Menopause Symptoms That Affect Women at Work More Than People Realise
Menopause impacts many women in every aspect of their life including work. The symptoms can present themselves in a variety of ways from forgetting crucial words during a presentation to having hot flushes which are not only very uncomfortable when they are happening but they leave some women completely drenched afterwards. Some women are plagued by fatigue, especially in the afternoon and these are just a few.
The myriad of menopausal symptoms can have an enormous impact on women’s confidence as well as their productivity and career progression. The average age a woman hits menopause is 51 years, however the symptoms of peri menopause can start many years before this. All coinciding rather cruelly with a point in time when many women are at the peak of their careers and often juggling challenging family responsibilities such as aging/ sick parents and teenagers.
Despite improvements over the last few years, menopause is still one of the least discussed workplace health issues. As the majority of symptoms are invisible, other colleagues and managers can mistake them for stress, a lack of commitment and even poor performance. The result being that many women suffer in silence whilst their confidence disappears. For some this leads to reducing their working hours and others leaving the jobs they love completely.
Not only is this having a damaging impact on women but organisations are suffering too from the loss of expertise. Much can be avoided when organisations are well educated around the menopause and have an environment where menopause is an open conversation and women are given the right support.
We will now discuss the menopause symptoms that impact work much more than people realise:
Brain fog – When Your Mind Doesn’t Feel Like Your Own
This is often reported as the most challenging and frustrating symptom at work by women.
Many women describe brain fog as if their head is full of cotton wool or that their brain is trying to work through thick fog. Concentration is impacted, it is harder to organise thoughts and simple tasks which would previously have been carried out without much thought start to feel really difficult.
Brain fog can include:
- Struggling to find common words
- Forgetting appointments
- Forgetting colleagues names
- Losing track during meetings
- Reading the same paragraph multiple times
For someone who has always been highly organised and efficient it can be really distressing.
It is not a loss of intelligence it is a genuine neurological symptom linked to the fluctuating hormones which affects memory, attention and our cognitive processing.
Many women are afraid to share this symptom in the workplace as they are worried colleagues, especially managers will think they are losing their capability and no longer fit to do their job. This isn’t the case, it is just a stage in a normal phase of life, which when supported is much easier to navigate.
Fatigue That Coffee Can’t Override
Everyone feels tired at times but menopausal fatigue is a whole different experience.
Many women wake up feeling exhausted despite sleeping for the majority of the night whilst others can experience overwhelming energy crashes during the working day which make even the simple routine tasks feel really hard.
This isn’t just feeling sleepy it is an exhaustion which takes over the whole body and impacts:
- Motivation
- Concentration
- Productivity
- Decision making
- Emotional resilience
Trying to perform at a high level whilst feeling constantly exhausted is like walking through mud.
However, because fatigue is invisible, it is very difficult for colleagues to understand how debilitating it can be.
Sleep Problems Create a Vicious Cycle
One reason many women suffer from chronic fatigue is poor sleep.
Hormonal changes often cause:
- Frequent waking
- Restless sleep, like you are never entering a deep restorative phase of sleep
- Early morning waking
- Insomnia
- Night sweats
Many women arrive at work feeling exhausted before the day has even begun.
Anxiety That Appears Out if Nowhere
Many women have never experienced anxiety before in their lives until the menopause and can then find themselves completely overwhelmed by it.
Symptoms of anxiety can include:
- Feeling constantly on edge
- Having panic attacks
- Fearful of making mistakes
- Racing thoughts
- Social anxiety
- Worrying about things which would never normally cross their minds
When anxiety is high, work can feel even more challenging.
Tasks which would never have previously phased us such as speaking in meetings, answering the phone or giving a presentation can suddenly trigger intense feelings of anxiety.
Some women will avoid opportunities completely as they no longer trust themselves.
If managers do not have an understanding of the menopause this can easily be mistaken for apathy and reduced engagement/ confidence.
Confidence Can Disappear Overnight
Confidence is closely linked to cognitive function so when our memory starts to become unreliable and our concentration wanes our sense of confidence also takes a hit.
This may start to show itself in women when they:
- Stop volunteering
- Speak less in meetings
- Question their own abilities
- Avoid presentations
- Turn down promotions
This is terrible timing as menopause often strikes during the years when women have accumulated decades of experience and expertise.
It is important to remember that the experience and knowledge is still there but for a short period the symptoms of menopause can make it temporarily more challenging to access the knowledge and expertise.
Hot Flushes During Important Moments
Hot flushes are probably the most commonly known menopause symptoms.
However, unless you have experienced them, it is hard to comprehend just how disruptive they can be in a professional setting.
Imagine:
- Delivering a client presentation
- Speaking at a conference
- Interviewing for a promotion
- Leading a team meeting
Suddenly:
- Your face becomes bright red
- Sweat appears on your face and upper torso
- Your heart is racing
- You are struggling to think clearly
Not only are you really uncomfortable but the embarrassment can be almost unbearable.
Mood changes Affect Workplace Relationships
Hormonal fluctuations can have a big impact on our emotional regulation.
