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Layer on symptoms of "},{"_key":"e5d1254f6cec1","_type":"span","marks":["436257454615"],"text":"hormonal shifts"},{"_key":"e5d1254f6cec2","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" like brain fog and disrupted sleep, and an already-full plate becomes even harder to carry."}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"436257454615","_type":"link","href":"https://chief.com/articles/michelle-montville-alloy-health-menopause-leadership"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"ed0e9c0eef9f","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"3684d2470e670","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Given all of these competing priorities, it can be easy to let "},{"_key":"3684d2470e671","_type":"span","marks":["11707e0173ad"],"text":"health"},{"_key":"3684d2470e672","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" fall off your list."}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"11707e0173ad","_type":"link","href":"https://chief.com/category/health-wellbeing"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"47cee32fc28e","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"498813f5fa140","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"But August, National Wellness Month, offers an opportunity to step back, reset, and proactively protect your wellbeing rather than push through it. And our partners at Alloy Health provide care from menopause-specialized doctors that’s online and based around your schedule."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"fd84cd199430","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"bc01a69abadd0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"We asked "},{"_key":"bc01a69abadd1","_type":"span","marks":["b5bebce47501"],"text":"Dr. Kudzai Dombo"},{"_key":"bc01a69abadd2","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" — a prescribing physician at Alloy Health, board-certified OB/GYN, and menopause-certified specialist — how women leaders can protect their health during the busy season ahead. Here are her insights:"}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"b5bebce47501","_type":"link","href":"https://www.myalloy.com/expert/kudzai-dombo"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"d4016afffb66","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"6998c07da7030","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"For women leaders, fall’s busy back-to-school and business season brings a spike in demands on their time and energy. In terms of health impact, how do you see this pattern play out among your patients?"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"34ebaf5e4f4d","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"d94b98e63ea00","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"This is something I see in patients when they hit their mid-40s, and it coincides with the onset of perimenopause. Caregiving, career, and perimenopause intersect to create the perfect storm, and many women continue as caregivers for aging parents into their 60s. Hormones start to fluctuate, leading to symptoms that are much more difficult to manage. Cortisol levels peak from a chronic stress response. The ability to recover and adapt becomes that much more difficult. Things like sleep, mood, fatigue become issues that require more intentional effort to resolve."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"092f47a0ff69","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"ea74fbe4a5990","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Are there symptoms women commonly write off as stress or “being a working mom” that you'd flag as worth addressing?"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"2c3d5fafbdd7","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"b5b11bc327fa0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Difficulty finding words or losing concentration in high-stakes meetings (brain fog), rage or irritability that is out of proportion to the trigger (mood changes), difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, and new-onset fatigue. These symptoms are stressful, but they're not just from stress. They're classic symptoms of losing estrogen during "},{"_key":"b5b11bc327fa1","_type":"span","marks":["341f8ce811fb"],"text":"menopause"},{"_key":"b5b11bc327fa2","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" and perimenopause, so they warrant attention from a menopause-specialized physician, like the ones you can find through Alloy Health."}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"341f8ce811fb","_type":"link","href":"https://chief.com/articles/menopause-transition-biology-ambition-collide"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"4bcd4b337e58","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"309ebe29d4370","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"If a woman is looking to approach this busy season with greater focus on their wellbeing, where would you suggest they start? What questions can they ask themselves to get a baseline?"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"a7967f88da01","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"b60c96b7ad510","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Get clarity on what is "},{"_key":"b60c96b7ad511","_type":"span","marks":["1150299a2240"],"text":"happening in your body"},{"_key":"b60c96b7ad512","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":". Track symptoms for 2–4 weeks so that you understand the pattern. The following questions may help:"}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"1150299a2240","_type":"link","href":"https://chief.com/articles/giulia-enders-women-leaders-midlife-health"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"52bc91ac08b5","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"b5dd58861ee30","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"1. Is the fatigue I’m experiencing proportional to my output?"