This is the face of a woman navigating the depths of menopause transition. She keeps going, even though she hasn’t slept well in over five years. She often feels lost, her sense of joy faded, her identity blurred. Each afternoon, fatigue hits hardest—right when she’s needed most for the school run and conscious parenting. Outwardly, she appears to manage, but inside she’s struggling, with few places to turn for support. Shame is real, when “meno-rage” hits, guilt and confusion too. Emotions take her on a rollercoaster ride, in line with the ups and downs of hormonal peaks and troughs, as she transitions through a whole-body transition not dissimilar to puberty.

When this photo was taken in 2020, “menopause” was still a taboo word, and “perimenopause” was a little-known medical term.

I was just beginning my Menopause Yoga training.

Joining an online circle for this training, surrounded by like-minded, educated, capable, resourceful women, was a profound experience. Together, we shared our stories—each unique, yet strikingly similar. The sense of women supporting women was powerful and truly life changing. I found the community I didn’t know I needed. That very day, I made lifestyle changes and immersed myself in the knowledge from the course. I launched my first workshop and haven’t stopped since—continuing to learn and share, five years on.

It’s vital to keep these conversations open and nurture connections, so that no woman ever must feel so alone. In 2020, the impact of declining hormones on a woman’s mental health was rarely spoken of beyond offering anti-depressants. Whilst they can help, they are by no means the whole answer. We have come a long way since then, but women’s mental health deserves more understanding not just on World Mental Health Day but every day. This month is Menopause Awareness Month. This year’s theme is lifestyle medicine, inviting us to look at how small lifestyle adaptations can help make all the difference.