Menopause: A Wonderful Stage of Personal Growth

Menopause is more than just a couple hot flashes or simply the end of a woman’s fertile life. It is not a decline, but rather a natural process that is part of a change, which, in time, always swings in favor of women. It is a stage full of opportunities and personal growth where wisdom illuminates the mind and gives the heart strength.

Nowadays, the social image of menopause has changed. In the past, this stage was viewed as the time during which women exclusively took care of their grandchildren. Nowadays, women keep playing a very active role in society. This contradicts any of the classic stereotypes.

Despite the fact that women’s roles have changed over the last few decades, there are still some false beliefs about menopause. Up next, we invite you to learn about some interesting and useful perspectives on this subject.

Menopause and its myths

Some women experience premature menopause. Others must begin their menopausal journey due to a hysterectomy. It’s obvious then, that every woman is a world of her own. Every combination of symptoms is different and unique within each body. Not every woman accepts the process in the same way.

According to an article published in the magazine Menopause and Perimenopause, there are a great deal of false myths surrounding menopause, which give this stage an air of fatality. But we shouldn’t view it as the end of a cycle, but as a step forward: a continuation of our life cycle.

• Menopause doesn’t strictly being at 50. It’s a process that can start at a much earlier age or even after you turn 60 years old.

• “After experiencing menopause, all women gain weight and it becomes impossible to lose weight or get skinny.” This is false. With the proper diet, motivation and exercise there is no reason you should gain weight.

• Your sexual desire will decrease after menopause: false.

• The first sign of menopause is the hot flashes: false. There are dozens of symptoms associated with menopause and each woman may experience some and not others.

• Menopause is always accompanied by apathy and depression: false. Once more you have to keep in mind that each woman experiences this process her own way.

The end of the “caring woman”

Women are the world’s emotional legacy. Within her resides consensus, flexibility and empathy. Her language skills are also accompanied by her intuition, by her ability to see beyond conventions and logical and structured thought…

A decrease in estrogen production won’t change any of that. Better yet, Helen Fisher, the celebrated biologist and anthropologist, defines the post-menopausal woman as a “living library.” She describes her as a figure that in many traditional societies could acquire the same political, social or economical power as a man.

We know that menopause is linked to many problems such as osteoporosis. Regardless, the personal growth women experience during this stage is remarkable. So much so, that authors like the psychologist Francis Fukuyama affirm that the figure of the “caring woman” is changing. That in the next couple of years she will have a very important role in our society within the public eye (something we’re seeing happen already).

Time always favors women

Time isn’t fighting against us. That’s something we should incorporate into our thinking and into the way we approach every change and stage we undergo. Menopause involves understanding each process we experience first, and later harmonizing each change with the objective of taking much better care of ourselves.

Each cycle has some marvelous aspects from which we can learn. And the arrival of menopause undoubtedly marks the beginning of a new stage, during which we can definitely continue achieving personal and professional goals. The task of upbringing has been left behind, and our “feminine spirit” now seeks new opportunities.

Times have changed, as has the expectations surrounding the roles a menopausal woman is expected to play. Therefore, if the reader so wishes, we invite you to discover Helen Fisher’s book The First Sex. It’s a refreshing and interesting approach to the classic essay in which Simone de Beauvoir extolled the role of women under the title “The Second Sex.”