World Menopause Day: Six Habits That Actually Help

The Need to Know

The International Menopause Society’s 2025 World Menopause Day theme is all about lifestyle medicine - the daily habits that shape how you feel during menopause and beyond. The six pillars are: healthy eating, physical activity, mental wellbeing, restorative sleep, healthy relationships, and minimizing harmful substances. No, you don’t need a total life overhaul tomorrow morning. Small, steady changes in these areas can make a big difference.

First, a reframe

Menopause is a normal transition, not a disease. But that doesn’t mean you have to just “tough it out.” The goal is to help you feel like yourself again. Hormone therapy can be a game-changer for some, but lifestyle is the bedrock — it helps with symptoms, protects long-term health, and makes other treatments work better.

So let’s walk through the six pillars of lifestyle medicine in menopause care — and talk about how they show up in real life.

Pillar 1: Healthy Eating

Think Mediterranean-ish: vegetables, fruit, beans, whole grains, nuts, olive oil; fish regularly; less red/processed meat and added sugar.Why it matters: steadier energy, healthier cholesterol and blood pressure, support for mood, and fewer big swings in weight.Quick wins:

• Plate = ½ plants, ¼ protein, ¼ high-fiber carbs

• Cook with olive oil most days

• Make sure calcium + vitamin D are on your radar for bone health

Pillar 2: Physical Activity

Exercise isn’t punishment; it’s medicine.

• Cardio (walking, cycling, swimming) = heart health + sometimes fewer hot flushes/night sweats.

• Strength training = preserves muscle, protects bones, and can help symptoms too.

• Mixing it up works best.

Aim for ~150 minutes/week of movement you enjoy plus 2+ strength sessions.

Pillar 3: Mental Wellbeing

Midlife is…a lot. Work, family, caregiving, the whole circus. Stress makes hot flushes worse and wrecks sleep.Try:

• 5–10 minutes of breath work or guided relaxation

• Simple cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)-style tools to get unstuck from worry loops

• Yoga or tai chi for mood, focus, and calm

  
  

Pillar 4: Restorative Sleep

Poor sleep makes everything harder; mood, focus, weight, blood sugar, blood pressure.What helps:

• Consistent sleep/wake times

• Cool, dark, quiet bedroom

• Avoid big meals/screens close to bedtime

• If insomnia is chronic, CBT is a gold-standard, non-drug treatment that works

Pillar 5: Healthy Relationships

Connections aren’t just “nice extras,” they lower risks for depression, heart disease, and fractures, and make symptoms feel smaller.Ideas:

• Walking buddy

• Regular friend time

• Loop in your partner so they understand what hot flushes, mood swings, or brain fog actually feel like

Pillar 6: Minimizing Harmful Substances

• Smoking: speeds up menopause timing, worsens symptoms, and increases heart/bone risk. Quitting helps at any age.

• Alcohol: even small amounts can worsen hot flushes, disrupt sleep, and increase breast cancer risk. Keep it light and not too close to bedtime.

What about hormones?

Hormone therapy (estrogen with or without progesterone) is still the most effective treatment for hot flushes, night sweats, poor sleep, and genitourinary symptoms. Whether you use it or not, lifestyle habits are the foundation. Think of hormones as the booster; lifestyle is the base.

A note on early menopause & POI

If your periods stop before age 45 (early menopause) or ovarian function declines before age 40 (POI), it’s not just about symptoms, it’s about long-term health. Earlier estrogen loss raises risks for heart disease, bone loss, and even cognitive changes.

That’s why, if it’s safe for you, hormone therapy is usually recommended until the natural age of menopause (around 52). The six lifestyle pillars are just as important here: strength training, bone-building nutrition, good sleep, and avoiding alcohol and smoking make a huge difference in protecting your future health.

How to start (without feeling overwhelmed)

It’s easy to look at six pillars and think, “There’s no way I can do all that.”  The truth is you don’t need to. Start small. Pick one change from each category and build from there:

Energy & Mood

• 10-minute outdoor walk after lunch

• 5 minutes of box breathing before bed

• Swap soda/juice for sparkling water most days

Physical health & symptom management

• Protein + fiber at breakfast (keeps hot-flush spikes quieter)

• Strength routine 2x/week (20 minutes counts)

• Keep the bedroom cool; stash a fan at the bedside

Long-term Health

• Add a calcium-rich food twice daily

• Alcohol-free weekdays

• Text a friend now and book a walk

Small, steady wins are the secret. One thing layered on another works far better than trying to overhaul your whole life in a week.

When to reach out

• Hot flushes/night sweats are disrupting daily life

• Mood, anxiety, or brain fog feel unmanageable

• Worries about bones, heart, or weight changes

• Periods stop earlier than expected or get unusually heavy/irregular

You don’t have to wait until you’re miserable. These pillars plus the right treatment plan can help you feel better.

Wrapping it up

These six pillars aren’t extra credit, they’re the foundation. Hormones, non-hormonal meds, supplements… all of those can be layered on top if you need them. But food, movement, stress, sleep, relationships, and avoiding what makes symptoms worse are your daily levers.

World Menopause Day might set the theme, but you get to write your own playbook. Start where you are, build one new habit at a time, and give yourself credit for the progress you’re making.