There aren’t many people who look forward to menopause. The mood swings, brain fog, and hot flashes leave much to be desired. It’s not all bad though. If you have survived this far, you likely have a lot of wisdom to show for it. And, quite possibly, that wisdom can help you to see a silver lining in unlikely places. Here are some of the perks (yes, there are some) of menopause.

1. Changing Health Needs

Menopause is there to remind you that you need to start taking a closer look at your health. Yes, your health is something you should always be concerned about. But as you age, your needs change. Instead of worrying about birth control, it may be time to start thinking about hormone therapy. Menopause is just a friendly reminder that your needs are changing so that you can take the appropriate action.

2. Accepting Help

The hormonal shifts of menopause can cause many symptoms, one of which is brain fog. This just means that you may find yourself more forgetful and easily distracted then you were before. You may begin to find that multitasking is difficult. But let’s be honest: who wants to multitask, anyway? Multitasking simply means that you are too busy to do one thing at a time. Now is the time to let others take up some of the slack. Don’t be afraid to ask friends and family to help you out. Allowing people to help you out can get things done faster.

3. Managing Your Time

When you give up multitasking, you are forced to manage your time better. You have to focus on what your priorities are, rather than trying to do everything. The truth is, only about 20% of what you do really makes a difference in how productive you are anyway. Now is the time to

4. Relating to Your Kids

If you have teens, then you know all about the hormonal roller coaster of emotions. And if you are going through menopause, then chance are good, you are experiencing those same raging emotions. Mood swings can be part of the territory. While it can be difficult, the upside is that you are better able to understand what your children are experiencing. This can make you a more empathetic parent.

5. Re-evaluate Your Career

As you focus on managing your time to become more productive and eliminating things that are not essential, you may also find that you want to change your career. You are likely to have another 20 years or so in the world of work. Make sure you are doing what suits you best. That job that you picked in your 20s may not be the best fit for a more mature you who knows more about herself. You are better suited now to choose a career that takes advantage of your strengths. You have learned from many mistakes over the course of your lifetime and are now in a prime position to make use of your hard-earned knowledge.

6. Re-evaluating Your Life

Just as you are likely to re-evaluate your career to make the best use of your life experiences so that you can be more productive at work, so too might you re-evaluate your life. What do you want to do that you haven’t done yet? How might you streamline your life to gain more efficiency? What are the things that really matter to you and what can you remove from your life to make more space for the important things? Many people find that they wish to give more time to family, friends, and experiences than to things.

Menopause can be a difficult time, but it does not have to be all bad. It can be a time to reflect on your life to make choices that will carry you through the next stage of your life. Apply for a complimentary Menopause Breakthrough Session to get you started on this exciting new phase of your life.