I make no claim in being medically trained, what I do have is lived expereince and a huge amount of research from amazing organisations to support me in sharing this message of how important menopausal people are from start to finish!
Through my own personal experience I get it, I totally understand how hard it is living through the menopause but also know that every menopause is different. No 2 people will experience the same symptoms at the same level or extent of suffering if they do suffer, not everyone does. No 2 women will experience the Menopause cycle for the same length of time and no 2 women will be treated the same way by others in or out of the workplace.
That's where we need to support individuals, family, friends, colleagues and employers to have a better understanding and awareness of the Menopause symptoms, coping strategies and not to be afraid to talk.
I understand first hand how lonely and scary it can be living through the Menopause journey and that's why I am so passionate about helping people through their journey and also to support employers to 'get it right' and support staff in a positive empowering manner.
Break the stigma around the Menopause, EMBRACE IT - WORK IT- LIVE IT
Most women experience menopause between the ages of 45 and 55 as part of the natural biological ageing. However, some women will experience menopause much earlier before 40 years of age. This is known as 'premature menopause' and may occur because of certain chromosomal abnormalities, autoimmune disorders, or medically induced and unknown causes. Symptoms can begin as young as 30 and in some cases even younger. If you have any concerns you should seek support and guidance from your medical health care team.
Every menopause journey is as unique as the amazing woman going through it - don't compare yourself to others, what works for one will not work for another.
20 - 60 - 20
Research has identified that:
20% of women will have some symptoms but not enough to heavily impact their lives, some might not even know they have had the menopause
60% of women will encounter more intense symptoms and their lives may be impacted to a degree
20% of women will be impacted to a debilitating level, where their lives feel in some case just not worth continuing.
Premenopause - the build up to Perimenopause
Perimenopause - can last for upto 5 years, 12 months continuous non bleeding. So if you get to month 11 and your periods start again the whole cycle starts again and for some this can be frustrating, confusing, unpleasant and painful and a whole host of other emotions that impact you physically, mentally, emotionally personally and professionally.
Menopause - 1 day!
Post Menopause - continuous 12 months and 1 day of no bleeding will deliver you to the post menopause stage and here you could be for a futher 10 years - not everyone.
For many people symptoms last about 4 years, but in some cases can last a whole lot longer with reports of the whole journey lasting for upto 15 years. Being 'menopausal' can be a lonely and scary place, you can feel like you are the only one going through it and that no one understands. Menopause can impact women physically, mentally, emotional, social well-being and life overall. Things that seemed so simple and straightforward prior to commencing of this natural life transition can seem like such massive challenges.
Menopause is caused by the loss of ovarian follicular function and a decline in circulating blood oestrogen levels.
Fluctuating oestrogen levels affects cognitive functioning resulting in hormonal changes which happen before and after menopause can leave you feeling fuzzy or forgetful.
No, it is not possible to predict when each individual women will experience menopause, although we do know there are connections between age and certain demographics, health and genetic factors to consider.
Menopause can be induced due to surgical proceduress that inolve removal of both ovaries or medical interventions that cause the end of ovarian function (examples of this may be radiation therapy or chemotherapy).
Many women have often stopped their periods before menopause, for example those who have had surgical procedures such as hysterectomy or surgical removal of their uterine lining as well as those using certain hormonal contraceptives and other medicines which impact periods. Note, changes related to the menopausal transition can still occur.
It is CRUCIAL to know your own body, listen to it, be kind to it and don't accept anything if you don't feel happy with the outcome.
Some symptoms experienced are:
Fatigue
Changes in mood
Bone Pain
Change in tastes
Low libido
Low confidence and self esteem
Hot flashes
Anxiety
Panic Attacks
Onset of Diabetes
Weight gain and changes in body shape
Headaches and migraines
And many more, as we mentioned almost 40 different symptoms.
Use our free Symptom Checker template and monitor your symptoms. (Send us an email and we will email it to you).
Menopause doesn't stop when work stops, menopause can be relentless for some away from the workplace. However, if the workplace is not supporting menopausal women, and we need to remember that it might not always be obvious who is experiencing menopause symptoms. It is important for employers to remember that the menopause affects most women and other people who have a menstrual cycle.
Employers should support everyone equally and keep conversations confidential and private.
Further guidance can be obtained from organisations such as ACAS or CIPD to ensure as an employer you are supporting all people in the correct and proper manner in line with EDI legistlation or seek the proper advice and guidance from an Employment Lawyer or HR Specialist.
Why should employers care about menopause?
Ignoring the menopause can have financial implications and human costs, in a world where women are working longer and more self aware they have more rights and higher expectations of how they should be treated in and out of the workplace. Providing truthful, authentic and genuine support to retain and attract the best employees is the way forward for organisations.
Employers should understand how the menopause relates to the law and how it is protected under laws:
Equality Act 2010 which protects workers under discrimination
Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, which says an employer must, where reasonably practical, ensure everyone's health, safety and welfare at work.
Although the menopause is not a specific protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010, if an employee or worker is disadvantaged and treated less favourably due to their menopause symptoms, there could be a case for discrimination related to protected characteristics, for example:
Age
Disability
Gender reassignment
Sex
We go into more detail about this in our upcoming Menopause Management Training - if you want to be added to our expression of interest list click the button and let us know!
Strategies to support your employees
There are many non-costly strategies employers can implement to support their workforce through their menopause transition, bearing in mind there will be employees impacted directly and those affected in-directly.
The training would be beneficial to those who are wanting to be a Menopause Champion in the workplace, Managers, Mental Health First Aiders, Wellbeing Champions, HR advisors or others in a similar role.
The aim of this training is to enable you to understand what the menopause is, what changes happen and the various symptoms. You will be encouraged to think about the different ways of offering support to those who are managing symptoms, signpost appropriately to further help and support, provide an opportunity to enable colleagues experiencing menopause to make informed choices of the best health care plan to suit them and reduce the negative impact of the menopause. You will have the tools and resources to implement simple strategies to support your colleagues who are impacted by the menopause.
Encourage open discussions in the work place around the menopause and feel more informed and confident in supporting those experiencing the menopause or those who are supporting someone else who is experiencing menopause symptoms.
Learning with us, you will hear from lived experience, gain realistic, simple, and practical skills in how to spot signs of someone struggling with menopause symptoms. Have a better understanding of the potential impact on your colleague who is going through their menopause journey, the impact on their mental and physical health, gain the tools to build your confidence in order to have supportive and open conversations when needed.
You will learn how to approach someone who may be suffering in silence and start the difficult and for many personal conversation which can be made even more difficult due to external factors such as religion or sexual orientation.
You will be armed with a toolkit of resources and learning materials to support your role as a Menopause Champion.
Our training as a Menopause Champion is offered on a 1-2-1 basis in person or via zoom if logistics dictate this.
We will deliver the training over 1 full day 9.30 to 4.30pm (including lunch break and comfort breaks)
You will recieve a comprehensive workbook to take away
Resource library of Green Tomato bespoke and sourced templates to share with colleagues
2 X 30 minutes 1-2-1 follow up coaching sessions via Zoom only to be booked within the 3 months following training
This is non-accredited training, however, you will after the training and coaching sessions receive a certificate of completion
The training and coaching includes all materials for the 1-2-1 session, no additional charges will be incurred, the training will take place on your premises at a investment of £595. Full payment is required on booking, a booking form will be sent along with an invoice and our T's and C's.
Please note: the invoice MUST be paid before training takes place in line with GTC Terms and Conditions.
If you require more than one person to be trained, group session training can be organised, please enquire for more details and prices will be dependant on numbers of attendees.
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