“It feels like everyone hates me” - why I became my own health coach this week
I found myself in a new doctor’s office last week saying, “Well, I feel anxious, and teary, and like everyone hates me!” And she said, so compassionately, “Has it occurred to you, that as a woman of a certain age, that it might be menopause symptoms?” And yes, it absolutely had occurred to me.
But here’s the thing… I’m a postmenopausal woman. I went through menopause suddenly 7 years ago when I was 43 when I had my second ovary removed as part of the hysterectomy I had to treat endometriosis. (The other ovary had been destroyed by the disease and removed when I was 38.). I kind of thought that since I was postmenopausal then maybe I’d skip all the mood stuff. I thought that was only for perimenopausal women.
The other thing is, I have some stuff showing up on blood tests which means I can’t go straight onto hormone replacement therapy (again) because the blood test thing might be impacted. So I have to wait another 2 months to get my blood tested again.
Two months of feeling like everyone hates me felt waaaaaaay toooooooo long. So I decided to take the bull by the horns and become my own health coach in the meantime. I had my first session with myself this past week.
The outcome of the session was 4-fold:
I identified that I could improve the amount of veggies I eat. So I’ve committed to adding a large serve of broccoli to every evening meal. Broccoli is my favourite green vegetable.
I noticed that I am not feeling much joy at the moment. I don’t want to watch telly. Food isn’t particulary interesting to me. (Is it depression, menopausal stuff, or seasonal affective disorder? Not sure. But don’t worry, I’m okay.) My homework here is to listen to more music and sing outloud. It makes me feel good!
My digestion isn’t great at the moment. The broccoli should help. But so would a bit more physical activity so I have committed to doing at least 3 online workouts a week (or if weather is okay, go for a walk). I LOVE this YouTube channel. It’s a woman (50 something) and her mum (80 something) doing gentle cardio workouts online together. Highly recommend!
It feels good to have take some control over the situation. I’m looking forward to holding myself accountable with these bits of homework and can’t wait for my next session with me 🙃
Having a health coach can support peri or post menopausal women to take a holistic approach to their health, to help them learn more about gentle nutrition that will suit their unique bodies and circumstances, and help improve emotional well-being during such a huge life transition. If you’d like to book a free health history video call with me to find out if having a health coach would work for you, click here. (I hear she’s good ☺️).
Yoga Pose of the Week
Supported Foetal Position - I recently completed a certificate in teaching Restorative Yoga. While I was in Bali I did some of the training and propped myself in this position on my bed while I watched a training video. I don’t think I’ve ever felt so comfortable in all my life! Try it by putting a cushion at the top of your mat (bed), lie on your right side and put your left knee on a prop (cushion, pillow, bolster) on the right side of your mat. Stay for 5-10 minutes and then try it the other side.
Yoga Philosophy of the Week
Becoming my own health coach, and reflecting on how I am feeling is all part of living a yoga lifestyle. An important yoga habit is svadhyaya (Sanskrit for “self-study”. If we aren’t paying attention to ourselves, it can be difficult to evolve and adapt in trying circumstances like I am experiencing now. I love my svadhyaya practices of journaling, gratitude and now being my own health coach!
Mindful Moment of the Week
Inspired by some tarot readings that happened on the recent Bali retreat, I’ve started pulling a card each morning again. Not to predict the future but just as a way for me to check in with my intuition and how I am feeling. It’s a simple 5 minute practice that gives me a really personal moment of mindfulness each day.
Body Love Health Tip of the Week
I might be 50, but it’s taken me a while to figure out how to cook the perfect “steamed” broccoli. This is how I do it: Cut the broccoli into florets. Boil the kettle. Place broccoli in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Stand for 5 minutes. You’ll get perfectly green, cooked, slightly crunchy, not mushy, broccoli.
