‘I had brain fog, overwhelm - I just couldn't keep it all going’ - Tamzin Outhwaite shares challenging menopause symptoms and her self-care strategies

Actress Tamzin Outhwaite has made some refreshingly honest admissions about how the menopause affected her wellbeing.

Also a huge advocate of self-care, Tamzin has been just as vocal about how she manages her symptoms and lives out her midlife era to the best of her ability.

Now aged 55, the former Eastenders actress believes she went into perimenopause at the age of 48, but "literally" felt the symptoms on the day of her 50th birthday.

In conversation with Essex Life, Tamzin explains just what happened on that day. "My eyesight went when I turned 50, literally the day I turned 50," she says, adding, "I was like, 'why can't I see?'"

Other symptoms then made themselves know, particularly, brain fog, anxiety and overwhelm.

"I knew, when I hit perimenopause, I knew that I couldn't juggle everything I was juggling," Tamzin shares, speaking about how she felt at the time.

She continues, "I just couldn't keep it all going. Brain fog, overwhelmed, the overwhelm of having so much responsibility and anxiety."

She recalls being "Four o'clock in the morning awake, every night," which would've compounded the other symptoms she was experiencing.

Realising the extent of her symptoms, the star became dedicated to managing them, using a mixture of medication of self-care strategies.

Alongside HRT, Tamzin has began "going on solo retreats and finding out about what I needed to do" to manage her menopause experience.

She's become a big fan of yoga, box breathing and meditation, and practicing gratitude.

The actress has also developed a passion for saunas. "I'm obsessed with the sauna now," she says, adding, "Sauna and cold water, sauna and cold water. So that is something I do four times a week at least."

Also taking time to focus on nutrition and cut out processed foods, reducing alcohol has helped Tamzin reduce brain fog and feel better.

She once explained the improvements to her body when cutting back on drinking to Closer magazine. "Your hormones change during menopause, but the calories and sugar in alcohol do have an effect. The day after drinking, your body craves sugar and carbs, so I was eating badly," she says.

She continues, "Menopause and brain fog make you feel like you’re going slightly crazy, so not having the ups and downs alcohol brings definitely helps, because you don’t need brain fog and a hangover! I’m much clearer and focused."

While big changes have been made to her wellness and self-care regime, Tamzin hints that managing menopause symptoms isn't linear, something other women will identify with.

"I've been on HRT for years now, but I still get symptoms, I'll still wake up in the middle of the night sometimes," she explains.

However, going on retreats has made such a difference to her life that Tamzin is now co-founder of non-profit organisation, We Free Women.

To pass on the benefits of wellness retreats to others who might not be able to afford them, We Free Women offers funded retreats to those in need of them - including those going through menopause, but not limited to them.

"You can't pour from an empty cup," Tamzin says, praising the joy of women coming together to support women, adding, "The power of a circle of women is intense. I think when you get women together like that, it really shows."