Understanding perimenopause — a practical guide for people leaders.

Most people leaders have no framework for perimenopause — and no idea how to start the conversation.

The Ally Session is designed to give them one. A clear, science-based introduction to what perimenopause is, how it shows up at work, and what people leaders can do to support their people — without making it awkward.

In this session:

• What a ‘normal’ cycle looks like & the hormones involved.      

• What perimenopause is

• How symptoms might show up in the workplace

• How to have a supportive conversation with a team member

• What reasonable adjustments look like in practice

• Reputable sources of information

• How to create a culture where women don’t have to hide it

Women don’t get a roadmap for perimenopause. Symptoms arrive — disrupted sleep, mood shifts, brain fog — and most women have no framework to make sense of them.

The Shift Session addresses their questions. A clear, science-based explanation of what oestrogen and progesterone do, how their decline drives symptoms, and what might help.

In this session:

• Definitions of perimenopause and menopause

• The roles of oestrogen and progesterone

• How to recognise your own symptom patterns

• Practical strategies to start managing symptoms

• How to talk to your doctor — HRT and other support options

Nutrition and blood sugar — the science of steady energy

For women as their hormones fluctuate, fatigue and energy dips can be a real problem. Loss of oestrogen can lead to metabolic issues (which in turn often leads to a loss of confidence).

The Sustain Session explains what’s driving their shift in energy and gives them practical tools to stabilise it.

In this session:

• How declining oestrogen affects your metabolism

• The importance of blood sugar stability

• What else affects your energy levels

• How to build meals that support sustained energy

• Evidence-based supplements that might help

How the brain changes in perimenopause — sleep and cognition

Brain fog, poor sleep and lapses in concentration are among the most common — and most unsettling — symptoms of perimenopause.

The Focus Session explains the neuroscience behind what’s happening and gives women practical tools to protect their sleep and cognitive performance.

In this session:

• How oestrogen influences brain function and cognition

• The neuroscience of brain fog — what’s actually happening

• Why sleep changes during perimenopause

• Practical strategies to improve focus and sleep

• Evidence-based tools to support cognitive performance

Stress resilience during perimenopause changes.

Cortisol — your primary stress hormone — directly disrupts the hormonal balance already under pressure during this transition.

The Regulate Session explains the relationship between stress, cortisol and perimenopausal symptoms, and gives women practical, evidence-based tools to manage both.

In this session:

• How chronic stress amplifies perimenopausal symptoms

• The cortisol-hormone (HPA axis) connection

• Practical tools for nervous system regulation

• Evidence-based strategies to reduce stress load and build resilience