Today Greenbelt supports World Menopause Day, an event observed around the globe to raise awareness of the impact menopause can have on women’s everyday lives.

The day was designated by the International Menopause Society (IMS) to raise awareness and support options to improve health and wellbeing for women in mid-life and beyond.

Today the IMS has also published a White Paper and guide: ‘Brain fog in menopause: a health-care professional’s guide for decision-making and counselling on cognition’.

Menopause ‘brain fog’ is a group of symptoms that can emerge around the time of the menopause. Symptoms include difficulty remembering words and numbers, disruptions in daily life (such as misplacing items like keys), trouble concentrating, difficulty switching between tasks, forgetting the reason for doing something (like why you came into a room), and forgetting appointments.

According to the World Health Organization, a woman’s health status entering the perimenopausal period will largely be determined by prior health and reproductive history, lifestyle and environmental factors.

It also notes perimenopausal and postmenopausal symptoms can be disruptive to personal and professional lives, and changes associated with menopause will affect a woman’s health as she ages. Therefore, perimenopausal care plays an important role in the promotion of healthy ageing and quality of life.

At Greenbelt, we’re proud to have in place our own Menopause Policy. This important document, which applies to employees, workers and contractors, sets out in detail the rights of anyone experiencing menopausal symptoms. It explains the support available in the workplace and helps line managers to understand how best to assist someone experiencing symptoms and what adjustments should be considered.

In all of this, we facilitate and encourage an open and understanding working environment – one in which employees feel able and comfortable to inform a line manager of menopausal symptoms at an early age to ensure these are treated as an ongoing health issue rather than as individual instances of ill health.

Early notification also helps line managers to determine the most appropriate course of action to support individual needs. Of course, some may find it helpful to first have an initial discussion with a trusted colleague or another manager.

You can find out more about the menopause from the experts here.