What it means when you’re running your own business during menopause
If you’re a solopreneur or work within a small business you are probably wearing many hats as strategist,
marketer, accounts-manager and customer-service person. If you are also moving into mid-life and
experiencing perimenopause or menopause, there is another layer that deserves your
attention, your mental health.
Why menopause affects mood, concentration and resilience
When the hormonal shifts of perimenopause or menopause happen, it’s not just hot flushes and sleepless nights. Hormones like oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone also play a role in how we regulate mood, how sharp our minds are and how resilient we feel. For someone who is the “business”, this means reductions in energy, cognitive sharpness or emotional stability aren’t just personal, they can ripple through into your business outcomes.
The real-life impacts for solopreneurs
You might recognise some of these signs:
Brain-fog & concentration dips: You find yourself forgetting key deadlines, struggling to stay focussed during client calls, or re-reading emails because your brain feels fuzzy. According to research, many women report difficulty concentrating or remembering while at work.
Heightened stress and anxiety: On top of running your business you’re managing physical symptoms, maybe poor sleep and perhaps you feel you have to “keep up” even when you don’t feel like it. That load can drive stress up, anxiety up and resilience down.
Mood-shifts, reduced patience: The fluctuating hormones can lead to irritability, sadness, or feeling emotionally off-balance. This can affect how you deal with clients, make decisions, manage your time or even how you show up for your business.
Taking time off or slowing down: When symptoms become overwhelming, you might feel you need to pause projects, avoid new work, or reduce hours. Research shows many women say they’re unable to go into work because of menopausal symptoms.
Small practical steps for working women
Just because you’re a small business doesn’t mean you can’t build in support and resilience. Here are some small steps you can take right away:
Schedule check-ins with yourself
Carve out regular time (weekly or bi-weekly) to reflect on how you’re feeling: mentally, physically and emotionally. Are you noticing brain-fog, mood dips, sleepless nights? Logging this helps you spot patterns.
Build in more flexibility
You are the business, so you have the agility. If you’re finding mornings tougher, shift client calls to later. If you’re drained after lunch, schedule deep-work in the morning and lighter admin later. Adapt your “business hours” to suit how you feel.
Delegate, outsource or pause non-essential tasks
What tasks could be handed off, delayed or simplified? Maybe you stop chasing new leads temporarily, or you outsource bookkeeping for a month. Free capacity gives your nervous system space.
Tune your workspace and routine for comfort & brain-support
Even small changes help: keep a fan nearby if you experience hot flushes; ensure you have rest breaks; reduce multitasking if your cognitive load is high. Respect the fact your brain might be slower and give it a break.
Open the internal conversation (with yourself and your team)
If you have any help (virtual assistant, part-time colleague, partner in the business), let them know you’re going through this life-stage and may need adjustments. Being upfront reduces pressure and reduces the “you’re fine” mask which eats away at your resilience.
Access external support
Consider building a toolkit of resources: a menopause-aware health professional, peer-support group, or specialist webinar/training (like those provided by MenoMinds). You are not alone in this, and recognising the connection between menopause and mental-health is powerful.
Why this matters
When you support your own wellbeing at this life stage, you’re not just being kind to yourself, you’re safeguarding your business.
Your clarity, energy and decision-making stay strong.
You reduce risk of burnout or forced down-time when you must stop because you’ve ignored the signs.
You maintain quality of service, because you’re showing up as the best version of you.
You demonstrate to clients and future team-members that wellbeing matters. That in turn builds trust and authenticity.
If you’re running your own business during perimenopause or menopause, recognise the impact it could be having on your mental health. Intentionally adapting your business model and workflow to manage it, is one of the smartest moves you can make. You don’t need a huge HR budget to make this work, self-awareness, flexibility and a cultivating a plan will be supportive.
At MenoMinds, we help women feel anchored, supported and empowered through this transition so you can continue thriving in work and in life.
Join our fully funded, 3-hour online workshop designed to support women through the psychological and emotional impacts of menopause.
Understand how menopause affects your mind and mood
Learn practical tools for managing stress, anxiety & burnout
Build confidence and resilience
Redesign your routines and boundaries to support your wellbeing
Who it’s for:
Self-employed women
Freelancers
Entrepreneurs
Women in micro or small businesses (under 50 employees)
