Making Sense Of Menopause

Have you ever continued doing something simply because you've always done it that way?

In this episode, Roberta shares a surprising analogy inspired by the difference between imperial and metric measurements and explores how it relates to our health during perimenopause and menopause.

Many of the habits and strategies that worked in our twenties and thirties may no longer be giving us the results we want. Whether it's exercise, weight management, sleep or stress management, menopause often requires a different approach.

In this episode, you'll learn:

•  Why old health habits may stop working during menopause 
•  The role of hormones in weight gain and weight management 
•  Why sleep affects hunger, cravings and body weight 
•  The importance of strength training during midlife 
•  How stress and cortisol influence fat storage 
•  Why sustainable habits work better than quick fixes 
•  Small changes you can make to support your health 

Sometimes the best results come from being willing to do things differently.

If you'd like to learn more about managing menopause symptoms, check out the free masterclass linked below.

Send us Fan Mail

www.thriveandshinewomenswellness.co.uk

Free Masterclass: Is Perimenopause Causing Your Symptoms? → Click here to watch

Supporting women’s health transitions with physiotherapy, menopause mentoring, Pilates and subconscious mindset tools.

Follow, subscribe and share the Making Sense of Menopause podcast to help more women access the support they deserve.

Do you leak urine when you cough, sneeze, exercise or rush to the toilet?

Many women assume bladder leakage is a normal part of ageing, having children or going through menopause. While it is common, it is not something you simply have to put up with.

In this episode, Women's Health Physiotherapist Roberta Bass explains:

•  Why incontinence becomes more common during perimenopause and menopause 
•  The difference between stress incontinence and urge incontinence 
•  How hormones affect bladder and pelvic floor function 
•  Common bladder irritants that may be making symptoms worse 
•  Why pelvic floor exercises alone aren't always the answer 
•  The importance of getting an individual assessment 
•  Treatment options that may help 

If bladder leakage is affecting your confidence, exercise, social life or quality of life, support is available.

Send us Fan Mail

www.thriveandshinewomenswellness.co.uk

Free Masterclass: Is Perimenopause Causing Your Symptoms? → Click here to watch

Supporting women’s health transitions with physiotherapy, menopause mentoring, Pilates and subconscious mindset tools.

Follow, subscribe and share the Making Sense of Menopause podcast to help more women access the support they deserve.

We talk more about menopause than we used to, but there are still symptoms that many women feel uncomfortable discussing.

In this episode, Roberta explores some of the less talked about aspects of perimenopause and menopause, including:

•  Incontinence and pelvic health issues 
•  Vaginal dryness and discomfort 
•  Loss of confidence and self-esteem 
•  Changes in libido 
•  Hair thinning and hair changes 
•  The impact of menopause on relationships 
•  Why talking openly can help women access support sooner 

Many women assume these symptoms are simply part of ageing and that nothing can be done. The reality is that support is available, and understanding what's happening is often the first step.

If you've been wondering whether some of the changes you're experiencing could be related to menopause, this episode is for you.

Send us Fan Mail

www.thriveandshinewomenswellness.co.uk

Free Masterclass: Is Perimenopause Causing Your Symptoms? → Click here to watch

Supporting women’s health transitions with physiotherapy, menopause mentoring, Pilates and subconscious mindset tools.

Follow, subscribe and share the Making Sense of Menopause podcast to help more women access the support they deserve.

Have you suddenly become more anxious during perimenopause — even about things that never used to bother you?

In this episode of Making Sense of Menopause, Roberta explores why anxiety and fear can feel heightened during perimenopause and menopause, from driving anxiety and morning dread to feeling constantly “on edge.”

She explains:

•  How hormonal changes affect the nervous system 
•  Why cortisol and poor sleep worsen anxiety 
•  The connection between subconscious patterns and fear 
•  Why women often become anxious about the sensation of anxiety itself 
•  Practical ways to calm the nervous system naturally 
•  How subconscious work and CONTROL sessions can help retrain fear responses 

This episode also explores the link between stress, sleep, breathing, exercise, and emotional resilience during menopause.

