Is menopause the beginning of the end or is it just part of the rhythm of life that should be celebrated? In this article, we make a case for why all it takes to enjoy this stage is to learn how to dance through it.
Menopause arrives like an uninvited guest, bringing hot flashes, mood swings, and sleepless nights that can make even the strongest women feel overwhelmed and out of control.
But what if we've been looking at menopause all wrong?
What if, instead of viewing it as something to endure, we approached it as a dance, a new rhythm of life with its own unique movements and opportunities for growth? This is the empowering perspective offered by author Betty Johansen in her latest non-fiction work, Dancing Through Menopause.
In this in-depth piece, we discuss some of her insights along with current studies on the stigma surrounding menopause and why it's probably unwarranted.
Recent research reveals a troubling reality: 65% of women experience negative psychological feelings due to menopause. These include anxiety (41%), depression (33%), embarrassment (24%), and shame (11%). This psychological burden often goes unacknowledged, with many women suffering in silence.
"I've seen how the stigma surrounding menopause creates a culture of silence that prevents many women from seeking the support they need," says Johansen. "As a result, they struggle alone with symptoms that could be managed more effectively with proper guidance and community support."
The professional impact of menopause is equally concerning. About 36% of women experience negative effects in the workplace during menopause, ranging from reduced productivity to outright discrimination. Only 24% feel comfortable discussing their symptoms with their managers, and 57% believe women are not well supported at work during this transition.
These statistics paint a clear picture: menopause isn’t just a personal health issue. It is a social and professional challenge that requires greater awareness and accommodation.
The broader societal view of menopause remains problematic. Only 25% of people think menopause is portrayed positively in society, and 66% believe that menopause symptoms are often not taken seriously. This dismissive attitude compounds the struggle, making women feel that their experiences are invalid or exaggerated.
While some women navigate menopause with minimal disruption, it's important to recognize that 1 in 4 women experience severely debilitating symptoms that significantly impact their quality of life.
At the heart of menopause is a significant shift in hormone production, particularly estrogen and progesterone. This is why menopause symptoms can range from hot flashes to mood changes to cognitive issues.
During perimenopause, hormone levels fluctuate wildly before eventually declining. These fluctuations explain why you might feel fine one day and completely overwhelmed the next.
What’s often overlooked is how these hormonal changes affect brain chemistry. Estrogen plays a crucial role in neurotransmitter function, which helps explain the brain fog, memory lapses, and mood swings you might be experiencing.
Hot flashes, experienced by up to 80% of menopausal women, occur when declining estrogen levels affect the body's temperature regulation system. The brain’s hypothalamus becomes more sensitive, triggering sudden heat and flushing sensations that can leave one drenched in sweat.
Weight gain during this time is another common concern, but it’s not just about calories. Hormonal changes alter how the body stores fat, typically shifting storage from the hips and thighs to the abdomen.
Furthermore, the connection between sleep disruption and weight gain creates a challenging cycle. Night sweats and insomnia lead to fatigue, which can trigger stress eating and reduce physical activity.
Many women find that the diet and exercise approaches that worked well throughout their lives suddenly become ineffective during menopause.
The decline in muscle mass that often accompanies menopause (known as sarcopenia) means fewer calories are burned at rest. This explains why the same diet that maintained weight in one’s 30s may lead to weight gain in the 50s.
The body’s response to stress also changes dramatically during this transition. The same stressors that may have been handled easily before can now trigger more profound physical and emotional responses. As a result, stress management becomes an even more critical component of overall health during this stage of life.
The emotional changes during menopause are just as real as the physical ones.
Fluctuating hormones affect neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, which regulate mood. This biological factor, combined with the psychological impact of a major life transition, creates what many women describe as an emotional rollercoaster.
Many women report not recognizing themselves emotionally during menopause. Irritability, anxiety, or sadness may appear seemingly out of nowhere. Acknowledging these feelings as a natural part of the transition is a crucial step toward emotional wellness.
Unfortunately, the emotional aspects of menopause are often dismissed or minimized in medical settings. This creates a gap in care that leaves many women feeling unsupported. Experts strongly encourage seeking out providers who validate and address both the physical and emotional dimensions of the menopausal experience.
Throughout history and across many cultures, post-menopausal women have been revered as wise elders, valued for their perspective and experience. This view stands in stark contrast to modern Western culture’s youth-obsessed mindset, which often frames menopause merely as a loss of fertility and youth.
Remarkable transformations have been observed when women begin to see menopause as a gateway to wisdom and insight. Research supports this perspective. Women who view menopause positively report fewer physical symptoms and greater psychological well-being than those who approach it with dread or resistance.
Menopause often coincides with other significant life transitions, such as children leaving home, career peaks or shifts, or changes in partnership dynamics. Many women discover passions and pursuits during this time that they did not have the opportunity to explore during their child-raising or career-building years.
Setting goals specific to physical well-being becomes especially important during this stage. Rather than focusing on appearance-based goals that may have been motivating in the past, experts encourage setting objectives centered on strength, energy, and vitality. Women are invited to ask themselves, "What would make me feel powerful in this body, exactly as it is today?" and then take small, consistent steps toward that vision.
Identity shifts during menopause extend far beyond hormonal changes. Women often experience an evolution in how they see themselves and how society perceives them. This transition frequently involves letting go while also embracing new aspects of identity.
Cultural messages about aging women can present challenges to this evolving sense of self. Experts encourage actively seeking positive representations of post-menopausal women in media, literature, and real-life role models. Surrounding oneself with images and stories that expand the vision of what this life stage can be, rather than limiting it, can make a meaningful difference.
The key to dancing through menopause lies not in perfect execution but in finding a rhythm, one that honors both the challenges and the emerging wisdom. With knowledge, support, and self-compassion, any woman can move through this transition not just with grace but with genuine joy.
"The dance of menopause has its challenging movements: the quick steps of hot flashes, the unexpected turns of mood shifts, the slow stretches of insomnia," says Johansen. "But like any dance, it also offers grace, beauty, and the joy of mastery as you learn its rhythms."
