“We know that estrogen does many wonderful things, but it can also drive some of the people-pleasing we see in teenage girls,” she says. “As women age, head into menopause, and produce less estrogen, it stands to reason that the desire to please declines. I’ve heard doctors say women become less nurturing as they hit menopause, but there’s a more positive way to see that: we care less what people think of us. We become less perfectionist. All that helps boost our confidence.”
