Say it Sister...
Lucy and Karen, two 40-somethings, are always chatting about life, and all that it has to throw at them, and now want to share their raw, honest conversations with you. Their journey of finding their own voices, self-discovery and healing is something many of us can relate to. We all possess a unique power within us, but life’s trials often knock us off course. They have the tools, the courage to speak up and simply say it as it is, so you might feel seen, and understood and gain practical tools and techniques for self-discovery and personal growth during the changes we experience.
Say it Sister...
From Perimenopause to Power: Rethinking Midlife, Work, and Women’s Health
It is menopause awareness month.
We break the silence around perimenopause and menopause, mapping the decade-long transition that reshapes health, work, and identity. We share lived tools—from symptom tracking and GP scripts to cultural wisdom and workplace policy—to help you feel seen, supported, and sovereign.
• naming perimenopause, menopause and postmenopause clearly
• sleep, progesterone and managing changing symptoms
• coils, HRT and testing what helps your body
• frustration with mental load, libido shifts and resentment
• 48–70+ symptoms and why misdiagnosis is common
• using signs trackers, scripts and concise GP visits
• purpose returning after stabilising sleep and pain
• cultural lenses that honour women as wisdom keepers
• rituals, womb work and syncing energy with cycles
• the push through culture and its harm
• women leaving leadership and what we lose
• flexible policy, coaching and retention in workplaces
• choosing to stay or pivot with sovereignty
Loving the conversation, make sure you follow us on your favourite podcast app
And if something resonates, share it on your socials or with a friend who really needs to hear it
We'd love to hear your stories too
Find us on Instagram at say it's sister podcasters and at wise women lead
If it moved you, made you think, or made you even feel seen, hit follow, share it with a sister, and leave us a review
Welcome to another episode of Say it sister Podcast.
Speaker:. This is your space for real, unfiltered conversations about womanhood, the messy, the magical, and everything in between.
Speaker 1:We're called upon to name the taboos, stigmas, stereotypes, and lies that keep us stuck so that we can rise and reign like queens.
Speaker:We open up spaces and deepen relationships that bring us closer to love and a better world for all. So get comfy, grab your favourite drink, and let's say it, sister.
Speaker 1:Welcome, sisters. We're in Menopause Awareness Month. We wanted to talk to you about one of our favourite topics, midlife living and women's health, aka, perimenopause, and menopause, and also what comes beyond. We're experiencing lots of change right now, and let's face it, it's been a long time coming. But we really want to celebrate the conversations that are happening, the awareness that's being driven, and the search that women are doing, women like us, like you, to find out more about this stage of life that has been hidden, brushed under the carpet. We're now taking all of that off the shelf for ourselves and we're doing our own work. And this is something to be celebrated, even though there are many ups and downs, swings and roundabouts. And some days we don't even know what month we're in. So let's reconnect into that and let's celebrate it. Because to be honest, sometimes you you really do have to laugh, other times you need to cry, and other times you need to get support. And that's part of life, isn't it? So welcome, Lucy. How are you today?
Speaker:Well, I've got a new progesterone prescription, so I feel great. It's been brilliant actually, because I've been taking it about a month now, and it the pharmacist said, take it about half an hour before you go to bed because it can make you a little bit drowsy. Oh my god, within half an hour, I know I'm not for the count and I'm loving it. But then I wake up and I feel like I've had a really good night's sleep, and let's face it, when you're at this midlife stage, it reminds me a little bit of when I had um a baby because it was just constantly interrupted sleep and I was exhausted all the time. So today, well, this last week or so, I'm feeling great. Um, where are you on your your journey? What are your symptoms? How are you feeling?
