You know that 2 p.m. wall where your brain checks out and your body demands a nap worthy of a kindergarten mat? I thought I was just tired from running a business. Nope. It was menopause, and it turned “afternoon productivity” into a myth.

No one tells you that focus gets foggy or that your energy can nosedive out of nowhere. You try to push through, pretend it’s normal, and wonder why your once-reliable drive now has an expiration time. For working women, that crash doesn’t just steal time; it steals confidence.

The problem is, half the workforce will go through menopause, yet most workplaces still act like it’s a personal failing rather than a biological fact. HR departments have policies for everything from ergonomic chairs to emotional-support pets, but mention hot flashes and suddenly no one makes eye contact.

A 2025 Deloitte Women @ Work study found that fewer than six percent of organizations have any menopause-related support in place. That silence has consequences. Women managing brain fog, insomnia, or anxiety are often labeled “distracted” or “unreliable.” In reality, they’re holding it together under conditions that would sideline most of their male peers.

And when workplaces mishandle it, the fallout is real.

• A U.K. tribunal recently ruled that menopause symptoms could qualify as a disability after an employer dismissed a woman for performance issues tied to insomnia and hot flashes.
• In the U.S., women over 45 are leaving jobs at higher rates, often citing “health reasons” a polite way of saying no support, no understanding. 
• And let’s not forget the subtle stuff: being passed over for leadership because you “seem tired,” or being told to “take a break” when a hot flash hits, as though basic biology is a behavior issue.

Running your own business doesn’t automatically solve it, either. The freedom to set your schedule is great until you realize your energy drops right when clients expect deliverables. When you are the business, there’s no sick leave, no backup, and definitely no sympathy from your inbox.

So while entrepreneurship offers flexibility, it also magnifies the need for realistic boundaries. You can build a business around your rhythms but only if you stop pretending you don’t have any.

Let’s get practical. Whether you’re managing staff or managing yourself:

• Find a provider who actually understands menopause. Not all doctors do. You deserve someone who treats your symptoms as valid, not as a personality quirk.
• Dress for your temperature, not for approval. Layers, breathable fabrics, and the freedom to shed a blazer mid-meeting should be common sense, not rebellion.
• Reclaim your calendar. Build in time for recovery or meditation when your energy bottoms out. Ten quiet minutes can reset an entire afternoon.
• Adjust the environment. A fan at your desk isn’t “extra.” It’s survival equipment.

Okay, but what does that look like when you’ve got clients, deadlines, and a thermostat war going on?

You don’t have to make menopause your elevator pitch but you can make space for yourself without apology. If you’re in traditional employment, that might mean quietly adjusting how you work: scheduling demanding tasks for your best hours, or simply saying, “I’m taking five,” without justifying it. If you run your own business, design it around reality instead of pretending you’re a 24/7 machine.

Maybe you stop booking back-to-back calls. Maybe you write client agreements with humane deadlines that leave room for life to happen. You don’t have to explain hormones, you just have to stop working like you don’t have a body.

And if you do choose to speak up, do it in a way that feels natural. Share an article. Mention that your business prioritizes well-being for everyone. Those small, matter-of-fact conversations chip away at the silence faster than any corporate initiative.

The hush around menopause isn’t professionalism; it’s conditioning. For too long, we’ve been taught that competence means pretending we’re unaffected by our own biology. But pretending serves no one. It isolates women, drains talent from workplaces, and sets unrealistic expectations for those coming up behind us.

Every time one of us brings it up, with humor, with honesty, with zero shame, we make it a little easier for someone else to stay, thrive, or lead.

Menopause isn’t a dirty word or a career-ender. It’s a phase, one that millions of capable, creative, powerhouse women are navigating right now while still running meetings, raising families, and running entire companies.

The real shift we need? To stop whispering about it. To stop apologizing for it. And to build a world, and workplaces, where hot flashes don’t derail careers and cold emails still get sent, even when we need a nap first.

Here's to more honesty and fewer taboos,

Shift Check-In: What Do You Want More of in Shift Notes?

I’m shaping future issues around what you actually want to read, not what the algorithm thinks you should. Click the one(s) that sounds most like you 👇

What are you craving more of right now?

👉 Real talk about work, midlife, and balance

👉 Smart business tools + simple systems

👉 Mindset and personal growth stuff that actually works

👉 Straightforward chats about what it’s really like being a woman in business

👉 AI + tech tips that make life easier (not weirder)

How do you like your Shift Notes served?

👉 Quick reads I can finish with my coffee

👉 Deep dives I can settle in with

👉 A mix — depends on the mood

Anything else you’d love me to cover next?

Just hit “reply” and tell me — I read every single one. 💌

If you know someone who’s navigating their own shift, career, confidence, or just the thermostat, hit forward and share this with them. The more of us having these honest conversations, the easier it gets for everyone to stop pretending we’ve got it all figured out.

You’re getting Shift Notes because at some point, you signed up for real talk about running a business (and a life) that actually works for you — not the hustle-obsessed version everyone else is selling. Each issue is packed with grounded insights, smart tools, and the occasional laugh about the realities of being a woman in business.