Navigating The Menopause Maze

10/10/2026

The Wisdom in Letting Go 🌊➡️🌳

This time next week, the boxes will be loaded, the doors to Sea Breeze will close, and a brand new chapter will officially begin for me.

If you had told me a few months ago that I would be packing up the house I’ve called home for the last four and a half years to move to Barnet Hill, I’m not sure I would have believed you.

But lately, I’ve been diving into my Philosophy course lessons, and the very first lesson asked a deceptively simple question: “What would a wise person do?”

The honest answer was acknowledging that holding onto a space where the energy had become heavy and draining was no longer serving my health, my peace, or my future. True wisdom meant choosing myself.

The moment I admitted that and let go of the old plan, the universe answered back with perfect kismet. My son suggested a house share for the next year, and for the first time in a long time, I didn't hesitate. My gut just knew.

The last eight months have been an intense, exhausting crash course in boundaries, pattern recognition, a realisation that my relationship had been built on a foundation of lies, and most importantly learning who I really am when the noise is stripped away.

I am walking away from this experience feeling incredibly grounded, deeply rooted in my values, and genuinely positive about what lies ahead. It's not about everything being perfect; it’s about the quiet strength that comes from knowing you can navigate the storm and walk out the other side fully in your own truth.

My first month in North London (actually Hertfordshire darling lol), is going to be all about getting my bearings, and focusing heavily on my passion project: Navigating The Menopause Maze 🩷🩷🩷

There is a massive mix of excitement and a little bit of "eeeek!" in my chest right now, but mostly, I just feel remarkably light.

Here’s to fresh starts, absolute integrity, and trusting the journey.

Next stop: The Golden Corridor! 🥂✨

09/10/2026

09/10/2026

🔎 What My Body Knew Before My Mind Did!

Over the last few days, I've had a realisation that feels both simple and incredibly profound.

Six years ago, I wasn't the woman I am today.

I didn't know what I know now.

I didn't understand nervous system regulation.

I didn't understand hypervigilance.

I didn't understand how chronic stress can affect our health, our menopause symptoms, our confidence, and even our ability to trust ourselves.

I didn't understand relationship compatibility in the way I do now.

For a long time, I thought the goal was to find someone who felt safe and not chaotic.

Now I think it's more about recognising much earlier when something isn't right for you.

Not because someone is a bad person.

Not because either of you are wrong.

But because sometimes two people think and move through the world in fundamentally different ways which are a mismatch ultimately.

One of the biggest lessons I've learned is that our bodies often know long before our minds catch up.

Looking back, there were signs:

✨ Being shut down when anything emotional or deep needed discussion

✨ Constant second guessing

✨ Feeling I was always bracing for something to happen

✨ Hypervigilance

✨ Feeling exhausted but not knowing why

✨ Losing connection with my own instincts

✨ Feeling relief whenever I stepped away from the situation

✨ Being lonelier in the relationship than after it ended

At the time, I ignored most of it because I was busy trying to make things work and just get through life and manage my menopause symptoms.

Today, my body feels as though it's letting go of six years of tension and stress.

And what surprises me most isn't the sadness.

IT'S THE RELIEF!

The deep, quiet relief that comes when your nervous system finally realises:
"Whatever happens next, I'm safe."

As I prepare for my next chapter, moving home, building my business, writing, supporting women, and creating a life that feels more aligned with who I am today, I'm incredibly grateful for everything this journey has taught me.

Not because it was easy. But because it changed me.

If there's one thing I'd say to anyone reading this, it's this:

🗣️ Your body is constantly communicating with you.

🧠 Pay attention to how you feel around people.

🧘 Pay attention to what brings you peace.

😵‍💫 Pay attention to what creates confusion.

😊 Pay attention to what helps you feel more like yourself.

🦺 Pat attention to what makes you feel safe.

🧩 You don't have to have all the answers.

You only need to trust yourself enough to become curious when something doesn't feel right and not ignore the signs.

The older I get, the more I realise that self trust isn't something we're born with. It's something we build through lived experience, a willingness to look honestly at what isn't working, and the courage to make changes when we need to.

One decision, one lesson, and one brave step at a time. 💜

Love,

Lucie ###

06/10/2026

I've been listening to Patient Zero, Taylor Swift's new song, a lot this week, and it's made me think about how reality can slowly distort when you’re around certain behaviours.

