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8 Ways to Prioritize Self-Care During Menopause (and Why That’s So Important)
These practices put your mental and physical wellbeing first during this chapter.
By Kathleen Felton•
Why Self-Care Is So Important During Menopause
How to Take Care of Yourself Physically During Menopause
How to Mentally Nurture Yourself During Menopause
The Takeaway
Carving out space for self-care is always a good thing for your mind and body. But if you’re going through menopause—the official end of your menstrual periods and reproductive years—self-care becomes even more critical. “Menopause brings a lot of changes, so self-care really matters,” says Navya Mysore, MD, a primary care physician and women’s health expert.
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Here, find everything you need to know to nourish your mind and take care of yourself physically during this shift—plus, learn why self-care during menopause is so essential for your overall health.
Why Self-Care Is So Important During Menopause
The major hormone changes associated with menopause actually begin in perimenopause, the stage leading up to the end of your period. As your ovaries start gradually making less estrogen, you may experience a range of symptoms, including hot flashes, mood swings, and sleep problems, Dr. Mysore says.
This means that menopause and perimenopause “are incredibly important times to focus on diet, exercise, sleep, stress reduction, and symptoms specific to hormonal changes,” says Alyssa Dweck, MD, a board-certified gynecologist, Chief Medical Officer of Bonafide Health, and a Menopause Society Certified Practitioner.
These years represent a major transition for people, Dr. Dweck adds—with an emphasis on years. You can be in perimenopause for a few months or many years, and it can start up to 10 years before you’re in menopause, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
The hormonal changes you experience throughout this chapter can be “complex,” says Mindy Goldman, MD, an OB/GYN and Chief Clinical Officer at Midi Health. Some may feel exciting and empowering; others may be uncomfortable and frustrating. But making sure you’re filling your cup with a regular self-care practice can help you navigate these changes, experts say. “[Self-care] helps you handle [symptoms] while keeping your bones, heart, and mind healthy for the long run,” Dr. Mysore adds.
What’s more, as you transition through menopause, you’re also aging, which presents risks of its own, such as higher odds of developing health conditions like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and certain cancers. This makes a focus on health and wellbeing especially critical during menopause.
“Self-care practices can lower risk of disease and improve day-to-day quality of life during this window of vulnerability,” Dr. Dweck says.
How to Take Care of Yourself Physically During Menopause
You’ve probably heard of hot flashes, a well-known menopause symptom that involves suddenly feeling intense heat in your upper body. But you can experience a range of physical symptoms during the menopause transition, including sleep issues, physical changes, and insulin resistance, Dr. Goldman says. The self-care strategies below can help you manage symptoms like these as well as strengthen your overall physical health.
1. Stick with Your Fitness Routine
It can be harder to get motivated when you’re not feeling like yourself. But all the experts we spoke to stressed the importance of having a fitness routine during the perimenopausal transition. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends regular exercise to prevent bone loss and improve overall health, suggesting a mix of strength training, balance training like yoga and tai chi, and weight-bearing exercise such as walking and running.
“Walking, yoga, aerobic exercise, and strength training have all been shown to be beneficial for everything from bone health to heart health, to cancer prevention, neuroplasticity, and oxidative stress,” Dr. Goldman says. A recent systematic review in the journal Osteoporosis International found exercise to have a positive effect on bone mineral density in postmenopausal women, as one example.
The official Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommend aiming for about 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise a week, including two days of muscle-building activity. But if that’s not always realistic, as much as you can fit in is better than no exercise at all. Even a modest amount of exercise “can boost your mood and protect against bone loss,” Dr. Goldman says.
Not sure where to get started? The Peloton App has thousands of motivational, instructor-led classes that make movement easy, from yoga to weighted vest walks to strength training and more.
2. Try to Eat a Well-Rounded Diet
There’s no single diet recommended for perimenopause, and all foods can fit in a balanced diet. But Dr. Goldman and Dr. Dweck both point out that a Mediterranean-inspired diet (which emphasizes fruits, vegetables, healthy fats, whole grains, and lean proteins) may help address many nutritional needs during this time.
Some research supports this style of eating as being especially beneficial for perimenopausal people. A 2024 systematic review in the journal AIMS Public Health observed that a Mediterranean diet helped menopausal women manage weight, keep blood pressure under control, and improve triglycerides and total cholesterol. And in a large Australian study from 2013 in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers observed that women who consumed a Mediterranean-style diet had a lower risk of reporting hot flashes and night sweats compared to those who ate high-fat or high-sugar diets.
“The Mediterranean diet is cardioprotective, low-glycemic, and generally recommended for overall health and wellness during the menopause transition and beyond,” Dr. Dweck says. “It has also been associated with longevity.”
