5 Tips for Managing Menopause Symptoms at Work

When you’re focused on your job and career, any distraction can steal from your momentum. While menopause is a natural transition time in a woman’s life, sometimes it feels that there’s nothing natural about the effects it has on you, both physically and emotionally. Both effects can interfere with your work.

Any time the symptoms of menopause interfere with your daily tasks or enjoyment of life, you can contact Dr. John Paciuc on the Upper East Side of New York City for help. You have treatment options, and Dr. Paciuc can help you make the right choices for both your life and your work. In the meantime, here are five tips and strategies which can help you minimize the effects of menopause on your work routine.

1. Keep an even keel

As your body’s hormone balance alters during menopause, you may be vulnerable to nervous system overstimulation. Mood swings and hot flashes are part of that, and you may also feel closer to the adrenaline release that accompanies the fight-or-flight response.

Deep breathing helps you maintain control over elevated tension and stress, two common ingredients in many people’s workdays. Try five sessions of focused deep breathing through the day, once when you wake up, once before bed, then three more times throughout the day. As few as three deep, full breaths produce a calming effect that keeps you grounded.

2. Don’t rock the boat

Since you’re already closer to an overstimulated sympathetic nervous system, steering away from adrenaline substitutes like caffeine may benefit you. Other things that trigger hot flashes may also needlessly add to your stress load. Keep a hot flash diary to pinpoint these triggers, then take steps to avoid them.

3. Stay on the water

Hydration is key to many aspects of your health. Sip water throughout the day, and choose watery fruits like citrus and melon to keep your tanks full. Yes, you may feel that your workday is an endless journey between desk and washroom, at least temporarily as your body adjusts to this influx of fluids, but it is important.

4. Find your sea legs

Park farther back from the entrance to your building, and stack up the extra steps toward menopause control. Increased activity levels counteract some of the effects of menopause by relieving anxiety and stress while boosting your mood with endorphins.

There are plenty of ways to build activity into your workday — simple things like walking to a colleague’s workstation instead of emailing them or taking the elevator to a floor below your destination are just two that are easy to implement. Use a fitness tracker to help boost your daily step counts.

5. All hands on deck

The brain fog that sometimes accompanies menopause can add challenge to a busy workplace setting. It may be time to embrace new habits to keep your organizational game sharp. Lists may be your new best friend, whether in a conventional date book or a digital organizer. Keep a notepad by your bed too. When your brain spins when it should sleep, a quick note means you won’t forget in the morning, freeing your mind for rest.

If you have any questions about menopause or need any additional information, contact Dr. Paciuc and his team at their New York City office by phone at 212-737-3356 or by sending us a message online.