What a delight to have been interviewed for the December issue of Woman & Home’s ‘FEEL GOOD YOU’ magazine. I had such a great conversation with freelance writer, Karen Evennett, which resulted in my story of becoming a midlife transition coach and setting up menogo being published. Here’s the full article:
I PUT THE ‘ME’ INTO MENOPAUSE
Following her own experience, Lynda Brown, 55, from Bournemouth, became a midlife transition coach helping other women embrace this time of life.
‘My first obvious sign of menopause – a hot flush – hit me on Boxing Day 2016. I’d just turned 49, and was out for lunch with my parents when it engulfed me. It was a nasty shock – especially as I’d spent the last 12 months dreading my 49th birthday, knowing 50 was coming next.
‘Soon to follow was a washing machine of swirling symptoms – anxiety, low self-esteem, and weight gain – and they all came at once! But, instead of wallowing in the awfulness of it all, I realised I had a choice. Yes, 50 was looming, but my life was far from over. Although I’d been dreading being that age, and had quite honestly been in denial about menopause, this was just the nudge I needed to take life by the horns and make the most of my next 50 years.
‘So, I spent New Year’s Day reflecting on what I wanted to achieve and put all my plans together on a poster-sized board that I displayed on an easel like a piece of art. I cut up magazines and stuck words like flexibility, courage and adventure on the board – and, sure enough, I soon found myself making more courageous and adventurous decisions.
‘I immersed myself in the research around HRT and natural alternatives, tried both, and finally stuck with a mix of the two: a Mirena coil for progestogen, together with a low dose oestrogen gel and a diet rich in flaxseeds, soya yogurts and regular portions of tofu.
‘With my symptoms under control, and feeling like me again, I was ready for a new beginning. My life coaching business menogo.co.uk launched on my 50th birthday. To celebrate, I sent special thank you cards to 50 people who – however unknowingly – had given me the advice, nudges and kicks I’d needed to reach this point. I dug out addresses of old friends and colleagues and wrote to my old school and sports’ clubs to have cards forwarded on to inspirational teachers and coaches.
‘My career in marketing, the coaching qualifications I’d worked for in my spare time, and the knowledge and wisdom I’d accumulated over the decades had all led me to this point. But I couldn’t have done it without the support of all those people who’d believed in me.
‘Now, with menogo, I am able to do the same for other women – inspiring them to embrace self-awareness and self-love for the best second half of their life they could possibly have.’
WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO PUT THE ‘ME’ INTO YOUR MENOPAUSE?
