In this episode with @themenopausepsychologist we talk about navigating the impact that hormones have on our psychological state and subsequent mental health. We discuss the 3 stages of being a woman, from childhood, to puberty through to motherhood and into what has the potential to be our most fulfilling years, post menopause.

Until now, hormone influence on our lives really hasn't been discussed or understood much at all. They affect us from our teen years and learning how to recognise what happens and manage ourselves around our cycles is something that you may or may not have become the expert in.

How to cope with the myriad of emotions that come with our menstrual cycle is vital because hormones have a tremendous impact on our lives at every age and stage. Dr Becky Quicke's understanding of our cycle and how we are affected on a daily basis is eye opening. She has some incredible insight on the importance of tuning into our menstruation pattern and how if we can work WITH that monthly cycle, we can be so much more prepared for the years of hormone change as the menopause approaches.

She talks about developing the skills to navigate through hormonal storms throughout life, and then with the use of what is called psychological flexibility, how we respond to the symptoms of menopause such as anxiety, depression, brain fog and tearfulness, so that we can experience that third initiation, or stage of our lives in as positive way as possible.

Hormones can influence the way we feel, and this can mean we feel depressed, suffer mood swings, tearfulness, brain fog, a reduction in confidence, become easily irritable, we lose our sense of joy at the drop of a hat, lose touch with ourselves, forget things easily, lose the ability to concentrate – often so much so that we end up feeling forced to make changes to life and work that perhaps we might not have made otherwise.

The 3 step awareness that Becky talks about in the acronym "NOW" is something you can find more about on her website:

• NOTICE WHAT IS GOING ON
• OPENNESS TO OUR SENSES
• WRAP YOURSELF IN SELF COMPASSION

And whilst we are talking about this in Menopause awareness month, this is something that effects all of us, both women, and the men in our lives so please share this episode with your friends and loved ones as there is so much brilliant advice and knowledge in here.

Finally these are the links to all the different things Becky and I refer to during the episode:

Red School and their book Wild Power

Becky Quicke website

Becky's free resource on how to cope with anxiety

Instagram @themenopausepsychologist

Facebook @beckyquicke

Our facebook group page

My website pipagordon.co.uk

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