Miércoles 30/04/2025
FOTO: Katarina Wolnik Vera
Texto: Sara Valls
What is menopause and how does it affect us?
Menopause is a stage that marks the end of menstruation and reproductive capacity. It is diagnosed when 12 consecutive months have passed without menstruation and usually occurs between the ages of 45 and 55. This process is related to a progressive decrease in female sex hormones, especially estrogens.
This hormonal change can cause a series of symptoms, both physical and emotional, including hot flashes, sleep disturbances, weight gain, fatigue, changes in skin and bone density (Vincent et al., 2023). At the physiological level, these are expected adaptations of the body to a new stage of life.
However, menopause is not only experienced as a biological change. It also has a strong social and emotional component. In a culture that values youth, fertility and certain aesthetic standards as symbols of success and beauty, going through menopause can lead many women to experience feelings of loss, insecurity or invisibility.
How does menopause impact body image and self-esteem?
Studies show that, during menopause, many women experience increased concern about their bodies and a more negative body image. Symptoms affect not only physically, but also emotionally, increasing vulnerability to anxiety, depression, or difficulties in relating to themselves (Vincent et al., 2023; O’Reilly et al., 2024). Recent research has shown that the more intense the symptoms such as hot flashes, mood swings or insomnia, the more difficult it becomes to maintain a positive body image.
In addition, several studies have found that as menopausal symptoms increase, body satisfaction decreases. Many women express that they no longer feel comfortable with their weight, their figure or how they look in front of the mirror. This feeling can lead to insecurity and cause you to question aspects of yourself that you were not as concerned about before.
As Janet, one of the participants in the O’Reilly et al (2024) study recounted:
“It’s not that I stopped having a social life as such, but it did have an impact on my relationships, on my self-esteem. The feeling of worthlessness was really strong.”
It is important to keep in mind that these changes are also affected by how we interpret and experience them. Cultural beliefs, beauty ideals and past experiences shape our perception of this stage. Some women describe it as a time of increased wisdom and connection with themselves, while others feel invisible, less attractive, or disconnected from their bodies (Vincent et al., 2023).
The role of “self-monitoring”: helpful or harmful?
Today there are multiple technologies to “monitor” the body. Applications to track symptoms, count steps, control weight or measure sleep.
These tools can help to understand certain processes, but they can also have the opposite effect.
A recent study shows that not using these technologies (“un-tracking”) during menopause helped many women to live their bodies in a kinder and more confident way. By no longer constantly monitoring themselves, women were able to reconnect with their body wisdom, accepting changes as part of a natural process, rather than seeing them as something to correct or control.
Excessive self-observation can increase the sense of failure or deficiency if that data does not match our expectations. On the other hand, taking a step back and listening to the body from intuition and acceptance helps to live this stage with more calm and better self-esteem.
Get ready for change
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Reconnect with your body from kindness
Your body is not a problem to be solved, it is your life partner. Instead of observing it only to look for faults, connect also with the sensations of strength, vitality or calm that are still present. Accepting the changes from the understanding and not from the demand can help you to live this stage in a freer and more respectful way with yourself.
Performing moderate aerobic exercise, such as brisk walking, swimming or cycling, at least three times a week, or combining it with strength training on a regular basis, can significantly improve mood, sleep quality, vitality and the perception of well-being. Even 8 to 12 weeks of training can already bring visible benefits at this stage (Trujillo-Muñoz et al.,2023).
It is not about demanding more, but about moving the body as an act of self-care, listening to your rhythms and needs.
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Let it run its course
It’s fine to seek relief if a symptom makes you very uncomfortable, but it’s not necessary to monitor every little change. Menopause is not something that needs to be corrected. Listening to your body with curiosity and without judgment can help you live this transition more calmly and freely.
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Share your experience
It is likely that others around you are going through similar stages. Opening up and sharing how you feel can be very enriching, especially when you do it in safe spaces where you are not judged, but listened to and validated.
Having a support network that sees beyond the symptoms, that values who you are at your core, is critical to strengthening self-esteem and building authentic and respectful relationships.
In addition, it is important to remember that if you are experiencing persistent emotional discomfort such as a very negative body perception or a sense of disconnection with yourself, seeking psychological help is not only valid, but necessary. Menopause and hormonal changes can act as triggers or aggravators of eating disorders (EDs). Asking for professional support can make a big difference, not only in preventing the development or relapse of an ED, but also in regaining emotional balance and reconnecting with your body from a more compassionate place.
References:
- De Boer, M., Hendriks, M., Krahmer, E., Slatman, J., & Bol, N. (2023). Un-tracking menopause: How not using self-tracking technologies mediates women’s self-experiences in menopause. Health An Interdisciplinary Journal For The Social Study Of Health Illness And Medicine, 28(5), 653-672. https://doi.org/10.1177/13634593231204171
- O’Reilly, K., McDermid, F., McInnes, S., & Peters, K. (2023). “I was just a shell”: Mental health concerns for women in perimenopause and menopause. International Journal Of Mental Health Nursing, 33(3), 693-702. https://doi.org/10.1111/inm.13271
- Trujillo-Muñoz, P. J., Sánchez-Ojeda, M. A., Rodríguez-Huamán, E. C., Mezyani-Haddu, K., Hoyo-Guillot, I., & Navarro-Prado, S. (2025). Effects of Physical Exercise on Symptoms and Quality of Life in Women in Climacteric: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Healthcare, 13(6), 644. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13060644.
- Vincent, C., Alexandra, M. B., Denis Prud’homme, Olson, V., & Giroux, I. (2023). Associations between menopause and body image: A systematic review. Womens Health (Lond Engl), 19, 17455057231209536. https://10.1177/17455057231209536