On World Menopause Day, Rebecca Woods offer some words of comfort and some words of advice for those women entering that part of their lives.
Firstly, some lingo…
Perimenopause – “peri” means “around menopause.” This is the time before periods have stopped and may last up to 10 years.
Menopause – is often used to describe the overall experience of menopausal transition or change (menopause is also referred to as ‘the change’). Medically, menopause refers to the specific point in time when it has been 365 days since someone had a period (this can be due to natural process, surgery or medical treatments). So, menopause is actually just a day!
Everyone born with ovaries will go through the menopause at some point. The average age is 51.
Post menopause – the time after menopause. This may represent over a third of someone’s life.
Whilst the physical symptoms of menopause tend to be better documented (think hot flushes), our mental health can also be affected during this time and can include symptoms and experiences such as:
Sleep can also be affected, which in turn can impact on our wellbeing generally.
If you are concerned about how you are feeling, and/or feel that symptoms are not easing, consider speaking to your GP.
Things that can be supportive during this time…
A healthy sleep routine (try to aim for 7-8 hours per night, keep your bedroom cool and dark and free from unhelpful distractions)
Eating healthily (try making small, achievable changes such as aiming to include one additional piece of fruit or vegetable each day)
Regularly moving your body (think the 3 Ps – Pacing, Planning, Prioritise)
Staying mentally active (this may involve trying a new activity or revisiting a former hobby e.g. playing an instrument)
Finding ways to reduce stress (breathing exercises, keeping a diary, spending time outdoors, and regularly doing things you enjoy are some examples)
Staying connected (social connectedness can help to reduce anxiety and depression)
Make time for you (think of things that lift you and bring moments of joy)
Heather Corinna, an American author and educator, describes how things that help people navigate puberty can also be supportive during menopause, including:
Access to clear, comprehensive information
Realistic expectations and comforts that are aligned to our individual needs
Access to what we need to care for ourselves
Respect, sympathy, empathy and kindness from others
Finally, some inspirational words…
“People are afraid of changing; that they’re losing something. They don’t understand that they are also gaining something.”Sharon Stone
“It’s a time of liberation. It’s a time of shedding the shackles of inhibition and giving a damn.”Davina McCall
“What a woman’s body is taking her through is important information. It’s an important thing to take up space in a society, because half of us are going through this but we’re living like it’s not happening.”Michelle Obama
Rock My Menopause – website for the campaign created by the Primary Care Women’s Health Forum (PCWHF). Includes resources on menopause for transgender people and people with learning disabilities https://rockmymenopause.com/about-us/
Podcast:
Menopause Whilst Black Karen Arthur, podcast host & speaker, is an advocate for diversifying menopause & is committed to sharing the stories of black women living in the UK. https://www.thekarenarthur.com/menopausewhilstblack
Book:
“What fresh hell is this? Perimenopause, Menopause, other indignities and you” Heather Corinna
What an inspirational and diverse group of OTs we have at Wellbeing Therapy Solutions.
Wellbeing Therapy Solutions is four years old <corks pop>!
It’s been a very rewarding journey and I am very proud of what the team have achieved.
Guiding a fledgling business through a pandemic was a real challenge, not only because of what we faced from a health point of view but because of the swathe of mental health issues that arose from it.
We were desperate to help as many people as possible who emerged from the pandemic with poor mental health and I was so pleased that we could expand both the team and the premises we worked in.
Moving to Bodie’s House near Leicester has enabled us to offer some really high-quality services in a great setting for both our one-to-one clients, the businesses we work with and our team of occupational therapists (OTs).
Close-knit team
Having a larger and close-knit team means that we can offer a timely solution for people who want our help – something we were very keen to do throughout and following the pandemic.
We currently don’t have a waiting list and we ensure people who want our help are seen quickly. That’s really important to our business’ ethos and values and I will always strive to make sure our OTs and support packages are there for people, particularly when services such as the NHS are just so stretched and overworked.
As we have grown, we have been able to support local and national businesses too with a variety of mental health and wellbeing support packages for themselves and their staff. In fact, we have just launched a brand new bronze, silver and gold range of services which makes it easier for businesses and organisations to choose a range of support that is ideally suited to their needs.
We are really excited about where that could go in the coming months helping businesses overcome any number of challenges they are currently facing.
Fourth birthday
We celebrated our fourth birthday by coming together as a team and sharing some time… and food!
We believe that team is at the heart of everything we do. We are a genuinely supportive team and that comes across in the work that we do, the businesses we engage with and the work we do with them.
