Kylie: [00:00:00] Welcome back to episode of the Hormone Hub Podcast, where we talk all things perimenopause, menopause, and have the conversations no one else is having. Sit back, relax, and enjoy this episode. 

Hello. Hello. Welcome back to the Hormone Hub podcast. I’m your host, Kylie Pinwill, and this is your go to source for navigating perimenopause and menopause with confidence and vitality. So today we have got a topic for all of my business owners, my entrepreneurs, my professional women out there. We’re talking about Navigating Perimenopause and Menopause in the Workplace.

Now, this is kind of a silent struggle because I think as women, we’re very good at compartmentalising work, family, home, social life. And, we’ve got all these different buckets that we play in, but sometimes [00:01:00] those buckets tip over into other areas. So when we are dealing with brain fog, when we’re dealing with fatigue, hot flushes, mood swings, irritability, they definitely impact us at home a hundred percent, but we take that to work with us as well.

It can impact our productivity and it can also impact our confidence at work as well. So today, I just want to sort of have a talk about addressing the silent struggle and it is a real thing. It does flow over into your workplace. We also want to have a look at the stigma and some of the misunderstanding around perimenopause and menopause.

Certainly, societal attitudes, workplace culture can exacerbate some of the challenges that women face. And it can lead to isolation and shame. So when we are exhausted, when we are struggling with brain fog, maybe there’s a bit of anxiety that’s kicked in, and with that comes sort of shame and isolation because, it’s hard to open [00:02:00] up and say to someone or share with a colleague or share with a supervisor or a manager that you’re just not coping, and it’s impacting your decision making, and it’s impacting the way your cognitive function.

So the way you process decision making and, do your job. I think, this is certainly something that we need to address and make menopause, make perimenopause, a normal part of conversation, and whether we do it, I mean, I tend to, lean back on humour, humour is my go to and make a joke and make light of losing my words in the middle of recording a podcast or, forgetting things and, not being able to focus on details of getting things done when I’ve promised clients that they’re waiting on me to review their blood tests.

And, I can’t remember exactly where in my computer I might have put their blood tests. We always get there in the end. But, there’s just sort of that, that moment of, Oh my God, what did I do with that? And I think, when we’re open about it. I can say to my clients, [00:03:00] Oh, my God, yeah, sorry, it got lost in my emails and then they will understand, so it becomes normal and we work through it together.

So definitely like if we’re looking at practical strategies, there’s a few things we can do. So absolutely prioritise our self care, we need to make sure we are prioritising our health and our wellbeing including our nutrition. You know, are we nourishing our bodies?

Are we eating a balance of nutrients to keep our blood sugar supported? Are we eating foods that are keeping our inflammation down so our body’s not achy and painy? Are we eating foods that keeps our digestive system happy? So all of these things are really important, the way we feed ourselves is one of our most basic forms of self care.

So are we getting those basics of nutrition right? Are we, moving our body on a daily basis? And, I say this all the time, it doesn’t mean we have to join a gym and do CrossFit or join a gym and do, I don’t know, F45 workouts or high [00:04:00] intensity boot camps. We don’t need that. If that feels good to you, that’s amazing.

But if it doesn’t feel good to you, How about a walk? How about a gentle stretch? How about, there’s so much online yoga, or if you need that connection, join a Pilates class, join a yoga group, there’s park runs, there’s ocean swimming groups, there’s swim clubs, there’s so many different things that we can do, and you’re going to meet women like minded, who are going through what you’re going through as well.

And then the next part of stress management is looking after your own well being. So are you getting enough rest? Are you getting enough, social connection? Do you need to just sort of stop and take a breath, like really get deep into your belly and breathe? That’s the quickest way of bringing down that cortisol response.

So yeah, so prioritise your self care. So your nutrition, your exercise, and your sleep. And that includes going to bed on time. 

 Hello, I see you there, [00:05:00] juggling work, family, life, all while navigating perimenopause and menopause. But guess what? Maybe it’s time to break up with the hustle and grind. Going on a retreat is more than just about a vacation. It’s an investment in your well being and a step towards a happier, healthier you.

So take a moment, consider the benefits of a retreat and give yourself the gift of rejuvenation and self care. Self care is all about giving the best of you, not what’s left of you. I want you to save 500 now, jump in for the Reignite U Retreat. We’re running in Bali in April 2024 and October 2024. And yes, we sure do have payment plans available.

See you there.

Kylie: Now the next part or another strategy is advocate for open communication. So talk to your employers, talk to your colleagues about how you’re feeling, and this is going to sort of like generate [00:06:00] understanding and support.

Be open with, clients, be open with your team about you’re still competent, you’ll still get there, but you’ve just got a lot going on, in the background with your hormones right now. And again, it’s part of that, that communication and normalising it.

Talk about, is flexible work arrangements, an option for you just to accommodate those fluctuating symptoms. I had a good conversation yesterday with, with one of my clients, and her cycle is debilitating. So she’s spending like two or three days a month at home because she’s just flooding, every time she has a period, she’s just flooding through maternity pads.

So she feels like she can’t leave the house. So it’s having that conversation to let people know what’s going on. And that’s going to help with that balance that understanding that empathy as well. And seek support, definitely, from a healthcare practitioner, there’s a lot we can do, so if [00:07:00] you need my help, if you need to be in our community, our Facebook support group online communities, just make sure that they kind of align with your values.

And, have the same outcomes that you want as well, because there’s also, as we know, a lot of garbage online as well. So, so get support. So from a healthcare professional support groups, community, friends, friends and family as well can be a huge support group, particularly once we communicate what’s going on.

And I really want to sort of empower women to be able to advocate for themselves in the workplace as well. So, things like being assertive education and awareness is key. So educate yourself about perimenopause and menopause so you can advocate effectively for your own health and well being in the workplace as well.

So, this is sort of an area that I’m really looking at getting further into this year is corporate wellness. Do you need a menopause workshop? Do you [00:08:00] need a perimenopause training? Do you need support groups within your workplace? Because that’s certainly something that I am happy to speak to you about and facilitate for you as well.

So, please reach out if that’s something that you could do within your workplace. And, I think it’s important to sort of highlight, collective action, the way we’re going to get systemic change in workplace policies and attitudes and societal attitudes towards menopause is by talking about it and taking collective action to normalise it.

We’ve fought hard for maternity leave. We’ve fought for paternity leave, mental health leave. So why shouldn’t there be sort of specialised leave for women, particularly during this time of life, because there is so much going on, absolutely a hundred percent impacts us mentally, physically, and emotionally as well.

Okay, so just to sort of wrap it up, don’t let this be a silent [00:09:00] struggle. So let’s talk about it. Let’s bring the conversation out into the open. Let’s break down the stigmas and let’s rewrite the narrative on what menopause means. Because, if we are sort of average age of about 50 of my listeners, we’ve got the second half of our life coming up.

So we want to make sure it’s amazing. So, absolutely embrace your power and your voice in navigating perimenopause and menopause. So if there’s something that, your workplace could do with support, some policy information or anything like that, I am more than happy to help.

So please reach out. Okay. Short and sweet today. And yeah, let’s talk more about how it impacts us in the workplace. Hope you enjoyed this episode and I will see you very soon.

 Thank you for taking the time to listen today. You can head on over to the show notes at kyliepinwill.com/podcast where you’ll find all the links. [00:10:00] Now, before we go, it would mean the world to me if you’d head on over to your favorite podcast channel, subscribe and leave a review. Don’t forget to share it with your friends.

Then stay tuned for next week’s episode and I can’t wait to see you then.