Has perimenopause affected anyone else's confidence and performance at work?

[Scarfitwere]

I'm 43 and work in a high pressure job where I have to be constantly on the ball and thinking 2 steps ahead. Been suffering a slow brain and increased anxiety as well as fatigue, and very worried that I can't continue in my current career like this! Pretty sure its perimenopause as Ive also started getting heavier periods, a shorter cycle, dry skin and thinner hair. Made some smaller errors at work so far and feel generally a bit useless, but feel its inevitable i will make a more serious one that i can't fix at some point. Anyone else had similar? Or changed career/downgraded job due to this?

Yes!
I was a similar age to you. Perimenopause wasn’t mentioned (it was about 15 yrs ago) and I felt like I was losing my mind. Anxiety through the roof, memory problems, low confidence, emotions extra heightened. Unfortunately I was teaching and all of these compounded and I ended up leaving the mainstream classroom just 2 years after qualifying. I found other related avenues that were less pressured to continue earning a living. And I’ve been back in mainstream secondary for the last 6 years. 3 yrs on hrt.

This is happening to me. At times its got to the point where I feel like I need to change roles in my workplace.

I'm a supervisor and need to be switched on. There are certainly aspects of my role where I need to coordinate things in highly pressured situations that could be dangerous at times. I'm finding it hard at times to even find the right words to effectively communicate.

I feel slow, incompetent and like I've lost my fire and quick thinking. At times it feels almost debilitating.

I'm on HRT and trying to prioritise sleep and rest and this has helped a little but not enough. So I thonk my next step is testosterone, although even trying to get an appointment with my meno GP is nigh on impossible.

Have you visited your GP yet OP? That might be a good place to start.

Yes I really feel like this. My memory is shocking and I am in a really responsible job that i just cannot make mistakes. I also work with all ages and I feel so slow and useless with younger staff members as they come across so sharp and efficient! I’m on the max dose of HRT and have been for 9 years, on testosterone, take Lion’s Mane and creatine every day, eat around 120g protein, weight train, and sleep well and still feel crap! Sorry I don’t have any more good news or ideas for you. If you’re not on HRT it may be a good idea to start. I started age 43 but probably should have started earlier with hindsight.

Yes. I forgot to do quite a big thing at work last week. Completely forgot. Total blank in my mind. Luckily I overheard 2 colleagues discussing it so I could race back to my desk and do it. If I hadn't heard them I would have gone home without doing it and I would have been in trouble.

I'm starting hrt next week. That was my sign.

I forget what people have told me, need to re-read emails to remember stuff. So frustrating! Feel like taking a less senior role as I’m losing confidence and what seemed like the best job when I took it 3 years ago seems impossible to build on now and I genuinely feel like stepping back - but that doesn’t ’look right’ so I’m feeling quite stuck!!

Thank you for your replies! Reassuring (but also sorry) to hear i'm not alone. Going to try the GP but seriously considering my career. Its so un-talked-about though! Another male-female difference where women are expected to perform the same as men at a disadvantage 🙄

Yep also experiencing this and in a senior, no room for error, role. Fortunately almost all senior managers are female and understanding and/or also going through this mess. I can't afford to take a step down the ladder though and so seem to be stuck with the anxiety. I do think Covid helped with health conversations in the workplace generally though, even in my toughest dealings people are less stiff upper lip, without being less professional.

Yes sadly it has but I like the routine of work and I fear if I didn't go to work I wouldn't leave the house like I haven't for the past 2 days.

Emotions all over the place and trying to deal with things at work feels mammoth.

I feel so stupid at work. I am perfectly capable of doing really complicated tasks but sometimes I forget how to do basic things I have been doing for years.
Part of me doesn’t want to say anything to anyone as I don’t want to let my team (women) down as it’s one more reason to discriminate against us

Yes- 100%. I have a very high stress and senior role with a lot of responsibility and decision-making. I am 45 and started HRT this year. I cannot sing its praises highly enough. Physically (in terms of some aches and pains and getting my mojo back in the gym), mentally and emotionally it is like I have reversed the clock about ten years!

I have a specialist GP at my practice once a month and this has been a godsend. She is so knowledgable and switched on about the different approaches and what might suit me when as I go through peri and into menopause.

I feel like that and am 53. I have always felt competent and have missed a couple of things and find it hard to concentrate. I sleep poorly so that won’t be helping (cortisol spikes, needing a wee). Started the patches today.