Speaker 1:It's a weird one for me because I come, it's it comes and goes and it can change. So I can have like 15 different symptoms or signs one week, and then the next week it's like, oh, everything feels a little bit better. Um, and because we're still cycling, I'm still having my periods, it means that we're still having those experiences of like the you know, the boost of energy that we get at certain points in the month, and then the decline of energy that we get as we're sort of coming into like autumn and winter phases when we start to have our period, you know. So I'm still having that, but it feels very intensified. And to be honest, I had a coil fitted a couple of weeks ago to help me, you know, manage to help me manage it basically. And I'm just starting to see the benefit because I'm not having the experience of the like the bloating and the severe pain in my stomach, and then it affects my hip. Um, so I'm physically feeling better than I was, and just very aware that this is a constant changing thing and um it changes day to day, week by week, and giving myself a lot of space for that. Yeah.
Speaker:So I think that's important just to recognise that um I think we all heard about the menopause or the change when we were younger, but we didn't really understand what it was all about. And then I think quite early on in my um menopause journey, I heard the word perimenopause, and I learned about it, and I realised that actually there's this period of about seven to ten years before you even hit the menopause, which is just one day, by the way. One day when you've been a year free of periods that you hit that day. But there's this whole journey before, and then there's a whole journey afterwards when you are post-menopausal. And so actually, this is impacting women's lives for you know, seven, 10, 15, 20 years of their lives. And so I'm glad I found that out because of my amazing older women sisters who are like, let's not have this silence around it anymore. Let's let's talk about it. Um, and which is why I'm excited now, because you know, anybody, let's say you're you're 30, 35, you're listening to us today, you're like, oh, is that what I've got coming? And I don't want it to be all doom and gloom either, because there's some rubbish bits, um, you know, the pains, the sleepless nights. I've never had a hot flush, thankfully, um, which is the one that I thought that's what menopause was. But there are some amazing gifts that come with this period. And the change, which is again that term that I was familiar with. Um, I thought it was just like change as in I can't produce eggs anymore. But actually, it is a complete life change emotionally, mentally, physically. And I I feel now I'm what, seven years in, I feel like I'm starting to come out of that cocoon where I've like I've forced myself to be in. And I just wanted to speak to some of the things that I'm hearing from some of my younger friends who are in their very early 40s, and talking to them, it reminds me of what I was like when I was just first entering. And so, you know, like when us girls get together, we talk about life updates, and what I'm hearing is a lot of frustration coming from their voices. They're frustrated with being the only one that ever stocks the fridge, the one that um has to do all the cleaning, the meal planner, the washer, the family planner, the organiser, and they are just so frustrated, and they're starting to resent their kids, they're starting to resent their partners, um, and they feel like they're just constantly nagging, and they've got zero libido, and they don't want to go anywhere near the bedroom for that intimacy. And what I'm starting to say to them is just notice that there's nothing wrong with you. This might be the start of your Perry Men and Paul's journey before you start thinking of divorce or throwing your kids out or whatever, blowing up your life. Maybe just think about going and getting your hormone levels checked. Because yes, they they are disappointed when I suggest it because they're still young. They don't want to be this old woman when I explain to them that it's not about being old, it's actually something really freaking awesome that you're about to go through. Then it kind of calms their mind. But I just wanted to share that with you because I'm so far through. I've still got a long way to go, but I'm so far through. But that realization, oh, I'm at this stage in my life and this is what it means, it came as a huge shock to me. What about you?
Speaker 1:Well, what I'm hearing is the disillusionment that comes with, you know, obviously the energy decline that we feel and different symptoms. I mean, there are 48 known symptoms of menopause, but actually, I read a book and as I went through it, there were 72. And I'm sure as we go through uncovering women's health from a professional standpoint, there's going to be even more and more and more things linked into perimenopause that then goes into that one day of menopause that goes into postmenopause. So the way it's even communicated is wrong because what we should be talking about is perimenopause and postmenopause.
Speaker:Yes.
