Why Coping With Menopause At Work Should No Longer Be A Secret

We use the word transition because, scientifically speaking, menopause refers to the point in time when a woman has not had a period of 12 consecutive months.

You’re in perimenopause before this moment, and then you transition to the post-menopausal phase after the 12-month time when your period ends.

During all three stages, you experience symptoms. They can last up to 10 years or more!

Women may discuss hot flashes (one of the more common symptoms), but what about pain with intercourse during menopause?

Women shouldn’t feel ashamed to talk about the dozens of menopause symptoms that affect a woman mentally, physically, and emotionally.

Changing the menopause mindset

Both women and society in general, have been conditioned to speak negatively about the experience.

Part of that is societal stereotypes and the long-standing silence.

In the U.S., we say “old age.” That simple and common phrase has a negative connotation to it.

Look around you the next time you’re at the checkout counter. Who and what is valued? It’s not a graying woman aging vibrantly. Young women who are thin, smiling, and have perfect skin are the ones who disproportionately grace the cover of magazines.

Of course, some actresses and supermodels occasionally pose without makeup on. But, it’s not often.

There’s also the occasional Hollywood movie or Netflix show that draws attention to the matter.

But in some cultures, longevity and age are revered as a sign of wisdom and strength.

That’s how menopausal women should be viewed. It’s time we change the mindset about it.

Depending on a woman’s mindset, support systems, and health and well-being benefits, it can be a time of freedom, joy, consistent self-care, and focus on dreams and passions for which time had not been available and/or prioritized. By making healthy choices, you can manage symptoms and win the “menopause marathon.”

Normalizing menopause like mental health

Normalizing such conversations, as is becoming more the case with depression and anxiety, helps to remove the stigma, reduces the feeling of “being the only one,” and may increase the likelihood a woman will seek help and restore a sense of control.

In many ways, it’s a road we’ve traveled before with pregnancy, fertility, and mental health.

A decade ago, it was rare someone felt comfortable sharing their mental health struggles. Now, it’s much more mainstream and more readily accepted. Particularly when well-known figures like Simone Biles, Michael Phelps, Meghan Markle, Demi Lovato, and Adele go public.

Mental health conditions are now more commonly viewed by society as a disease rather than a  sign of weakness and inability to “suck it up.” That change in perception is slowly reducing the degree of stigma, which has historically been the case.

There are parallels between the two health conditions.

Dark Horse is a creative sports agency in the U.K. The CEO, Melissa Robertson, said she felt like she was “losing her mind” during menopause.

Coping with everyday life may be a struggle at any point but can be exacerbated by symptoms like insomnia, night sweats, palpitations, and “brain fog.”

Who wants to share that with an unsympathetic boss or colleagues unsupportive due to a lack of knowledge of this stage of life all women will eventually experience? Most women would worry about their job or chances of career advancement.

Without workplace resources and protections for menopause and a supportive environment, women will continue to suffer in silence.

How employers are impacted

It impacts not only women but employers too.

Studies show women are also less likely to apply for a promotion.

The leadership styles more frequently attributed to women and skills no longer considered “soft” but essential, which women bring to the table, have been shown to result in happier, more productive, and cohesive teams. Though these have long been identified as a competitive edge, as noted by McKinsey & Company in a report in 2008, women remain behind the eight ball, as documented by McKinsey & Company’s “Women in the Workplace 2021″ report.

Businesses lose the benefits of a diverse and inclusive workforce – greater creativity, productivity, employee engagement and sense of belonging, reduced stress and greater resilience, and better health.

And without education, robust benefits, and workplace resources, healthcare utilization goes up as women search for the right doctor/combination of practitioners to treat their symptoms or practitioner who will even recognize their symptoms as menopause-related and provide a cost-efficient approach to diagnosis and address their needs.

We need to celebrate menopause and all that a woman at this stage of life and career contributes to society and the workforce, just like society celebrates other moments in a woman’s life such as the birth of a baby.

The tide can and will turn as more women have these conversations in public rather than private.

Overall, there’s a lack of investment in menopause compared to pregnancy, periods, and fertility. In short, the focus is on a woman’s ability, or lack thereof, to reproduce. Thereafter, a life of invisibility gradually takes hold.

FemTech changes

Investments in FemTech are helping bring more conversations and focus to women’s health. For a long time, the focus was only on a woman’s ability, or lack thereof, to reproduce. Women became invisible after that.

The tide is changing, though.

Once considered a “niche,” menopause represents a market valued at over $600 billion. Interest is growing in digital health startups as more companies evolve in this space. They provide solutions for a variety of symptoms, and some offer support systems tailored to a woman’s desire for a group setting or a “buddy” experience.