Anxiety & Menopause – 12 things that you can do

Is there a connection between anxiety and menopause?

Research has shown that women who experience anxiety are 3-5x more likely to have hot flashes – there is definitely a connection or relationship with peri & menopause.

Personally, from tracking my hot flash triggers worry or anxiety & hot flashes come hand in hand, yet sometimes I can’t tell which comes first.

The most common anxiety symptoms are tension, nervousness, panic & worry….but did you know it can show up as physical symptoms too, like an upset stomach, sweating, headaches & racing heart?

Why does it seem to be worse during menopause?

Anxiety is influenced by fluctuation & declining hormones which is why we may notice it more during midlife & menopause.

These hormones include:

Serotonin – known as the “happy hormone” & affects our mood. It declines with age & decreasing estrogen levels
Estrogen – calms the fear response by increasing serotonin. Lowering estrogen happens during menopause
Progesterone – is known as the ‘calming hormone’ that may influence GABA – also lowers during menopause
GABA – neurotransmitter that produces a calming effect

Biologically, our body knows how to balance this interplay of our hormones but we need to support our body with proper foods & lifestyle habits so it can.

Find out here what the foods are critical to be eating during peri & menopause.

Foods & healthy dietary habits will make a difference for anxiety.

Keep your diet low in saturated fats & animal proteins
Focus on lots of vegetables & colorful foods rich in antioxidants
Foods high in B-vitamins & fiber
Brain healthy & hormone healthy fats
Cut out the sugary foods & processed foods
Think about your alcohol intake & switch to relaxing herbal teas after a hard day