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"45907bf9e2ae","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"f9af31091e090","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"2. How many hours of sleep am I getting and do I feel refreshed when I get up?"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"afb278f30c2b","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"f119eb1b4e9b0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"3. Are there specific times during my cycle that the irritability or mood changes are worse?"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"d9b44f46c7a2","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"b9c668b957740","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"4. Am I saying yes out of obligation or choice?"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"8b6b59baf60a","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"2a3410be0f090","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Going beyond typical self-care advice, what can women do to manage their energy and avoid burnout when so much of their time is going to others?"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"f56c41a104b1","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"63851afb43820","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Typical self-care advice like getting a massage or mani-pedi is not enough here. Identify tasks that can be "},{"_key":"63851afb43821","_type":"span","marks":["2bf0a70f6cc7"],"text":"draining your capacity"},{"_key":"63851afb43822","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":", including household tasks. What requires something only you can do? Can these other responsibilities be "},{"_key":"3d95304509f2","_type":"span","marks":["3bc669a22461"],"text":"delegated to others"},{"_key":"0a3ad29dac37","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" or outsourced? Create recovery windows within your schedule, like a 15-minute break to go outside and stand in the sunshine. It's important to remember, however, that there are avenues for professional help. Menopause-specialized doctors can help you build a treatment plan for symptoms across midlife, including HRT and weight care for women struggling with the hormonal changes in this period of their lives."}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"2bf0a70f6cc7","_type":"link","href":"https://chief.com/articles/erin-coupe-energy-intelligence-leadership"},{"_key":"3bc669a22461","_type":"link","href":"https://chief.com/articles/meghan-joyce-delegate-mental-load-accountability"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"6ab3aee44dfc","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"469d3ce4e88a0","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"What would you want a woman leader to hear right now who feels like there's no room in their schedule to prioritize their own health?"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"451b5ad41c2b","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"88ed919b25630","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"To any woman leader who feels like prioritizing their health is another task: your health is foundational. When we are depleted it affects every area of our lives. It’s like putting your oxygen mask on first in the event of an airplane accident. We are told to assist others once our mask is secured. I invite you to consider your health as a non-negotiable. It’s your oxygen mask."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"2dae4ae77011","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"e34885c2637e0","_type":"span","marks":["em"],"text":"Still have questions about your midlife health? Alloy has answers, experts, and solutions. Get connected with a menopause-trained physician within hours for skin, weight, and hormone therapy. It’s 100% online care, complete with unlimited messaging. Receive 50% off your doctor consult or $25 off your first purchase with code CHIEFHEALTH25. 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I left to go — dum, dum, dum — out on my own on January 1, 2025. Now, I work for myself."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"8d14d9712350","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"954ffda6565c0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"I write. I consult. I pitch editors and negotiate my own contracts and chase the invoice on day 31, which is a thing I never once thought about when someone else's accounting department did it. I build my own decks. I report stories for "},{"_key":"954ffda6565c1","_type":"span","marks":["em"],"text":"The New York Times"},{"_key":"954ffda6565c2","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" and "},{"_key":"954ffda6565c3","_type":"span","marks":["em"],"text":"Vanity Fair"},{"_key":"954ffda6565c4","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":". I run a Substack called "},{"_key":"954ffda6565c5","_type":"span","marks":["em"],"text":"Best Case Scenario"},{"_key":"954ffda6565c6","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":". For seven years before this I was the Editor-in-Chief of "},{"_key":"954ffda6565c7","_type":"span","marks":["em"],"text":"Women's Health"},{"_key":"954ffda6565c8","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":", where I had a staff of 35 and, I'm not kidding, a research department down the hall I could just walk into."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"4e20463a8522","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"28d7d2af352f0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Now the org chart is me."