4 People, Perimenopause women need to speak to, in order to regain their confidence.

The reproductive life event called Perimenopause impacts you in so many ways that you, hate who you are and wish you are who you were.

The once confident and capable you, now want to become invisible, small and be left alone.

So who, why, or should you talk to regain your confidence back while you are on your Perimenopause Journey?

Self

Perimenopause can make you so self-conscious.

What do you say to yourself, about yourself when you are experiencing a Perimenopausal symptom? Or whose opinion, remark or belief are you keeping in the forefront of your mind?

Give yourself a break!

Juggling the 34 symptoms of menopause is going to impact you. especially if you have not got a treatment option that manages all of your symptoms.

Having to manage this and still carry out your normal routine means you are better than who you were!

Do not treat negative comments you may have heard as the fact, but rather as a subjective opinions of others. Rather focus on positive thoughts that celebrate who you are.

How you talk to yourself while experiencing menopause symptoms is a game changer.

If you feel are experiencing the perimenopause symptom o brain fog. While at a meeting rather than think 'oh my goodness what I am saying does not make sense', rather say 'I am finding it hard to concentrate, but am doing my best, I may not be as eloquent, but can still deliver my core message.

Relatives

I was pretending that everything was fine. Although I knew that I had become forgetful and I self-diagnosed with dementia.

By chance, I discovered that this 'forgetfulness' was another Perimenopause symptom. The sense of relief I felt, may have come earlier if I had spoken to relatives about it rather than kept it private.

My role in the family maybe like yours is as a 'giver' rather than the 'receiver'.

This makes it hard or you may feel humiliated to ask for help but, you are providing your relatives with an opportunity to show their love and support to you.

You are also breaking any taboo regarding discussing Perimenopause, therefore making it easier for younger generations of your family, when it is their turn to experience Perimenopause.

According to the UK Women and Equalities Committee, Fourth Special Report of Session 2021–22, Menopause and the workplace survey results, less than a third of respondents who were experiencing menopause told anyone at work. The main reasons given for this were privacy, followed by concern over people’s reactions.

Workplace

81% surveyed in the survey above, mentioned difficulty sleeping as the most challenging perimenopausal symptom. So lacking sleep and not telling anyone that you are experiencing other challenging perimenopause symptoms can make work challenging.

So who can you speak to, that can help you?

Is there an HR officer or a line manager (maybe not your own) that you can talk to regarding the way Perimenopause is affecting you?

This may result in some practical changes that make working there more pleasurable.

I know talking to your workplace may be overwhelming but if you either retire early or quit your job due to the working conditions, would you likely feel regret for doing that without allowing them to improve things for you first?

Doctor

Your GP is the gateway to your receiving medical treatment.

Evidence to our inquiry raised similar concerns about GPs being poorly informed, and sometimes unsupportive, about diagnosing menopause.

UK Women and Equalities Committee, Fourth Special Report of Session 2021–22, Menopause and the workplace

The enquiry discovered that doctors are sometimes unsupportive’ and poorly informed when it comes to diagnosing Menopause.

This does not mean that you should not bother seeing your doctor rather it means that you should be more prepared.

Use the diagram to note your perimenopause symptoms, and show the medical specialist the list of your symptoms. (information provided in the eBook)

If you tend to have brain fog, you may benefit from taking notes or bringing someone to the appointment with you to give you support.

Conclusion

So by speaking to yourself :

1. In a more positive way,

2. Allowing friends or relatives to support you & understand you,

3. Weighing up the advantages or consequences of not speaking to your employer

4. Having a plan to gain full benefit from speaking to your doctoisre all important conversations to have that will help you regain your confidence during the Perimenopause Journey.

Who did you speak to that made your Perimenopause journey easier?