05/01/2026
What are you leaving behind in 2025?
Here is what I'm personally saying GOODBYE to when it comes to menopause - and I hope you'll join me! 💪
👋 OUT: "It's just hormones, you'll be fine."
Um, NO. This has kept too many of us suffering in silence for way too long. Menopause affects EVERY system in our bodies - our hearts, our bones, our brains, our sleep, our skin... the list goes on! We deserve comprehensive, compassionate care.
👋 OUT: Medical gaslighting and minimizing our pain
How many times have we heard "it's all in your head" or "your labs look normal"? How many of us have been sent home with anxiety meds when what we REALLY needed was proper hormonal support? Our pain is REAL. Our symptoms are REAL. And we're done being told otherwise!
👋 OUT: Misdiagnosis after misdiagnosis
Depression, anxiety, thyroid issues, "just stress" - how many wrong diagnoses did you collect before someone finally listened? We deserve doctors who understand hormones and don't just throw random diagnoses at us hoping something sticks.
👋 OUT: "You're too young for perimenopause"
At 45. At 40. At 35. REALLY?! Perimenopause can start in your 30s, and women deserve to know this! Stop dismissing younger women who are clearly experiencing symptoms. Age isn't a diagnosis - symptoms are!
👋 OUT: PMS and PMDD being dismissed as "normal"
"Just take some ibuprofen." "It's just your period." NO. Debilitating PMS and PMDD are NOT something we should just accept as our lot in life! These are real conditions that deserve real treatment and real support.
👋 OUT: The myth of the "one test" diagnosis
Can we PLEASE stop pretending that a single blood test or saliva test can definitively diagnose menopause? Hormones fluctuate constantly! Diagnosis should be based on symptoms, history, AND testing - not just one snapshot lab result that catches you on a "good" day.
👋 OUT: 8-year waits for diagnoses
EIGHT YEARS. That's the average wait for conditions like endometriosis and PCOS. EIGHT. YEARS. of pain, confusion, and doctors telling us it's "normal." How is this still acceptable in 2025?! Women deserve faster answers and better care!
👋 OUT: Endless waiting for proper support
Why are we still waiting months (or YEARS!) to get appointments, see specialists, or get treatment that actually works? Why do we have to become part-time researchers, full-time advocates, and medical detectives just to get BASIC care? Accessible, informed healthcare should be our baseline, not some unreachable goal.
👋 OUT: The one-size-fits-all approach
Your menopause journey is NOT the same as your sister's, your friend's, or mine. Cookie-cutter solutions and generic advice, supplements without evidence just don't cut it anymore. Personalized care isn't some fancy luxury - it's what we NEED and deserve!
👋 OUT: Zero workplace support
Menopause affects our work - our concentration, our energy, our ability to regulate temperature in freezing office buildings. And guess what? Workplace stress makes our symptoms WORSE! Yet most companies still act like menopause doesn't exist. We need flexible working options, temperature control, understanding managers, and policies that actually HELP - not just a box-checking exercise.
👋 OUT: Pretending menopause doesn't exist at work
When brilliant, talented women are quietly leaving careers because they're terrified to speak up, we ALL lose. It's 2026 - we need real policies with teeth, proper training for managers, and workplaces that don't penalize us for a natural life transition.
👋 OUT: The shame and secrecy
Let's be clear: Menopause is NOT a weakness. It's NOT a failure. It's NOT something we need to whisper about in bathroom stalls. This is a natural life transition that half the population goes through! We fought for openness around pregnancy and mental health - menopause deserves the same energy. 🔥
👋 OUT: Suffering through symptoms because "that's just what happens"
Hot flashes keeping you up all night? Brain fog making you forget words mid-sentence? Joint pain that appeared out of nowhere? Mood swings that feel out of control? Periods that are suddenly all over the place? These aren't things you just have to "deal with" - there ARE options, and you deserve to know about ALL of them!
👋 OUT: The isolation
Too many of us think we're going through this alone. We're not! This community exists because we're DONE suffering in silence. Your symptoms are valid. Your struggles are real. And you are absolutely not alone in this. 💕
So what ARE we bringing into 2026?
✨ Open, honest conversations
✨ Demanding better from our healthcare providers
✨ Supporting each other without judgment
✨ Educating ourselves AND the people around us
✨ Refusing to be dismissed or diminished
✨ Advocating for workplace accommodations
✨ Trusting our bodies and our instincts
✨ Taking up space and using our voices
Drop a 💜 if you're ready to leave this outdated nonsense behind!
And if you're nodding along to any of this, PLEASE share this post. The more we talk about this stuff openly, the faster things will change for all of us.
What would YOU add to this list? Comment below! 👇
