Many describe a feeling that’s hard to explain. As if something has shifted – not just in the body, but in who they are.

You might react differently than before. Have less patience. Feel more emotional, or sometimes more distant. It can feel like you’ve lost a part of yourself.

This is more common than you might think.

Menopause doesn’t only affect the body – it also affects how you experience yourself. Hormones are closely linked to emotions, energy, and your sense of inner stability. When they change, your sense of self can shift too.

And that can feel unfamiliar.

It doesn’t mean you are losing yourself. It means you are going through a change.

You can start by:

• giving yourself more space than before

• not comparing yourself to how you used to be

• staying curious about what you need now

• accepting that some days feel different

• talking to someone about how you actually feel

Many find it becomes easier when they stop trying to be who they were, and instead begin to get to know themselves again.

This isn’t the end of who you are – it’s a transition.

And even if it feels uncertain at times, there is often something steady within you that remains.