Topics Covered:

•  Perimenopause anxiety 
•  Cortisol and stress hormones 
•  Morning anxiety 
•  Driving anxiety during menopause 
•  Nervous system dysregulation 
•  Sleep and anxiety 
•  Breathwork and calming techniques 
•  Subconscious patterns 
•  CONTROL remedial hypnosis 
•  Menopause mindset support 

Resources & Links:

• Thrive and Shine Women’s Wellness
• Mini Course: Subconscious & Mindset Support
•  Online and in-person support available in Winscombe

Send us Fan Mail

www.thriveandshinewomenswellness.co.uk

Free Masterclass: Is Perimenopause Causing Your Symptoms? → Click here to watch

Supporting women’s health transitions with physiotherapy, menopause mentoring, Pilates and subconscious mindset tools.

Follow, subscribe and share the Making Sense of Menopause podcast to help more women access the support they deserve.

Work is stressful enough without adding perimenopause and menopause symptoms into the mix. But for millions of women, that's exactly the reality — navigating brain fog, hot flushes, anxiety and exhaustion while trying to perform at work, often without any support or understanding from the people around them.

In this episode, Roberta Bass explores the link between workplace stress and menopause symptoms, the new UK guidelines beginning to change how menopause is recognised at work, and — most importantly — practical things you can do right now to make your working day more manageable.

What You'll Learn

•       Why stress and menopause symptoms create a difficult vicious cycle at work

•       Why so many women leave their jobs during the menopause transition — and why they shouldn't have to

•       What the new UK workplace menopause guidelines mean in practice

•       What reasonable adjustments you can ask for at work

•       Why taking breaks actually makes you more productive — not less

•       Simple, practical techniques to manage stress and symptoms during the working day

•       How to have the conversation with your manager if you're struggling

Key Takeaways

•       Stress makes menopause symptoms worse — and menopause symptoms make work more stressful. Breaking that cycle matters.

•       A huge number of women leave their careers due to unmanaged menopause symptoms. This is unnecessary and increasingly, preventable.

•       The UK now has guidelines encouraging workplaces to recognise menopause and make reasonable adjustments — similar to disability and inclusion frameworks.

•       Practical adjustments include flexible working, working from home, regular breaks, temperature control and open conversations with HR or managers.

•       Taking your lunch break is not a sign of weakness — it improves focus, reduces stress hormones and makes you more productive.

•       Habit stacking (linking a new healthy habit to something you already do, like finishing a Teams call) is a simple and effective way to build stress-reducing practices into your day.

•       Even one small change to your working day can make a significant difference to how you feel.

Send us Fan Mail

www.thriveandshinewomenswellness.co.uk

Free Masterclass: Is Perimenopause Causing Your Symptoms? → Click here to watch

Supporting women’s health transitions with physiotherapy, menopause mentoring, Pilates and subconscious mindset tools.

Follow, subscribe and share the Making Sense of Menopause podcast to help more women access the support they deserve.

Episode Overview

Are you waking up stiff and achy every morning? Struggling with hip pain, shoulder pain, or back pain that doesn't seem to respond to treatment? If you're in perimenopause or postmenopause, your hormones could be at the root of it.

Joint pain and stiffness is one of the most common — and most misunderstood — symptoms of menopause. In this episode, Roberta Bass explains exactly why it happens, which areas of the body are most commonly affected, and what you can do to feel better: from sleep and exercise to hydration, diet, and knowing when to get an assessment.

