Anastasia Volkova
By 2030, over a billion women worldwide will be in menopause. What used to be described as a ‘niche health issue’ now constitutes a fast-growing segment of the global workforce. Women today make up over half of all solicitors, many reaching senior positions during their perimenopausal years. 4 in 5 of these women experience symptoms that can disrupt their careers, health, and relationships.
Menopause itself is technically just one day, 12 months after your last period, and a disruption usually comes from perimenopause, the long hormonal transition beforehand. Perimenopause is a transitional state where women’s oestrogen and progesterone levels fluctuate before declining. Most common symptoms include hot flashes, sweats, brain fog, sleep disturbance and even anxiety and depression. On top of it, perimenopausal women can experience changes in libido, weight, headaches, and joint pain.
Perimenopause is a major hormonal transition that collides with the demands of legal practice, yet it is still treated as a private issue rather than a workplace and performance reality. Consider that the average duration of perimenopausal symptoms is five years: not insignificant for a working woman.
The good news is that the severity of perimenopausal symptoms is not fixed, and there is a great deal that can be done – medically, practically, and professionally – to change the experience. Most women find that symptoms become manageable, and some find that this transition helps them to find clarity about how they want to work and live, often in more positive ways that they had ever expected. The below advice is a targeted set of interventions chosen specifically for women managing high-demand careers while navigating a significant hormonal shift.
What can help
1. Medical Assessment
- Speak with a GP, gynaecologist, or perimenopause‑literate clinician about symptoms and how they impact daily life. Track symptoms for a few months if possible.
- Discuss the potential role of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) as well as non‑hormonal medications where appropriate, considering your medical history and risk profile.
- Rule out other conditions that can mimic or aggravate menopausal symptoms (for example, thyroid disorders, anaemia, anxiety, depression).
2. Sleep and Stress
Sleep often becomes fragile in perimenopause, especially with night sweats and early‑morning waking, yet it is one of the biggest foundations for mood and mental clarity. Enhance your sleep with cool, dark bedrooms, heavier blankets, lighter evening meals, reduced caffeine and alcohol, consistent wind‑down routines.
Many women find helpful taking magnesium glycinate before bed and using calming herbs like ashwagandha. Also try using brief, regular calming practices: breathing techniques, mindfulness practices, body stretches and somatic exercises. Consider psychological support (coaching or therapy) focused on stress and anxiety.
3. Physical Wellbeing
Aim for a resistance training three to four times a week. Strength training is particularly helpful for bone density, metabolic health and mood. Movement does not have to be elaborate: short, regular sessions – walking between meetings, brief strength sessions at home, hip and joint mobility breaks, are more sustainable in a legal schedule than long workouts.
4. Nutrition and Alcohol
Food is often underestimated in how much can support a more stable perimenopause transition.
- Flaxseeds (2–3 tablespoons daily) contain phytoestrogens that may help smooth oestrogen fluctuations and reduce hot flushes for some women.
- Soy foods such as tofu, edamame, and miso contain isoflavones which support bone health.
- Omega‑3 fats from fatty fish or algae oil can support mood, reduce inflammation and ease joint pain.
- Magnesium‑rich foods like pumpkin seeds, dark chocolate, leafy greens, and beans support sleep, mood and muscle relaxation.
- Some women also use herbs such as damiana or black cohosh, both have shown benefits for hot flushes, increasing libido and mood.
5. Work Adjustments
This is where many women feel most alone and where the least guidance exists.
You do not have to disclose every detail to receive support, but it can help to identify one or two trusted colleagues or supervisors with whom you can have an honest conversation about what you need. For example, “I’m managing some health changes at the moment that are affecting my sleep and energy. On high-demand days, I may need to protect certain hours, I wanted you to be aware rather than have it come as a surprise.”
Reasonable adjustments are not special treatment. They might include flexibility around early morning starts after a difficult night or avoiding back-to-back high-pressure commitments during particularly symptomatic periods. Most of these cost nothing and require no formal process, they require only a conversation.
If your firm has a wellbeing lead, HR contact, or menopause policy, use it. If it does not, your raising the issue is itself a contribution to changing that.
Writing this article, I am acutely aware that information alone is rarely enough. So in recognition of International Women’s Day, I am offering something more direct: ten female lawyers will receive two complimentary coaching or therapy sessions with me, a confidential space to work through what (peri)menopause means for your work and your life right now. If you’d like one of these spots, write ‘Women’s Day’ to anastasia@mentalgym.life