Speaker 1:Basically. One day of your life is one day of your life. Obviously, it's significant because it shows you that you've gone into a different phase. So there's something there for me in that. But actually, when you look at the phasing, it's so confusing. And I think we get caught so much in like, what's happening to me? Why is it happening to me? What can I do about it? I'm completely lost, and I'm very confused. The medical profession is also very confused. So, you know, you go to your doctor and they go, Well, let's get some blood tests done. And um, the blood tests don't reveal very much because they don't. And so you can get caught up in this cycle of, but I don't feel like myself, I don't feel right, I've got high anxiety, um, I'm I I'm scared to speak out. Um, you know, there's a lot of I feel like I'm alone in this. And that was, I was quite lucky in some ways. My mum had my mum went into early perimenopause, and so I saw her struggle as a teenager. So it there was a registering point for me. And then when I talked about it, she she had a hysterectomy at 48, and the doctor said she'd been in perimenopause from 35 because they how they see that, I don't know. But she was given that information. She's an ex-nurse, she'd have been very curious. And I think there's something about us getting curious, curious about our bodies, about our journeys, and actually being able to ask the right questions to learn about what's happening. Because I don't know about you, but most of the time I'll go in and go, they'll tell me something, and I'll go, okay, and then I kind of walk away, and then I might go do a bit of research.
Speaker:I've changed forget what they've told me.
Speaker 1:Well, yeah, and and I have to write things down because if I don't write it down, there's no way. But I've always been a bit like that, so that's nothing new for me. Um, you know, I feel like I've probably been in perimenopause all my life, to be honest. That's how it feels. Um, so that was kind of helpful because I I wasn't hearing the stories of, but it didn't affect me. Like there are there are generations of women that say nothing happened to me, I was absolutely fine, I didn't struggle, I don't know what the fuss is all about. So I think that's a story that I hear a lot from the women that I work with, where then, you know, they get told this and it's almost like then it just implies it just makes the shame get stronger. Yeah. So each of us has our own experience and journey, and it's about really listening, you know, to what's going on for us. And yeah, I've struggled with that because that my story I felt was quite unique. But now that I've done all the work in the field, I realize it's not unique at all because women are having babies later in life. So, you know, I got I had a baby at 43, I was in perimenopause when that happened. This is now not unusual, this is actually very, very widespread and common, but no one's been talking about perimenopause. So you have your like baby, you have all the hormone stuff happening, and then the baby's there, and then all of a sudden the you get the perimenopause impact of that, and the baby on top of that. That is just in so much to bear, and unless people know what they're looking for, so when they come, you know, the health healthists come and they say they're sort of doing the screen check. Is this woman got postnatal depression? Really, that's a big part of a chunk of the conversation. I knew I didn't have postnatal depression, so I was like, that doesn't apply to me, but I'm definitely experiencing a lot and I don't know what to do with it all. Hence why I ended up going into therapy as well. Because I was like, I mean, I am so I'm fatigued, I need some help. So that is the thing that's coming out for me. And I'm speaking to women, and when I speak to those women who've got young children who are in perimenopause, they start crying. The relief, oh my god, you this is what it is. I knew it wasn't post-metal depression, but I now realize that this is perimenopause and the impacts of having a baby. Now, you could say, well, don't do it later in life, you know. I kind of hear that kind of um discussion, but I also know that as women we have so many factors to consider these days that the normal pregnancy journey or the normal decisions that maybe our mothers took, or certainly our grandmothers, it's not the same for us. We we've been we are independent, we have to earn money. We um, you know, we want to be valued in society, we want to contribute. There's all of these things that we do in life, and then we've got the life stages, and then we've got motherhood that sits up sits within any of that. As long as we are having, you know, we're ovulating, we can have babies. So everything's a little bit piggle-to-piggled, and at the same time, we're trying to work out how to best manage.
