Claire Melvin Coaching

posted my blog yesterday and then promptly forgot to share it.

https://clairemelvincoaching.co.uk/why-i-became-a-white-ribbon-champion/

🎗 It's an important topic - I share that I've recently become a champion and I talk about the increase in domestic violence during football tournaments, especially those where England are playing.

⚽️ To be clear, domestic violence isn't caused by football, but existing abuse intensifies. The combination of high emotion, prolonged alcohol consumption, gambling, and the pressure-cooker atmosphere of tournament football creates conditions in which abuse already happening in a home can escalate.

🆘️ I also share resources for advice / help, which I'm resharing here:

National Domestic Abuse Helpline (Refuge): 0808 2000 247 — free, confidential, 24/7

Women’s Aid: womensaid.org.uk

Men’s Advice Line: 0808 801 0327 (because it happens to men too)

In an emergency, always call 999

⚽️ We all want an enjoyable world cup, where women are safe in their own homes. And please check out for more information on what you, as an individual can do. Thank you.

Home - Women's Aid Women's Aid is a grassroots federation working together to provide life-saving services and build a future where domestic violence is not tolerated.

📍 I'll be honest, if you asked me 3 weeks ago if I'd heard of estrogen I'd have said yes.

📍 Had you followed this up by asking if I knew how many types there were, my response would have been 🤔

📍 Finally, asking me to name them? Not a chance (the answer, BTW: Estrone, Estradiol, Estriol and Estetrol).

📍 I'm a woman, I did GCSE biology (many years ago!) and I had no idea.

📍 This is one of the reasons I'm training as a menopause coach - I have no idea what's going on in my own body. There is information available, but I don't know what's trustworthy and reliable or really where to look.

📍 It's also why I've created The Menopause Corner on Facebook and Instagram.

📍 If you want more information about the menopause, or you simply want a safe place to hang out with other women (who may or may not be able to name 4 types of estrogen! And don't worry, no test required to join!) pop in, say hello.

📍Whilst I'm completing my studies, I'll share what I'm learning, maybe putting out some more questions like this!

📍 Knowing what's going on in our bodies is so important. If we do need to talk to medical professionals, having an understanding makes those conversations just a little bit easier, as does knowing what our options and choices could be. Life's tough enough at the moment, so any little way to ease the burden, I'm here for it.

📜 In this week's blog (🔗 in bio) I talk a bit more about turning 50 and why I'm training to be a menopause coach.

😱 There was a fear about turning 50, but I realised it was because I didn't want to let down my younger me and I know she'd be proud of me, even without the husband, children and dreams I had as a child.

❓️ If you had something to say to a younger version of you, or maybe that version had something to say to current you, what would it be?

This week's blog is about why I'm pivoting my business and training to be a menopause coach. https://clairemelvincoaching.co.uk/menopause-loss-of-identity-support/

Some 'fun' facts about menopause:

📍 Around 13 million women in the UK are either perimenopausal or menopausal – roughly 1/3 of the entire female population.

📍The average age of menopause in the UK is 51, with perimenopause typically beginning at 47 (early stage) and 49 (late stage).

📍 More than 90% of postmenopausal women were never taught about menopause at school (and let’s face it, who would remember something they learned 40 years earlier!)

📍 Over 60% only started looking for information once their symptoms had already started.

📍 Three-quarters of women experience symptoms — from physical changes like joint pain, weight gain, and hot flushes to cognitive effects such as memory issues and brain fog — which can last an average of 7 years.

❓️ Why me and why now? I turn 50 in about 3 weeks and the symptoms are real. As is a lack of compassion and support from the medical profession (at least my experience - I hope not yours). I want to better advocate for myself and my clients, but without real knowledge I can't. So I'm doing something to change it.

❓️ What does this mean? In the short-term, not much will change outwardly. I've created a group on Facebook and a page on Instagram - both called The Menopause Corner - and I'll start posting more there.

📖 Over the next few months, I'll be studying, leaning all I can and I'll be able to start supporting you better.

👋 So please, come over, say hello. Join me on my journey and let's build a community where we can share what's going on openly and honestly, and be there for each other. I know it won't be easy or fun (that's just the menopause!) but it will be more manageable with a strong group of women who will have your back, laugh with you, cry with you and totally understand you - you're not on your own..

📜 My blog went live yesterday
https://clairemelvincoaching.co.uk/the-days-we-just-have-to-get-through/

🥼 Yesterday was the morning after the night before - ie the day after my bi-monthly physio visit.

🤕 I felt battered, sore and struggled to focus, and that’s before adding my perimenopausal brain fog...

📍 To be honest, there were no tips, no coping strategies, just an attempt to normalise having a bad day, because we all have them. Sometimes all we can do is get through them and start again the next day..

🐾 And I shared a picture of Snoopy and me - from my recent trip to Trentham Gardens

❓️ What do you do on your bad days? How do you shop up for yourself? I'd love to know.

🎙My podcast is out! (🔗 in bio)

🎧 Grow with May: Lessons from the Garden stems from a recent walk when I realised everything wasn't brown anymore(!) and I talk about growing and growth.

👩‍🌾 I share that plants need nourishment, warmth and tending, and guess what? So do we!

🪒 A gardener has their tools, and we needs ours: sleep, nourishment, hydration, movement, rest, fun and connection.

💯 And no, we don't need to do them all perfectly - they are the foundations that put you in the best possible position to grow.

▶️ So, please press play, give it a listen and let me know what you think!

This week's is a reminder that there's no secret, no magic formula. Just you, turning up, each day, giving what you can.

🤫 So, maybe that is the magic formula - be yourself.

This week's and blog are here together. https://clairemelvincoaching.co.uk/letting-go-of-all-or-nothing-mentality/

🦆 I mentioned on Saturday I didn't do Parkrun but instead went for a run near home, and saw some ducklings.

📍 I heard recently about the 'all or something' mentality. We can be all or nothing - if I don't do x, I may as well not do anything. This isn't that. It's 'OK, I didn't do x, but I can still do y.'

🏃‍♀️ So, no I didn't do Parkrun, BUT I still ran 5k, in the sunshine, I saw some ducklings and said hello to other runners, dog walkers...

🤔 If you adopted all or something, what could you achieve?

Good morning and Happy Monday!

It's May at the end of the week! Eek! What would you like to do this week, so on 1st May, you can go 'yup, I did that?'

Share below 👇

🏃‍♀️ I have a bit of a love hate relationship with Parkrun.

🩵 I love that it's in the morning, I can do it, get my exercise done for the day early and then I have the rest of the day ahead of me...

😠 I do not love that it's early and I need to leave my house at 8am so I can do it...

🛏 This morning I did not get up in time to do it. I did, however run 5k where I live and got to see the trees in blossom and little ducklings I wouldn't have seen otherwise.

📍 So rather than going 'meh, I just won't exercise' I pulled on my trainers and ran near home. And it was glorious.

📜 If plan a doesn't work out, can you do something else instead? So no, I didn't get the commeraderie, and I didn't get nearer my '50' parkruns BUT, look at the little ducks! I saw nature, said hello to people, still did 5k, the same but different...