Perimenopause for Managers and Executives: Leading Through the Transition
Managing a team while navigating perimenopause? Practical strategies for managers and executives dealing with brain fog, fatigue, and mood changes at work.
The Pressure of Leadership During Perimenopause
Managers and executives face a particular challenge during perimenopause: the expectation of sharp decision-making, steady emotional regulation, and consistent availability collides head-on with brain fog, disrupted sleep, and unpredictable mood shifts. Many senior women describe a creeping self-doubt, wondering whether they are losing their edge. They are not. They are navigating a significant hormonal transition while carrying substantial professional responsibility. Recognising this is the first step toward managing it well.
Brain Fog and High-Stakes Decision Making
Cognitive symptoms are among the most distressing for women in leadership roles. Forgetting names in meetings, losing the thread mid-sentence, or struggling to recall figures you used to know cold can feel alarming when your credibility depends on being sharp. Practical workarounds help enormously. Keep a running agenda document open during all meetings and brief yourself on key points beforehand. Batch your most complex thinking into your sharpest window of the day, often mid-morning. Accept that the fog is temporary and does not reflect your actual capability or experience.
Managing Hot Flashes and Fatigue in Professional Settings
Hot flashes during board presentations, client calls, or team performance reviews are uncomfortable and distracting. Layers you can remove quickly, a small fan at your desk, and cold water nearby are simple but effective. Fatigue is often worse after poor sleep, so protecting sleep becomes a genuine professional priority, not a luxury. Avoid late-night email habits if they eat into your wind-down time. Brief rest periods between back-to-back meetings, even five minutes of quiet, can help sustain focus across a long day.
Emotional Regulation and Team Dynamics
Irritability and low frustration tolerance during perimenopause can create friction with teams you would normally manage with ease. You may notice a shorter fuse in meetings, a stronger reaction to perceived inefficiency, or a desire to withdraw from social dynamics at work. Building in a brief pause before responding in heated moments is a practical tool many leaders find useful. Keeping a consistent one-to-one structure with direct reports maintains connection even on difficult days. You do not need to disclose your perimenopause status to anyone, but having a trusted colleague who understands what you are navigating can reduce isolation.
Structuring Your Role to Support Your Health
Senior roles often offer more schedule flexibility than junior ones, and this is worth using deliberately. Block time for exercise, which supports sleep, mood, and cognitive function. Schedule demanding work in your high-energy windows and protect those blocks. Delegate more aggressively during high-symptom periods without guilt. Accessing occupational health support, HR policies, or employee assistance programmes is increasingly normalised in workplaces that take menopause seriously. If your organisation lacks policy, you are well-placed to advocate for one. Tracking your symptoms consistently gives you data to identify patterns and anticipate difficult periods.
You Are Still the Leader You Have Always Been
Perimenopause is a transition, not a decline. Many women in leadership describe emerging from it with greater clarity about what matters, stronger boundaries, and deeper confidence in their own judgment. The short-term disruption is real, but it is manageable with the right strategies in place. Seek medical support if symptoms are significantly affecting your function. Treating perimenopause proactively is a professional decision as much as a personal one, and there is no reason to simply endure it.
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