Menopause Holiday Survival Guide

How to Manage Menopause During the Holidays

Menopause is an inevitable condition that officially marks the end of a woman’s menstrual cycle. While this might seem like a great reason to jump for joy, menopause comes with a wide range of unwanted symptoms. These common side effects don’t tend to mesh well with the hustle, bustle and stress of the holiday season – but fortunately, there’s a way for menopausal woman to effectively cope with her symptoms.

Get a Better Handle on Extreme Mood Swings

Mood swings are inevitable during menopause, triggered by constant hormonal shifts within a woman’s body. While there is a possibility that a woman experiencing menopause will have extreme levels of happiness, she will also feel depressed, sad and angry. Here are some different ways you can cope with your mood swings:

• Seek support from family, friends and loved ones. Pick up the phone and call a friend, send a family member a sweet greeting card in the mail or meet for coffee with a favorite co-worker. Staying in touch and connected with loved ones will make the difficult mood swings more tolerable.
• Sign up for an activity that helps promote relaxation. Whether it’s scheduling a massage at a local wellness center or trying a yoga class, find a new pastime that allows you to take a deep breath, lower your anxiety levels and feel more at ease.

Keep Yourself at a Healthy Weight

Women who have entered the menopausal stage in life are known to experience serious fluctuations in their weight, and gain weight more often than lose it. Since the holidays involve a lot of cooking and eating, pay close attention to what you’re consuming and doing to counteract the calorie intake. Here’s how you can keep a healthy weight during the holidays:

• Even though it can be tempting to help yourself to one, two or even three plates of food during a holiday party or dinner, menopausal women especially should stick to the dietary guidelines for peopled aged 50 or older. Only consume the recommended portion sizes, and eat food on smaller plates.
• Always stay active during the holidays. Even though outdoor activities like walking or jogging aren’t much of an option due to the cold weather, you can sign up for a gym membership, order a workout DVD or perform some simple at-home exercises every morning and night.

Effectively Deal with Stress

Trouble sleeping, hot flashes, sweating, a lowered sex drive and vaginal dryness are other common symptoms of menopause that add on to a woman’s stress levels. Since the holidays are already a high stress time for most people, it’s important to deal with stress and increased anxiety in a healthy way. Here’s how you can deal with your stress during the holidays:

• Ask for help. Even if your family and friends have relied on you to do most of the holiday cooking and party planning in the past, call on your loved ones to help you out during the holidays. Even if it’s something as simple as a quick grocery store run, or bringing an extra dish to dinner, ask for help. Taking on all of the usual holiday tasks will only bring on more stress, making you feel worse than before.
• Incorporate some (much needed) time for yourself during the holiday. Everyone – stressed out or not – needs a break, but women who are menopausal truly deserve one. Since most of your symptoms are tiring and unbearable, preventing you from living a quality lifestyle, it’s only fair to treat yourself to some rest and relaxation during the holidays. Schedule a manicure and pedicure appointment, read a chapter of your favorite book or go see a movie with friends to recuperate and feel refreshed.

Handle Menopause in a Healthy Way with Dr. Quartell

If you are a woman who is currently experiencing menopause, these tips will be sure to help you keep all your symptoms in check during the holidays. For more information about menopause, and any other gynecological condition, please contact the obstetrics and gynecology practice of Anthony C. Quartell, M.D. and Associates by calling 973-716-9600. You can also fill out an online form to shoot us a quick message or inquiry. We look forward to hearing from you, and helping you remain happy, calm and safe during this holiday season.