of something else, and as you laugh you take deep breaths in and out. It also releases positive endorphins boosting your happiness.
Jokes, comedy shows, and natural conversation that leads to laughs usually involve more than one person unless you’re watching it on TV, so in many cases, laughter therapy also supports social connection.
You can also try laughter yoga and see what you think.
19. Connect with your healthcare practitioner.
Self-care also means getting the help and support you need from trusted professionals. That means staying up to date on preventive care, and getting support when you need it.
If your stress levelor menopause journey, becomes overwhelming, your healthcare practitioner can determine when it’s time to get a work-up or referral to a mental health provider.
If you are in immediate emotional distress, 988 is free and confidential.
Call 9-8-8

Take care of you!
Life is too short to suffer when there are lots of options that can help, many of which are inexpensive or even free, but effective and based in science.
Your stress and menopause symptoms are linked, each with the potential to make the other worse. Improving one could bring relief from the other.
So, if you’re looking to have a happier menopause journey, try focusing on managing your stress!
America’s #1 Health Problem | The American Institute of Stress
Arnot M, Emmott E, Mace R. The relationship between social support, stressful events, and menopause symptoms. 2021. PLoS ONE 161(1): e024544. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0245444
Wong, C., Yip, B.HK., Gao, T. et al. Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) or Psychoeducation for the Reduction of Menopausal Symptoms: A Randomized, Controlled Clinical Trial. Sci Rep 8, 6609 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-24945-4
Let It Go | Idina Menzel
Be Less Stressed | Z. Colette Edwards, MD, MBA on Amazon
González-Moret, R., Cebolla, A., Cortés, X. et al. The effect of a mindfulness-based therapy on different biomarkers among patients with inflammatory bowel disease: a randomised controlled trial. Sci Rep 10, 6071 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-63168-4
Carmody JF, Crawford S, Salmoirago-Blotcher E, Leung K, Churchill L, Olendzki N. Mindfulness training for coping with hot flashes: results of a randomized trial. Menopause. 2011 Jun;18(6):611-20. doi: 10.1097/gme.0b013e318204a05c. PMID: 21372745; PMCID: PMC3123409.
Mindful Me® Lesson 7: Mindful Exercise | Thriving with Cheryl Jones [YouTube]
About Jane Ehrman | Images of Wellness
Minute Meditations | Images of Wellness
Doing Something is Better Than Doing Nothing for Most People, Study Shows | UVA Today
de Witte, M., Pinho, A. da S., Stams, G. J., Moonen, X., Bos, A. E. R., & van Hooren, S. (2022). Music therapy for stress reduction: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Health Psychology Review, 16(1), 134–159. https://doi.org/10.1080/17437199.2020.1846580
Stults-Kolehmainen MA, Sinha R. The effects of stress on physical activity and exercise. Sports Med. 2014 Jan;44(1):81-121. doi: 10.1007/s40279-013-0090-5. PMID: 24030837; PMCID: PMC3894304.
Exercise and stress: Get moving to manage stress | Mayo Clinic
Nelson DB, Sammel MD, Freeman EW, Lin H, Gracia CR, Schmitz KH. Effect of physical activity on menopausal symptoms among urban women. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2008 Jan;40(1):50-8. doi: 10.1249/mss.0b013e318159d1e4. PMID: 18091021.
10 Steps of Yoga Nidra | Yoga Journal
Yoga Nidra Library | Yoga Nidra Network
Stress and Eating | American Psychological Association
Bremner JD, Moazzami K, Wittbrodt MT, Nye JA, Lima BB, Gillespie CF, Rapaport MH, Pearce BD, Shah AJ, Vaccarino V. Diet, Stress and Mental Health. Nutrients. 2020 Aug 13;12(8):2428. doi: 10.3390/nu12082428. PMID: 32823562; PMCID: PMC7468813.
Discovering the Health and Wellness Benefits of Gratitude | Wharton Healthcare Quarterly
Hardy, C., Thorne, E., Griffiths, A. et al. Work outcomes in midlife women: the impact of menopause, work stress and working environment. Womens Midlife Health 4, 3 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40695-018-0036-z
Laughter relaxes the body and mind | Richmond Times-Dispatch
Laughter Yoga with Liliana DeLeo | TedxMontrealWomen
Home | 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

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