In this series, we will utilize female wisdom from cultures and other intersectionalities and the wisdom from female issues to discuss finding your version of healthy and claiming your power during perimenopause. We will discuss topics such as hobbies, health, nutrition, and so much more. I am a licensed marriage and family therapist, trained in systemic thinking, and I am here to promote empowered thinking toward perimenopause and females as well as insight into how systems have played into what we think we know about females. Because of my education, this podcast will be different from other podcasts about perimenopause. While other podcasts will focus on medications, hormones, and other medical terms, this podcast will stay focused on the systemic lens. I hope you will join me on this journey and add your insights to the comments.

Note: This series will cater toward females (trans women, biological females, women of all ethnicities, disabled women, cisgender women, single/in a relationship) and people in their circles seeking to be a support.

Transcript:

Welcome to our first episode: the introduction! First and foremost, this is a shame-free space. I’ve been nervous about starting this but I needed to create a community for women in perimenopause and females pre- or post-perimenopause that need education or are looking to be a support. I also wanted to show females an example of a professional in their 30s since we are too used to seeing successful women only when they are older after working their whole lives with little payoffs. I’m not a model or a house-flipper or a clean-with-me youtuber. I’m a marriage and family therapist and, claiming my own power, I am a pro at what I do.

I decided I needed to do an intro for this series to provide some insight into why I felt the need to create this space. I have been a feminist since I was young (due to some bad and scary experiences) and it was never something I was rewarded for. Actually, it was a headache. But it was an even bigger headache dealing with the patriarchy. In this space, I want to make it clear that no one thrives in the patriarchy. It has caused deficits for men and women. For example, rarely are there pictures of women in doctor offices unless it is an office specializing in women issues. Another potent example is that women’s bodies are usually hidden behind society’s beauty standards. Patriarchal societies are experts at hiding female power behind embellished stories, deleted stories, constructed norms/standards, and lies. Well, not in this space. Let’s not reinvent the wheel. We’ll draw from those lovely pockets of healthier places all over the world where female power is uncovered.

Can we just talk about one of my most favorite examples? In Mie, Japan, there is a group of women, usually older than 60, that dive in the freezing ocean for seafood for over a minute after each breath! Wetsuits weren’t even a thing back when this started 1000s of years ago. When wetsuits were invented (in 1952), a few men began to dive with the women. These female divers said the men couldn’t handle the cold before wetsuits came along so it was a job only women could do.

Examples like these are important. We need to uncover these examples and stop erasing them from our daily existence. Representation matters. This space will prioritize representation. It will also prioritize ways to turn grief in perimenopause into empowerment, education, and better language.

Thank you for joining me on this rather short episode. Next time, we are starting at the basics: hobbies. You would be surprised how many clients tell me they have no hobbies - almost all of them. Hobbies are so much more than leisure and relaxation. They are how we connect to who we are and Nature around us. Hobbies work out the kinks in our lives and they refresh and enlighten us. Without hobbies, life isn’t life. Until next time.

What to do during perimenopause: Part One (Introduction)

Transcript:

What to do during perimenopause: Part Two (Hobbies)

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