The symptoms of stress and menopause are similar and cortisol rises as we age. Psychological and emotional symptoms are common around the time of menopause and include anxiety, low mood, irritability, anger, inability to concentrate and mood swings. You may feel that you have los your self esteem, your body looks different and you cannot cope with the things you used to be able to do easily. Even normal day to day life and relationships can be a struggle.
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), counselling or life coaching can help and work by teaching you coping skills for dealing with different problems. It focuses on your thoughts, beliefs and attitudes, and how they affect your feelings and actions. CBT can be a useful skill for managing stress and menopause.
Mindfulness is a technique used to help focus on the here and now, not to dwell on the past, or worry about the future. It uses meditation, yoga and breathing exercises, but actually it can be as simple as using your senses on a walk to be present in the moment, or watching a butterfly flutter, and only concentrating on that moment. It can be used to improve focus and concentration an, to decrease stress, increase self-awareness and increase wellbeing. It is recommended by NICE to help manage anxiety and depression.