Why I overlooked these perimenopause symptoms
So, let's talk about perimenopause symptoms that I wish I'd known about in my 40s.
I'm 55 now, and I can tell you that the three symptoms I should have paid attention to at the start of my perimenopause were:
- Joint and muscle pain
- Worsening PMS
- Loss of stress resilience.
Although I did know that eventually menopause could cause these symptoms, I just didn't think in my mid-40s that this was the cause. I didn't relate my stress symptoms or my joint pain, or weirdly, even my heavier periods, to being in perimenopause. I just didn't think I was there yet. And it made sense at the time to blame everything on my busy life, and all the things I had to feel stressed about.
Instead of doing a life audit, which would have helped me connect the boxes and realise that I was having perimenopause symptoms, I was running around like a headless chicken trying to fix everything separately. And because this wasn't a holistic strategy, I wasn't getting great results. I thought I wasn't exercising the right way or not enough, and I was getting myself in a flap.
So, if I could do it again, I would try to slow down and not panic. I would pay attention to my periods that were clearly giving me useful information.
A tip I wish I knew about in my 40s:
One of the best tips I now recommend, which I wish someone had made me do, would be to track your periods and the symptoms you experience, even in your 40s. It's amazing the patterns you will start to see. You could just scribble them down in a diary, or you could use an app.
Have a go and just let me know how you get on.
Other topics that you may find helpful:
5 perimenopause tips I wish I knew sooner
How long does perimenopause last?
10 self-care tips for perimenopause, menopause & post-menopause