‘Getting up to run at 5am in a heatwave is not my idea of fun’
I have got to be honest with you, getting up at 5am to go running in the summer is not really my idea of fun.
I like to work hard…but I love a lie-in too.
As my alarm went off early in the morning on many occasions, I kept reminding myself that it was all for a good cause. A very good cause.
I first ran the Great North Run for the Bodie Hodges Foundation charity in 2019. Back then, they were a cause I strongly believed in. In 2022, I share a work building with them too.
My 2019 efforts represented my first ever half marathon and was one of the best experiences I have ever had in terms of the atmosphere. It was unique and very special and I was buzzing at the end of what was a very hard challenge.
Great North Run
I enjoyed it so much that I planned to do another one but then Covid hit and I got injured last year so it was really nice to be back on the streets a few weeks ago for the 2022 Great North Run.
The Bodie Hodges Foundation provide brilliant services for bereaved families so it felt good to be out there raising money for them, especially in these challenging times for charities. I know people personally who have found solace and support from the Bodie Hodges Foundation after finding themselves in the most challenging circumstances imaginable after the death of a child.
Me and the rest of the Wellbeing Therapy Solutions team love working side by side with their team. We all get on really well and we support each other so it fits perfectly.
The Great North Run presented the kind of personal challenge that I can get stuck into and thrive on. Setting myself regular challenges really helps my own physical and mental health. I am not great at doing things like that unless I have a specific goal and I was getting up early during the heatwave and running at 6am to get fit and to get miles in my legs.
It was way out of my comfort zone!
Sense of achievement
But doing the run gave me a real sense of achievement. It never seems to get any easier – but I felt really good afterwards.
This year’s run was a big challenge. It was hot and I struggled at half-way but found another gear and some more determination to get round and finish it. I also like to think that doing things like this is a good example to my daughter. You don’t have to be great at everything to give things a go and set your own goals, even if you are not going to finish first!
We also have friends in Northumberland – someone I lived with at university who I don’t get to see very often. The Great North Run gave me and my family the chance to spend the weekend with them and their family and those connections and actually seeing people face-to-face after the pandemic is beneficial for all of us.
I can’t thank my family and friends enough for their wonderful support both financially and emotionally throughout the race and the build-up to it.
Don’t ask me right now…but I might do it next year too!
Case management: Occupational therapist Marjolein Cleaver.
Our occupational therapists are now involved in offering a rare but important perspective on insurance case management
The psychological injuries people experience following accidents can last long after the physical ones are finally patched-up.
Wellbeing Therapy Solutions can offer a rare perspective on that recovery with occupational therapy support now available to add to traditional methods that have been used for years.
Case management services is something we have just started to offer and we are excited to begin working with some of the highest profile insurance case management companies.
Case management supports people who have experienced an accident, injury or other trauma and WTS will provide occupational therapy assessment and intervention for people who are experiencing psychological challenges arising from that event.
Mental health assessment
Our experienced therapists can offer a functional mental health assessment to look at how somebody’s mental health is impacting on their day-to-day life following that accident, life event or experience.
We do this in a kind, compassionate and sensitive way and can work all over the UK.
Our job is to meet the mental health needs of any client and to support them in improving their mental health and nurturing and protecting it moving forward.
We will also help them to overcome any barriers that are stopping them live their life in a way they want to do.
Case management
Because all of our WTS team are qualified to deal with individual case management services, we have immediate availability and have already started working with some leading companies.
We are looking forward to building relationships with more case management companies and will be offering a timely and personalised service that meets the needs of people who, perhaps otherwise, wouldn’t get the mental health support they need.
As a service, it’s quite unusual to offer occupational therapist services specifically for the mental health aspect of case management. It’s an emerging area of practice so we are really proud to be able to pick up those needs and support people in a way that maybe hasn’t been so readily available before.
Occupational Therapist Marjolein Cleaver has been working on one such case.
She explained: “I have working with a client, through case management, who has complex PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). They really felt that their roles in life both personally and professionally have been challenged after what happened to them.
Complex PTSD
“I have helped them look at their goals because they found it so painful to set new ones and were struggling to move forward. So, we gently explored goals first and then gently helped them work towards these goals.
“It’s about empowering the client to make decisions for themselves. It can feel very overwhelming for people with PTSD so we are trying to rebuild that lost confidence. We are trying to get out of the house, which is a big hurdle to overcome, going out and about in the local community and going to places they have not been for a while.
“They have also chosen a meaningful activity to focus on and that has been craft activities which will hopefully boost their mood.