Speaker:So there's a lot there that came up for me, but that's yeah, and it's interesting when you look at some of the stats around um women in midlife. Um, and perimenopause is one of the main reasons why women actually quit their jobs, quit their relationships. And, you know, the the data suggests that 10% of women actually do quit their jobs because they think I can't do this, um, my brain fog, I've got aches and pains, um, you know, I my social anxiety, I don't want to speak up. There's so many of those symptoms, and they think I can't do this anymore. It's overwhelming. And it does lead to burnout. And then um one-third of women are actually misdiagnosed with depression, anxiety, um, even you know, when wetting themselves when they sneeze, they're like, oh my god, I'm incontinent. All of these little things when, you know, each individual woman, whatever their symptom is, they go to the doctor and name a symptom, and then they get um medical treatment for that one symptom. But actually, it's not just that. When you look at the whole range of things, it's clear that they're impairy menopause. So, but they're not getting the treatment for that, so then they just stay on antidepressure, uh, depressants or serotonin or anti-anxiety meds or whatever the thing is, and and they never actually get the support right now.
Speaker 1:Yeah, exactly.
Speaker:And then apparently, this is shocking. Um, 18% of women said it actually took them three visits to a doctor before they were actually taken seriously, and that is absolutely shocking. I didn't have that experience, thankfully. My doctors were absolutely brilliant, but I can just imagine how hard it is when you you look at it and think, I need help.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker:And then the they're they're told it's something completely unrelated. I mean, it's just tragic.
Speaker 1:I mean, I've had women come to me and say, I'm speaking to my doctor, but it's not I'm not being they're not listening to me. So I work with them on a script and say these are the certain things that you need to be saying when you go in there, as long as it's true, you know, we're not to be fair.
Speaker:I took a script in and I listed everything. So maybe that's why I got the care I needed.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think unless you are, you know, you unless you've done a little bit of sort of like what's really going on in. I have a thing that I use and it's a it's a signs tracker, and it basically goes through all the signs, and you can, you know, from one to ten, have I got these signs? And so you start to sort of like look at it on paper, and then you look at the impact of those signs on your life, on all areas of life, work, personal relationships, family, you know, children, um, hobbies, you start to sort of map it out, and then you get the picture of what's going on right now in this moment, because really all we can do is work within, I think, probably quarters of our life and go, well, actually, over the last month, two months, or three months, this is what I'm seeing. And if we start to sort of notice and track this, we get a really good picture of what's going on. And then from there we can say, right, I'm now going to look at these. Maybe I need a bit of therapy, counseling, coaching. Um, a menopause guardian can come into my life. You know, maybe I speak to my husband or my wife, maybe I um go get HRT and progesterone as a and try it, you know, and get and see then what happens. Because I don't think we really know until we step in. And when I got HRT, they said, Well, we'll find out if it's if it is perimenopause by how you respond to the HRT. And I would say within a month, I had an immediate, immediate shift in energy, which was the key thing for me because I was like, I've got a young child, I'm you know, self-employed. I need to be able to work, I don't have the luxury of just zoning out, you know, I need to be present and I also have an important job to do in the world. So we need that and we need that support, and I think sometimes we need to try different things because that might not be for every woman, but if we ignore the sign that like has been done in the past, that's a really dark and lonely place to be. And once we get certain things under control, we just start to feel like different, and then we think, well, and our creativity returns, and you know, for me, there's a lot of purpose in this life stage that it was about managing, then it becomes about purpose again, and then it becomes about reconnecting to do our dreams and you know what dreams do I hold right now? What's relevant for me right now? We need to be able to answer and ask those questions and sometimes sit even with a question.
Speaker:Loving the conversation, make sure you follow us on your favourite podcast app. And if something resonates, share it on your socials or with a friend who really needs to hear it. We'd love to hear your stories too.
Speaker 1:Find us on Instagram at say it's sister podcasters and at wise women lead. And let's keep the conversation going because your voice matters here.
