“Open conversations about menopause are crucial. Women need to be armed with as much information as possible, and businesses need to be aware of the challenges women face. The fact that THG has menopause awareness on the radar is huge.”

After experiencing unpleasant symptoms like mood swings, sleep disturbances, and abnormal bleeding, Georgina discovered she was going through menopause. Read on to learn how she balances her career as the Sustainability Manager for THG Beauty and why opening conversations about menopause is crucial for empowering women with knowledge. 

Reflecting on my personal journey with menopause, the initial signs and challenges were quite overwhelming. Mood swings were the first noticeable symptom, with highs and lows that were outrageous. It was actually my husband who pointed out that something wasn't quite right. In hindsight, some of the tension I felt was due to worrying about other symptoms like brain fog and memory loss, which made me fear I had dementia, and terrible bleeding, which I feared was cancer. Anxiety increased significantly, and this coincided with the lockdown, impacting big decisions like not sending my kids to school even though they were entitled to attend. My sleeping patterns were also hugely affected, with my body now only liking to sleep for about six hours, even though my mind would appreciate much more!

Professionally, menopause had a significant impact, particularly on my confidence. Not remembering people's names and having to write everything down made me question my ability to make decisions. Brain fog was very real and hard to deal with. I felt so overwhelmed that I ended up taking a sideways step out of an industry I loved, feeling I was no longer up to the job. Moving to a male-dominated environment where women's health issues were never discussed was challenging, but working from home helped manage my physical symptoms. Now, I'm back in an environment where I feel at home, and my confidence is returning.

Participating in our Menopause Awareness panel event was a daunting but rewarding experience. Hearing our Group Medical Director, Dr Ishrat, talk through the long list of potential symptoms was reassuring, as all of mine were listed, reaffirming that what I experienced was normal. My main motivation for sharing was to get people talking about menopause more openly so that more women are better prepared. Some of my symptoms were likely worsened by worrying about things I wasn't aware would happen. Menopause doesn't have to be debilitating, as there are many ways to manage the symptoms. I'm a firm believer in "forewarned is forearmed," and anything I can do to help colleagues prepare for what's ahead is worthwhile. The most memorable part of the event was hearing a brave, younger colleague talk about her journey and the difficulties she faced against a different cultural backdrop. I think we all had a tear in our eyes at this point.

Open conversations about menopause are crucial. Women need to be armed with as much information as possible, and businesses need to be aware of the challenges women face. Creating safe spaces for people to ask questions and learn more, having an in-house doctor, and providing manager training kits are all positive steps. Encouraging the sharing of resources like books, podcasts, and websites in an easily accessible place is also important. The fact that THG has menopause awareness on the radar is huge.

My advice to others navigating menopause is to be kind to yourself and talk to other people. Millions of women have gone through this, and so will you, but you can influence your experience in a way that works for you. Sharing my experience on the panel and hearing stories from colleagues was reaffirming, and we received amazing feedback. Helping others in any capacity is good for the soul, even a forgetful menopausal one!

Sharing my experience on the panel and hearing stories from my colleagues was incredibly enlightening. It's always interesting to hear about other people's experiences with something you're going through, and the questions they ask provide valuable insight into common concerns. Learning about the GenM organisation and the MTick that many of our ESPA products now hold was particularly helpful, even if my bank balance might disagree!