04/09/2026
Why do we wait for it to get worse?
I was talking to a woman recently who said something that has really stayed with me.
She hadn't thought her menopause symptoms were “bad enough” to consider HRT.
Then she'd heard me talking on a podcast about how women can sometimes feel they need to be on their knees before they're allowed to ask for support.
And it made her think differently.
But even after seeking help, comments from other people left her questioning herself again.
Did she really need it? Was she doing the right thing?
And I've been thinking about that ever since.
Because actually, I don't think this is just about HRT.
I think it's about the way so many of us approach menopause generally.
Menopause is natural.
And somehow I wonder if we've turned that into...
“So I should be able to cope with it.”
We push through the tiredness.
We work around the brain fog.
We accept waking up several times a night.
We tell ourselves the anxiety isn't that bad.
We keep carrying everything else we're already carrying.
And because we're still functioning, we decide we must be okay.
Or at least okay enough.
Other women have it worse.
Maybe I'm making too much of it.
Maybe I just need to get on with it.
I'll see how I go.
“I'll get some help if it gets worse.”
But why does it have to get worse?
Why do we feel we need to reach a certain level of struggling before we're allowed to do something that might make life a little easier?
And that support doesn't have to mean HRT.
It might be talking to your GP.
It might be asking for more support at home or at work.
It might be looking at your sleep, movement, nutrition or stress.
It might be HRT.
It might be coaching.
Or it might simply be understanding a bit more about what's happening and realising...
“Actually, I don't have to just put up with this.”
Menopause may be a natural transition.
That doesn't mean you have to grit your teeth and push through until things become unbearable.
Maybe instead of asking...
“Is it bad enough yet?”
we could ask:
“Could things feel better than they do now?”
And actually, this is a big part of why I run my Small Group Menopause Coaching Programme.
You don't need to arrive on your knees.
You don't need to have a particular set of symptoms.
You don't need to be taking HRT, or not taking HRT.
We start with where you are now, what's in your life backpack, and what might help make things feel a little easier.
My next small group starts online on Thursday 24th September, and there are still a few spaces available.
If you're reading this thinking “Hmm... maybe I don't need to wait for it to get worse”, send me a message.
We can have a chat. 💚
