Sometimes the first explanation we come up with is the one we run with.
This week we look what gets missed when we stop there...
and a reminder that not everything needs to be finished, figured out, or fully explained.
🍽 The Main Course: Simple isn't Always Right
I stood up from the dinner table the other night and felt it immediately:
my feet, my hips… not happy.
And my first thought was: ugh. menopause is killing me.
But then I stopped and thought about it. Because the day before, I’d walked a lot in sandals I hadn’t worn since last summer.
And earlier that day, I’d played two hours of pickleball before sitting down to dinner.
It made me realize how fast I’d gone straight to one explanation.
If you’ve ever caught yourself doing that—grabbing the closest explanation and moving on—you know how easy it is.
It’s interesting how quickly we label things as menopause.
You’re more tired than usual?
Menopause.
Your workouts feel harder than they used to?
Menopause.
Mood’s off, sleep is weird, weight shifted a bit?
Menopause.
And to be clear, menopause does change things.
Hormones shift. Sleep can get disrupted. Bodies feel different.
That part is real.
But what stands out is how quickly it becomes the explanation for, well, everything.
And once something gets labeled as menopause, or “hormones,” it usually goes one of two ways.
Either it becomes:
“Well… nothing I can do about that.”
Or:
“I just need to fix my hormones.”
Different reactions. Same starting point.
Around the same time menopause is hitting, a lot of other things are changing too.
Life doesn’t stay static while hormones shift.
There’s often more responsibility.
Less breathing room. More decisions.
More people needing something from you.
Sleep might be off...but not always because of hormones.
Sometimes it’s stress.
Or habits that used to work and don’t anymore.
Food can feel different...but that’s not always hormonal either.
Sometimes it’s inconsistent eating during the day.
Sometimes it’s finally having a minute to yourself and wanting something that feels good.
And that’s the point. It’s rarely one thing.
But “it’s menopause" is a clean explanation.
It wraps everything up quickly. Gives it a name.
Makes it feel solvable.
Or… not solvable at all.
When everything gets labeled as menopause, curiosity drops off. It’s easy to stop looking any further.
Things start to feel more fixed than they actually are.
Either because there’s nothing to do about it...or because it feels like something specific needs to be fixed.
But most of the time, there’s more going on than the first explanation.
And when you don’t stop at that first explanation, you leave more room to see what else might be part of it.
🥵 Table Talk: Who knew?!
I learned something recently about hot flashes that suprised me.
Specifically, that they’re not always just hormonally driven.
When hot flashes show up again, after they’ve been gone for a while... they can be less about menopausal estrogen changes, and more about how the vascular system is functioning, and hypertension.
Which was not on my bingo card.
From what I understand, it has to do with how blood vessels change, stiffen and respond with age, which can affect how the body regulates heat.
Not instead of hormones, exactly. Just… not only hormones. And that may also change what might be worth looking at to help minimize them.
It's another reminder that even the things we feel most certain about often have more going on than the first explanation we reach for.
🛀 Sweet Moment(s): The Hot Tub
I got in the hot tub this week and, for once, didn’t bring my phone or try to “use” the time for anything other than straight-up relaxation.
I'd gotten out of the habit, and had forgotten how good it feels. I'm officially on board to resume it being a regular thing.
I'd love to hear from you. Is there something you'd love to see in a future issue? Reach out anytime!
Until next time - more dogs, less dogma. Always.
Carol
P.S. New here? Welcome! Curious about past issues? You can find them, here.
