When Laura, 44, attended a ‘Mental Health & Menopause’ training session run by Haley White of Menospace, she didn’t think it would apply to her. Whilst she had been struggling with anxiety, low mood, poor sleep, and a loss of confidence for more than a year, she had never connected those feelings to perimenopause.

When burnout isn’t burnout

“I thought I was burning out or just not coping anymore. It never occurred to me that it could be menopause,” explains Laura. “I thought menopause was something that happened to women much older than me. I had no idea perimenopause could start in your 40s.”

Halfway through the workshop, Laura felt a wave of realisation. “Haley described symptoms of perimenopause, and it was like she was describing my life. I suddenly had language for what I’d been feeling, and it was such a relief.”

Laura left the session feeling lighter. “Nothing had changed physically,” she recalls, “but mentally everything shifted. I stopped blaming myself. I realised I wasn’t failing. I was going through something normal that no one talks about. Knowledge was the first step, and it changed everything.”

A common story for women in business

Laura’s story is typical of the women that workplace wellbeing expert Victoria Brookbank and menopause specialist Haley White meet every week in their work with large corporate clients. They regularly train women who think they’re struggling to cope, when in fact they’re navigating the hormonal and emotional shifts of perimenopause, often in silence. In fact, a 2022 report by the Fawcett Society found that one in 10 women left their job due to menopause symptoms.

But it isn’t just women employed in larger corporations who struggle to navigate the transition of perimenopause. Victoria works alone in her company, which specialises in mental-health training that helps organisations create psychologically safe workplaces. She says: “Even with my professional knowledge of menopause and perimenopause, experiencing it while running a business on my own was something I wasn't fully prepared for.”

A small business solution to a big women’s health problem

“As a solopreneur, there's no HR team, no wellbeing support and no one to step in when the anxiety, brain fog, or dips in confidence strike,” she explains. “I knew what was happening to me, but that didn't make the long days, the mental load, or the emotional impact any easier to navigate while keeping a business going.”

The stats support just how difficult it is for women to run a business whilst going through menopause. According to Simply Business, over a quarter (27%) of women business owners have suffered a loss in their earnings due to menopause, 38% have had to adapt or reduce their working hours, with 13% losing customers as a direct result of menopause symptoms. A further 7% have been forced to shut down their business entirely because of menopause-related challenges. It is clear that women business owners need more help, and 45% of women business owners believe the government should provide better support for those experiencing perimenopause and menopause.

Earlier this month, the UK Government announced that menopause will now form part of routine NHS health checks, highlighting the growing recognition of menopause as a major public-health issue. And this time last year, the government appointed a Menopause Employment Ambassador.

But for Haley and Victoria, this simply doesn’t go far enough. They speak to so many women who are struggling to balance running a business with menopause. “They are capable, driven, and passionate about their work, but struggling quietly because there is no support system for women in small businesses going through menopause,” says Haley.

Victoria adds: “That’s why we co-created MenoMinds. Not to educate women on what menopause is, many already know, but to provide the mental health tools, coping strategies and community we desperately need to stay well while we work. Entrepreneurship can be isolating enough; menopause shouldn't make it harder.”

Accessible, inclusive and entirely free

To support more women like Laura but who work in micro-businesses, are self-employed, or are freelancers, MenoMinds reached out to The National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health (NEBOSH) to fund their initiative and ensure that financial barriers did not prevent women accessing this much-needed support.

Mariyah Mandhu is Social Development Manager at NEBOSH. She says: “A huge part of the working population are women going through menopause, and this project presents a unique opportunity to support a severely marginalised demographic. The MenoMinds initiative aligns with NEBOSH's Social Purpose Programme as it improves safety, health and wellbeing in the workplace. It is vital that we support all organisations, irrespective of size, to encourage more inclusive work environments nationally.”

It was Victoria and Haley’s expertise, but also their passion for menopause awareness and training in the workplace that really stood out for Mariyah who explains how vital it is for NEBOSH to reach women who don't have access to HR support and to give them the awareness and tools to manage their wellbeing effectively.

Supporting women’s reproductive health

She says: “It is important to support women's reproductive health across the full life cycle to ensure that women are supported throughout their career. If we do not support micro-businesses and the self-employed, they will lose out on vital training, resources and guidance which could help improve the wellbeing of the workforce at large.”

The three-hour online sessions will run weekly for 12 months, beginning 19th November 2025 are open to all women and trans men who are self-employed or working in micro-businesses with up to 50 employees. They are designed to help participants understand how menopause can affect their mental health and work performance, offering practical tools for managing symptoms and building resilience. An optional monthly peer-support group provides ongoing connection and shared learning. Free places are now open for registration at info@menominds.co.uk.

Breaking the silence around menopause at work

“Menopause is still treated like a taboo, especially in business,” says Haley. “We’re creating a space where women can be honest about what they’re experiencing, and where support and education replace shame and silence.”

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