CBT for Menopause - How Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Can Help with Emotions & Menopause

Dena Bradford
Jun 26
3 min read

Managing Emotions with CBT for Menopause Techniques

Emotions can feel intense during perimenopause and menopause, but CBT offers practical techniques to help you regain a sense of control. Here are some strategies to help manage your emotions:

Deep Breathing:

When emotions start to feel overwhelming, pause and focus on your breathing. Try inhaling deeply through your nose for a count of four, holding for four, and exhaling through your mouth for six. Repeat this several times to calm your nervous system.

Behavioral Activation:

When you’re feeling low or unmotivated, it can help to plan small, enjoyable activities. Whether it’s a short walk, listening to music, or spending time with a friend, doing something you love can lift your mood.

Grounding Exercises: If anxiety takes over, try grounding yourself by focusing on your senses. Name five things you can see, four you can touch, three you can hear, two you can smell, and one you can taste. This helps bring your focus back to the present moment.

Practice Gratitude:

At the end of each day, write down one or two things you’re grateful for. It could be as simple as enjoying a cup of tea or receiving a kind word from a friend. Focusing on the positives, even briefly, can shift your perspective.

By practicing these techniques regularly, you can build emotional resilience and feel more equipped to handle life’s challenges.

Creating a Personal Action Plan

To make the most of these tools, it’s important to create a plan that works for you. This is your roadmap to managing emotions and negative thoughts with intention and purpose.

Here’s how to build your DIY CBT for Menopause Action Plan:

Set Your Goals:

Start by identifying one or two areas you’d like to work on. For example, you might want to feel less irritable or improve your ability to reframe negative thoughts.

Choose Your Strategies:

Pick a few CBT techniques from the sections above that resonate with you. Maybe you want to focus on deep breathing and journaling your thoughts.

Make It Specific:

Break your plan into small, actionable steps. For example, I will spend five minutes every evening writing down my thoughts and identifying patterns.

Track Your Progress:

Keep a simple log of how often you practice your chosen strategies and how you feel afterward. This can help you see what’s working and where you might need to adjust.

Celebrate Small Wins:

Every step forward is progress. Acknowledge and celebrate the positive changes you’re making, no matter how small they may seem.

This action plan is yours to customize and revisit whenever you need. The goal is progress, not perfection.

It’s important to remind yourself that you’re doing the best you can during a challenging time. By committing to small, intentional steps, you can create meaningful changes in how you feel and think.

You are stronger than you realize, and you’ve already taken an important step by exploring these tools. Remember to treat yourself with the same kindness and care that you give to others. Change takes time, but every effort you make brings you closer to feeling more balanced, confident, and at peace.

You’ve got this!

Grab Your Free Copy of your --Is It Menopause or Something Else Workbook to go deeper into your experience here.

Explore your FREE Menopause Symptoms Deck for insights into symptoms you may be experiencing here. This deck—a must-have resource for women navigating the sometimes bewildering journey of menopause. With insights and relatable descriptions, these cards remind us that we’re not crazy; we’re just experiencing a perfectly normal transition.