The Career Coach’s take on Menopause Brain Fog: Why So Many Women Fear Dementia at Work.

When I first began perimenopause, I didn’t know that’s what it was. Like many women in the UK, I went to my GP exhausted, emotional, forgetful and struggling to think clearly. Instead of a conversation about hormones, I was initially diagnosed with depression. 🫠

And honestly? For a while, I genuinely thought I might be developing early onset dementia.

I was forgetting words mid-sentence. Walking into rooms and forgetting why. Re-reading emails three times. Losing my train of thought in meetings that I would once have chaired with ease. As someone who had spent years working in senior HR environments, leading restructures, coaching managers and juggling high-pressure situations, it was terrifying.

What I didn’t know then was that “brain fog” is an extremely common symptom of perimenopause and menopause.

So this Dementia Awareness Week, I wanted to write about something thousands of professional women are quietly panicking about behind their office laptops: “What if this isn’t menopause? What if it’s dementia?” 🧠💭

Why Menopause Brain Fog Feels So Frightening

The problem with menopause brain fog is that it attacks the very thing many professional women have relied on their entire careers: their mind.

We’re often the organisers. The fixers. The project managers of work and family life. The woman who remembers birthdays, deadlines, passwords, policy updates and where everybody left the spare charger.

Then suddenly:

• You lose words mid-presentation

• Forget meetings

• Struggle to concentrate

• Feel mentally “slower”

• Misplace things constantly

• Forget names you absolutely should know

That’s not just inconvenient. It can feel identity-shaking. ⚡

According to Dr Louise Newson’s article on brain fog and dementia, symptoms such as forgetfulness, difficulty concentrating and losing interest in activities can overlap with fears associated with dementia. However, brain fog is also recognised as a very common symptom of perimenopause and menopause.

The fear becomes even worse because many women were never warned about the cognitive side of menopause at all. We were taught about hot flushes. Nobody mentioned standing in Tesco staring blankly at a courgette wondering why we came in. 🥒

The Workplace Panic Nobody Talks About

Here’s the brutal truth: many women become frightened not simply because of the symptoms themselves, but because of what they believe the symptoms mean for their career.

Professional women often tell me they fear:

• Looking incompetent

• Being viewed as “past it”

• Losing authority

• Being overlooked for promotion

• Becoming the subject of office gossip

• Making costly mistakes

And in workplaces that still whisper about menopause like it’s an ancient curse released from a filing cabinet, women frequently suffer in silence.

Some start overcompensating:

• Working longer hours

• Triple-checking everything

• Avoiding speaking up in meetings

• Declining opportunities

• Hiding difficulties instead of requesting support

The result? Exhaustion layered on top of hormonal disruption. A cognitive lasagne of stress. 🍝

Brain Fog vs Dementia: What’s the Difference?

This is where reassurance matters.

The UK-based charity Dementia UK explains that while menopause and dementia can sometimes share overlapping symptoms, menopause-related cognitive changes are common and do not automatically indicate dementia.

Similarly, Ubie Health’s article on menopause brain fog vs dementia clearly states that menopause brain fog does not mean you are developing dementia, although it understandably feels frightening because the symptoms are unfamiliar and disruptive.

One commonly discussed distinction is awareness.

Women experiencing menopause brain fog are often highly aware of their forgetfulness and deeply anxious about it. Dementia symptoms, particularly in later stages, may involve broader cognitive decline affecting reasoning, navigation, behaviour and awareness itself.

That said, if symptoms are severe, persistent or worrying, always seek medical advice. Self-Googling at 2am while convinced you’re about to forget your own postcode is not a recognised wellness strategy. 🌙📱

Why So Many Women Are Misdiagnosed

Many women report initially being diagnosed with:

• Anxiety

• Burnout

• Depression

• Stress-related illness

before menopause is even discussed.

Part of the issue is that perimenopause can begin years before periods stop, often during a time when women are balancing careers, teenagers, ageing parents, relationships and financial pressure. The symptoms become tangled together like Christmas lights in a loft box. 🎄

Brain fog is also worsened by:

• Poor sleep

• Stress

• Anxiety

• Low confidence

• Overwork

• Lack of recovery time

Which means workplace culture matters enormously.

A toxic workplace during perimenopause can feel like trying to run Microsoft Excel on a microwave.

Practical Workplace Tips for Managing Brain Fog

The good news? There are ways to support yourself without spiralling into panic.

1. Stop Interpreting Every Symptom as Catastrophe

Your brain missing a word does not automatically equal dementia. Hormonal fluctuations affect cognition. Fear magnifies symptoms further.

Panic is petrol on the bonfire. 🔥

2. Reduce Cognitive Clutter

Your brain is already juggling hormonal change. Don’t force it to become a 47-tab internet browser.

Try:

• Digital reminders

• Written task lists

• Calendar alerts

• Voice notes

• Blocking focus time

External memory systems are not failure. They are strategy.

3. Protect Your Sleep Like It’s a VIP Guest

Sleep disruption and brain fog are close friends unfortunately.

Reduce late-night scrolling, limit caffeine late in the day and create a proper wind-down routine where possible.

No, collapsing face-first onto the sofa while rage-watching crime documentaries doesn’t count as recovery. 📺

4. Tell Somebody You Trust

Not every workplace feels psychologically safe, but if you have a supportive manager, HR professional or colleague, opening up can reduce enormous pressure.

Many women waste more energy hiding symptoms than managing them.

5. Challenge the Shame Narrative

Menopause is not incompetence.

A woman with 25 years of experience does not suddenly lose all value because she forgot a password during hormonal upheaval.

Experience, emotional intelligence, resilience and leadership still matter enormously. Sometimes more than ever.

The Bigger Workplace Conversation

We also need organisations to stop treating menopause support as a trendy wellbeing biscuit tin initiative. 🍪

Women in midlife are often at the peak of their expertise. Yet many quietly consider leaving jobs because they feel unsupported, frightened or ashamed of symptoms they never expected.

Better education matters.Compassionate leadership matters.Flexible working matters.Open conversations matter.

Because when women understand what’s happening to them, fear loses some of its power.

Final Thoughts

If you are currently lying awake convinced your brain is broken because you forgot somebody’s name in a Teams meeting last Tuesday, please know this:

You are not alone.

Many intelligent, capable, high-performing women experience brain fog during perimenopause and menopause. The fear can feel enormous, especially when nobody prepared us for the cognitive impact of hormonal change.

But information is power. Support matters. And you deserve both. 💛

If this article resonates with you, and you’d like support navigating career confidence, workplace wellbeing or menopause-related career transition, you can find more articles and coaching support on my insights page. Or book a free 30 minute call with me, through the booking tab, to see if coaching is right for you. 

#pauseandempower #menopausebrainfog #dementiaawarenessweek #womenintheworkplace #careercoaching