“Wellbeing Therapy Solutions will then liaise back with the case management company and a few more things have been added in from the company because of the relationship I have built with them.
“We deal with the case in a hollistic way and don’t just focus on one thing. PTSD covers so many areas of our life which is not only related to mental health but also physical and motivational, as well as the ability to go places and do things.”
* Get in touch to find out more about Wellbeing Therapy Solutions case management offer.
Many of us sense a shift as the seasons change, whether this be in our energy levels, sleep pattern, appetite or a change in routine.
Weather has certainly been a regular news topic in the UK over recent weeks.
It’s not unusual for people to find that a particular season has a noticeable effect on their wellbeing.
Many of us sense a shift as the seasons change, whether this be in our energy levels, sleep pattern, appetite or a change in routine.
How we think about a season definitely impacts how we experience it.
Late summer
Late summer is viewed as a separate season in traditional Chinese medicine, a time when a shift takes place from more outward and strong energy (Yang) to the more inward energy of autumn and winter (Yin).
Therefore, it may be a helpful time to hit the ‘reset’ button and reflect on your wellbeing needs.
🍃 What habits are serving you well & can be carried forward? Are there any habits it would be helpful to adjust in preparation for the months ahead?
🍃 How is your sleep? Recent weather may have impacted your sleep routine. Is there anything that can be tweaked in your sleep environment to assist with sleep? For example, consider light levels, textures, temperature or relaxing smells.
Yoga can help
🍃 If you are finding things stressful, finding ways to be more present in your body through gentle movement can help – Qi Gong, Yoga, Tai Chi, and walking are some examples.
🍃 Autumn often brings a change in routine due to school and university terms beginning. What will help with this? Are there things you can pre-prepare and plan for, such as meals? Does it help to write down your routine using a planner, app or whiteboard?
🍃 Are there any dates or seasonal events coming up that you find difficult? How can you practice self compassion during these times? This may involve setting boundaries or doing something enjoyable, with others or just for you.
🍃 Finally, can you introduce more mindful practice into your routine? This could involve engaging in mindfulness when outside (noticing sounds, observing colours and how these are changing, what smells are in the air) as a way to notice and appreciate seasonal changes.
Almost two million small business owners in the UK may be facing mental health issues after the effect that Covid lockdowns had on their business.
Close to 2 million small business owners in the UK may have seen their mental health decline in the wake of Covid.
That is an astonishing number of people but, from the work we have been doing at Wellbeing Therapy Solutions over the past 18 months, I am hardly surprised.
That figure has been reached following a report put together by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) who conducted a survey of 1,000 business owners. It found that a third (34%) said their mental health had declined as a result of the pandemic.
If those percentages are applied to the Government figures which state there are 5.5 million small business owners in the UK, there would be 1.8M of those who have seen their mental health suffer during the Covid19 outbreak.
Looking back at what we had to endure as a country, it’s no surprise that people suffered when trying to run a business.
Lockdowns
Lockdowns and uncertainties were commonplace and that was far from an ideal foundation to conduct business from.
The FSB report also highlighted a ‘late payment culture’ which became prevalent and hung around for far too long afterwards.
Speaking with friends as the restrictions of the pandemic died down, many in full-time employment were grateful of the apparent security blanket of furlough or a guaranteed wage while working for a big company or in the public sector.
But it was a different case for owners of small businesses who had no idea what was coming next and no idea when their next pay day was coming from as much of industry and the economy ground to a halt.
Mental health conditions
Then, when things picked up again, subsequent lockdowns made day-to-day operations extremely hard to manage and plan for.
One in four in the FSB survey reported that they still, to this day, have a mental health condition such as anxiety, depression or post-traumatic stress and very few have said they managed to take advantage of workplace health support offered by the Government.
They were also managing members of staff who were off with Covid19. While that may have been an easier hit to take for companies with hundreds of employees, you can imagine the effect it may have had on businesses with only a handful of employees.
Figures suggest that 400,000 small businesses are still under threat because of the hit they took during the pandemic.
Business owners
Yet while business owners have clearly had it tough during the past two years, those that have managed to get through that spell and remain in business will have built up plenty of resilience as individuals and as company owners.
They may also have been forced to innovate and find ways to develop their business or move it in directions they were not expecting. These could have made the business more agile and less likely to fall victim to any future unexpected scenarios, heaven forbid.
Wellbeing Therapy Solutions have a range of services to help both individuals, groups and workplaces if they would like to learn more about mental health and techniques to build up resilience against the many challenges life can throw at us.