Many women notice they become:
- Emotionally overwhelmed
- More tearful
- Irritable
- Easily frustrated
- Less patient
It isn’t that the menopause is changing a woman’s personality, the hormonal changes can reduce emotional resilience and make everyday pressure harder to manage.
For example, a minor workplace frustration which would previously have been shrugged off may suddenly feel overwhelming. This can of course lead to misunderstanding with colleague who don’t spot the underlying cause.
Joint Pain Makes Sitting All Day Difficult
Not many people associate aching joints with the menopause. However, many women experience:
- Neck discomfort
- Stiff shoulder
- Wrist pain
- Aching hips
- Painful knees
- Frozen shoulder
Desk based work can become increasingly uncomfortable as can long meetings – prolonged sitting may worsen symptoms throughout the day.
Physical discomfort also contributes towards fatigue and reduced concentration.
Headaches and Migraines Disrupt Productivity
Hormonal fluctuations commonly trigger headaches or migraines. For some women who are already prone to migraines/ bad headaches, the menopause can temporarily worsen the severity and or frequency.
Computer screens, bright office lighting and stressful environments can exacerbate symptoms and make them harder to manage.
A migraine isn’t just a headache it can knock out an entire working (and non-working) day.
Decreased Concentration Leads to More Mistakes
Some women become frustrated because they start to make errors which they have never made before, such as:
- Sending emails to the wrong person
- Forgetting an attachment to an email
- Losing track of conversations
- Forgetting/ missing deadlines
These types of mistakes then fuel anxiety which creates a viscous cycle and the more women worry about making mistakes, the more the worry interferes with their cognition, making it harder to concentrate.
Loss of Motivation Isn’t Laziness
Many women describe how they lose their usual drive and overall va va voom.
They can find that decision making becomes exhausting, tasks take longer, projects that once felt exciting now require much more effort.
This isn’t because women no longer care, it is because menopause often combines poor sleep, fatigue, anxiety and cognitive overload for a period of time making us feel exhausted.
The Hidden Cost of Menopause Symptoms on Careers
The impact of menopausal symptoms extends beyond the daily symptoms. Many women:
- Decline promotion
- Reduce hours
- Move into lower pressure roles
- Leave employment altogether
Some women don’t leave because they want to, they leave because they feel unable to cope without adequate understanding and support.
As a consequence, organisations lose out on decades of experience, leadership and expertise.
Why So Few Women Talk About It
Despite increased awareness around the menopause, many employees still hesitate to discuss the menopause as they are worried;
- They look weak/ are not coping and will be judged
- It will damage their prospects of a promotion
- Embarrassed
- Age discrimination
- They will not be taken seriously
Many women feel they just need to keep their heads down and keep pushing through. Unfortunately this approach rarely leads to better outcomes.
What Employers Can Do
Supporting the menopause doesn’t require expensive programmes.
Often small changes will make a significant difference. These include:
Flexible working; allowing occasional home working or flexible hours when symptoms are really bad can help women to manage fatigue and disrupted sleep.
Rest breaks: Short breaks improve concentration, reduce stress and help to manage fatigue.
Better temperature control: access to fans, an opening window and cooler workspaces can help to reduce discomfort during hot flushes.
Manager training: educating managers about the menopause helps to create a greater understanding and more empathy. It also helps to dispel stigma around the menopause.
Open conversations: making menopause an open conversation helps women to feel more comfortable discussing how they are being impacted and ultimately seeking support earlier.
Occupational health: professional guidance can be really beneficial to help identify some practical workplace adjustments that benefit both the employees and employers.
What Women Can Do
It is important to mention that the menopause affects everyone differently, although certain strategies both in terms of wellbeing and practical strategies will help support some of the workplace challenges. These include:
- Moving regularly – helps our wellbeing in many ways eg. eases low mood, anxiety, and helps cognition and sleep
- Eating three balanced meals a day with good quality protein, a variety of plant based foods and healthy fats, minimising ultra-processed food and sugar. Helps to improve our energy and support our mood and cognition (amongst other things!)
- Keeping hydrated – even very mild dehydration can drive brain fog, increase fatigue and cause headaches
- Take regular breaks to support energy and stress levels and avoid cognitive overload
- Prioritising sleep as much as possible
- Use reminder apps and keep a written task list
- Speak to a healthcare professional to explore your symptoms and which evidence based treatments might be appropriate
- Speak to a trusted manager or colleague and discuss any workplace adjustments which might be helpful.
Summary
The conversation around menopause is improving but there is still work to be done.
We openly discuss pregnancy, mental health and workplace wellbeing, menopause needs to be given the same level of understanding.
It affects all women to varying degrees and for some this coincides with the peak of their career.
Menopause can cause many different symptoms including, loss of confidence, sleep disruption, low mood and energy, loss of confidence and physical discomfort, all of which have an impact on workplace performance.
By recognising the menopause as a legitimate workplace health issue and not just a personal problem we can create an environment where employees feel valued and thrive. As a result organisations retain experienced talent and workplaces become healthier and more inclusive.
