When was the last time you had a girl date with your one of your friends? As I’m writing this article, I can’t remember the last time I met up with a girlfriend for lunch or coffee. Now, I see some of my girlfriends regularly but it’s not intentional. It’s usually throughout my work day because we just happen to cross paths.
Creating your gal pal inner circle can be an incredibly powerful way to bond with women that you trust and can be totally transparent with. I’m not saying every meet up needs to be like an episode of Sex and The City where you’re sipping cosmos and hearing about each other’s sex lives. Unless, of course, you and your girlfriends want to channel your inner Carrie, Charlotte, Miranda, or Samantha.
Reaching out to your gal pal inner circle regularly can help you better navigate the ups and downs of being a woman. I talk about this all the time but it bears repeating: being a woman isn’t always easy. The intense period cramps, fatigue, mood swings, brain fog, etc., can be frustrating and hard to deal with at times. Once perimenopause (followed by menopause) comes into play, it’s a whole different ball game.
Ease Your Anxiety
Creating a social connection with other women regularly can improve your mental health. Having someone who understands what you’re going through can be a game changer with decreasing anxiety and depression. You won’t feel so alone in with the challenges you’re going through.
The men in your life might put a lot of effort into empathizing with you when you have a random mood swing driven by hormonal fluctuations but they can never fully understand the physical sensation that comes along with it. You know what I’m talking about. When you can literally feel the rage boiling within you and before you know it you’re raising your voice at your partner or kids or both. Then you feel a wave of guilt for lashing out at them for no reason at all.
This is just one example of the emotional roller coaster we ride as women. Opening up to someone who understands your experience may help you navigate it better the next time around. Plus, you can exchange ideas about how to minimize the mood swings and get them in check. Maybe your girlfriends have found a way that works for them that you can try.
Lose Weight Together
Exercising with your gal pals can empower you to create a consistent strength training routine that will help you burn fat. It’s common for women to feel a little intimidated by the thought of pushing weight around in the gym, especially one that’s filled with men. For decades, the fitness industry promoted cardio as the best way for women to get thin. Jazzercise and Jane Fonda workouts were all the rage back in the 80’s and 90’s. What research has taught us since then is that strength training is the way to go when it comes to fat loss.
Fun Fact: Jazzercise is still a thing and it’s been enhanced to include strength training. No need to get rid of your head band, leotard, and leg warmers. If Jazzercise is your jam, you can get your cardio and strength training on in one workout session.
For many women, pushing heavy weight around is unknown territory. This is actually the most common reason my clients come to me for help. Surrounding yourself with women who feel just as uncomfortable with strength training as you may actually help you feel comfortable lifting heavy things. The thing is women need to train differently than men to get results. While there are some universal fundamentals of growing lean muscle and burning fat, there are some nuances between men and women when it comes to getting results. I’ll get into those in another article. Stay tuned!
Not only do women need to train a little differently, our nutritional requirements change depending on where we are in our cycle. Some times we need more iron to make up for blood loss. Other times we need to eat more starchy carbs to get our progesterone levels up so we can get great sleep and have more energy.
Create Healthy Habits Together
Gathering your gal pals and talking about the ins and outs of all the hormonal fluctuations, brain fog, fatigue, cramping, and entering the exciting new phase of mid-life can feel empowering. Sharing how you’re handling a new perimenopause symptom such as hot flashes or brain fog can inspire your girlfriends to learn how to embrace this new phase of life.
There are lifestyle habits that you can implement to minimize all the fun symptoms of being a woman. Nutrition, fitness, and rest are the lifestyle pillars (a.k.a. the Wellness Abundance Coaching Pillars) that are the foundation for a healthy, thriving body at any age. You may not be able to get rid of brain fog, menstrual cramps, breast tenderness, and other symptoms all together but you can get to a point where they’re tolerable with a strong foundation. If you’re experiencing debilitating cramps, brain fog that is interfering with with your life frequently, or any other really intense symptoms, please go see your health care provider just to be sure everything is all good.
Need some guidance on how to build a strong foundation for your nutrition, fitness, and rest that works for you? You and your gal pals are welcome to join my semi-private 6-Week Healthy Habit Reset program that will give you the support you need to create nutrition, fitness, and rest habits that work for you. You’ll learn about the hormones that are causing your sugar and salt cravings, fatigue, lack of motivation workout, and energy surges. Having a better understanding of what’s happening in your body can help you make lifestyle choices, burn fat effortlessly, give you consistent energy levels, and navigate unexpected mood swings like the boss lady that you are.
While this is a program I only offer a few times a year to the public, you and 5 of your friends can join at any time to have your own private friend group coaching. This means you can personalize this program to fit the needs of you and your gal pal inner circle. So, grab your gal pals and book a call with me here so we can hash out all the details.