10-day plan to ease the menopause

Menopause is a natural part of the female life cycle. It’s not an illness, not an oestrogen deficiency disease, and not a mental health issue. It’s simply part of being female, in the same way that puberty or pregnancy is.

The reason menopause is more relevant now than even 50 years ago is because we live longer. We’re also working for longer too, which is why controlling your menopause symptoms is crucial to keeping your career on track.

Symptoms can appear any time from around the age of 35 as the levels of your sex hormones – oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone – start to drop at varying rates.

Perimenopause, which means ‘around menopause’, is the bumpy hormonal road leading to your final period. These are some common symptoms...

Hot flushes You simply cannot control your body temperature. You are randomly overheating.

Mood swings One minute you’re happily getting on with your day and the next you’re weeping because you only got four likes on your cute Facebook post. Brain fog You can’t find your keys, you struggle to remember people’s names and you’ve forgotten what your boss asked you to do (again). Poor sleep You’re awake throughout the night worrying about random stuff and getting up to pee every 90 minutes.

Night sweats Your nights are one long duvet hokey cokey as you stick random limbs in and out of the bed in an effort to cool down.

Low energy You’re exhausted all the time, slumped over your desk by mid-afternoon and too tired to talk to your partner.

Skin changes Your skin is dry and scratchy, you’re getting teenage spots, your hair is lank and your nails are brittle.

Weight gain You haven’t changed your eating habits, so where did that extra 10 pounds come from and why all around your middle?

Anxiety Going out isn’t fun any more – you’re anxious in social situations and you don’t like to drive too far either. You worry all the time.

Other symptoms include UTIs, irregular or very heavy periods, depression, vaginal dryness, low libido, achy or swollen joints, palpitations and panic attacks. This list isn’t exhaustive, but don’t worry, you probably won’t experience them all.

It may seem as though you’re suddenly losing the plot, but these changes have actually been sneaking up on you for ages.

One year after your last period you are officially post-menopause. Your symptoms should become less frequent and intense, although there’s no guarantee they’ll stop altogether.

But within 10 days you’re going to know exactly what you need to do to get your symptoms under control.

One minute you’re happy, the next you are weeping because your latest cute Facebook post only got four likes