Women’s Health Week ~ Do It Anyway

Day 1: To Fuel

Food can feel like just another task when life is busy, but Jean Hailes’ first theme is about nutrition and small food habits that can better support how you feel day to day.

It could be as simple as eating lunch instead of running on coffee, adding protein to breakfast or getting more vegetables onto the dinner plate.

Gynaecological health can also affect nutrition in real life. Heavy periods can contribute to low iron, leaving you feeling tired and fatigued or unable to exercise as usual. Nausea, bloating and bowel symptoms can occur with conditions such as endometriosis, and perimenopause can bring changes in weight, appetite, sleep and energy.

Start with small, healthier choices and don’t put off booking in with your women’s specialist if symptoms are affecting your day-to-day life.

Day 2: To Move

Jean Hailes’ second theme reframes activity as something that can fit into real life, in different bodies and life stages.

Movement does not need to be intense to be worthwhile. Your body simply needs to move, through walking, stretching, gardening, gentle strength work, pelvic floor exercises, swimming and movement breaks when sitting for long periods of time for work or study.

A helpful question is not only “am I moving enough?” but also “what is stopping me from moving?”

In Dr Kelly Hankins’ experience, many women find that gynaecological symptoms, such as pain and heavy bleeding can change their relationship with movement and ability to exercise. If pain, pressure, bleeding or leakage is limiting your activity, that is not a character flaw - that is a health concern that deserves specialist assessment.

Day 3: To Rest

Rest is not a reward, it is part of health, and Jean Hailes’ third theme.

Getting good sleep is one of the most powerful things you can do for your health, but for so many women in Australia, it’s also one of the most difficult things to achieve. Sleep can be affected by stress, pregnancy, shift work and small children, but also by many women’s health concerns such as:

• Perimenopause and menopause
• Pelvic pain and heavy bleeding
• Bladder urgency and incontinence
• Pelvic organ prolapse
• Vulvar and vaginal irritation

If you feel your sleep changes are linked with these conditions or symptoms, consultation with Dr Kelly Hankins can help determine the cause and provide suitable treatment options.

Now, rest can mean good sleep, but it also means small pauses that help your body and mind reset during a busy day. Prioritise giving your body the quality of sleep and regular rest it deserves - it is quite literally how your body repairs and recovers to keep going.

Day 4: To Breathe

Day four of Women’s Health Week is about mental wellbeing. Your mental health is just as important as your physical health, and the two are more connected than you might expect.

Hormonal changes, life stages, and the ongoing load of responsibilities while also managing symptoms can all add up. Unless we give ourselves grace and pause to breathe, it can be hard to notice when you are feeling overwhelmed, stretched thin or not quite yourself. These experiences are often minimised or pushed aside, even when they are having a real impact.

Taking a breath might mean checking in with yourself and asking what you need right now. Write things down so your experience is easier to express later or at an appointment if needed.

If you are feeling overwhelmed, low, anxious or not like yourself, please talk to your GP openly because support is available. Speaking with a mental health professional can help, as well as seeing a gynaecologist to better understand and manage any physical or hormonal symptoms that could be contributing to how you feel.

Day 5: To Connect

Jean Hailes’ fifth and final theme this year is connection. Sending a message to a friend, having a coffee with a neighbour or a conversation with someone who understands can make us feel less isolated and more fulfilled.

Connection is especially important for women. Too many women sit with symptoms quietly, trying to make sense of what is normal, what’s “just part of life,” and what could need medical attention. A supportive health conversation can help create space for concerns to be shared without judgement and spark action.

In gynaecology, women frequently normalise symptoms for months or years before seeing a health professional. Severe period pain gets labelled as normal. Pain during sex is quietly avoided. Bleeding changes are explained away. Menopause symptoms are pushed through. Vulvar symptoms feel too embarrassing to mention.

No more putting off that appointment. You do not need to have everything clearly explained before booking. Do it anyway.

Small steps matter

Women’s Health Week is a useful reminder, but your health does not need to wait for one week in September.

Small steps can also include writing down your symptoms, checking your last screening date, asking for a referral or booking a specialist appointment.

The point is not to do everything at once. The point is to stop putting your health last.