Self-Compassion During Menopause - with Clinical Psychologist Dr Ella Woods
🤍 Self-compassion during perimenopause is not a luxury. It's a necessity.
Perimenopause can leave many women feeling emotionally dysregulated in ways that are difficult to explain and even harder to manage. And in those moments, the inner critic often gets louder, not quieter.
Dr. Ella Woods explains why that pattern is worth paying close attention to.
The brain does not distinguish between self-criticism and criticism from someone else. Both trigger a fight-or-flight response. Both raise cortisol levels. Both increase stress. Which means the way you speak to yourself during this phase has a direct and measurable impact on how your nervous system responds.
Self-compassion is the antidote. And it is built on three things: self-kindness, mindfulness, and the recognition that you are not alone in what you are experiencing.
It is also a skill, not a personality trait. Like any muscle, it becomes stronger and more accessible the more consistently it is practised.
If you have ever felt like being kind to yourself was somehow self-indulgent, brain science would respectfully disagree.
How do you tend to speak to yourself when perimenopause feels particularly difficult?
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