Management Strategies

Included on this page are 20 essentials covering management and lifestyle strategies for menopause. These essentials cover mindset and environment, diet and lifestyle, exercise and activity, sleep and recovery, employment and social interaction, and relationships and sexual health.

1. Because of the profound mind-body connection, a woman’s mindset and environment can affect her journey through menopause.
2. Stress-reduction and management techniques like breathing exercises, meditation, mindfulness, and being present support a healthy mindset.
3. A nutrient-dense diet rich in vitamins and minerals is an effective way to manage weight, address nutrient deficiencies, and manage symptoms.
4. What, when and how much a woman eats and drinks underpins good health and nutrition.
5. Foods that are very hot in temperature, acidic, salty, spicy, and sugary can minimize symptom triggers, particularly for hot flashes.
6. Intermittent fasting can provide the body with a necessary break from the digestion process and help manage weight during menopause and beyond.
7. Making lifestyle changes like limiting alcohol, caffeine, smoking, and heavy metals like mercury and arsenic, support symptom management, and overall health.

8. Regular physical exercise and activity helps reduce stress hormones, increase blood flow and circulation in the body, boost mood, manage weight, and improve sleep quality.
9. Physical exercise is a personal endeavor based on goals, preferences, and health status, and has multiple dimensions, including intensity, frequency, duration, and mode.
10. Weight training can help increase flexibility, strength, and bone density, and manage age-related reduction in muscle mass, strength, and function (sarcopenia).

11. Restorative sleep is vital for physical and mental repair and regulating bodily functions such as metabolism.
12. Sleep hygiene practices employed before, during, and after sleep help to regulate the sleep/wake cycle, encompassing the hours we are awake and asleep.
13. Dietary supplements to help with sleep include chamomile extract, Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA), 5-Hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP), magnesium, and melatonin.
14. Sleeping in a comfortable, cool, dark, quiet and device-free environment also helps promote deep and restorative sleep, particularly a cool environment for nights sweats.

15. Open communication at work about physical and psychosocial elements can foster a supportive environment.
16. Maintaining social connections helps manage mood and psychological symptoms, reduce isolation, provides a sense of purpose and community, and improves overall wellbeing.
17. Taking part in cognitively stimulating and enjoyable activities can help reduce anxiety and stress levels.
18. Open and honest communication with partners is vital for navigating relationships and sexual health during menopause.
19. Products and devices to increase sexual pleasure include vaginal and warming lubricants, topical creams, arousal oils, vibrators, sex toys, and vaginal dilators.
20. Menopause and aging often lead to more fulfilling relationships and sexual experiences, as many women gain confidence, new perspectives, and face different life responsibilities.

To learn more, visit the Menopause Management page.