Menopause and Your Career
How to keep menopause from affecting your performance at work
Can menopause affect your job?
If you're thinking, "Menopause won’t affect MY performance at work because my time management, focus, diet, and lifestyle are excellent… And if the hot flashes get bad I’ll just get something from the doctor."
Famous Last Words!
Before you experience how much peri-menopause can affect your ability to think, your mood, your sleep, and your energy it’s hard to imagine.
One woman I spoke with had gone back to school in her 40s. She was rockin’ it. Straight As the whole first year totally on top of the coursework.
Part way through the second year she hit peri-menopause like a brick wall, and she had so much brain fog she said she’d sit and read the same paragraph over and over and over not understanding it and menopause was causing her to make mistakes on all her coursework.
She had to take a leave of absence from school to get her hormones balanced - before the flunked out.
And you’re in good company almost all women in America go into menopause unprepared. we do not have the know how to prepare or manage our hormones- its just not in our life skills toolkit -we’re never taught that.
And she was in good company
Almost all women in America go into menopause unprepared.
We do not have the know how to prepare or manage our hormones.
It's just not in our life-skills toolkit - we're never taught that.
In fact: Take a look at these statistics on menopause in the workplace
Of women surveyed felt peri-menopausal or menopausal symptoms had a negative impact on their career
Of women took time off work due to peri-menopause symptoms, and 18% were off for more than eight weeks
Of women seriously consider giving up work as a result of menopause symptoms
Of the total workforce experiences menopause each year
Of women suffer symptoms ranging from insomnia and anxiety to brain fog and headaches
Of women suffer debilitating symptoms that last up to 15 years.
So why cant we just go to the doctor if I'm having trouble coping with menopause at work?
Most doctors don't have much training for menopause
(But it's time to talk to SOMEONE about menopause at work.)
Most doctors don't have much training for menopause
80% of OBGYN's say they're not trained for menopause
75% of physicians say they don't feel comfortable talking to women about menopause symptoms
WHEN WE AS WOMEN ALSO AREN'T TAUGHT ABOUT AND PREPARED FOR WHAT’S COMING IN MENOPAUSE…
WHAT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME IS THINGS LIKE…
So what did Oprah do?
She got help from a menopause expert.
She got on a plan to mange her hormones for the symptoms she was having then and for the rest of her life, and she got relief. In fact she became better than ever.
And with good hormone management she's been experiencing vibrant aging post menopause as well.
So let me show you:
What’s going to happen during menopause and a proactive way to prepare for and manage symptoms before they ever get to the point where they interfere with your performance at work.
First - You want to to understand where you’re at in the menopausal transition
1. Before age 28 you’re probably pre-menopause; your hormones have not yet started to drop.
2. From 28 until a year or two after your last period you’re in the menopausal transition
- Your hormones are changing from their highest levels to their lower - after menopause - levels. The hormones change very slowly at first. You wont notice anything at first except that it might be harder to get pregnant. But eventually they'll start to drop more quickly, and the hormone levels will drop low enough and that you’ll start to see some symptoms and or changes in your cycle. Eventually your period will stop, and a year or two after your last period your hormones will stabilize again.
3. From then on (for the rest of your life,) your hormones are settling in at their new post-menopause level. You’re in post menopause and you’re there supporting your hormones, making sure they never drop too low, for the rest of your life (supporting much healthier aging!)
Now that you know which stage of the menopausal transition you’re in...
One of the most important things is to be able to recognize hormonal symptoms when they happen
Every hormonal symptom is there to help you. Those symptoms are your hormones communicating with you and telling you, "something is out of balance, and here’s what we, your. hormones, need right now to correct it."
In fact the symptoms are telling you the fastest path to relief...
And how to solve not just one hormonal symptom but many of them at once by getting to the underlying imbalance causing the whole cascade of symptoms!
Here’s how you can do this
SO, THE FIRST SKILL YOU NEED IS...
Often we go thru life being so busy we’re not really paying attention.
Not every symptom is going to be related to menopause, but it might surprise you how many are!!
And knowledge is power here.
If you're not paying attention, you wont have that knowledge.
So the first skill to develop is paying attention and noticing.
Especially since some companies now have menopause policies! Or, if you run a company, think about adding one.
Once you’re aware of what’s happening - what do you do?
Your Goal Is:
Those are the KEYS to minimizing symptoms and signs of aging.
Summary: What's happening during the transition
When you’re preparing your hormones before menopause starts:
You’re topping off your hormone elevels especially progesterone) ( before they start to drop - like filling the gas tank before a long drive. you know whats coming this is how you get ready.
During the transition, while your hormones are changing:
you’re supporting all your hormones progesterone and estrogen - and eventually testosterone as well preventing any of them from ever dropping TOO low. and - helping your body balance them if they get out of balance with each other - because its really common for one to drop sooner or too quickly while another is still high - that kind of imbalance can cause a lot of symptoms.
When you get to post menopause:
you’re supporting those hormones! keeping all the hormone levels high enough after menpause is one of the keys to vibrant healthy aging. and the goal is that when you get to post menopause - your hormones settle at a really nice high level its much lower than it was but its at a high normal level postmenopause tha tis one of the three keys of healthy aging and its a BIG one.
Summary: SO Here's what's in your hormone-management skillset:
That’s your skillset, your plan.
“
If you’re involved and aware, pro-active, and address hormonal symptoms quickly when they happen... Whatever menopause symptoms you have can be very minimal - not enough to interfere with you performance at work.
benefits beyond your dreams
And the best part is...
