The biggest review ever published on women's wellbeing during menopause reveals something we've been getting wrong.
For years, the menopause conversation has been dominated by one story.
Hot flushes.
Brain fog.
Weight gain.
Sleepless nights.
Mood swings.
And while every one of those menopause symptoms is very real, they aren't the whole story.
This year, researchers published the largest review ever undertaken on flourishing during the menopausal transition. They analysed 181 studies involving more than 54,000 women from around the world to answer a simple but surprisingly overlooked question:
The answer wasn't simply yes or no.
It was far more interesting.
First, let's redefine flourishing.
Flourishing doesn't mean pretending everything is perfect.
In psychology, flourishing describes a state of positive mental health – feeling purposeful, connected, resilient and emotionally well, even while navigating life's challenges. The review uses flourishing as a framework that includes emotional, psychological and social wellbeing, rather than simply the absence of anxiety or depression.
It's possible to have difficult days and still be flourishing.
It's also possible to have very few symptoms but not feel particularly well. That's an important distinction.
Yes, symptoms matter.
One finding appeared again and again.
Women experiencing more severe menopausal symptoms generally reported lower wellbeing.
Across dozens of studies, more severe hot flushes, sleep disruption and psychological symptoms were consistently linked with lower life satisfaction, optimism, resilience and emotional wellbeing.
That's hardly surprising.
When you're awake at 3am for the fifth night this week, it's hard to feel like your best self.
But here's where the story changes.
The relationship wasn't one-way.
Women with higher levels of resilience, optimism, mindfulness and self-compassion consistently reported menopause as less disruptive to their daily lives.
One study found optimism explained around 11% of the difference in symptom severity, while another found women with greater self-compassion experienced substantially less interference from hot flushes in everyday life. Across multiple studies, resilience, mindfulness and positive attitudes were associated with fewer or less bothersome symptoms.
That doesn't mean positive thinking cures menopause.
It means our mental wellbeing appears to influence how we experience physical symptoms and our physical symptoms influence our wellbeing in return.
It's a conversation between body and mind.
Not a battle.
Perhaps the biggest surprise? Many women described this stage as one of the best periods of their lives. Among the qualitative studies, women repeatedly used words like:
For many, no longer worrying about periods or pregnancy brought a sense of relief. Others spoke about stronger boundaries, putting themselves first, finding new purpose, or finally feeling comfortable in their own skin. Across cultures, many women described menopause as a natural life transition that opened the door to greater autonomy, meaning and self-acceptance.
One study found almost 90% of women felt they were in the prime of their life.
Another reported that almost half of participants spontaneously described positive aspects of menopause, including freedom, relief and personal growth.
Those stories deserve just as much airtime.
Your mindset isn't everything but it matters.
One of the most fascinating findings came from a long-term study that followed women over nine years.
Researchers found that women who started the study with more positive attitudes towards menopause and ageing experienced better mental wellbeing nearly a decade later.
Age itself wasn't the strongest predictor. Neither was how long they'd been in perimenopause. Their outlook mattered.
That doesn't mean you have to love every hot flush. It simply reminds us that the story we tell ourselves about this stage of life has real consequences.
So what does this mean for women navigating perimenopause?
It means we can hold two truths at once.
Menopause can be difficult.
And menopause can also become a period of enormous growth.
You don't have to choose one narrative over the other.
Supporting your body with good nutrition, movement, quality sleep and evidence-based care matters.
So does protecting your mental wellbeing, building supportive relationships, practising self-compassion and remembering that this transition isn't simply something to survive.
For many women, it's the beginning of a different kind of strength.
The future of menopause care is bigger than symptom management.
One of the strongest messages from the review wasn't about supplements, hormones or treatments. It was about how we talk about menopause.
The researchers concluded that clinicians and educators should frame menopause in balanced, non-stigmatisising ways, supporting both symptom relief and wellbeing – not focusing solely on what women lose during this stage of life. They also called for more research into approaches that actively promote flourishing.
We couldn't agree more.
At Eir Women, we've always believed the goal isn't simply to reduce symptoms.
It's to help women feel like themselves again.
Sometimes even better.
Key Takeaways
✔️ More severe menopausal symptoms are generally associated with lower wellbeing.
✔️ Women with greater optimism, resilience, mindfulness and self-compassion often report symptoms as less disruptive.
✔️ Many women describe menopause as a time of freedom, wisdom, confidence and personal growth.
✔ ️ Flourishing isn't about ignoring symptoms, it's about supporting your whole self through them.
Let's go ladies. This is our time, and it's time to flourish.
References
Klukas, I. F., & Schotanus-Dijkstra, M. (2026). How to Flourish During the Menopausal Transition: A Scoping Review on Emotional, Social and Psychological Wellbeing. Journal of Happiness Studies, 27, Article 73. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-026-01059-7
Read the published study: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10902-026-01059-7