Speaker:Want to bring on that point because when I said earlier that there are so many gifts that come with um this menopause journey, I truly believe it because I've had the the HRT, and that has really just allowed me to exist, survive. Um but I I'm still not the same woman I was, and it's because I have had to adjust my life and rethink things and think about what's important to me, who am I becoming, the change, so to speak. And then I'd sort of like started like trying to understand who who I'm becoming by going and having a look at other cultures of how they viewed menopause and the wisdom that I think I've gained through this more holistic journey to try and find myself. It was really reassuring to realise that in other cultures, well, that's actually how they think of menopause. They they see the women that come through it as community leaders, as wise women, um, as like a rite of passage almost. And that that really reassured me. Um, and I know you've done some research on different cultures, different practices. Do you want to share some of your insights?
Speaker 1:For me, it feels like coming back into nature again and to the cycle. So I did a lot of work around my own womb and really connecting and going deeper into the wound space because it's it's something that we tend to ignore, and yet we have our you know, periods, you know, whatever age we start, our periods, we have this constant signal of change that's happening on the inside, and it can be obviously extremely painful as well. And and I've always had painful periods, but I decided that I was going to work much deeper into myself. It's also the space of obviously where we create from, it's a space that where we hold, where we mold. There's a lot of um positive energy that comes into this space that we've disconnected from. So, you know, it feels like a ceremony to me. Like when I go into the womb space and I do guided journeys with women, there can be a little bit of pre-anxiety, like, oh god, what what am I going to find when I go in there? Like what is gonna be said to me? But actually, I've never had anything like that in any of the experiences that I've done for myself or with other women. It's always been this like voice of absolute empowerment and beauty and trust, and you know, feminine power when it's truly itself comes from such a deep place, you know, it's like and it sounds like an ancient voice. So for me, that's where I go. You know, you could have big drums around you while you were doing it, but you know, unless you're on a retreat, that's probably not possible. But there's this idea of the retreat that goes on and you know, tuning back in and feeling, and so many of the women I work with, they'll say, Oh, I can feel it in my gut. And I don't know, the energy is always quite a warm energy. And sometimes it's their womb that they're talking to, but that the connection's not there. So we we have so much deep work to do, and what's interesting is that if you do this work with a woman who's had hysterectomy, the energy in the voice of the womb is the same. Even though they don't have that part of themselves there anymore, it's exactly they have the same experience. So it just tells me that there's something really magical inside us that we've been disconnected from, and I think when we do connect, I think it brings us back into like the whole, you know, the whole self, and we feel calmer and more grounded.
Speaker:Through for me, I I say yes to all of that, and I've also found that by connecting with other women, sharing with other women, yourself included, um, has also made it even more powerful. The shifts and the changes, the um the self-worth, the self-value, all of that has magnified. And I was thinking about um how, and I don't know whether this happened for you, but when I was a student, we had uh four girls living in our house, and within a week or two, we suddenly started sinking periods. And then it happens in our home as well. There's three three of us living here, and it all sinks again. And um, for us, whenever, especially my youngest, whenever she starts getting a bit techy, I'm like, yep, the new moon's coming, and we all track by the moon cycle, and it's just phenomenal. And I think quite a few women do the same. Um, but yeah, around that new moon period when we go into ourselves and it feels dark, that's when we get into that emotional um space, and then by the time the full moon comes out again, we're like howling at the moon and we're just out there. And the thing is, the women's moon cycle um absolutely links, and it stays with you even post-menopause, that cyclical part of life, and this is the thing that growing up I was never told about. And now women are having these conversations, the older sisters passing knowledge down, um, it's just opened us all up. So that going to ancient wisdom, like even our own pagan backgrounds, but going to around the world to see how it is treasured and revered and celebrated, um, whether it's from the getting your first cycle right to your end, it just feels so different to the message that Western worlds tell us that well, you're over the hill, oh, you've got brain fog, um, oh, your eyesight's going, oh, that means your your collagen's going, and it's just all doom, doom, doom, doom, doom. And so I'm really glad you spoke to that because it's a push through.
