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The power of gardening during menopause

Anna Allerton, TV producer turned executive coach, discusses workplace stigma, the second spring and the supporting role gardening and nature plays for menopausal women

Anna Allerton started to experience severe symptoms of perimenopause in her late 30s while on maternity leave with her second daughter. These symptoms worsened on her return to work and led her to leave her job.

“I was a sports journalist and TV producer for 20 years,” says Anna. “I had to quit my job in live TV due to the symptoms I experienced. I struggled with anxiety, insomnia, night sweats, heart palpitations, a loss of confidence and dips in levels of joy. I experienced brain fog, and peaks and troughs in anger. I didn’t recognize myself.

“At its worst, I thought I was going mad. The stress of a newborn, a toddler and a senior high-pressure job meant that the symptoms were ramped up and it became difficult to manage. I thought this was my new normal and I would have to learn to live like this.”

Sanctuary in nature

© Anna Allerton
Anna Allerton (pictured) has found gardening and nature to be a sanctuary when experiencing symptoms of perimenopause
During this time gardening and nature became a sanctuary for Anna, and it remains an essential part of her toolkit for coping with her symptoms.

“I’ve always been a keen gardener, but I think I’ve become more attuned to how gardening calms my mind,” says Anna. “Gardening afforded me peace and calmness, but it also gave me something I could control.

“There is something powerful about the effect of nature on wellbeing. There’s nothing better than fresh air, walking barefoot on the grass and breathing and feeling present. I don’t think it matters whether you are in an inner city or in the middle of the countryside. We don’t have a massive garden here.”

What the research tells us

A New Zealand study published in the Journal of Therapeutic Horticulture in 2000, surveyed 145 middle aged women gardeners who reported many psychological and emotional benefits. 42 per cent of these women were perimenopausal, of whom many had hysterectomies, and 43 per cent were post-menopausal.

Participants felt that gardening enhanced their wellbeing and offered them a source of physical exercise. They also saw gardening as a therapeutic tool for stress release, a source of spiritual connection and an activity which provides them time for reflecting, problem solving and allowing expressions of creativity, freedom and control.

After a year of tests and doctors telling her she was too young to be experiencing perimenopausal symptoms, Anna was referred by her GP and started treatment with a menopause expert. The NHS estimates that the average age of women going through the menopause is 51, but around one in 100 people experience the menopause before the age of 40.

Young mums with symptoms of perimenopause often feel locked out of the conversation, aged out almost.

Anna Allerton, executive coach
“Young mums with symptoms of perimenopause often feel locked out of the conversation, aged out almost,” says Anna. “If you have young kids and are dealing with toddler tantrums, potty training and weaning, alongside insomnia, anxiety, rage and loss of confidence you can begin to feel like you are a rubbish parent, and then the mum guilt really starts to set in.”

A space to nurture

Access to gardens and allotments offers parents a space to spend time with and nurture their children
When Anna was on maternity leave, the allotment became somewhere she could walk to with her then-two-year-old and baby in the buggy, for a bit of peace.

“It gave me a space to nurture my eldest child by getting muddy, planting things and getting involved with watering,” says Anna. “My husband built a small pond, and we did lots of activities with the kids to try and encourage wildlife.”

“My now six-year-old daughter still asks on the school run if we can go and check on the tadpoles. It’s created a nice legacy.”

Growing healthy food for the family

Growing your own food to eat can be satisfying and a great way to improve your health
One of Anna’s biggest challenges has been around adjusting her diet, particularly her relationships with alcohol and caffeine.

“Making these small changes has made me feel empowered and that I’m doing something for my health,” says Anna. “It has encouraged me to try new things.

As an amateur allotmenteer, it’s satisfying to grow and eat food that’s good for me.

Anna Allerton, executive coach
“We started to grow more vegetables including carrots, cucumbers and tomatoes. I wanted to grow produce that wasn’t going to be covered in pesticides and learn more about processed foods and its potential effect on our bodies. As an amateur allotmenteer, it’s satisfying to grow and eat food that’s good for me.

“The kids regularly go down to the allotment and pick and eat all the strawberries, so there’s never usually any left to bring home, but that’s fine because they are good for them and it’s teaching them about where food comes from.”

Maintaining your physical health 

Gardening is a great form of exercise, particularly if you are suffering from joint aches and pains that low oestrogen levels can cause
For Anna, gardening has given her a sense of purpose and a distraction, and it’s also been good for her body. “Looking after your muscles and your body in general in perimenopause and menopause is important,” says Anna. “I don’t have to pick up the weights in the gym to be able to do that. There are different elements of gardening that can help me with that too.”