It doesn’t have to be dramatic. Sometimes it’s a slow drip; tiny shifts that build over time. A bit like living inside The Matrix, where everything looks normal on the surface but the details never quite line up.

You start noticing things like:

Denials of things you clearly remember

Hiding things you can feel but aren’t shown

Stories that change depending on convenience

Behaviour that’s different when they think they won’t be seen

Partial truths that leave you unsure of your own instincts

Silences that feel strategic rather than accidental

Confusion that builds quietly over time

None of this is loud.
None of it is obvious.
But it bends your sense of reality in ways you don’t always notice until you step outside it.

As I prepare to move to North London to share a flat with my son for a year, I can look back and see these patterns clearly.

Not because anything was violent or dramatic, far from it (on the whole), but because the slow drip of distortion was still real and still running a script in the background.

And every time I stepped outside the situation, clarity returned. My instincts came back online. Life made sense again.

If any of this feels familiar, you’re not imagining it. You’re not alone.

There is support out there; from friends, from professionals, from people who’ve lived similar experiences and found their way back to clarity.

Stepping outside the distortion is where everything starts to make sense again and life can open up in ways you never imagined.

Love,

Lucie 🩷🩷🩷

03/10/2026

I don't always agree with his humour but interesting 🤔

03/10/2026

This guy just has a great way of explaining things! Get your partner, husband, friends and family to listen to this explanation of Menopause!

For some of us this time of transition is brutal, debilitating and so tough!

Sending so much love to all the beautiful Meno Warriors out there going through Menopause and Peri Menopause 🩷🩷🩷

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/19JxpRtcvP/

07/09/2026

Firsts!

I went for my first swim in years tonight. Eight lengths. And yes, I am celebrating every single one.

It might not sound like much to some people, but to a fifty six year old woman who is overweight, post menopausal, sometimes exhausted, dealing with eczema from daily Oestrogel, and who walked into a public swimming pool after work in her new cossie, it is a huge win.

The pool was noisy, the chlorine was strong, and the building has definitely seen better days. But none of that mattered. Because tonight was the start of the next chapter in my health journey, and I am genuinely proud of myself.

My muscles will probably complain tomorrow, so ibuprofen might be my evening companion along with magnesium, vitamin D, and calcium. The lifeguard told me any exercise is good, and he was right. Every step counts.

In the spirit of being real and authentic, here is me after leaving the pool. Tired. Red in the face. Hair scraped back. Not at all glamorous lol. But happy. Accomplished. And honestly a little emotional because it felt momentous.

If you are thinking about swimming or any other movement, please do not worry about your wobbly bits or who might be looking. People are too busy with their own lives and phones. The first steps are the hardest, but they are worth it. I felt like crying when I walked out because I finally chose myself.

Love,

Lucie 🩷🩷🩷

P.S - the other photo was my dinner post swim!

06/09/2026

Midlife Cheerleader

I am sat in Starbucks having a little break after joining the local Leisure Centre. Milestones deserve celebrating 🥳

And while I have been sitting here I realised something (my mind often wanders, not always to Jason Mamoa), we often say "do not judge me" to other people when we eat something considered naughty. A sausage bap. A chocolate bar. A piece of lemon cake. Whatever it is.

But what we should be saying is stop judging ME to ourselves.

Some days I follow my low histamine diet religiously, and other days I just want to eat for comfort or joy especially If it's been particularly stressful from a mental or emotional perspective. And that is fine.

These choices do not define my life.

They do not make me good or bad.

They are simply choices.

Obviously if we have health issues we need to be careful, but now and again it is fine to enjoy food.

As well as realising this morning that we all respond to exercise in different ways, I have realised I do not respond well to restriction when it comes to food. That's a huge revelation!

What works for one person might not work for you. You have to find your rhythm, your own vibe and your own way of living.

As anyone who knows me will tell you I experiment on myself like a true scientist.

Not in a dramatic Frankenstein laboratory type of way, and definitely not in an injecting botulinum into my face way (I have no problem if that's your thing, but I am fully embracing the aging process in all it's wrinkly glory).

I mean simple cause and effect.

If I eat something and my body reacts I pay attention.