This proactive hormonal support before, during, and after menopause can give you
It's a win across the board
And can keep you performing at your highest level at work because your hormones are less likely to get too low or out of balance.
And if they do you'll know right away and get them back on track quickly.
The thing you get to avoid is...
What happens without this proactive approach?
You feel like your hormonal changes are out of your control.
And when...
Happen - you don't know how to get rid of them.
You spend so much time researching wondering if you're doing the right thing...
Trying to figure out which remedy is safest and will help the most
Questioning whether menopause is just something you have to wait out...
But that's not what you want. Menopause can be very severe for up to 15 years.
In fact almost 25% of women have serious menopause symptoms so severe they seriously impact their work, and they think of leaving their job.
Almost all women have some degree of discomfort. In fact 99% of women say menopause affects their career - right when we should be reaching the highest levels and becoming leaders in our field!
So here's your ACTION PLAN
- 1Don't wait until menopause gets bad be proactive and know ahead of time exactly what you’ll do if a symptom appears - be ready.
- 2Don't expect your doctor to have all the answers. They're not usually fully trained in menopause. (Like Oprah's doctors who didn't even recognize her symptoms as hormonal at age 48!!). Develop you plan with the help of a menopause expert who can both educate you and customize what you're doing for your body.
Your Action Plan!
Don't Wait - Be Proactive
Support your hormones before symptoms appear and know ahead of time exactly what you’ll do if a symptom appears - be ready.
Don't Expect A Doctor To Have All the Answers
They're not usually fully trained in menopause. (Like Oprah's doctors who didn't even recognize her symptoms as hormonal at age 48!!). Develop you plan with the help of a menopause expert who can both educate you and customize what you're doing for your body.
Educate Yourself
Learn from a hormone and menopause expert - how to start your supporting your hormones now and keep that up for the rest of your life - and know exactly what you’re going to do if a hormonal sx pops up so you can act quickly.
Customize for Your Body
the details of everything you do should be customized for your body and your hormones and any specific symptoms that appear - but what are we talking about here what should you be looking for? here;s a preview and three POWERFUL ways you can get started putting this hormonal management piece in your life skills toolkit.
Your Action Steps:
Get started here and now
and keep perimenopause from affecting work!
1
Your Action Plan Phase 1
A few simple hormonally-targeted diet and lifestyle tweaks will create a hormone-friendly environment in your body.
FOR DIET:
Start with a hormonal SUPERFOOD. Two Tablespoons of freshly ground flax seeds per day are one of the most powerful hormonal support foods.
Download my FREE smoothie guide for an overview of all the most important building blocks to include in your diet each day to support your hormones PLUS get a quick way to include them all at once!
Download your copy now
Free masterclass
Three Steps to Easing Menopause Symptoms with Natural Remedies
Get back to enjoying life THIS year!
FOR LIFESTYLLE:
Find a stress management technique you like and start making it a regular thing. Even 2 - 5 minutes a day. Here are some great ones you can try for FREE.
Menopause can spike stress and anxiety. High stress hormones drive DOWN progesterone levels - exactly what we’re trying to avoid. And weight loss gets tricker.
So having these healthy habits in place ahead of time is great.
2
Your Action Plan Phase 2
Diet & lifestyle alone aren't enough to move the needles on hormones during menopause. Find out whether natural remedies or HRT are right for you.
FIND OUT WHETHER NATURAL REMEDIES OR HRT ARE RIGHT FOR YOU
I help women do all of this and more in my Making Menopause Easy online program. We use natural remedies that have an over 90% success rate in clinical trials and are recommended by the Cleveland Clinic specifically for menopause symptoms.
Find out if it's right for you
Natural Remedies - are my passion
Customized herbal remedies can help you avoid all the major discomforts of periods, menopause, and aging.
I’m all about making customized natural remedies quick & easy to use.
Let's find out if working with me is the best thing for your hormones:
Click the button, watch the Menopause Blueprint video, & learn more about working with me PLUS unlock your invitation to a Free 1:1 Menopause Strategy call...
Dana here...
I have two personal notes on this article...
FIRST:
We’re talking about keeping menopause from interfering with work and career.
But I know that when menopause symptoms get severe enough to interfere with work, they're also interfering with your home life, all your relationships from partners to kids, and they’re messing with your enjoyment of life!
So this is important beyond the office.
SECOND:
Menopause is a new phase of life, And the hormonal changes do affect your personality and personal growth.
But the big secret here is that while when these hormonal changes get out of balance they can cause unpleasant symptoms.
IF you let your hormones change but keep them in balance while they do… You can BENEFIT FROM these changes.
There’s an exciting opportunity here. The changing hormones can help us come easily into more wisdom more perspective and help us more easily give up some of the patterns that might have been holding us back.
I'll talk more about this in another article… But I had to mention it here!
If you’re curious about this and want me to write about it - please send me a message on youtube or instagram, facebook, or through my website - and let me know!
FAQ
A Few Frequently Asked Questions About Menopause in the Workplace
In some women menopause causes insomnia, fatigue, anxiety, and/or brain fog - all of which can cause you to make multiple mistakes at work. This is why it's important to address menopause symptoms quickly, to keep them from progressing to that severity.
Be sure to communicate with your coworkers and management team about the fact that you're experiencing menopause so you can have the time and resources you need to get help and keep performance high.
Yes! It's becoming more common as companies realize how real the effects are for women, and that if they get menopause treatment it allows them to continue to do their best work.
If your company doesn't have one - grab some precedents and start a conversation.