Menopause, Micro-Revolutions and the Art of Not Giving a Toss (Professionally Speaking by a Career Coach)

If you’re reading this, there’s a fair chance you’re navigating midlife, career change and the often-under-acknowledged swirl of menopause. Let’s be clear: this is not a time to quietly fade into the background. It’s a hot flush-fuelled springboard for reinvention, for flipping the script on what “mid-career” means, and for embracing micro-revolutions — those small, dare-I-say cheeky acts of not giving a toss in the very best sense of the phrase.

Having a laugh with clients can definitely take away stress!

What does “not giving a toss” really mean?

It’s about choosing your battles. It’s about leaning into what matters and letting go of what doesn’t — especially when your calendar, your energy and your inner voice are telling you it’s time for a refresh. For women in their 40s, 50s and beyond, the combination of professional experience and personal change (hello perimenopause, full menopause, or beyond) offers a rare vantage point. You’re no longer fresh out of onboarding. You’ve done the heavy lifting. Now you get to decide how you show up.

The symptoms are real — and so is the opportunity

Let’s not sugar-coat it: symptoms such as hot flushes, night sweats, mood shifts and brain-fogish moments are very real. Research shows women commonly experience such changes during the menopause transition. For instance, a wide-ranging review describes the physiological, psychological and social dimensions of menopause and points out that it’s more than just a few blushes and “did I just forget what I went into the room for?” moments. PMC

And yet: the evidence around career performance is more nuanced than the clichés suggest. A study of mid-life women found that while menopausal status per se wasn’t directly linked to job performance, high job stress, poor role clarity or lack of support were. In fact, it was problematic hot flushes at work (not simply the number of them) and a stressful work environment that were associated with an intention to leave the workforce. BioMed Central+1

What does this mean for you? It means the challenge is not inherently you or your age or your hormonal journey. The opportunity lies in choosing a work environment, role, or way of working that honours your experience, gives you control and support — and allows you to channel your power rather than feel eroded by it.

Micro-revolutions: your secret weapons

So what does a micro-revolution look like in practice? Let’s list a few:

• Quiet boundary setting: You decide that meetings longer than 90 minutes without a break? No thanks. You ask for the agenda, the outcomes and the break.

• Voice amplification: You position yourself as the “mid-career wise owl” rather than the “senior shadow”. You speak up about what works, what doesn’t, and what the next generation might not yet see.

• Vision refresh: You re-imagine your next five years: perhaps it's less about climb and more about fulfilment; less about ‘always busy’ and more about ‘always purposeful’.

• Personal narrative shift: You stop thinking “I’m going through menopause so I might slow down” and instead feel “I’m going through a transformation so watch this space”.

• This is where culture meets personal storytelling. For example, the exhibition Invisible No More: Art, Menopause and the Power of Personal Narratives (at University of Leeds) explored identity, change and resilience through art centred on menopausal experience. It highlighted how telling our hidden stories—about bodily change, motherhood, inter-generational connection—transforms invisibility into visibility. Arts, Humanities and Cultures

In other words: your narrative matters. Your story isn’t a side-note. It’s central to how you show up, lead, coach or carve your next chapter.

How to use this in your career coaching plan

As a professional woman navigating menopause, or as a coach guiding someone who is, here are practical moves to embed the micro-revolution mindset:

• Audit your role: What parts of your job energise you? Which parts drain you? Are there micro-roles you could drop, delegate or redesign?

• Redefine success: Instead of “climb to more”, think “pivot to what’s meaningful”. Ask: What legacy or impact do I want in this next stage?

• Map your environment: Do you have a manager/organisation that supports flexibility, autonomy, respectful conversation about mid-life change? If not, what must you negotiate or modify?

• Tell your story: Speak about your mid-life transition as a strength. Use your lived experience—career wisdom + life wisdom—as part of your professional brand.

• Celebrate the change: Menopause isn’t just an ending: it’s a potent threshold. You’re not “going out of something” but “into something else”. Your 50s (or 40s, or 60s) can be the era of clarity, bold decisions and purposeful action.

So, you might still be dealing with the treacherous “why am I wearing three layers when it’s only 15 °C?” hot flush scenario, or the brain-fog where the word pivot disappears mid-sentence. But here’s a reframing: hot flushes = internal rocket boosters. That wave of heat? It reminds you you’re alive, still changing, capable of eruption. Brain-fog moment? A gentle nudge to slow down, breathe, tap into your reflection reservoir.

Throw in a micro-revolution: bring a cheeky fan to meetings (a gentle prompt to colleagues you’re not just “fine”, and oh by the way let’s talk about what I can do). Or start each working day with a “flip-it” mantra: “I’m not fading. I’m refining.”

It’s simple, but sometimes the small actions make the biggest shift.

Why now is your time

Mid-life isn’t a cliff-edge. It’s a vantage point. You have experience, networks, context. You’ve navigated change before (maybe career shifts, work/life balance, raising kids, caring for parents). You know resilience. What you need now is permission—to apply that resilience deliberately, to craft the next five to ten years as your own design rather than someone else’s plan.

Research shows the environment matters far more than the mere fact of menopause when it comes to work outcomes. High job demands, low control and unclear roles were the strong predictors of turnover intention—not simply being in the peri- or post-menopause stage. BioMed Central+1 So you’re not at the mercy of “the change”. You can influence how it plays out by how you choose, negotiate, adapt.

The end-note: walk into your micro-revolution.

As the woman putting herself centre-stage, write your micro-revolution manifesto. It might be a sentence, a haiku, a drawing. Something that says:

“Menopause isn’t my pause button. It’s my power-up.” Then: take one small action today. Maybe you bring that fan. Maybe you ask for a 20-minute check-in with your manager about role clarity. Maybe you tell your story in one sentence to a peer: “Here’s how I’m approaching my next career chapter…”And tomorrow, ask: What else can be refined?Because micro-revolutions stack. One small shift builds into momentum. One narrative change builds into voice and visibility. One career tweak builds into fulfilment and purpose.

So yes: you might still have the hot flush. You might still wonder what your next large professional step is. But in the meantime: decide that this era is yours, that your story matters, and that you’re not just enduring mid-life — you’re crafting it. Put on your “not giving a toss” hat (bright, stylish, well-ventilated) and get ready to lead, pivot and flourish.

Your Micro-Revolution Starts Today.

If this article has sparked something in you — a question, a curiosity, a flicker of possibility — don’t let it evaporate like a hot flush in a cold meeting room:

Book a complimentary clarity call to explore how coaching can support your next chapter, drop me a line through the “Lets Connect" section on my home page. 

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