Episode 95 Menopause, Burnout or Your Career? How to Work Out What's Going On.

What happens when menopause, burnout, career dissatisfaction, and a loss of confidence all start to feel like the same thing?

In this episode, Sarah talks to Debbie Taylor, the Messy Life Coach, about why menopause is much more than a health and wellbeing issue. It can affect how women experience their careers, confidence, identity and performance at work.

Debbie shares her own experience of perimenopause, workplace challenges, and ultimately leaving a role when she didn't feel supported. She explains why she believes menopause can be a catalyst for reflection and change – and how women can use this stage of life to reconsider what really matters to them.

They also explore what managers and organisations can do to create more supportive, menopause-friendly workplaces where women don't feel that leaving is their only option.

In this episode, you'll discover:Why menopause can be a career and leadership issue, not just a health issueHow to tell the difference between menopause symptoms, burnout, stress and career dissatisfactionWhy brain fog, poor sleep and anxiety can have such a big impact on confidence at workHow menopause can challenge your identity when so much of your self-worth has been tied to your careerWhat managers need to understand about supporting women experiencing menopauseHow to have more effective conversations about workplace adjustmentsWhy values, boundaries, and self-reflection become particularly important during midlifeHow journaling can helpDebbie's Menopause Dashboard for understanding what's really going onHer EMBERS framework for helping organisations become more menopause-readyWhy creating the right workplace culture can help talented women stay and thrive

Timestamps00:00 – Introduction and Debbie's career journey

Debbie shares her 25-year leadership and management career and explains how her own experience of menopause, long COVID, fatigue and brain fog ultimately led her to become the Messy Life Coach.

01:00 – When health challenges collide with work

Debbie explains what happened when increasing stress led her to request a reasonable adjustment at work – and why the response ultimately led her to resign.

03:00 – Why menopause is a career and leadership issue

Debbie explains why she sees menopause as much more than a health and wellbeing issue, and introduces the idea of the "double life" many women are living.

05:00 – The tangled knot: menopause, burnout or career dissatisfaction?