Twenty years ago, the mention of menopause made people feel uncomfortable and it was a natural process that got swept under the carpet, leaving women feeling anxious and uncertain about the physiological changes their bodies and minds were experiencing.
Luckily, in the last 5 years, the menopause journey has been increasingly recognised as a potentially difficult period in a woman’s life and more and more women are discussing their struggles openly, normalising the dialogue around symptoms and treatments.
There are some women who go through the stages of menopause without experiencing any symptoms at all, but for many women, the onset of menopause (perimenopause) can start as early as 40 years old. I was put into surgical menopause age 36, so I have many years of experiencing and discussing menopause symptoms and am so pleased to share my knowledge with clients.
The average age of menopause is 51 and this transition in a woman’s life is often at a time when she is at the peak of her career and is juggling many other potential demands on her time which could be elderly parents to care for, children leaving home or considering a career change.
For many women, some of the symptoms including anxiety, brain fog, loss of confidence and lack of sleep can be so debilitating, they struggle to continue working or carrying out daily tasks. In a recent UK Government study, 63% of menopausal women said their working life was negatively affected by menopause symptoms.
On a positive note, businesses are waking up to the fact that without support, some women find it hard to continue in the workplace. With women over 50 being the fastest growing sector in the workforce, the urgent need to support women going through menopause is increasingly being recognised.
I have seen a growing demand for menopause support from organisations who are looking to offer their employees not only information about menopause, but also techniques and tools for managing many of the symptoms they are experiencing. I recently held a 6-week course for financial services organisation EY and am thrilled to be hosting that again for them in April this year.
My work has involved delivering talks to groups of women, both online and in person, and I have been fortunate enough to hear first-hand from many women about the struggles they have faced on their menopause journeys. I invite participants to speak openly without judgement about their experiences and through sharing their stories in a group setting, people feel they are not alone.
Women often tell me that it is hard to speak about menopause at work amongst male colleagues, so I was thrilled to be asked by a law firm to host a session for managers including men and younger female colleagues who were keen to understand and support partners, colleagues and friends.
Sophrology offers something new that many organisations have not tried – it offers the ability to reduce anxiety through breathing techniques, ease stress through tension release exercises and balance the nervous system through powerful visualisations and meditation.
There are over 40 symptoms that are related to perimenopause and menopause and Sophrology is an extremely powerful tool to help women feel more in control of what is happening to their minds and bodies during what can be a difficult transition in life.
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