SoulSpring Wellness Journal™ · Volume 03 · Issue 01
What happens when our hormones begin to change, and why the effects reach far beyond our reproductive years.
There comes a point in a woman’s life when the body begins speaking a different language.
Sleep changes. Energy shifts. Emotions can feel closer to the surface. The body may respond differently to food, movement, stress, and the rhythms that once felt predictable. Some women notice subtle changes over several years. Others feel as though their bodies have changed almost overnight.
For many women, the most frustrating part isn’t necessarily the symptoms themselves. It’s not understanding why they’re happening.
Menopause is a natural biological transition, yet so many women enter this stage with unanswered questions, conflicting information, and very little understanding of what is actually happening inside their bodies.
Let’s change that.
FIRST, LET’S TALK ABOUT THE HORMONES
Menopause is associated with changes in reproductive hormones, particularly estrogen and progesterone. These hormones influence far more than reproduction. Estrogen plays important roles in bone health, temperature regulation, the urinary and genital tissues, and aspects of brain function. [1, 2]
As ovarian hormone production changes during the menopausal transition, the effects can appear in places women may never have connected to their menstrual cycle.
This helps explain why menopause can feel unfamiliar. Several body systems may be adapting at once, and the experience is different for every woman.
Understanding these connections is an important first step toward understanding ourselves.
PERIMENOPAUSE IS THE TRANSITION. MENOPAUSE IS A MILESTONE.
These terms are often used interchangeably, but they describe different stages.
Perimenopause is the transition leading up to menopause. Hormone levels fluctuate, menstrual cycles may become irregular, and symptoms can begin while periods are still occurring. Sleep disturbances, hot flashes, mood changes, and difficulties with concentration may appear during this stage. [1, 3]
Perimenopause can last several years. The timing, duration, and severity of symptoms vary considerably.
Menopause is defined retrospectively as 12 consecutive months without a menstrual period, when there is no other identifiable cause for the absence of menstruation. Natural menopause most commonly occurs between ages 45 and 55, with the average age in the United States around 51. [2, 4]
Postmenopause refers to the years following menopause. Some symptoms may improve, while others, including vaginal dryness and urinary symptoms, may persist or become more noticeable. Lower estrogen levels also have implications for long-term bone health. [2, 3]
There is no single timeline that every woman follows. Genetics, medical history, surgery, certain treatments, and other individual factors can influence the transition.
WHY DOES MENOPAUSE AFFECT SO MUCH OF THE BODY?
Estrogen is involved in multiple physiological systems. As hormone levels fluctuate and eventually decline, several aspects of health may change.
The brain and nervous system
Some women experience changes in mood, sleep, concentration, and temperature regulation during the menopausal transition. Anxiety, irritability, and what is commonly described as brain fog can become part of the experience. Hot flashes and night sweats are also recognized menopausal symptoms. [1, 3]
These experiences deserve to be taken seriously. They can affect everyday life, work, relationships, and a woman’s sense of well-being.
Sleep and recovery
Night sweats and hot flashes can interrupt sleep. Sleep changes can also have other contributors, including stress, sleep disorders, and changes associated with aging.
When sleep is consistently disrupted, concentration, mood, energy, and daily functioning can suffer. Persistent sleep problems deserve attention rather than being dismissed as an inevitable part of getting older. [3, 5]
Digestion and metabolism
Many women notice changes in body composition, abdominal fat distribution, or weight during midlife. Aging, hormonal changes, sleep, activity levels, and other factors can all contribute.
Digestive symptoms can also arise during midlife, but they should not automatically be attributed to menopause. The evidence connecting menopause directly to particular digestive symptoms is still developing, and persistent or significant symptoms warrant an appropriate evaluation.
Our relationship with food, movement, and our bodies may need to evolve during this stage. Understanding the contributing factors gives us a better starting point than blaming ourselves for changes we do not fully understand. [1, 3]
Muscle and bone health
Estrogen plays an important role in maintaining bone health. Bone loss can accelerate during the menopausal transition, increasing the importance of understanding individual osteoporosis risk and taking appropriate steps to support skeletal health. [6]
Muscle mass and strength also tend to change with age. Resistance exercise, adequate nutrition, and appropriate physical activity can support strength and function as we grow older.
Midlife is a valuable time to pay attention to the foundations of long-term physical health.
Sexual and urinary health
Declining estrogen can contribute to vaginal dryness, discomfort during sex, urinary urgency, and recurrent urinary tract infections in some women. These symptoms are recognized aspects of genitourinary syndrome of menopause. [3, 7]
They are common, but women do not have to silently endure them. Effective treatment options exist, and the appropriate approach depends on individual symptoms, preferences, and medical history.
Menopause should never become a catchall explanation for every new symptom. Understanding what may be hormonal, and what needs further investigation, is part of informed self-care.
THE MIND-BODY CONNECTION: ANOTHER PART OF THE CONVERSATION
In The Wisdom of Menopause, Christiane Northrup explores menopause as more than a biological milestone. Her work encourages women to consider the emotional, psychological, and personal dimensions of midlife, including relationships, identity, and changing priorities. [8]
This perspective invites an important conversation: How do we care for ourselves when our needs begin to change?
