Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Lifestyle
Sarah Phillips

‘I felt like I was losing my mind’: how to keep your career on track during menopause

I was at my desk thinking ‘what is my job?’ … the fog of work.
I was at my desk thinking ‘what is my job?’ … the fog of work. Illustration: Carl Godfrey/Carl Godfrey / getty images

When Kate from Pembrokeshire started experiencing vertigo, flooding periods, exhaustion and brain fog at 51, she had no idea what was happening to her. “It was really scary,” she says, “I felt like I was losing my mind.” Working as the general manager of a travel company, she was surrounded by younger colleagues she didn’t feel she could confide in. She recalls sitting at her desk one day thinking, “What is my job?”

She eventually quit, feeling like she couldn’t manage any more. It wasn’t until the hot flushes began after a year that she saw a doctor. “I didn’t know I needed help until I was put on HRT and a miracle occurred – I began to feel like myself.” But it was too late to rescue her working life: she had already given up her job.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.