What You'll Learn

• Why declining oestrogen is the key driver of joint pain and stiffness in perimenopause and menopause
• How oestrogen acts as a natural anti-inflammatory — and what happens when it drops
• How changes to collagen, tendons, ligaments and synovial fluid affect your joints
• Which joints and tendons are most commonly affected during menopause
• Why poor sleep makes joint pain significantly worse — and how to break the cycle
• The role of muscle strength in protecting your joints
• Practical steps: exercise, hydration, diet and load management
• How to find the right professional support for menopausal joint pain

Key Takeaways

• Joint pain and stiffness in perimenopause and menopause is hormonal, not just a sign of ageing
• Oestrogen is a natural anti-inflammatory — as it declines, inflammation increases
• Tendons are particularly vulnerable: rotator cuff, hip (GTPS), Achilles, plantar fascia and tennis elbow are all common
• Morning stiffness lasting more than 30 minutes — especially in multiple joints — is worth investigating with a blood test to rule out inflammatory arthritis
• Resistance exercise helps both joint pain and hot flushes — a double benefit
• Hydration directly affects joint lubrication — not just headaches and thirst
• An anti-inflammatory diet (reducing sugar, alcohol and simple carbohydrates) can make a meaningful difference
• See a physio or specialist who understands menopause, not just the individual joint

Who This Episode Is For

This episode is for women in perimenopause or postmenopause who:

• Wake up stiff or achy and aren't sure why
• Have been treated for joint pain without lasting results
• Want to understand the hormonal root cause of their symptoms
• Are looking for practical lifestyle changes to reduce pain and stiffness
• Want to know when to seek professional support — and what kind of support to look for

Resources Mentioned

• Roberta's online and in-person appointments — link below
• Sleep episodes — search back through the podcast for Roberta's episodes on improving sleep quality

Send us Fan Mail

www.thriveandshinewomenswellness.co.uk

Free Masterclass: Is Perimenopause Causing Your Symptoms? → Click here to watch

Supporting women’s health transitions with physiotherapy, menopause mentoring, Pilates and subconscious mindset tools.

Follow, subscribe and share the Making Sense of Menopause podcast to help more women access the support they deserve.

Episode Overview

If you've been reaching for a glass of wine or a G&T at the end of a long day, you're not alone — and you're not being judged. But if you're navigating perimenopause or menopause, it's worth asking: is alcohol actually helping, or is it quietly making your symptoms worse?

In this episode, Roberta Bass explores the connection between alcohol and menopause symptoms, why so many women use it as a coping strategy, and — most importantly — what to try instead.

What You'll Learn

• How alcohol affects key menopause symptoms including hot flushes, anxiety, sleep and brain fog
• Why alcohol feels relaxing short-term — and what it's actually doing long-term
• The difference between social drinking and using alcohol as a coping strategy
• Practical, realistic ways to reduce your intake without feeling deprived
• Healthier alternatives that give you the same relaxation and me-time benefits
• Signs that alcohol use may need professional support
• Sleep strategies to replace the nightcap habit

Key Takeaways

• Alcohol worsens hot flushes — there is evidence to show this
• Even if alcohol helps you fall asleep, it reduces sleep quality and increases night waking
• Poor sleep makes brain fog, anxiety and emotional wellbeing significantly worse
• Drinking every evening to relax is a pattern worth examining — not a personal failing
• Small reductions (choosing one drink instead of two, making a G&T weaker) can make a real difference
• 0% alternatives, mocktails and longer mixer drinks can preserve the social ritual without the hormonal impact

Who This Episode Is For

This episode is for women in perimenopause or menopause who:

• Find themselves drinking most evenings to wind down
• Wake up after drinking feeling unrefreshed or more anxious
• Use alcohol to manage stress or help get to sleep
• Want to reduce their intake but aren't sure how to replace the habit
• Are wondering whether alcohol could be making their symptoms worse

Resources Mentioned

• Free Menopause Masterclass — understand your symptoms and start making lifestyle changes (link below)
• Previous sleep episodes —
  • Setting the stage for sleep- A Menopause night time routine
  • The Science of Sleep: How Hormones, Menopause & Lifestyle Affect Your Rest

Send us Fan Mail

www.thriveandshinewomenswellness.co.uk

Free Masterclass: Is Perimenopause Causing Your Symptoms? → Click here to watch

Supporting women’s health transitions with physiotherapy, menopause mentoring, Pilates and subconscious mindset tools.