Stress, emotional well-being, relationships, and the circumstances of our lives can influence how we experience symptoms and how we respond to them. Recognizing these connections can be valuable without assuming that emotional conflict causes hormonal changes or that every physical symptom has a psychological explanation.
The distinction matters.
Medical research helps us understand physiology, evaluate treatments, and identify risks. Mind-body approaches can offer additional ways to reflect on our experiences, develop self-awareness, and support emotional well-being.
We can explore both while remaining thoughtful about what the evidence establishes.
YOUR EXPERIENCE DOES NOT HAVE TO LOOK LIKE ANYONE ELSE’S
Some women move through the transition with relatively mild symptoms. Others experience changes that significantly affect their sleep, relationships, work, and quality of life. [1, 3]
You might feel exhausted while someone your age feels energized. You might experience anxiety you have never experienced before. You might feel comfortable in your changing body, grieve the familiarity of your old routines, or experience several of these things at once.
There is no single correct way to experience menopause.
An empowerment-centered approach recognizes that women deserve accurate information, meaningful choices, and a voice in decisions about their own health. [9]
You do not need to compare your symptoms, timeline, or choices with another woman’s.
This is where body literacy becomes essential. Learning to recognize patterns, ask informed questions, and understand what is changing allows you to participate more confidently in decisions about your care.
WHERE DO WE BEGIN?
Before chasing solutions, supplements, restrictive diets, or complicated wellness routines, let’s begin with understanding.
Notice your sleep. Pay attention to changes in your cycle, mood, energy, digestion, and temperature regulation. Consider how stress affects your well-being and whether your symptoms are interfering with daily life.
Keeping a record of symptoms and menstrual changes can help identify patterns and support more productive conversations with a healthcare professional.
Not every symptom is hormonal, and some conditions that become more common in midlife can resemble menopausal symptoms. New, persistent, severe, or concerning symptoms deserve appropriate evaluation.
There are multiple approaches to menopause care, including lifestyle strategies, nonhormonal treatments, and menopausal hormone therapy for appropriate candidates. Treatment decisions should consider symptom severity, personal and family medical history, individual risks, preferences, and current clinical guidance. [3, 10]
There is no need to make every decision today.
The first step is knowing what questions to ask.
A FINAL THOUGHT
Menopause is a transition in the way our bodies function. It is not a personal failure, a loss of worth, or a problem that needs to be hidden.
This stage of life can ask us to pay attention in new ways. It can invite us to reconsider our routines, understand our bodies more deeply, and become more intentional about how we care for ourselves.
You are allowed to take your symptoms seriously. You are allowed to seek answers. You are allowed to change your approach to wellness as your needs change.
Most importantly, you deserve to understand what is happening to you.
That is where this conversation begins.
COMING NEXT: We explore the hormonal shifts of perimenopause, why estrogen and progesterone fluctuate, and how these changes can influence the way you feel long before your final menstrual period.
Evidence over hype. Education over fear. Curiosity over judgment.
SoulSpring Oasis
Restore Your Body. Calm Your Nervous System.
REFERENCES
1. Gatenby, C., & Simpson, P. (2024). Menopause: Physiology, definitions, and symptoms. Best Practice & Research Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 38(1), 101855.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beem.2023.101855
2. National Institute on Aging.Menopause.
https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/menopause
3. Crandall, C. J., Mehta, J. M., & Manson, J. E. (2023). Management of menopausal symptoms: A review. JAMA, 329(5), 405–420.
https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2022.24140
4. The Menopause Society.Menopause Definitions.
https://menopause.org/patient-education/menopause-glossary
5. The Menopause Society. Patient education and resources on menopause symptoms and management.
https://menopause.org/patient-education
6. Karlamangla, A. S., Shieh, A., & Greendale, G. A. (2021). Hormones and bone loss across the menopause transition. Vitamins and Hormones, 115, 401–417.
https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.vh.2020.12.016
7. The Menopause Society.Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause: Patient education and clinical resources.
https://menopause.org/patient-education
8. Northrup, C. (2021). The Wisdom of Menopause: Creating Physical and Emotional Health During the Change(4th ed.). Hay House.
ISBN: 978-1-4019-6540-2
Publisher information: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/690833/the-wisdom-of-menopause-4th-edition-by-christiane-northrup/
9. Hickey, M., LaCroix, A. Z., Doust, J., Mishra, G. D., Sivakami, M., & Hunter, M. S. (2024). An empowerment model for managing menopause. The Lancet, 403(10430), 947–957.
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(23)02799-X
10. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).Menopause: Identification and Management. NICE Guideline NG23.
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng23/chapter/Recommendations
Editorial note: This article is for educational purposes and is not a substitute for individualized medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Medical claims and reference details should be checked against the original publications before final publication. Northrup’s book is included as a mind-body perspective and is not intended to serve as independent clinical evidence for every claim discussed.