Speaker 1:I think we've all been brought up in a world or a society, shall we say, because it's not the whole world that says push through, take the pill, numb the pain, push through. And I grew up in that cycle in that way. And I still live in that cycle in that way, but not nowhere near as extreme as it was. And I certainly hope when Catalina goes through her per first period that we'll be doing it from a very celebratory way. It won't be shameful or you know, I know it might be painful for her because I remember my own, but we I want to do it so differently. And I think sometimes we learn it for for the first time ourselves, you know, like we can be midlife and go, oh, I'm learning this thing, and we pass it down the line to other women who and even maybe women who are older than us and the same age who haven't learned it yet. And there's something really beautiful about that. And you know, I know in Japan they don't approach menopause in the same way, and they certainly don't have the same experience as the menopause. And if you look at how that culture is, it's very much about the rituals and the ceremonies, and there's something for me that's very important about slowing down and getting into the ritualistic areas of life. And if you think about it, you know, the idea was always like on the full moon, around the full moon, that's when the periods were due. When we got streetlights, it changed it all. So then you had women cycling at different points because there was something about the light and the influx of light being on all the time that impacted women's bodies. Now, I'm not saying we get rid of the streetlights, but what I'm saying is like so many things have shifted and changed, and we have not been explained any of this, and we just get on with it, don't we? Because that's how we push through.
Speaker:Push through, push through, get to work, forget your period pains, forget your low mood, that you need a nap in the afternoon because your energy levels are going, just keep pushing through. And it is it's exhausting, and it really harms our bodies. And I've got like one client came to me, and it was her very first session, and she's like sales director, um, and it's all about push, push, push. And she came to me, she said, There's something wrong with me. I'm just I don't get excited anymore. Um, I don't have the energy. Um, sometimes I fumble my words in meetings, so I've stopped speaking up. I'm losing my confidence, da-da-da-da-da. And said, you know, and she came to me for coaching and I said, Look, before we do this, please will you go to your doctor and just ask to have some tests or to speak to them about um menopause because she I think she was 49, maybe 50, and she came back to me a couple of weeks later and she said, Oh my god, you were absolutely right, Lucy. Um, why did I not know this? And she never came back to me for coaching because this just me giving her this information changed her world. And then there was another um client and high professional banking prof you know, um she she'd worked in the industry for 30, 40 years, and there was a lot of grief going on in the same year. She'd um lost one of her parents, and so she had to deal with a lot of that. So all of this stuff coming up, and she basically quit her job, you know, at the peak of her career. Um, and as it turns out, she's um re-registered at the age of 50 to go and learn to be a midwife, and which is just phenomenal. Um and I've seen other women who again quit their jobs, start a small business to be in more rhythm of what they want. And I'm like, I'm here for it. I'm here, like you know, women go do what you want to do. But it also gives me real sadness that women in this period of their life are checking out when actually we need post-menopausal women to be the leaders, to be bringing their wisdom and their sage guidance, their calm head, their holistic thinking, their empathy and compassion. They're the kind of leaders we need. Um, and that really concerns me. What are your thoughts on this? Should we say go be you, follow this path, or is there something that we should be doing to say, you know, lead, date the role?
Speaker 1:It's a hard one for me, this, because I do want women to stay, because the big organizations can make huge changes in the world because they have the big budgets to go out there and align with you know giving back, taking care of society. So if women leave these top roles, then that kind of approach to purpose kind of leaves with them. And I I I see I see the impact of women in the top roles and what they're doing in the world um and in society. So I see that and they they really come from the heart, and I go, Oh my god, I'm so proud. Um but I also see the impact on them in their personal life in terms of having to push through and um the relentless juggle of everything that they're having to do, that's much more than a job. So I see that as well, and I see the personal impact, and they almost like lose themselves in the process of that. Um and that's really sad, you know. And then at that point, there's always like, well, what else could you be doing? Because we have to put ourselves first, because if we can't take care of ourselves, actually we're not we are gonna burn out and then we're gonna leave in such a bad way. And it's very hard to recover from that as we get older. So our you know, our well-being and our mental health, it has to be first and foremost at the front of everything. I do see the reason why women leave and do all of that as well. So um I just want to support women. I feel like this is you know, we want women to lead. If they can find a way that's better for them, then that has to be what's right for them, doesn't it? And hopefully the corporates and the big businesses will learn that if you continue, you're not gonna have women in these roles. Um because there's been a lot of movement to put women in the seats, but they're not gonna stay if they're not they're not cared for in the right way, if they're not respected in the right way, it's not gonna work, is it, long term? So you're gonna end up with more seats. The seats are not gonna be um kept by women, and I'm seeing that.
