Rebekah Brown, MPowder Founder

1. The best thing about the menopause is…..

The chance to rethink what you need to put in the toolkit to thrive in Part 2. If you have the support, insight and the time to listen in, it can be a fantastic opportunity to try new things and work out what your body and mind now needs. I wish I’d known more about the brilliance of my biology much earlier in life. This transition can be a bumpy one, but our bodies are incredibly clever. I’ve a new-found respect for what it is capable of and how hard it’s worked to get me here.

2. The hardest thing about the menopause is…

The psychological impact. We still don’t talk enough about the mental impact menopause can have. In perimenopause particularly, anxiety and brain fog can act as the ‘canaries in the mine’ – but we don’t join the dots. My anxiety led to me leaving a job I loved and had a huge impact on my confidence and sense of self. We need to be taught that our hormones impact every single cell in our body. But, most importantly, we need to know that our cognitive function returns. Dr Jen Gunter describes the impact of menopause on the brain as an ‘upgrading’ process. I like the thought of emerging, post-menopause, as version 2.0!

3. My lightbulb moment was….

Realising the significance of simply sharing stories. I’m in a hugely privileged position where I get to listen to individual stories of menopause every day – and to leading experts talk to the interventions available to us. I’ve been genuinely blown away by the feeling I get from being part of a community of people navigating this life-stage together. When we’re feeling lost there is a temptation to stay in the shadows. But research shows that our bodies respond on a physiological level when we spend time with other females. There is an honesty too, to the online friendships that aren’t connected to our everyday routines.

4. My selfcare superhero is…..

Cold water! I found the Wim Hof Method when my anxiety was at its highest. I don’t plunge myself into ice baths very often, but I do have a cold shower every morning. A morning blast never fails to leave me feeling more optimistic. There is also something beautifully irrational and child-like about the whole practice! It is the quickest route I’ve found to pure joy.

5. I couldn’t live without…

Coffee. I know that many of the nutritionists in our community would raise an eyebrow – but I have it on good authority that I’m one of a lucky genetic group that can process caffeine like oxygen. And I’m sticking to that story…

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