3. Get Plenty of Sleep
Granted, falling asleep is easier said than done when you’re experiencing night sweats or insomnia: Sleep disruptions affect around half of women going through menopause, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. But despite how tricky it can be to actually get those Zzzs, “optimizing sleep duration and quality with sleep hygiene is key” during the perimenopausal years, Dr. Dweck says. Not only can lack of sleep affect your mood and energy levels, it may actually make some menopause symptoms like hot flashes worse, science suggests—for example, research from 2015 found that women with insomnia experience more night sweats.
Your sleep self-care might involve a mix of strategies—the National Institute on Aging recommends following a regular sleep schedule with a consistent bedtime routine, avoiding screens before bed, and skipping caffeine and alcohol at nighttime. Setting your thermostat to a cooler temperature and investing in pajamas made of breathable fabrics like linen can help too.
Your practitioner might also recommend medications to address symptoms that are preventing you from clocking the sleep you need, such as certain antidepressants to tackle night sweats.
4. Find a Doctor You Trust
Speaking of practitioners: There’s (rightfully) a lot of emphasis on finding an OB/GYN or midwife you really click with during the reproductive years. But it’s equally essential to have someone you’re comfortable with as you navigate the menopause transition.
“Chronic disease prevention and management become incredibly important in this stage of life,” Dr. Goldman says. “It’s important to have a compassionate and educated medical provider who can recommend the best treatments and screenings for you.”
Your healthcare provider will help you wade through any scans, labs, and tests you may need during this time, as well as any recommended treatments to help you manage symptoms. Depending on what’s right for you, they may suggest hormone therapy (taking estrogen and possibly also progestin), antidepressants, selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs), or some anti-seizure medications, all of which have been shown to improve hot flashes.

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How to Mentally Nurture Yourself During Menopause
The hormone changes that kick off during perimenopause can also affect your mental health. Around 40 percent of women experience mood symptoms during this period that resemble PMS (aka premenstrual syndrome), according to ACOG, and depression and anxiety may become more common too. Here are a few recommended menopause self-care strategies for promoting mental wellbeing throughout this chapter.
5. Practice Mindfulness Techniques
Mindfulness practices such as breathwork can be “incredibly helpful” for people experiencing perimenopausal symptoms, Dr. Goldman says. Not only can breathwork, meditation, yoga, and similar mindfulness techniques help you better manage day-to-day stress, but they may also help alleviate some symptoms you’re experiencing. For example, some research from 2013 has found that slow, deep diaphragmatic breathing may have a positive effect on hot flashes.
6. Ask Your Practitioner About CBT
There’s been compelling research to suggest that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), a form of therapy that involves changing negative thought patterns, can help address certain menopause symptoms. In fact, The Menopause Society now recommends CBT as one available non-hormone treatment option for hot flashes and night sweats, and research has also found that it may help insomnia. If you’d like to learn more, the American Psychological Association (APA) has a psychologist locator tool you can use to find a therapist near you.
7. Build—and Stay Connected with—Community
Although awareness about menopause is increasing, it hasn’t always been a topic that people who go through it feel comfortable talking openly about. But having a support network during this time is crucial for your wellbeing, Dr. Dweck says, whether that’s family, friends, or organized community groups.
Staying connected to others, especially if they know what you’re going through, can be powerful—and may actually help ease symptoms. One 2024 study in the Journal of Mid-Life Health, for example, found that menopausal women in rural India who reported higher levels of social support also experienced less severe menopause symptoms.
Ask your practitioner about local communities and resources that you can connect with. “With the right care and community, the menopausal transition can be empowering, even exciting,” Dr. Goldman says.
8. Give Yourself Grace
Finally, remember that your body and emotions are going through significant changes during the perimenopausal period, Dr. Mysore points out. It’s important to give yourself grace as you navigate this shift, and that might include setting boundaries when you need to and speaking to yourself with kindness. “Be patient with yourself, avoid perfectionism, and prioritize self-care without guilt,” she says.
The Takeaway
Self-care strategies can help improve quality of life during the perimenopausal transition, experts say, and they’re an important tool as you navigate this shift. “Implementing self-care strategies is essential,” Dr. Goldman says. Most importantly, make sure you seek care for any uncomfortable symptoms you’re experiencing. Menopause is a natural stage of life, but it can take years—and you don’t need to simply endure symptoms during this time. “There are many safe, effective interventions that work,” Dr. Goldman says, “from lifestyle interventions like nutrition, meditation, improving sleep and exercise to hormone replacement therapy and other non-hormonal medications.” As always, talk to your healthcare provider for more recommendations unique to you.
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This content is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute individualized advice. It is not intended to replace professional medical evaluation, diagnosis, or treatment. Seek the advice of your physician for questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition. If you are having a medical emergency, call your physician or 911 immediately.
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