Expert’s opinion

Gardening involves physical tasks such as digging, planting and weeding which can be as effective as low to moderate intensity exercise and certainly can be more fun. It can improve muscle strength, balance and cardiovascular health. Gardening is ideal for improving joint flexibility, reducing stiffness in the joints and maintaining the health of the cartilages that acts a shock absorber for the bones. Don’t forget navigating uneven terrain in the garden can improve our balance and co-ordination and help reduce risk of falls and related injuries.

Dr Nadira Awal, Founder of Pause and Co Healthcare

The power of patience

Anna grows herbs to use in tea
“At one point I was struggling with insomnia and, as a result, began focusing on my nighttime routine,” says Anna. “I started to look at growing herbs to make tea. I didn’t put too much pressure on myself, but it encouraged me to grab some books and look at how some of these herbs could benefit my health and wellbeing.

We can take some of the lessons that nature gives us and use them in our professional lives.

Anna Allerton, executive coach
“Gardening has taught me the power of patience. I’m quite an impatient person, but gardening doesn’t offer instant gratification. We can take some of the lessons that nature gives us and use them in our professional lives.”

A woman’s second spring

Perimenopause and menopause can be a second spring for women
Anna has set up a business as an executive coach and specialises in supporting women who are navigating perimenopause and menopause alongside their careers. In 2022 a report by The Fawcett Society found that one in 10 women have left work during the menopause, with 14 per cent reducing their hours.

Women have a vast locker of superpowers.

Anna Allerton, executive coach
“The reality is that women are leaving the workplace, but they are leaving the workplace with a number of transferable skills, combined with other responsibilities such as motherhood or caring responsibilities,” says Anna. “Women have a vast locker of superpowers.

“Perimenopause and menopause can be a second spring for women. It is a chance for us to look at what we are doing and ask ourselves if we are truly satisfied. However, some symptoms of perimenopause and menopause can be disruptive to our careers.”

Continuing the conversation

Anna believes there is still a stigma associated with the menopause and its symptoms, but it is changing.

“There is still stigma and stereotype attached to it, particularly in the workplace, but the more people talk about it, the more we start to normalise it,” says Anna. “Much of it is around fear and being defined by age. Many professional women feel that if they declare this in the workplace, they may be considered too old.

We have to keep the momentum and the storytelling going.

Anna Allerton, executive coach
“There’s been some amazing work done by high-profile women which has brought the topic into the public consciousness. They have used their voice, their platform and their experience to start to normalise this conversation. Now women are talking to each other about menopause, and how it’s effecting them.

“Those brave trailblazers have encouraged people like me to share my experience. I think we are making progress. We have to keep the momentum and the storytelling going.”

Expert’s opinion

“One of the reasons that menopausal women suffer with mental health conditions is the variability and eventual fall in oestrogen and progesterone levels. Oestrogen affects serotonin levels, which governs our mood, as this hormone drops, it can cause anxiety, mood swings, irritation and an increased risk of depression. Due to the disruption in the balance of the hormones, it can also cause a woman to have trouble in concentration, lack of motivation and even have poor performance at work or at home. This in turn may make the person lose confidence in themselves and inevitably impact on their mental health.

“Spending time in green spaces encourages mindfulness, being present in the moment, often seeing wildlife can typically improve focus and mental clarity.  It is commonly recognised that being outside helps reduce stress and anxiety. When the sun is out, exposure to sunlight triggers the release of endorphins which activates the same pathways as opioids creating a mild euphoria which is why we find being outdoors addictive! Sunlight also boosts our serotonin production which helps with mood and focus. It in turn regulates our circadian rhythm through melatonin production so we sleep better. Vitamin D production occurs when we are outdoors, the “sunshine hormone” is crucial for many bodily functions such as strengthening our bones, preventing osteoporosis and helping our immune system and supporting muscle function.

“Despite not having the greenest of fingers, I love gardening. I spent the last 18 months restoring our neglected garden to its former glory after a four-year house renovation project. It was simply delightful to see new bulbs come up in spring and last through the summer. I am looking forward to next spring already, but I need to plant my spring bulbs first.”

Dr Nadira Awal, Founder of Pause and Co Healthcare

For support visit the NHS website, Balance, Menopause Matters, empower4life, The Menopause Charity and British Menopause Society. For more on Anna’s executive coaching business, contact Allerton Consulting.

About the author - Charlotte Olver

Charlotte is a writer and editor with a focus on community gardening. She is interested in stories that push the boundaries of what it means to be a gardener, and through her writing, aims to open up gardening for all and facilitate difficult and often stigmatised conversations.

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