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"fc4566e73d1d","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"157e6c5b2e280","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"You know this if you've built something of your own. We make "},{"_key":"157e6c5b2e281","_type":"span","marks":["182c38cbb29e"],"text":"our own hours"},{"_key":"157e6c5b2e282","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":", which is incredibly liberating. It’s "},{"_key":"157e6c5b2e283","_type":"span","marks":["em"],"text":"also"},{"_key":"157e6c5b2e284","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" the reason I’m writing this on a Saturday afternoon while my family sits in a theater watching the new "},{"_key":"157e6c5b2e285","_type":"span","marks":["em"],"text":"Spider-Man"},{"_key":"157e6c5b2e286","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" film. (My three kids promised to tell me how it ends.) Two things can be true, as therapists say."}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"182c38cbb29e","_type":"link","href":"https://chief.com/category/work-life-balance"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"c3ef0fa777dc","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"ab3d566b8ea90","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"I've been obsessed with mornings for a long time. I even wrote a book about them, called "},{"_key":"ab3d566b8ea91","_type":"span","marks":["em"],"text":"Own Your Morning"},{"_key":"ab3d566b8ea92","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":". And the thing I believed then and believe even more deeply now is that how you start your day is how you live your day. Those dawn hours are sacred to me. Not in a biohacker, ice-bath, 4:00 AM kind of way. (However, I do love contrast therapy.) Quite the opposite! But mornings are the one and only part day I get to myself. And when I take care of myself during those sunrise hours, I’m better at navigating every twist and turn that my day brings."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"98e1c38d0bac","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"a89a7ae883930","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"You Are the Architect"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"heading2"},{"_key":"679edd89f8fd","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"0f9826f7f8d70","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"We all left to build something bigger. The company we'd been sketching on napkins, the dream we dared not say out loud, the thing we kept waiting for someone else to make, the work our passionate little hearts had always wanted to do."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"2935410a0c57","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"4e57c61753df0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Then we got to the top — at our new job, our own company, whatever it looks like in your world  — and some days, a lot of days, it felt like an endless parade of fires to put out. Managing an exploding calendar. Board meetings. Late nights in front of the laptop. The list goes on. And on. And on."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"a8dd911ff5c4","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"881e555d83f80","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Researchers looked at "},{"_key":"881e555d83f81","_type":"span","marks":["e873b227143c"],"text":"273 entrepreneurs"},{"_key":"881e555d83f82","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" to figure out what keeps the emotional demands of the work from "},{"_key":"881e555d83f83","_type":"span","marks":["7722a7b2da4c"],"text":"turning into full burnout"},{"_key":"881e555d83f84","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":", and loving your job wasn't it. Job satisfaction didn't protect anybody. Control over your own time did."}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"e873b227143c","_type":"link","href":"https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11187-022-00702-w"},{"_key":"7722a7b2da4c","_type":"link","href":"https://chief.com/articles/how-to-find-your-way-back-from-burnout-women-leaders"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"311a5fe43971","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"d4c8fd639aa80","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The first hour of the day is the piece of it you can control before you're being pulled in 17 directions. So protect it, and build the best version of it you can, because you’ll be so much happier and healthier with some intention. Let me take you through some tips you can use starting tomorrow, all of them backed by science."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"f54330dadbc9","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"654e743585cc0","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Get Outside Before You Open Your Laptop"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"heading3"},{"_key":"13e88dab4dd2","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"484dd4a39d730","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Light first. "},{"_key":"484dd4a39d731","_type":"span","marks":["14f5b816d932"],"text":"Research on daytime light exposure"},{"_key":"484dd4a39d732","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" shows it sharpens alertness and attention, and morning light is also what tells your body when to release melatonin 16 hours later, so the walk you take today is doing quiet work on tonight's sleep."}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"14f5b816d932","_type":"link","href":"https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.765750/full"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"6d5c93a316ed","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"2ffb656080720","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Twenty minutes outside to get some sunshine in your eyes. I take Willa, my Bernese mountain dog, into the park. Thirty to 45 minutes after you wake up, your cortisol is climbing about 50% above where it sat overnight. It's called the "},{"_key":"2ffb656080721","_type":"span","marks":["066555e75bb5"],"text":"cortisol awakening response"},{"_key":"2ffb656080722","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" and — poor cortisol, nobody ever says anything nice about it — it delivers energy and focus, free of charge. For most of my adult life, I gave mine to whoever had emailed me overnight. Now it goes to my body, my soul, and my writing."