The Energy Audit: Managing Professional Demands During Menopause

As we settle back into September's rhythm and Menopause Awareness Month approaches in October, it's time for some honest conversations about what's happening in our workplaces. In this blog post I wanted to share both my professional experience and personal insights.
I was 52, sitting in my home office trying to save my failing events business during the pandemic, when that creeping feeling of warmth, and then intense heat started.  This was a recurrence that was now starting to happen more often, the dreaded hot flush. As my partner used to say when he could also feel the heat radiate off me “Has someone switched the boiler on again?” 
The irony wasn't lost on me. Here I was, fighting to keep my professional life intact, while my body was going through its own transition. I had been blaming my mood swings and inability to concentrate on the pandemic, when in actual fact I had two major life upheavals happening simultaneously, and I had no roadmap for navigating either.
During those incredibly challenging months (and years!) I started to think not just about business resilience, but about how we fundamentally misunderstand what women need during menopause, especially in professional settings.
September Reset: Time for Your Energy Audit
Just as I had to completely audit my business model when everything fell apart, women navigating menopause need to audit their energy systems. We can't keep running on the same operating system when our hardware has fundamentally changed.
The traditional approach of push through, work harder, ignore the symptoms just doesn't work, and eventually, something crashes.
When I speak to organisations like the Metropolitan Police or BT Group about supporting women through menopause, this is where I always start: understanding that this isn't about managing inconvenient symptoms, it's about recognising that the entire energy system has changed.
The Professional Energy Drain Nobody Talks About
During perimenopause and menopause, your body's energy production changes at a cellular level. Declining oestrogen affects mitochondrial function - literally how your cells create energy. This isn't about being tired after a long day; this is about your body's fundamental power source operating differently.
Yet most workplace wellness programmes still assume all employees have the same energy patterns throughout their careers. We offer the same stress management techniques, the same productivity advice, the same work-life balance solutions to women whose entire physiological landscape has shifted.
From my work with various organisations, I see the same patterns repeatedly:

• High-performing women in their late 40s and 50s suddenly questioning their competence
• Increased sick leave during what should be peak career years
• Talented women taking early retirement or reducing hours
• Colleagues and managers attributing changes to "attitude problems"

Your Professional Perimenopause Energy Audit
When my business collapsed, I had to honestly assess what was working and what wasn't. The same principle applies to managing your professional energy during hormonal transitions.
Morning Energy Assessment: How do you feel when you wake up? During perimenopause, sleep disruption is common, but are you addressing this strategically or just drinking more coffee? Your morning energy sets the tone for your entire professional day.
Peak Performance Windows: Many women discover their cognitive peak hours shift during menopause. Instead of fighting this change, map your new patterns. When is your brain sharpest? When do you feel most creative? Schedule your most demanding tasks accordingly.
Physical Energy vs. Mental Energy: These become disconnected during hormonal transitions. You might have physical energy but mental fog, or sharp thinking but physical fatigue. Track both separately and plan your workday accordingly.
Recovery Requirements: Your recovery time from stressful meetings, difficult decisions, or high-pressure situations may have increased. This isn't weakness - it's time for adaptation. Factor longer recovery periods into your schedule.
The Strength Training Solution we should all know
What I know from my own learned experience and from working with countless women is that strength training becomes non-negotiable during menopause, especially for professional sustainability.
This is not because you need to look a certain way, but because building physical strength directly supports mental resilience. When I was rebuilding my career at 50+, strength training became my sanctuary - not for vanity, but for sanity. Yet during my talks, or when I work with my one-to-one clients there is a recurring pattern of women doing more ‘cardio’ exercise, yet eating less, in fact the very things that will make their situation worse. Once they realise they should be working smarter, not harder, it is a lightbulb moment of relief. 
Strength training:

• Improves sleep quality (crucial for cognitive function)
• Supports stable energy throughout the day
• Builds confidence that translates to professional presence
• Provides a controllable challenge when everything else feels chaotic

This is why I completed that 24-hour ‘UltraQuad’ challenge at the age of 57. Not to prove I could still do extreme things, but to demonstrate that menopause doesn't mean decline - it means adaptation. And here's the great thing - did I train for this challenge by putting in endless hours of slog? No I didn't, I trained in strategic, short sessions, working on strength and power.  Endurance? We have that already in spades!

Working WITH Your New Operating System
The breakthrough for me came when I stopped fighting the changes and started working with them. Just as I had to pivot my business model, I had to pivot my professional energy management.
Strategic Scheduling: If brain fog hits consistently in the afternoon, don't schedule important meetings then. If your energy crashes after intense social interaction, plan solo work time afterward.
Hormone-Aware Planning: Track your patterns. Many women find certain times of their cycle (if still cycling) or certain times of the month offer more mental clarity and energy. Use this information strategically. I like the app Wild.AI for this, I have found it so insightful.
Environment Optimisation: Temperature control isn't about being difficult - it's about maintaining professional confidence when hot flushes are unpredictable (i.e most of the time!). Advocate for what you need to perform your best.
Communication Strategies: You don't owe anyone detailed explanations, but having phrases ready helps: "I work most effectively in the morning," or "I prefer to handle complex decisions when I'm fresh."
What Organisations Can Do
From my corporate speaking work, I see the same mistakes repeatedly. Organisations focus on awareness without action, or they offer generic wellness solutions that don't address the specific challenges of hormonal transitions.
The Problem: Treating menopause as a temporary inconvenience to manage rather than a permanent life stage requiring different support strategies.
The Solution: Recognising that supporting women through menopause is a long-term investment in retaining experienced talent during their peak expertise years.
The companies getting this right understand that small adjustments - flexible scheduling, temperature control, understanding that "working differently" doesn't mean "working less effectively" - yield significant returns in retention and performance.
Your September Action Plan

1. Track Your Patterns: For two weeks, note your energy levels, mood, and cognitive sharpness at different times of day. Look for patterns.
2. Audit Your Schedule: Are you fighting against your natural rhythms or working with them? What meetings could be moved to your peak times?
3. Advocate Strategically: Identify one workplace adjustment that would significantly improve your professional experience. Request it professionally and specifically.
4. Build Your Support System: This might be strength training, it might be finding other women going through similar transitions, or it might be working with someone who understands the intersection of career and menopause.

The Bigger Picture
When I lost my business, I initially saw it as failure. Now I recognise it as the catalyst that led to the most meaningful work of my career - helping other women build resilience through life's inevitable transitions.
Menopause in the workplace isn't a problem to solve, it should be seen as an opportunity to demonstrate that women's professional value doesn't decline with hormonal changes, it evolves.
Remember: your career doesn't end at menopause. Your energy system changes, but your expertise, wisdom, and capability can actually increase when you work with your body rather than against it. Companies who recognise this will have a significant advantage in attracting and retaining experienced talent.
As we approach Menopause Awareness Month in October, it's time to move beyond awareness to action. Your professional life doesn't have to become smaller because of menopause - it might just become more strategically powerful.
If you're looking for practical workplace menopause strategies or want to discuss bringing this conversation to your organisation, visit my website for resources designed specifically for women navigating career and menopause simultaneously. Because your strongest professional years don't have to be behind you.