Women, if you've reached your 40s or 50s and suddenly find that one or two glasses of wine leave you waking at 3am, feeling anxious or struggling to concentrate the next day, you're likely not imagining it.

Many women assume these changes are simply part of menopause. While shifting hormones certainly play a role, alcohol can make many common symptoms even worse.

As oestrogen levels change, your body often becomes more sensitive to alcohol. The glass of wine that once helped you unwind may now be disrupting your sleep, increasing your stress levels and leaving you feeling far from your best. In talking to women in menopause, it’s disappointing to discover many GPs never ask about alcohol intake.

Many women tell me they drink to cope with the symptoms of menopause, not realising that alcohol may be making those very symptoms worse. Put simply, alcohol doesn't solve stress. It interrupts your brain chemistry just long enough to make you feel better, then leaves your brain working even harder to restore balance.

The hard truth is, while of course legal, alcohol offers zero health benefits. It is a toxin that your body has to work hard to process and research shows that no amount of alcohol is risk-free when it comes to your long-term health. During menopause, when your body is already adapting to significant hormonal changes, removing alcohol can be one of the kindest things you do for yourself.

Menopause is a new chapter, not the beginning of the end. You deserve to feel vibrant, healthy and fully present. If you're looking for one change that could make a real difference, try removing alcohol and see how your body responds. You may be surprised by how good you were designed to feel.

Zoë Brough is an Accredited Sober Coach with The Sober Club and registered member of the International Practitioners of Holistic Medicine, a Chartered Fellow of the CIPD and is completing a Diploma in Coaching and Positive Psychology with Andy Ramage’s Coach Business School. Through coaching across any subject, Zoë helps people create lasting change and is most passionate about empowering midlife women to discover the benefits of living an alcohol-free life. Vibrant Sobriety is the wellbeing arm of ZB People & Culture Consulting Ltd. www.zbpeople.com

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