}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"066555e75bb5","_type":"link","href":"https://academic.oup.com/edrv/article/46/1/43/7739741"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"4550806e27e2","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"a283c085dccb0","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Move Your Body"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"heading3"},{"_key":"fb1866dc6faa","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"338edf71619a0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"I'm a 47-year-old NASM-certified trainer so obviously I want you lifting weights to protect your bone density, build lean muscle mass, boost your heart health, and for a dozen other health benefits that will keep you independent and "},{"_key":"338edf71619a1","_type":"span","marks":["905452118437"],"text":"strong for the long game"},{"_key":"338edf71619a2","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"."}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"905452118437","_type":"link","href":"https://chief.com/articles/pvolve-women-midlife-fitness-longevity"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"00ce07fe963d","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"7a541c2c22710","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"But when I’m exhausted, rubbing my eyes, and “really don’t wanna,” my bone density isn’t getting me to the gym, if I'm honest. I lift because I know it’ll make me feel like superwoman afterward. Working out makes me feel clearer, calmer, and more confident, every single time. Fitness is 90% about my mental and emotional wellbeing. And yes, I'll take the bigger biceps flex, too."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"fc51fe506030","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"871e6b1a5a5a0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"There's also a business argument for movement at the top of the day. In one study in "},{"_key":"871e6b1a5a5a1","_type":"span","marks":["cad880bd6c93","em"],"text":"Neurobiology of Learning and Memory"},{"_key":"871e6b1a5a5a2","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":", people learned new vocabulary 20% faster right after intense running than after sitting still, and their BDNF levels, the protein tied to learning and neuroplasticity, tracked with how well they did."}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"cad880bd6c93","_type":"link","href":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17185007/"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"356b0356aa05","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"91b6213630c20","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"You’re going to make dozens of decisions every day. Movement makes every single one of them sharper."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"a8322a27f47c","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"d1036dc5af5f0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"I used to hit the gym before the sun rose. I was very proud of my consistency and ability to sweat before most people woke up. But on this working-for-myself adventure I’m on? I’ve learned that my best writing happens in the wee hours of morning before the kids wake up. It felt like an identity crisis to wait until mid-morning, but I’ve made peace with my new schedule of walking my youngest to elementary school, "},{"_key":"d1036dc5af5f1","_type":"span","marks":["em"],"text":"then "},{"_key":"d1036dc5af5f2","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"hitting my local YMCA to swing kettlebells. I’m home, showered and ready to get after the day by 10:00 AM."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"fee5a7f13a06","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"e8ebd2fbb6ef0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"I hope sharing that confession nudges you to audit your morning routine at least every season. (Great timing as fall arrives!) And definitely do it again when you change paths professionally or personally."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"67037375be43","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"6895d7baf0ac0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Those 60 minutes matter more than anything else on my calendar. When a deadline or a flight makes them impossible — and that happens more than I'd like it to — I do "},{"_key":"6895d7baf0ac1","_type":"span","marks":["d66d67367b1f"],"text":"mobility work"},{"_key":"6895d7baf0ac2","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" in the living room and feel grateful for each minute."}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"d66d67367b1f","_type":"link","href":"https://lizplosser.substack.com/p/the-mobility-routine-that-rebuilt"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"48ee5e6cd3f8","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"75d263903a920","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Pick whatever type of movement lights you up. And add music. "},{"_key":"75d263903a921","_type":"span","marks":["bd539d849924"],"text":"There's research"},{"_key":"75d263903a922","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" showing it lifts your mood and makes hard effort feel easier, which tracks, because I have never once regretted a playlist. Make one tonight."}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"bd539d849924","_type":"link","href":"https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1750984X.2011.631027"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"dde1b8af410a","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"65c47955c2c90","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Eat a Real Breakfast, With 30 Grams of Protein"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"heading3"},{"_key":"598a14cf0b5c","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"cf3565a50ec90","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Most of us run on coffee and adrenaline till noon and then act surprised when the afternoon falls apart."