The TwiLiGHt ZoNe... 🎄🎉

We hope you've had a very merry and happy Christmas! Now that we're in that in-between twilight zone, we might not be managing some aspects of the festive season as easily as we might want. One of those aspects could be your relationships at home after the stresses of the festive season, and spending a good few days in a 'pressure cooker' with relatives, kids, and partners making demands on your time and energy. If you need a little extra help and support with your menopause from your nearest and dearest, then our Partners Handbook might be useful - you'll find the link in the comments below ❤️ It's easy to get overwhelmed and exhausted by the festivities, so it's important to remind ourselves to recharge and take good care of ourselves - particularly if peri/menopause symptoms are lurking as well! Depending where you are in the world, it's also easy to become down and disheartened at the prospect of the rest of Winter stretching out before you! So what might help us to recharge and look after ourselves at this time? How can we help to reframe things so that they don't seem so daunting? ❤️ Create a haven for you After the festive excesses and stresses, you might feel like hibernating, and what better time of year for that? 😊 Creating a quiet corner with some of your favourite things can help you to switch off and relax - maybe your bedroom could provide this comforting space? Maybe the bathroom is your get-away? Wherever works for you, a couple of scented candles, extra cushions and a hibernation blanket could help you unwind more easily - letting those around you know that when you're in your Happy Corner you're not to be disturbed is key to this tip too! 😉 ❤️ Change your eating If you've gained unwanted weight or you're feeling sluggish after the festive season then you might want to review how you eat and what you eat! All the cheese, choccies, and tipples can mount up and leave us feeling rather less zing and more ming! You don't need to go crackers here! A little adjustment and switching out processed foods for more fresh fruit and veg will help you feel more like bringing in the new year with a bang, not a bleurgh... If you need a bit more help with that, we work with a nutrition expert to support our private group members, and she provides courses and plans to fit with you. In the new year, why not pop into our private group to find out more? 🙂 ❤️ Move your body It's easy to let things slide exercise-wise when we're pushed for time and energy over the festive period. If you can, and weather permits, get out for some walks in nature and get some fresh air and endorphins whizzing through your system. If it's foul out and you're just not feeling it, then maybe some kitchen disco dancing is more your thing? The important thing is to do something you enjoy, and to do it as regularly as you can... 🥳 ❤️ Get back on schedule All the days and nights blur into one, and Wednesday isn't a Thing any more. Time is an alien construct. Everything except cheese is meaningless. We are in limbo... ...and you might be totally on-board with that 😁 If not, and it's making you feel out of control in a way you don't like, then reintroducing regular mealtimes and some sort of order will help you feel less stressed. Even if nobody else around you is ready to embrace a bit of normality, you can do this just for you! To help feel your best, try to go to bed at the same time each night and wake up at the same time each morning whenever you can. Regular mealtimes are a good framework too, and will help keep your blood sugar on an even keel, which is always really helpful! It is the perfect time to heal the imbalance from the holidays with self-nurturing, and to feel refreshed ready for the New Year! You don't have to do anything drastic, and any resolutions that you *are* planning will be easier to achieve if you can start to take better care of you now... So all the very best to you for 2024, and wishing you the happiest new year! 🥳🎉🪅