If you’re perimenopausal or you’re going through the menopause, right now, you might be struggling to get to grips with your symptoms more than ever. With the coronavirus pandemic still impacting or lives and preventing us from doing so many of the things we enjoy, our mental health might be suffering even more than usual.

But with the advent of the summer heat, other menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes and night sweats can really take their toll. When you’re boiling up inside and it feels like you have a furnace at your core, you might think there’s nothing that could possibly cool you down. However, there are things you can do that can help, so here’s our top tips for dealing with summertime hot flushes. 

• Be mindful of what you’re eating and drinking – hot, spicy foods, caffeine and alcohol can also cause hot flushes to feel worse and become more frequent, so try to minimise how often you consume them. If you love curries, then try our Salmon Red Thai Curry, which satisfies those curry urges, but contains coconut milk to cool things down. If you don’t eat fish, try our Thai Green Curry Traybake, which is suitable for vegans and vegetarians.
• Sip cool or iced drinks throughout the day, and if in doubt, eat ice cream! Our Frozen Yoghurt Bark is an ideal snack that’s also packed with berries. You can also veganise it by using coconut, oat or soy yoghurt and maple syrup instead of honey.
• If you smoke, consider getting help to quit, as smoking can also make hot flushes worse. Your GP or pharmacist can provide advice on quitting and how to manage cravings.
• As much as a long hot soak in the bath is luxurious, maybe keep them for a treat and opt for cool showers instead. Especially so before bed, when cooling the skin can be beneficial for helping to minimise night sweats.
• When you’re feeling a hot flush coming on, if you can, head to the bathroom and run your wrists under the cold tap. This helps to cool the blood at your pulse point and even the act of taking a few minutes out mindfully running your wrists under cold water can help mentally. It can also help to have a desk fan or a fan by your bed for when you need it.
• In bed, opt for a few layers of thin sheets rather than a duvet. That way, you can add or remove layers as you need them, rather than relying on just one duvet layer. If you sleep with your partner, it might help to have separate bed linen. Also, sleep wearing cool, thin pyjamas that are easy to remove if you overheat (or sleep with nothing on). Choose bed sheets and nightwear made from natural fabrics such as cotton, silk or hemp that allow the skin to breathe, rather than manmade fabrics such as polyester that will encourage sweating.
• Exercise when the weather is cooler, such as very early in the morning or later in the evening (preferably in the morning, so that your body isn’t still hot when you go to bed). Getting up early in the morning for exercise time, if you can, is also helpful if your mental health is struggling as it can set you up with a positive mindset for the day.