The Rise of the Working Woman

Once upon a time, not so long ago, women were largely expected to stay at home and manage the domestic sphere. However, over the past century, women have been storming the workplace, shattering glass ceilings, and swapping out ironing boards for boardrooms…

Key milestones and moments:

• World Wars: When the men went off to fight, women stepped up to fill their roles in factories and offices, proving they were more than capable of handling "men's work."
• The Women's Rights Movement: This groundbreaking movement of the 1960s and 70s challenged traditional gender roles and paved the way for greater equality in the workplace.
• The rise of the "superwoman": In the 1980s, women were told they could "have it all" - a successful career, a family, and a fulfilling personal life. (Of course, this also led to a lot of stressed-out women, but hey, progress is messy!)

Cut to today, the digital era, where more and more women are entering STEM fields, and more women are able to find balanced roles in the workforce. But, stigma still lingers, especially the idea of women ‘having it all’. It turns out, ‘having it all’, looks a lot like women doing two jobs - their career, AND the housewife.

This is known as Mental Labor (or the mental load, and you can see a great comic about it here). This does not even account for Emotional labor (which we are also in charge of, but that’s a story for another day…). Mental labor, in a nutshell, refers to the household management that many women find themselves in charge of, such as chores, bills, groceries, cooking, and so on (and on and on).

Now, all this might not be such a problem when we’re 25, or 35, but then…

Enter… Perimenopause

Our hormones begin to decline at around age 35, meaning that whilst we might be looking and feeling good on the outside… inside, things are having to do a little more work. As we creep towards 40, we might suddenly be wondering why our sleep is getting worse, or why you suddenly can’t just ‘swing by the grocery store after work’ (without forgetting 5858494 things) anymore. You can read more about this, here!

For many women, there is also a cultural or social element at play as well as a physiological one. Aging in the workplace is dangerous business - even more so when you suddenly are having mood swings and forgetfulness that make it hard to function at all!

But, you’re neither in menopause, nor the newbie in the office, so you’re left wondering what to do. Many women try to solve these issues solo, with diet, exercise, or other lifestyle changes in the hope that they will get some relief from persistent niggling issues that impact their life, and - by proxy, their careers.

How Perimenopause & Menopause Differ (mentally, at least!)

During perimenopause, the fluctuations in estrogen and progesterone can affect neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine, and GABA. Estrogen has a positive effect on serotonin, which is the neurotransmitter responsible for mood regulation and feelings of well-being. When estrogen levels fluctuate, it can lead to mood swings, irritability, and even depression in some women. The decrease in estrogen towards the menopause transition can also affect dopamine, which plays a role in motivation, focus, and pleasure, leading to symptoms like fatigue, low motivation, or trouble concentrating. Progesterone is linked to GABA, which is an inhibitory neurotransmitter that helps calm the brain and promote relaxation. A drop in progesterone during perimenopause may lead to anxiety, poor sleep, or difficulty relaxing.However, when a woman reaches menopause, the production of estrogen and progesterone slows down significantly, and these changes can have a more long-term impact on brain function. With lower estrogen levels, there may be a decrease in acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter important for memory and learning, which could contribute to difficulty with memory, word recall, or cognitive sharpness. Additionally, reduced estrogen may cause changes in brain structure, such as thinning of the hippocampus (the area responsible for memory) and alterations in brain connectivity, which may increase the risk of cognitive decline over time. The drop in estrogen also makes the brain more vulnerable to the effects of stress, which can further impact cognitive performance and emotional well-being.Both situations can make working much more challenging - and you might be thinking, ‘well duh, I already knew all these symptoms were making my life way harder at work!’. So, the real question is, do you want to find a solution?

… We know you do. You’re reading this blog after all, so read on!

Progesterone & Professionalism (or Progesterone for Perimenopause)

When it comes to managing these symptoms, we often try a plethora of things, from diet, exercise, sleeping aids, coffee, and more - or just gritting our teeth and trying to make it through. In some cases, women retire, whether they want to or not, because the idea of working this way feels (and is) pretty unbearable. What a waste - many women could be poised to be at the most empowered phase of their lives at menopause - we need their contributions in the world.

For many women, a great first step is salivary hormone testing, as it allows women to get insights into how their hormones are changing, and how they interplay with one another. From there, women can take charge of their hormone health and make choices that support their bodies.

However, one of the key factors causing a lot of these issues is progesterone. Progesterone declines more sharply in perimenopause, leading to a plethora of unwelcome symptoms. You can read more about this on our progesterone blog. In a nutshell, as progesterone levels decline, many women experience disrupted sleep and heightened emotional challenges, such as irritability and anxiety.

Supplementing progesterone can have a calming effect on the brain, promoting relaxation and encouraging deeper, more restful sleep (it helps GABA production). Now, aside from wanting better sleep, sleeping better also leads to improved energy and cognitive function throughout the day, as well as a reduction in the frequency of mood swings. Plus, Progesterone offers significant benefits for mental well-being during perimenopause and menopause by helping to improve sleep, mood, and reduce stress and anxiety.Progesterone also helps to balance estrogen, which is often high in relation to progesterone during perimenopause. By supporting optimal progesterone levels, women may find relief from feelings of overwhelm and stress, which are common as hormonal imbalances arise. The stabilizing effect of progesterone can enhance emotional resilience, helping women feel more balanced and less prone to anxiety.

But, what about working women in Menopause (or post-menopause)?!

We’ve got all our ladies covered! While progesterone might be ideal to help out ladies in perimenopause, sometimes, when we are in menopause or post menopause (55+), then we need a little more help…

As you read, many of the issues that arise in menopause are because both progesterone AND estrogen has become very low (in contrast to peri, when mainly progesterone decline is happening and causing an imbalance).

Enter, DHEA. DHEA is what is known as a precursor hormone - meaning it can make other hormones. DHEA is an important hormone in its own right, - you can read all about it in our very comprehensive DHEA blog, here. However, in a nutshell, DHEA can turn into testosterone, estradiol, and estriol, so making sure we have enough DHEA can be a part of keeping our hormones at optimal levels.

Salivary hormone testing as the place to start and to revisit as a woman transitions through perimenopause, to menopause and then beyond. When we know where the gaps are it is possible to make informed decisions about what hormone supplementation could be the best to use. Knowledge isn’t just power, it is empowering.
During perimenopause most women at some point could benefit from making sure they have adequate progesterone. During this time, the other hormones are more or less usual. After the menopause transition however, it’s not just progesterone that has dropped - it’s most of the sex hormones - especially testosterone, estradiol, estriol and DHEA.

Parlor Games has options for you - our Vibrant Third progesterone can be used by women during a wide age range. ReBounce DHEA can be added later, when levels have also dropped. Join the thousands of women who have found that closing the progesterone gap goes a long way to making life enjoyable again.