We need to talk. And no, this isn\u2019t an invitation for a glass of wine, because \u2013 spoiler alert \u2013 I don\u2019t drink anymore. Not because I\u2019ve suddenly adopted a super healthy lifestyle, but because my body is already creating enough chaos on its own. I\u2019m in perimenopause. And no, it\u2019s not just a phase. It\u2019s a hormonal rollercoaster with no seatbelt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It started off subtle. A little tired, a little cranky. Then came the heavy bleeding and mood swings that could knock down a wall. And through it all, you\u2019re expected to keep going. Work, groceries, being social, keeping life on track \u2013 while your body acts like it\u2019s falling apart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What I\u2019ve noticed? We women don\u2019t talk about this enough. It\u2019s like we\u2019re supposed to be ashamed of our bodies changing. But here\u2019s the thing: my ovaries are heading into retirement, and I would\u2019ve appreciated a little newsletter about it. Instead, I\u2019m dealing with mood swings, a memory like a sieve, and moments where I hardly recognize myself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Luckily, I do talk about it. Openly and honestly. And you know what happens when I do? Other women open up too. What a relief. I\u2019m not crazy. I\u2019m not alone. And I\u2019m definitely not some bitter old hag. My body is just doing its hormonal thing \u2013 and that deserves to be talked about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another thing I\u2019ve noticed? Doctors are quick to pull out the antidepressants. \u201cYou\u2019re feeling a bit low? Try this.\u201d But hold on \u2013 I\u2019m not depressed. I\u2019m hormonally unbalanced. Big difference. So to every woman out there: stand up for yourself<\/strong>. Get your blood tested. Check your hormone levels. And if necessary: look into hormone therapy. Because no, you don\u2019t have to just push through this. You\u2019re allowed to ask for help. You\u2019re allowed to demand to be taken seriously.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And now to that other thing: I don\u2019t drink anymore. And surprisingly, that\u2019s more complicated than the hormonal storm I\u2019m dealing with. “Why not?” “Don\u2019t be so boring!” \u2013 people actually say that. Why is not drinking suddenly suspicious? Why is it so unusual to just stay clear-headed?<\/p>\n\n\n\n My son said to me recently: \u201cGood for you, mom, for not drinking. Why would you put something in your body that makes you feel worse?\u201d And he\u2019s right. Let\u2019s be honest \u2013 it\u2019s never just one glass. It\u2019s always more. And then you\u2019re either drunk or sick the next day. My body\u2019s already under enough pressure \u2013 it doesn\u2019t need alcohol on top of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So no, I don\u2019t drink. Because I don\u2019t need it. Because I feel better without it. And because \u2013 let\u2019s be real \u2013 I\u2019m already fun enough without alcohol.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One last thing: why do we never hear men talk about their andropause? Yes, men go through it too \u2013 with declining testosterone and symptoms like low energy, mood swings, reduced libido, erection problems, and grumpiness. But no one talks about it. No doctor visits, no hormones, no honest conversations. And yet, that\u2019s exactly what\u2019s needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n PS to the men:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Do you feel tired, drained, or off balance? That\u2019s okay. But don\u2019t leave it at that. Get checked, talk about it. Hormonal changes affect you too. And if we all start taking better care of ourselves \u2013 being more honest, making healthier choices, talking more openly \u2013 then we don\u2019t have to figure it all out alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Love,<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jennifer<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" We need to talk. And no, this isn\u2019t an invitation for a glass of wine, because \u2013 spoiler alert \u2013 I don\u2019t drink anymore. Not because I\u2019ve suddenly adopted a super healthy lifestyle, but because my body is already creating enough chaos on its own. I\u2019m in perimenopause. And no, it\u2019s not just a phase. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":607,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-612","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ongecategoriseerd"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.coachinginside.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/612","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.coachinginside.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.coachinginside.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.coachinginside.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.coachinginside.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=612"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/test.coachinginside.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/612\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":613,"href":"https:\/\/test.coachinginside.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/612\/revisions\/613"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.coachinginside.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/607"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.coachinginside.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=612"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.coachinginside.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=612"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.coachinginside.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=612"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}