Hot and Bothered: Hope for the Peri-Menopausal
Woman
This article is for women of a certain age
and the men who interact with them. When I became a guide
for Women’s Issues for Self Growth, I realized I had a lot
to say about things that concern women , particularly as a
voice of hope. I’ve learned that menopause is something to
look forward to, and that the symptoms of PMS and peri-menopause
can be your best friend because they will guide you to find
your best life! Pretty outrageous, isn’t it?
Before I justify that last statement, let me talk about
being hot and bothered. Twenty years ago, I was in a
conference with my bosses and the owners of the company
where I was the Manager of Instructional Design. I was mad.
I was furious! I was told to instruct the writers who worked
for me that they must be in the office by 9AM. Period.
It wasn’t that simple. One writer had a
daughter who needed to get to school at 9 and the other was
a night owl who wasn’t functional until noon. I couldn’t
make my boss understand that we would lose a great writer
and decrease productivity by being so arbitrary. I was
totally ineffectual in my argument and that made my fatal
flaw kick in—I don’t deal well with authority figures.
There I sat all buttoned up in my business
suit, looking quite professional and play acting like I knew
what I was doing! Mostly what I felt was sweat accumulating
in pools that burst through my starched blouse in great
blotches. All I really could think of was wanting to get out
of that office before I ripped my clothes off from the heat.
Hot flashes are triggered by many things;
anger was the top cause for me, and for many women. When I
looked at what was going on, I realized that I couldn’t stay
in that managerial position and have any stability
emotionally. I wasn’t cut out to be a manager, at least not
under someone who has little common sense. I didn’t think
about the ultimate result at the time, but when I quit that
job, my hot flashes ended. Coincidence? I don’ think so.
Notice what I wrote I was thinking at the end of the last
paragraph. It’s amazing how often your expressions and bout
your symptoms can indicate the exact remedy you need. In
this case, I needed to get out of the office – permanently.
In the years since, I have come to believe
that the symptoms of PMS and peri-menopause are really a
wakeup call to look more closely at your life. I first
became aware of this idea from Dr. Christiane Northrup, MD
who writes and speak eloquently on women’s health and
particularly the role of hormones and their effects on all
aspects of our health: physical, emotional, mental, and
spiritual health. When I decided to look more deeply at what
I wanted in my life, and walked away from the pressure
cooker I was in, I found the perfect career. I became a
free-lance technical writer. I got to be creative, I only
had to manage myself, I worked at home, and I generally
slipped in and out of companies without much interaction
with authority figures. My challenge with authority figures
is the topic for other articles, but believe me, it kept
appearing until I dealt with it. At least I hope I’ve dealt
with it!
Eventually, I had a few more insights
about hot flashes. I never really had an all-out,
blast-from-hell again, but I did notice something very
useful. Again, this is confirmed by Christiane Northrup.
When I felt a heat surge, I’d pay attention to my intuition
and invariably I would discover an amazing insight. Usually
this would happen when I was doing acupressure or coaching
someone. (Yes, yes. I’ve had a variety of careers!) Dr.
Northrup contents that as your estrogen decreases, your
intuition increases. Now there’s a hopeful result of
menopause and the reason we are called Wise Women!
Even now, when I feel unexpectedly warm, I
think, “Incoming!” and sure enough, an insightful message
arrives. When I check it out with my client, it is almost
always right on the mark and he or she is amazed. I am
forever grateful for this gift and I am delighted to share
it with you!
© 2007, Jacqueline Hale