Speaker:So that makes me just go and and it makes me really sad because there's this amazing group of leaders who potentially don't um and you know don't remain in the workforce, and therefore younger women look. Up don't have the same role models. So I I really want to, like yourself, you know, through our work with Wise Women Lead, really work with these women and work with the companies to help them to retain the women. So whether it's helping them understand what menopause is and perimenopause, or understand the different challenges that women have accessing these top jobs, but equally working with the women to say, yes, you're going through this and let us support you so you can become the most fullest expression of who you are, still within the workplace or the industry that you are so passionate about and really make an impact. And I think that's what drives us both on, doesn't it? It's like, you know, yes, at the end of our the work that we do, a woman might decide, I want to set up my own business or I want to follow this charity work. But equally, and that is amazing, um, but equally, if we can try and help them lead, because let's face it, the the current world is so out of balance, we've got to try and find a way to create more balance in the workplace.
Speaker 1:100%. And there was something on the news today, and and it's this I think it was something like 48%. So there's the 10% or the one in 10 women will leave, you know, during their midlife journey. So that is probably like perimenopause, to be honest, now that we've explained, you know, how it all works. Um, so that's going to be that's something for them to look at. But the figure that was used was 48%. And I think what what they'd done with the stats is they'd looked at the women that go down to three days a week. So they go from five days a week to three days a week, or they reduce their hours substantially, or they they actually take a role that's much less than because they need the space and the time to reset and you know take care of themselves. And the need and the importance of giving women flexibility, if they are your key members of the team, if they are the wisdom keepers and the wisdom holders, and if they are the mentors and the guides for those that are, you know, I don't want to say below because that sounds like the less than, but you know, if they are in these seats and you want to keep them, you're gonna have to do something different. And there needs to be a separate policy for that, and you know, flexible working, starting later, um, you know, taking some time out when they need it. Whatever it looks like, it needs to happen, and support and coaching and understanding and the education piece as well. And therefore, you have something that you know, there's a policy. Any woman that's entering a certain phase, you know, has access to certain things, you layer it from there, and then you've got something that women can sort of almost like fall back into because the one thing you don't you don't see is that women almost like it's hard to put this into words, but the women that I work with they show up and they do a great job, and they can do the work of five people, and they do, and they get everything into place. But behind the scenes, there's the painuring and the level of like pressure and actually how it's affecting their health. And I've had some very serious health issues happen with women is beyond so they're doing five people's job, but they're dealing with this on their own. That that needs to be closed, and the menopause gap, the perimenopause gap needs to be closed for women. That's kind of really where I get to.
Speaker:Well, that's a perfect place to bring today's conversation to an end. And we really truly hope that this was giving you some inspiration um and also some reassurance that you aren't broken, but instead you are changing. Uh, we hope you get curious, you go learn more, you go and have some conversations, maybe ask some questions. But key message is don't get fobbed off. You know, trust your body, you know who you were before, who you are now. So listen to your body and your inner wisdom. And remember, you're just in a period of letting go of that first stage of your life, and that means that now you can step forward into something else. You but a changed you. That's it for this episode of Say It Sister. If it moved you, made you think, or made you even feel seen, hit follow, share it with a sister, and leave us a review.
Speaker 1:And remember, your voice is power and your essence is wisdom. So speak your truth and live a true and empowered life. Until next time, say it sister.
