Women, no matter how busy or successful they are will ultimately find themselves somehow discriminated in the workplace in their “middle years” as this is the beginning to when menopause symptoms start to appear. Most often, women find themselves suffering silently as they deal with sudden hot flushes for a fear of getting stereotyped as becoming old.
One of the most common menopause symptoms is anxiety, which is often expressed during the start of the pre-menopausal stage. In most cases, it is the stigma that is attached to being noticed as menopausal rather than the hot flushes that cause anxiety in women.
What are the most common symptoms of menopause?
Some of the most common menopause symptoms that affect a woman in the workplace include:
• Anxiety
• Fatigue
• Headaches
• Hot flushes
• Memory Loss
• Sleep Disturbances
For many years, women have said that the more they experience the symptoms, the less they begin to feel satisfied with their jobs, engaged at their workplace and committed to the organization where they work for. This makes it imperative that the workplace should practice order in which they should become readily available to assist the mature woman.
Temperature
In the most common symptoms of menopause, hot flushes are one of the most associated with menopause. When a hot flash begins, sudden intense feelings of heat will radiate through the body, in particular on the neck, chest, and the face, then immediately followed my chills.
When women experience menopausal hot flushes at night, this will affect their sleep pattern. While it may happen very often, nights can become restless with low-quality sleep due to the constant waking from sudden night sweats.
Nausea
Most who are undergoing hormone replacement therapy may experience symptoms of nausea. While some cases may be mild, others can become moderate to severe – which will interfere with your ability to perform proficiently at work.
Stress and Negative Attitudes
Menopause can cause a great deal of stress, especially while being at work. With long hours, heavy workloads and the lack of sick days or adequate time, this makes it difficult to deal with the stress and relax. The physical symptoms of menopause may lead to embarrassment, which can also worse the feelings of stress.
Lack of Necessary Breaks
During all stages of menopause, women experience an increased need to urinate, fatigue and dizziness. As resting and closing your eyes may help relieve these symptoms, this may not always be possible in some of the work environments. The frequent urge to urinate may cause you to visit the restroom more often than others, however, your job may have a strict policy on breaks or you may not have instant access to the restroom – making menopause more of a challenge.
How to deal with menopause at work?
As there is no official law that addresses menopause, there is, however, legislation that states that employers must be sure to protect the safety, healthy and overall welfare of all employees. This includes women who find themselves suffering at work due to menopause symptoms.
Support
Be sure to address any of your needs and concerns with a manager that can help provide a sense of support. Talking with your manager can help eliminate stress and even improve your health situation at work.
Communicate
Communication is the key if you want to overcome any barriers of suffering from menopause. When it comes to discussing menopause, women find themselves embarrassed, especially with male managers and supervisors. However, the lack of communication may also make the workplace more difficult. Be sure to discuss your concerns and stand your ground to gain more frequent breaks and possibly a flexible schedule. Don’t be afraid to request for helpful things such as increased ventilation or temperature control in working areas.
Healthy Lifestyle
There are several ways you can improve your quality of life in and out of the workplace. By eating a well-balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, proteins, and whole grains – this will help increase energy and fight fatigue. Use natural supplements for menopause to help cope with those symptoms. Regular exercises and relaxation techniques are great ways to help you deal with stress, especially in the workplace.
In the new age, it is time for both workers and employers to change their attitude towards women who deal with menopause as this should not be seen as a barrier or as a weakness during a successful career. Going through menopause can be a challenging time for any woman. Maintain a healthy lifestyle to help reduce symptoms as well as talk to your boss about your needs. Menopause should not have to control you. Instead, “maturely aged” women should be recognized in more of a positive light as women who are ambitious, committed, dependable, resilient, and wiser.
References:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/arlington-heights/community/chi-ugc-article-5-tips-to-make-menopause-a-positive-experienc-2016-02-17-story.html
http://way-to-be-healthy.blogspot.com/2016/02/how-to-lose-holiday-menopause-blue.html