What Is Menopause?
Like many women, I grew up thinking “menopause” was when my period stopped. That was about the extent of my understanding. I’d heard of hot flushes and mood swings, but no one had ever mentioned that there were stages, or that the transition could last years. I certainly couldn’t recall a time in my life when my mother was going through it.
It wasn’t until I found myself in the middle of it that I realised how little I actually knew and how unprepared most of us are. My husband didn’t understand what was happening either. To be fair, most men I know have no idea what menopause actually involves. And that’s not their fault. No one’s ever really talked about it. I don’t ever remember learning about it at school, and it was certainly something my mother never talked about.
So if you find yourself wondering, “What is menopause?” let’s change that.
Menopause isn’t one moment in time, it’s a transition that happens in stages:
Perimenopause is the lead-up. It can start in your 40s (sometimes earlier) and lasts several years as hormone levels begin to fluctuate. You might notice changes in your cycle, sleep disturbances, mood shifts, or brain fog. It’s your body transitioning out of the reproductive years.
Menopause is the official point when you’ve gone 12 months without a period. It marks the end of reproductive years, but for many, symptoms can continue or even intensify for a while.
Postmenopause follows after that 12-month mark. Hormone levels settle, but the impact on bone, heart, and brain health continues, which is why understanding this stage matters so much for long-term wellbeing.
Not all menopause experiences happen naturally. For some women, menopause arrives suddenly due to medical treatment, surgery, or illness. This can be an even more abrupt and challenging adjustment, physically and emotionally, and deserves understanding, compassion, and specialised care.
When we only talk about menopause as “the end” of our reproductive years or worse, a “crazy time” we miss the bigger picture. This is a whole-body, whole-life transition that affects energy, confidence, and even identity. It’s also a time for resetting, reimagining, and reclaiming what wellbeing looks like in midlife.
The more we understand it and the more openly we talk about it, the better equipped we all are to support ourselves, our partners, and our colleagues. This is what I have found and why I am a women’s health advocate for positive ageing.
This isn’t just “women’s business.” It’s human business. It’s health business, it’s a quality of life business.
Moving Forward
The good news is that symptoms can often be managed with the support of a doctor or women’s health specialist with qualifications in menopause management.
Talking about your experience can also help.
You can use the Menopause Symptom & Wellbeing Tracker to record your symptoms and share them with your medical professional.
It’s time to bust this “secret women’s business” wide open and to reimagine what’s possible for productivity, psychological safety, and retention in our workplaces.
Too many women suffer in silence feeling misunderstood, afraid to speak up, or unsure how to ask for help.|
When we don’t talk about it, we lose talent, experience, and leadership.
Change starts with awareness, understanding, open conversations, and real workplace support and policies.
Let’s Talk
If this resonates with you, I’d love to hear your story.
What did you wish you’d known before menopause began?
Together, let’s bring these conversations into the light for ourselves, our workplaces, and the next generation of women to come.