Menopause: Trigger for the Boomer GenerationΓÇÖs Encore Career By Seems like when youΓÇÖre raising kids or climbing the career ladder, itΓÇÖs all about checking off ΓÇÿto doΓÇÖ lists. Constant activity, travel, ballgames and baby-sitters can make your head spin. Suddenly, youΓÇÖre done. The kids leave the nest; your career is winding down, leaving you to wonder, whatΓÇÖs next? You are not alone. ItΓÇÖs estimated that there are nearly 40 million women focused on what I like to call their encore career. After leading a full life, you probably still have 20-40 years ahead of you. ItΓÇÖs time to pursue your passion, using your hard-earned wisdom as the foundation that writes your next story. Summer and Menopause: Peri-retirement and Reflection Menopause is a powerful catalyst to look at your own life, especially after taking care of everybody elseΓÇÖs! Your might still be caretakingΓÇöwe are the sandwich generationΓÇöbut long summer days, even with hot flashes, offer time to take pause and reflect on whatΓÇÖs next for the central characterΓÇöyou! It starts with taking all the time you need to examine what youΓÇÖve done. Summing up your best character traits and abilities is the first step to uncovering your real purpose and joy. After years of running the kids to all of their practices, ferrying snacks to games and holding down a full-time job, it is finally time to let go and follow your own path and passion. Give Yourself a Break! Research shows that self-compassion goes a long way toward lessening the physical symptoms of menopause. When you feel better you think better. Find your perfect space, whether itΓÇÖs some nice shade outside, a meditation roomΓÇöor even the front seat of your car to think about whatΓÇÖs next. That can be dauntingΓÇöafter all youΓÇÖre wiser, but do you still have what it takes? Some studies flat out show that motherhood affects wage earning, and thatΓÇÖs okay, because whatΓÇÖs different at this time of life, is that an encore career is not all about the bucks. A television broadcast friend of mine used to call this, ΓÇÿOne for the meal and one for the reel,ΓÇÖ meaning she did some news stories for the paycheck and others because she was insanely interested in the subject matter. Funny thing happened along the wayΓÇödoing something because you love it somehow ensures lifeΓÇÖs bits and pieces fall into placeΓÇöand the money soon follows. Life Experience Rocks! Everything youΓÇÖve done in your life can be a brick in building your encore career. Try to get your mind off hot flashes and insomnia. Difficult, because the focus in menopause research is almost always on the physical and learning how to ΓÇÿdeal with menopause,ΓÇÖ and life experience is sometimes not even considered by many doctors when treating menopausal women. Time to flip menopause on its ear and start embracing this ΓÇÿtime of your life.ΓÇÖ Know when itΓÇÖs time to retreat into your own sanctuary and rethink how youΓÇÖll approach lifeΓÇÖs adventures. In addition to ΓÇÿalone time,ΓÇÖ call upon the sisterhood for advice because itΓÇÖs proven that friendship is a powerful bond which strengthens your immune system and helps you live longer. Sharing plans for your next chapter will clarify things! It really helps to know how others approach their own third act. Jeri enjoyed a long career as teacher and principal, but she feared retirement because of the associated boredom and lack of a firm schedule. She stayed in the same career field and let colleagues know she was ΓÇÿback on the market.ΓÇÖ Then, the offers came in and she says it was the greatest feeling to still be wanted! Now, as a university mentor, she serves as an encourager for others and says that is what brings her renewed purpose and joy. ΓÇ£I look forward to this next chapter because finally it will be about ME and what I want. My children are raised, my husband is happy. Time to relax!ΓÇ¥ Time has a way of creeping up on you and itΓÇÖs better to choose your next chapter, rather than falling into it or having it thrust upon you. Look at it this wayΓÇöfrom now on, your ΓÇÿto doΓÇÖ lists will be all about things you want to do, not have to do! Suffering in Silence is Out! Reaching Out is In! Ellen Dolgen is a health and wellness advocate, menopause awareness expert, author, and speaker. After struggling with her own severe menopause symptoms and doing years of research, Ellen resolved to share what she learned from experts and her own trial and error. Her goal was to replace the confusion, embarrassment, and symptoms millions of women go throughΓÇôbefore, during, and after menopauseΓÇôwith the medically sound solutions she discovered. Her passion to become a ΓÇ£sisterΓÇ¥ and confidant to all women fueled EllenΓÇÖs first book, Shmirshky: the pursuit of hormone happiness. As a result of the overwhelming response from her burgeoning audiences and followersΓÇÖ requests for empowering information they could trust, EllenΓÇÖs weekly blog, Menopause Mondays was born.