Are you a female leader in your mid 40s to mid 50s? The likelihood is you may be experiencing symptoms of the menopause. While menopause is getting more press lately, organisational support and leadership understanding is in its early stages. While 50% of the workforce will experience the menopause, it is still not widely talked about. In this blog I’m sharing some thoughts on how to navigate your own journey.
At a time when women are often reaching the peak of their career, they are dealing with a personal transition which can be disorientating and impact their confidence. According to recent CIPD research, 79 per cent of women who experience symptom sfeel less able to concentrate. Such symptoms lead to some of questioning whether to continue in their roles (17%of women with experience of menopausal symptoms have considered leaving work or have left work altogether).
Though my coaching with mid to senior female managers and leaders I’m finding more and more women raising their symptoms with me as part of their conversations, not necessarily thinking that it is a topic to bring to coaching but more as a side conversation almost seeing it as something they just have to get on with.
While that’s partly true, and some of you reading this may be thinking let’s not make a big thing of it, for those who experience symptoms of anxiety, lack of focus, insomnia and more, it can certainly affect your ability to be as effective and productive at work.. without intentional focus on ways to mitigate and manage.
I also have my own experience to draw on. One symptom that I found incredibly frustrating was that I suddenly had an much shorter emotional fuse. Something that I would normally take in my stride would see me with intense emotions and, if I wasn’t careful, I’d say something I’d regret when normally I’d pride myself on being tactful and diplomatic.
I’m certainly not an expert in all things menopause; what I share below are three tips that may be helpful based on what has worked for some of my clients as well as for me.
Tips that may help you thrive through peri-menopause and menopause:
1. Awareness
When you are in peri-menopause, you may not know it. You may find you are just a bit more anxious than normal or that you are a bit more forgetful or lacking focus at certain times. I found myself trying to work out why I was more anxious and wondering why things that I would normally take in my stride were feeling more challenging. It can be helpful to make a note of how you are feeling and what you are thinking from time to time and if you can’t pin point a reason for a change of thoughts and feelings it may be hormonal.
2. Support
GPs are more aware than they were about menopause. In the past, women were sometimes prescribed anti-depressants when HRT may have been appropriate. While not everyone is suited to HRT or may want to take it, it can be a game-changer for others. If you don’t feel your GP is understanding you, seek a second opinion. If you try a form of HRT and are not sure it is making a difference discuss what other HRT options there are (there are many).
In addition, just this month new draft guidance from the NHS said that women should be offered cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) instead of, or as well hormone replacement therapy (HRT). As a coach I use cognitive behavioural techniques to support my coaching clients which can help to overcome distorted thinking patterns and enable clients to move forwards when they’ve been stuck due to untrue limiting assumptions. If you find yourself with doubts talking yourself out of doing things you previously would have done, CBT or CBC could help.
3. Adapt
Whatever your symptoms, recognise the best ways for you to mitigate for them. I already knew that walking in the daylight hours and getting out into nature helped me to minimise anxiety. Rather than being nice to have, it became an essential priority that I would plan and schedule into my day. Work out what will help you whether it is shorter focus periods, taking 10 minutes out for deep breathing or meditation, finding the best ways to get quality sleep, or something else.
Finally, as you focus on doing what you can for yourself, it is also worth considering how you can pave the way for future female leaders to experience greater awareness and support. What’s one thing you could do that would enable that?
Leave a Reply