Menopausal Brain Fog!

For lots of women, Menopausal brain fog can be a very debilitating symptom of the Menopause. It can affect many aspects of your life, but especially your work and have a huge impact on your job. It has been reported that some 60% of women struggle to concentrate and remember things and this can start as soon as you hit perimenopause. It can also be linked to sleep issues, which is something I suffered terribly with for over seven months. I would go to bed and actually not sleep all night!

When I say no sleep, I mean not half an hour’s sleep! How I coped at that time, I will really never know, but I just did. It did get so bad that I visited my GP. I tried lots of relatively strong drugs, that she gave me but nothing worked and I just had to hope that it would stop, which it did.

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All about Brain Fog!

Apparently, the brain fog is all to do with the hormone changes, Oestrogen and Progesterone which are responsible for doing different functions including cognition. I am forever forgetting what I have gone upstairs for and quite often my girls finish my sentences for me, of course, I have finished those sentences in my head long before, and I’m off doing the next thing on my list! I did think a few years ago maybe I had a mild case of Dementia or Alzheimer’s! I think I have it relatively mildly compared to lots of women and I am told in time it should just go away on its own.

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I am told a Mediterranean Diet may help with Brain fog as is often rich Omega-3 fatty acids. Foods that are good for brain fog include fresh fruit and vegetables, fish, olive oil, beans, and wholegrains and nuts. I have also been told that Soya Isoflavones are a great supplement for brain fog as well as Ginkgo Biloba. 

I also think the Brain Fog may have played a big part in my insomnia a few years ago, sleep problems are high on the list for women going through the Menopause. I think most women at some stage will have some sort of sleep issues. I try not to eat too late, do not drink too much caffeine just before bed and try and relax before going to sleep.

Again, Exercise is great with any memory problems, cardiovascular exercise as many times a week as you can manage, including walking, jogging, cycling, swimming and lots of strength training, can all aid memory issues. Listening to music or podcasts can really help with memory too, I highly recommend the Apple Airpods that I use as there are no wires to get tangled when you are exercising!

I did laugh when I was told that my brain needed to workout, and doing crosswords or learning something new was great for keeping the brain active. Post-It pads are my new best friend, and I write most things down on them. Unlike my daughters, I don’t use my phone to write things down as I often forget to look at what is on my list. I prefer it to be physically written down or there is no chance of me remembering it!

Lots of my friends that still work, often tell me they forget important things and make mistakes at work and it’s very frustrating. I have some very robust friends and this can have a huge effect on your confidence and feel an inability to produce work to the high standard they could years ago. I think with the media and more people talking and covering the Menopause, employers are having to sit up and take notice, considering 50% of the population are female.

I watched a programme not so long ago and it was actually the Police Federation that allowed the female staff that were suffering with the Menopause and its effects, to work from home and come in a bit later if it helped with their symptoms. I think this is a great idea and for some of my friends who suffer massively with this, believe it should be rolled out across the country, I think less sick time off would be had and companies would get much more from their workforce.

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*DISCLAIMER*This page does not provide medical advice; it is
intended for informational purposes only and is based upon my opinion and
experiences. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis
or treatment. Never ignore professional medical advice in seeking treatment
because of something you have read on The Executive Menopause Coach website. Always seek
professional medical advice.