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"36703ae862f9","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"b272481d4f200","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Thirty grams of protein at breakfast is my number. Eggs or Greek yogurt will do it. Protein digests slowly and keeps you full, which is the difference between focus that holds through a morning of calls and the 2:00 PM dip you try to fix with more caffeine. I also recently upped my morning dose of creatine from 5 to 10 grams, mixed with water, because of the "},{"_key":"b272481d4f201","_type":"span","marks":["ba13d58378f7"],"text":"exciting emerging research"},{"_key":"b272481d4f202","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" on its brain benefits."}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"ba13d58378f7","_type":"link","href":"https://lizplosser.substack.com/p/the-new-rules-of-daily-creatine-dosing"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"7421a5f19d52","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"e6e67065f9780","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"When you're the whole company, a crash at two costs you a decision you can't unmake."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"f9a2efb2f6ae","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"d163cbd1b7450","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Practice the Calm Before You Need It"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"heading3"},{"_key":"e2872a612ac2","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"eec3bea0d4070","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"There are dozens of studies about the benefits of mediation. And I aspire to have a regular practice, but until then, the exhale is where serious magic happens."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"21d24d91a541","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"bb582b950b090","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Slow breathing pushes you toward the parasympathetic side of things by way of the vagus nerve, and "},{"_key":"bb582b950b091","_type":"span","marks":["60ed5b2b84ff"],"text":"a systematic review and meta-analysis"},{"_key":"bb582b950b092","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" found that voluntary slow breathing reliably raises heart rate variability, which is the standard marker for that rest-and-recover state. It's the long exhales doing the work."}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"60ed5b2b84ff","_type":"link","href":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35623448/"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"39f5fc0de5be","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"d8baf3fa952e0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"I do two inhales through the nose, the second one short and stacked on the first, then a long slow exhale out the mouth. (For fellow aspiring-meditators, a "},{"_key":"d8baf3fa952e1","_type":"span","marks":["c24234e64e51"],"text":"month-long Stanford trial"},{"_key":"d8baf3fa952e2","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" found five minutes a day of intentional breathing beat mindfulness meditation for improved mood.)"}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"c24234e64e51","_type":"link","href":"https://www.cell.com/cell-reports-medicine/fulltext/S2666-3791(22)00474-8"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"e8bf72e1f618","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"b3b0a48c2d070","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Learn it on a calm Tuesday. You are not going to pick up a new nervous-system skill 90 seconds before a call where you have to explain a number you hate. Do it tomorrow morning, and come back to it when your adrenaline spikes during the day."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"c8474a2e173a","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"520e90d165dc0","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Look Out for Your Future Self"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"heading3"},{"_key":"427668de1e21","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"1af2bd4764b90","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Every good morning I've ever had began the night before. Workout clothes out. Coffee prepped. Kitchen counter cleared so that tomorrow's version of me doesn't walk into a mess made by tonight's."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"260f20408eed","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"e82fadd740be0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"I also “wash the day away” every night with a hot shower. It’s a metaphorical way to clear the sticky energy — bad or good — from my psyche. There are evidence-based, sleep-improving reasons to do it, too. A "},{"_key":"e82fadd740be1","_type":"span","marks":["cfce7b61173f"],"text":"meta-analysis of bathing studies"},{"_key":"e82fadd740be2","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" found that warming yourself that way helps you fall asleep faster, because your core temperature is lower. Then: lights down, room cool."}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"cfce7b61173f","_type":"link","href":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31102877/"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"f80c6ae7038b","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"9600610055440","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Then, set the alarm on purpose. I always wake up to a seven because that’s my lucky number. I also choose a ringtone that makes me happy. Zero science there. 