The Season of Change – Understanding Perimenopause and Menopause
- Brainz Magazine
- Nov 11
- 5 min read
Tanya Tsikkos is an innovative jewelry designer who promotes mental health and well-being. COVID-19 left her with emotional challenges, and she found a way to cope and to improve her mental health with her jewelry creations and empowering messages.
A reflective look at the physical, emotional, and spiritual transformation that every woman encounters, and how to move through it with grace, awareness, and self-compassion.
Why I’m writing this now
I’ve reached a point in my own journey where the murmurs of change have become impossible to ignore. The shifts in mood, sleep, energy, and emotion have arrived like uninvited guests, teaching me lessons I didn’t know I needed. It’s made me realise how little we truly talk about this time, how often women quietly navigate it on their own, unsure if what they’re feeling is normal.
So, I wanted to write this, not as an expert but as a woman in transition, to bring voice to the experience, to name the quiet transformations, and to remind others that there is strength, even beauty, in this season of becoming.
The season of change
There comes a time in every woman’s life when the body begins to whisper a new language, one that at first feels unfamiliar, unpredictable, and sometimes even cruel. The rhythms you once knew so well start to shift, your inner seasons rearrange themselves. One day you’re fine, the next you’re standing in the kitchen wondering why your heart feels like it’s racing towards the sun.
This is menopause, or more precisely, the whole journey of it,from perimenopause (the years leading up to it) through to postmenopause (the years after your periods stop). But what I’ve come to learn is that menopause isn’t just a physical transition, it’s an awakening. It’s an unravelling of what’s been and an invitation to meet yourself again, with softer eyes and deeper understanding.
So, if you’re finding yourself somewhere within this season of change, join me in exploring a few ways to move through it, not with resistance but with tenderness, awareness, and a little more self-compassion.
The physical shift
Perimenopause can begin as early as your late thirties or forties, sometimes sneaking in without much warning. Hormones start to fluctuate, oestrogen, progesterone, and testosterone each dancing their unpredictable dance. The effects can be wide-ranging, hot flushes that come out of nowhere, restless nights, mood changes, brain fog, weight distribution shifting to new and unfamiliar places.
It’s easy to think something’s wrong with you. But in truth, your body is recalibrating. It’s doing the extraordinary work of transformation, moving from one phase of life into another. And while it can feel uncomfortable, even overwhelming at times, there's also something deeply natural about it. This is your biology in motion, doing what it’s designed to do.
If there’s one thing that helps, it’s kindness, the kind that starts within. Nourish your body with good food, gentle movement, and rest when you can. Walk often, especially outdoors, where your body can breathe and your thoughts can soften. Keep yourself hydrated and consider natural supports, herbal teas, magnesium, or gentle yoga can work wonders for calming the nervous system. Seek warmth and comfort in your surroundings, and don’t underestimate the power of a regular sleep rhythm, even if it feels elusive. Above all, listen. Your body is wiser than you think.
‘Your body isn’t betraying you, it’s guiding you. It’s asking you to listen differently now.’
The emotional and spiritual awakening
Menopause isn’t only about the body, it’s about becoming. It strips away the layers that once defined you, the roles you’ve played, the expectations you’ve carried, the masks you’ve worn. There’s a deep vulnerability that comes with it, but also an incredible power.
You begin to question things you used to accept. You feel a pull towards authenticity, simplicity, and truth. Many women describe it as a kind of rebirth, though it often begins with what feels like an ending. The old self, the one who did everything for everyone, starts to dissolve. In her place rises a woman who knows her own worth, who feels less inclined to apologise for taking up space.
Spiritually, it can feel like standing at the edge of something vast, a gateway between what’s been and what’s next. And if you listen carefully, you might hear a quiet voice saying, This is not the end of your youth, it’s the beginning of your wisdom.
Let yourself honour that voice. Create small rituals that remind you of who you are, journaling, lighting a candle each morning, meditating, or simply sitting in silence with a cup of tea. Spend time in nature, it has a way of reflecting back the truth that everything changes, yet everything renews. Try speaking kindly to yourself in moments of frustration. The inner critic tends to shout louder during times of transition, so meet her with understanding, not resistance. Let this phase be a time for reintroducing yourself to you.
‘The body slows you down so the soul can catch up.’
Redefining womanhood
Culturally, menopause has been framed as decline, as loss, a time when fertility fades and with it, supposedly, a woman’s vitality. But that’s such an outdated, narrow view. In truth, it’s a time of reclamation.
We start to live more consciously. We become the storytellers, the guides, the wise women who hold space for others. Our intuition sharpens, our empathy deepens, and our tolerance for nonsense tends to fade (which, honestly, can be quite freeing).
There’s a liberation in stepping out of the hormonal tides that once governed so much of our lives. We are no longer cycling through the same patterns, instead, we are entering a time of stability, sovereignty, and a renewed sense of purpose.
So, start to nurture that sense of sovereignty. Explore new passions, revisit old dreams, reconnect with your creativity. Let yourself wear what feels beautiful, eat what nourishes, and speak what’s true. Build community, talk openly with other women, share stories, and listen deeply. You’ll find there’s strength in sisterhood and healing in being seen. Allow yourself to redefine what womanhood means to you now, not what the world once told you it should be.
‘You are not losing who you were, you are finally becoming who you were always meant to be.’
Just remember
This transition, however wild, messy, or confusing, is not your undoing. It’s your becoming.
Treat yourself with patience. Honour your body for all it has done and continues to do. Speak about it openly so that younger women know what to expect, and so that we collectively dissolve the shame that still lingers around the subject (although it’s encouraging to see there’s more openness and honesty around it now than there used to be).
If your body feels foreign right now, that’s okay. It’s not betraying you, it’s guiding you. It’s showing you what needs tending to, what needs releasing, and what is waiting to be reclaimed.
You are not fading. You are transforming. And there is something profoundly beautiful about that.
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Tanya Tsikkos, Innovative Jewelry Designer & CEO of EntityUK
Tanya Tsikkos is an innovative jewellery designer who promotes mental health and wellbeing. COVID-19 left her with emotional challenges, and she found a way to cope and to improve her mental health with her jewellery creations and empowering messages. She has since dedicated her life to helping others to always feel good and empowered . She is the CEO of EntityUK, an online fashion jewellery company that combines jewellery with empowerment in each design. Her mission is to inspire, uplift, and empower all to live their best lives with confidence and style!