Follow, subscribe and share the Making Sense of Menopause podcast to help more women access the support they deserve.

If menopause has knocked your confidence, you're not alone. In this episode we look at why self-esteem takes such a hit during menopause — and what you can do about it at a deeper, subconscious level. Because you can wear all the right colours and still walk into a room feeling invisible.

Why menopause affects confidence Weight gain, poor sleep, hot flushes, slowing metabolism — these symptoms don't just affect us physically. They quietly erode how we feel about ourselves too.

What you'll learn Using my ESSE Framework (Explore, Evaluate, Shift, Embed), we work through how to identify the patterns holding you back and start changing them — with practical tools including journaling, visualisation, positive affirmations, posture and movement.

The key takeaway Confidence comes from how you see yourself, not just what you wear. And that can be changed.

Want more support? My Subconscious & Mindset Mini Course walks you through the ESSE Framework with a full workbook. I also offer one-to-one hypnosis sessions online. All details in the links below. 💛

Send us Fan Mail

www.thriveandshinewomenswellness.co.uk

Free Masterclass: Is Perimenopause Causing Your Symptoms? → Click here to watch

Supporting women’s health transitions with physiotherapy, menopause mentoring, Pilates and subconscious mindset tools.

Follow, subscribe and share the Making Sense of Menopause podcast to help more women access the support they deserve.

In this episode, I share my experience of going for a colour analysis and how it made me reflect on something much deeper than just clothes.

We often think confidence comes from how we look—but actually, it’s about how we feel in ourselves.

I talk about how many women, especially during perimenopause, lose confidence in their appearance, stop making the effort, and start putting themselves last. And why that isn’t about vanity—it’s about self-worth.

In this episode, I cover:

•  Why we often dress for practicality rather than how we feel 
•  The connection between clothing, confidence, and self-perception 
•  How body changes during perimenopause impact self-esteem 
•  Why waiting to “feel better” before making an effort keeps you stuck 
•  The importance of dressing for yourself—not for others 

Key takeaway:
You don’t need to change your body to feel better—you need to change how you treat yourself now.

A question to reflect on:
Do you dress for comfort, for fashion, or for how you feel?

And what could you tweak—even slightly—to feel a bit better in yourself?

Support & next steps:

If you’re struggling with confidence, motivation, or feeling like yourself again during perimenopause, support is available.

You don’t have to figure it all out on your own.

Send us Fan Mail

www.thriveandshinewomenswellness.co.uk

Free Masterclass: Is Perimenopause Causing Your Symptoms? → Click here to watch

Supporting women’s health transitions with physiotherapy, menopause mentoring, Pilates and subconscious mindset tools.

Follow, subscribe and share the Making Sense of Menopause podcast to help more women access the support they deserve.

In this episode, I share a personal story about the challenges of parenting a teenager—and how it surprisingly mirrors the experience of perimenopause.

We explore how hormonal fluctuations affect behaviour, emotions, and reactions, and why this can create tension in the home—especially when both parent and child are struggling at the same time.

More importantly, we look at what we can learn from this… including why prioritising yourself is not selfish, but essential.

In this episode, we cover:

•  Why teenage behaviour isn’t just “attitude” 
•  The hormonal similarities between teenagers and perimenopause 
•  The concept of the “sandwich generation” 
•  Why self-care becomes non-negotiable in midlife 
•  How your reactions influence others (especially your children) 
•  Simple ways to start prioritising yourself—even when life is busy 

Key takeaway:
You don’t need more time—you need to give yourself permission to come first sometimes.

Support & Resources:

•  Explore support for menopause symptoms 
•  Listen to previous podcast episodes for practical strategies 
•  Get in touch for 1:1 support

Send us Fan Mail

www.thriveandshinewomenswellness.co.uk

Free Masterclass: Is Perimenopause Causing Your Symptoms? → Click here to watch

Supporting women’s health transitions with physiotherapy, menopause mentoring, Pilates and subconscious mindset tools.

Follow, subscribe and share the Making Sense of Menopause podcast to help more women access the support they deserve.