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Leaning in. Then, just as the biggest opportunities begin to appear, something else arrives."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"778a504b3bc8","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"25f16d2713770","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"You forget a word you've used a thousand times. You wake up at "},{"_key":"25f16d2713771","_type":"span","marks":["7f7123c44e1c"],"text":"3:00 AM for no reason"},{"_key":"25f16d2713772","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":". Your patience feels shorter. Your confidence feels shakier. You wonder if you've changed."}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"7f7123c44e1c","_type":"link","href":"https://chief.com/articles/ai-womens-health-midlife"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"36336b9a668b","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"70dd6c0a2ebc0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"You have, but not in the way you think."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"184051917b3f","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"5ae555cfc9d30","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"No one prepares us for the moment our "},{"_key":"5ae555cfc9d31","_type":"span","marks":["e98afe1a4f13"],"text":"biology joins the meeting"},{"_key":"5ae555cfc9d32","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":", and that changes everything."}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"e98afe1a4f13","_type":"link","href":"https://chief.com/category/health-wellbeing"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"8a24f8565fd9","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"1c017f57b18d0","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"The Collision We Ignore"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"heading2"},{"_key":"8df3a4815660","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"ecfb1cec8d9b0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The average age for a woman entering the C-Suite is "},{"_key":"ecfb1cec8d9b1","_type":"span","marks":["ab146749ac88"],"text":"between 46 and 59"},{"_key":"ecfb1cec8d9b2","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":". The often-disruptive effects of perimenopause occur precisely when experience and leadership converge. As a result, two in five women have "},{"_key":"70cc63e93cd81","_type":"span","marks":["0535c72065cd"],"text":"considered leaving work"},{"_key":"70cc63e93cd82","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" because of menopause during the most pivotal and potentially lucrative years of their career."}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"ab146749ac88","_type":"link","href":"https://www.bizjournals.com/bizwomen/news/latest-news/2026/06/1-in-20-ceos-are-women-path.html"},{"_key":"0535c72065cd","_type":"link","href":"https://swhr.org/resources/empact-menopause-study-bulletin/"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"dfe43d533bdb","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"a8f2ec6763340","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"This collision of a woman's biology and career timeline is inevitable, but it’s one medicine has largely ignored. Organizations rarely acknowledged it and women have been left to navigate on their own as a result, often at enormous professional cost."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"180e5078cb91","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"8481a2359cce0","_type":"span","marks":["a63d081125a9"],"text":"The symptoms are real"},{"_key":"8481a2359cce1","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":". They are not \"just aging.\" Beneath the hot flashes, brain fog, and disrupted sleep are structural changes happening in bone muscle, heart, and metabolism with profound implications for how you live and lead in the decades ahead. That is why I ask every woman I see three questions:"}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"a63d081125a9","_type":"link","href":"https://chief.com/articles/michelle-montville-alloy-health-menopause-leadership"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"fce5f184ae5d","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"f51734bc59cc0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"1. Do you have symptoms of midlife that affect the quality of your life?\n2. Are you being proactive to safeguard your future health?\n3. Do you have a health strategy?"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"6ff67e20f638","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"a7717583faec0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The answers matter."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"7b3d97fca184","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"9d1d180cda0f0","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"When Body and Career Both Start Asking Questions"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"heading2"},{"_key":"692d274596db","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"c29e3cb9fe2f0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The years before perimenopause are the years to invest physiologically: "},{"_key":"c29e3cb9fe2f1","_type":"span","marks":["7649c6278d20"],"text":"build muscle"},{"_key":"c29e3cb9fe2f2","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":", protect your heart and brain, prioritize sleep, manage stress. These are deposits into an account you will draw from for the coming decades. And start paying attention to what actually energizes you versus what you've simply become good at. Those two things are not always the same."