Written By the Happiness 360 Editorial Team
Editor’s Note
At Happiness 360®, we believe menopause isn’t an ending — it’s a transformation. Through the lens of Fearless Listening®, it becomes not a decline to dread but a chapter the body has been preparing for all along. Yet too often, preparation never comes. Cultures that once honored this threshold with rituals of strength and wisdom have gone quiet, leaving women unready for the most significant hormonal shift of their lives.
This piece in our Cycles Unspoken series explores what you can do long before menopause arrives — the actions you didn’t think mattered now, but will mean everything later.
Why Thinking “That’s Future Me’s Problem” Costs You Later
Most women in their 20s or 30s don’t spend much time thinking about menopause. But waiting until hot flashes or insomnia arrive is like ignoring a storm until the roof caves in.
Perimenopause — the hormonal transition that begins years before periods end — already reshapes bones, hearts, and brains. Ignoring these signals doesn’t make them disappear; it just makes the landing harder.
Your Bones Are Listening
In Japan, strong bones were once linked to vitality and resilience — a sign of how well you’d age. Science now shows why: estrogen fuels osteoblasts, the cells that build new bone. When estrogen declines, bone density begins to erode, often years before osteoporosis is diagnosed.
One of our contributors, Sofia, remembered how her grandmother in Greece used to say: “The way you care for your bones when you are young will decide how you walk in old age.” At the time, she laughed it off. Now, she realizes her grandmother was right. What sounded like folklore is what science confirms: the habits we build in our 20s and 30s shape the ease of our transition decades later.
What you can do now: Weight-bearing exercise, calcium-rich foods (leafy greens, nuts, fish), and early bone density testing can protect the foundation you’ll stand on for decades.
Your Heart Keeps Score
Brazilian women often describe midlife as the season of “rebalancing the heart.” They’re right. Estrogen helps keep arteries flexible and supports “good” HDL cholesterol. When levels drop, cardiovascular risks climb.
What you can do now: Swap processed foods for omega-3-rich ones (salmon, flaxseeds, walnuts), keep moving, and track cholesterol with your doctor. Protecting your heart before perimenopause is the difference between resilience and risk.
Your Mind Feels the Shift
In Ayurveda, menopause has long been linked to shifts in ojas — the subtle energy that governs mood and clarity. Modern neuroscience shows estrogen’s direct influence on serotonin, dopamine, and GABA, the neurotransmitters shaping mood and focus. No wonder brain fog, irritability, or anxiety creep in as hormones decline.
What you can do now: Invest in mental health practices before you need them — yoga, breathwork, therapy, and connection with loved ones. Herbs like brahmi (when guided by a practitioner) can support clarity, but self-care routines and social support are the true scaffolding.
Your Pelvic Floor Matters More Than You Think
Indigenous communities often taught pelvic strength as part of women’s rites, knowing it sustained dignity and health. Today, we dismiss it until leakage becomes unavoidable. Declining estrogen weakens pelvic tissue, making incontinence common.
What you can do now: Daily pelvic floor exercises, bladder training, and body awareness aren’t just preventative — they’re liberating.
Your Metabolism Doesn’t Forget
In Chinese medicine, midlife weight shifts were seen as qi redistributing. Science shows it’s estrogen’s influence on fat distribution: from hips and thighs pre-menopause to the abdomen after. Lower estrogen also slows metabolism, making weight gain more likely.
What you can do now: Prioritize strength training. Muscle burns more calories at rest than fat and supports long-term metabolic health. Pair this with balanced nutrition and mindful movement.
Listening Now, Easing Later
Menopause is not a sudden collapse but a long-prepared passage. By listening earlier — as Sofia’s grandmother advised — we protect our future selves.
Fearless Listening® asks us to treat today’s choices not as small habits, but as messages to the women we are becoming. When we practice this, menopause stops being an ambush. It becomes what cultures worldwide once honored: a threshold into wisdom, vitality, and power.
About the Happiness 360 Editorial Team: the H360 Editorial team researches evidence-based fitness and wellness approaches, focusing on sustainable, individualized strategies that go beyond oversimplified categorizations.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical or fitness advice. Consult qualified exercise professionals and healthcare providers before starting any new exercise program, especially if you have health conditions or injuries. Read our full disclaimer →
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