Why Wait Until Menopause to Figure It Out?
By Lindsay Randerson – Women’s Health Coach & Holistic Therapist
I’ve spent years working closely with women at all stages of life, from high-performing entrepreneurs to overwhelmed mothers, and every version in between. And one pattern I see time and time again? We wait until things get uncomfortable, until symptoms are undeniable, before we start asking questions. By the time most women even say the word “menopause,” they’re already deep in the fog of it, trying to make sense of their changing bodies while still holding everything else together at home and in the workplace.
But here’s the truth: menopause doesn’t begin at 50. It’s a continuum that starts years, even decades before that. The subtle shifts often begin in our 30s and 40s. In fact, even earlier, we’re already navigating hormonal ebbs and flows through PMS, PCOS, Endometriosis, fertility challenges, postpartum depletion and all the silent battles we’ve been conditioned to normalize or ignore.
So why do we treat menopause like it’s an unexpected visitor?
We prep for pregnancy. We plan for retirement. But we don’t plan for the massive hormonal and energetic shift that is guaranteed to happen to every woman.
Future-Proofing Menopause Starts Now
Imagine if we saw menopause not as a breakdown, but a transition of power. A phase we could meet with awareness, vitality, and resilience. But to do that, we need to stop thinking of it as an isolated “event” and start looking at it as part of our hormonal story, one which is shared with our teenage daughters and sons
Future-proofing menopause means:
- Getting curious about our hormonal health before symptoms shout.
- Building into our lives a cyclical observation that allows peaks and troughs that nourish us through every cycle—not just the monthly one.
- Creating time in a hectic week that doesn’t mean “pushing through” and staying silent
So many women tell me, “I just thought I had to push through.”
Push through the fatigue. Push through the brain fog. Push through the anxiety or overwhelm that seems to come out of nowhere.
But what if we didn’t push through?
What if we tuned in instead?
This Isn’t About Menopause
Hormonal health isn’t just physical—it’s emotional, mental, and energetic. Every shift impacts our mood and our day. It’s how we show up in the world, how we relate to others, and how we hold boundaries (or don’t).
Yet we override our bodies constantly with a need to be great at what we do, to be the best at our job and equally take on the other responsibilities of parent, wife, carer, friend, confidant, manager. The list is long
Because we’re taught that strength means pushing past our limits. That being tired is a personal flaw. That rest is indulgent. That it’s “just hormones.”
Let’s rewrite that.
Let’s talk openly with our daughters, our friends, and our colleagues at home and in the workplace about what’s happening beneath the surface. Let’s normalize the changes before they take us by surprise. Let’s build into our work and life inside and out of the workplace that supports our biology, not fight against it.
My Final Thoughts
Menopause is spoken about when a woman hits a certain age, and if you’re not in this category, then it becomes irrelevant to the conversation. This isolates rather than informs. Yet the future proofing of our menopause years is in the understanding of our health in our 20’s, 30’s and 40’s, that’s 3 decades before!
This doesn’t come as any surprise that if we open the conversations to those who are in their younger years
it’s better when we prepare.
So instead of asking, “What do I do when menopause arrives?”
Ask, “How can I support my body today so I am informed and aware through every stage?”
Because your future self isn’t waiting for a crisis
She’s calling you to pay attention now.
About the Author
Lindsay Randerson has been a holistic therapist since 1989, then qualifying as a health & wellbeing coach & studying nutrition & lifestyle medicine, Lindsay set up her own practise helping female business owners and entrepreneurs optimise health in midlife. Most recently she has worked alongside the NHS (PCN) with patients with a multitude of health issues including weight management, menopause, and gut health.
Lindsay is passionate about guiding women through midlife with shifts in nutrition, lifestyle and mindset to restore and optimise midlife health.