Last week, I shared '[[The Inner Seasons|Living in Alignment]]', a post about our menstrual cycle Inner Seasons. But as someone who has been experiencing the start of perimenopause symptoms for the last few years, I can confirm that [[Perimenopause Is Like Climate Change|perimenopause is more like climate change]]. As I wrote previously: "I am experiencing more hormonal shit-shows. Take last week, for instance. I went from feeling an overwhelming gratitude and peace within my body one minute into an uncontrollable rage the next. This then moved into a deep, end-of-the-world, black hole, sinking feeling before leading into excitement and energy for the possibilities ahead — a confident, change-the-world feeling. Which then dropped into anxiety and an overwhelming fear which made me want to run and hide from the world I was supposed to be changing just one minute ago. Honestly, it was over and over and round and round for days. The thing is, I can cope with these feelings as they arrive through each season of my cycle (which they do). But when they come at me all at once, I feel...crushed. Lost. Confused. Raw. Vulnerable. After trying to explain to my husband what I was experiencing last week (after he took the brunt of my meltdown), he said it sounded like 'climate change'. Like I was experiencing all the seasons in one day (like it does here in the UK). And he was spot on." The truth is that sometimes being a woman sucks. Especially as our hormones change. And yet, I still know that there are positives to these challenges (ever the optimist). As Jenny Burrell shared in an email a while back, things can go right during and after menopause: 1. You start getting super clear about what matters and what does not 2. You STOP people-pleasing 3. You develop the fortitude to 'do the work' & to clear up/process old shit 4. You start to own the fact that you can't be arsed with chit-chat 5. You become all about protecting your peace 6. You start moving towards being the most grounded, autonomous, unfuckable version of yourself, ever! Can I get a Hell freakin' yeah!?