If I feel tired I look at what I ate. (As well as... did I get outside today, have I had a break from the computer, have I spoken to people)

If I feel uncomfortable I look at what I chose.

If you feel awful after indulging in whatever food you might have enjoyed too much, that is not shame, that is data and information.

Your body is talking to you. If it makes you feel like one of these dwarfs from Snow White:

Grumpy
Happy
Sleepy
Bashful
Sneezy

Or the two additional Menopause Dwarfs:
Itchy and
Bitchy

Then it's trying to give you a message about what specific foods are doing to your body!

My Starbucks brunch looks like this. The latte was oat milk but the bap and cake are already having an effect. My skin has started itching and I feel bloated 🫪

That information I can now store and if I want to eat those again I know it will likely impact how I feel in the same way again. It's a choice ultimately.

And something else I have realised is that us midlife women need cheerleaders.

We need people who clap for our tiny wins and our experiments and our moments of clarity.

We need support from each other even if we are not getting that support from other areas in our lives.

Treat your body as a source of invaluable information not as a source of shame. Take notice!

And cheer each other on while we learn and navigate Mid life.

Love,
Lucie

Your Midlife Cheerleader
🩷🩷🩷

Threw a pic of Theo James in just because The Gentleman 2 was an incredible watch!

06/09/2026

Honouring My Body in Midlife and Beyond!

I have spent years feeling inadequate watching people jog, run marathons, do extreme sports, or live in the gym. The media often presents that as the only real version of fitness.

Meanwhile I have been dealing with menopause tiredness, deep fatigue, aching joints, and a nervous system that simply could not cope with anything remotely high impact.

But I wasn't failing. I was misaligned.

For the past eighteen months I have been doing stretches and my own Pilates at home. Quietly and consistently, in a way that suits my body, and without giving myself a hard time if I miss a day.

I know my core needs strengthening and my glutes and periformis muscles are weak. A physio explained this last year after I started to get back ache when I tried to walk for long periods of time, and it affects my ability to walk longer than about ten minutes at a time. Even with regular stretches recommended by the Physio, walking remains challenging, so I need a different approach.

During menopause it is completely normal for muscles and ligaments to feel weaker, tighter, or more sensitive. The drop in hormones affects the collagen in our connective tissues, which means everything can feel less springy and less supported.

Many women notice that their muscles fatigue more quickly, their ligaments feel stretched or unstable, and everyday movement becomes harder than it used to be.

This is not a personal failure. It is simply a natural change in the body that asks for gentler movement, more support, and exercises that build strength without strain.

So this morning I am heading to the leisure centre for a tour of the swimming pool and facilities because I have finally figured out what does work for me.

🏊 Swimming

💪 Pilates

🧘 Yoga

Movement that supports my joints, calms my nervous system, and does not excessively punish my body.

I am just waiting for my new swimming costume to arrive so I can get started properly.

The past six years have taught me exactly what does not work for me physically, emotionally, and relationally.

Not everyone enjoys the same exercise, and not every exercise works for all. It is the same with menopause symptoms. What supports one person may not support another.

That clarity has become the foundation for understanding what does work for me. Not shaping myself around anyone else’s preferences is the key to my exercise journey moving forward.

Exercise aligned with me, my pace, and what I enjoy.

🤔 Figure out what you enjoy

🩱 Figure out what supports your body

👟 Figure out what works for you

It is never too late to choose yourself.

AND It is never too late to move in a way that supports you and feels aligned with your body and the way that feels good for you.

🔗 Navigating the Menopause Maze https://navigatingthemenopausemaze.co.uk/

🔗NTMM Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/1335137930767319

🔗 Sheppey MMM Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/sheppeymenopausemeetandmingle/

🔗 Symptoms Tracker and Journal https://amzn.eu/d/57hU6yw

I am Lucie Green and NTMM was born from my own experiences with menopause which has been debilitating and challenging at times, due to the severity of the symptoms.

19/04/2026

🌞 Sunny Sunday Check In!

Hello beautiful people, and happy Sunday.

How are you feeling today; full of the joys of Spring, energetic, calm, tired, sad, happy, or somewhere in between?

I’m pottering and catching up with a few chores this morning. Definitely a drying the sheets outside kind of day.

It would be wonderful to hear in ONE WORD what your Sunday has in store for you 🩷🩷🩷