}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"7649c6278d20","_type":"link","href":"https://chief.com/articles/pvolve-women-midlife-fitness-longevity"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"8159d8616df0","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"570ce06d0aaf0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Perimenopause rarely "},{"_key":"570ce06d0aaf1","_type":"span","marks":["18d0cda4dc49"],"text":"announces itself clearly"},{"_key":"570ce06d0aaf2","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":". Instead it arrives as hot flashes, night sweats, disrupted sleep, a brain that feels slower, a shorter fuse, and energy that no longer follows familiar patterns. Underneath all of it are changes that don't announce themselves, either. Bone loss, muscle loss. Cholesterol shifts. Rising blood sugar. Blood pressure increases. These are not just the consequences of getting older. They are also specific, hormonal changes driven by declining estrogen, and they accelerate cardiovascular risk."}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"18d0cda4dc49","_type":"link","href":"https://chief.com/articles/giulia-enders-women-leaders-midlife-health"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"c53ba19eabb6","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"d6a6e18244600","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"At the same time, the professional questions keep amplifying, keep getting louder. "},{"_key":"d6a6e18244601","_type":"span","marks":["em"],"text":"Is this still what I want? What do I want?"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"07b139562d8b","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"48a15fb0ac900","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"This isn't a coincidence. Fluctuating estrogen affects cognition, mood, and stress tolerance in real ways. Brain fog is a symptom, not a character flaw. And this is precisely when the daily demands of senior leadership require exactly the resources perimenopause is affecting."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"4fa59ab2fcd8","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"055c2df8e92c0","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"What Actually Helps"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"heading2"},{"_key":"d571cb5d77cb","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"ae96882a1cbf0","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"First, Don't Normalize Suffering"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"a585c136b96b","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"a0d56e926e6d0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"If your symptoms are affecting your quality of life, don't simply wait for them to pass. Menopausal hormone therapy remains the most effective treatment for many women and deserves a thoughtful discussion, tailored to you. And for women who cannot or choose not to use hormones, there are effective, evidence-based non-hormonal options that most don’t realize."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"2ab49b027372","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"55ded4ed5b5a0","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Build the Account You'll Draw From"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"907910e0af15","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"a73e8416a0430","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Protect your sleep as fiercely as you protect your calendar. Sleep is foundational. When it goes, so does executive function, emotional regulation, and cardiovascular health."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"e2076c63219d","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"9663bd8c39b60","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Know your cholesterol. Your blood pressure. Your blood sugar. Bone is easier to preserve than rebuild. Build muscle before you need it. Beyond \"healthy habits,\" these are investments in your future self."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"5399a2bd0112","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"e818c63216300","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"For many women, reaching menopause doesn't shrink life. It sharpens it."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"b40c049fb156","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"34da843481af0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The need to prove yourself grows quieter. The convergence of experience and biological recalibration brings clarity. The confidence earned over decades finally has room to speak. And what remains isn't less ambition, it's better ambition."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"ac746ac4bc74","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"3828aeb932210","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"What I Want You to Take Away"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"heading2"},{"_key":"e096ed31543e","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"912148646e270","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The symptoms are real. The biology is real."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"7843ae9573ba","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"7f185803575b0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Your career asks: What comes next? Your body asks: What do you need now?"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"b1eecf905425","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"ee752261dd340","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Most women think they have to answer those questions separately. You don't. They're "},{"_key":"ee752261dd341","_type":"span","marks":["35ad0ed9afe2"],"text":"the same conversation"},{"_key":"c4dd418379d1","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"."}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"35ad0ed9afe2","_type":"link","href":"https://chief.com/articles/menopause-at-work"}],"style":"normal"}],"description":"Two in five women consider leaving work during menopause. Dr. Carol DerSarkissian, MSCP, shares advice for women leaders navigating the collision between this hormonal shift and their peak-career years.","editorialCategory":{"_id":"71ee14c3-8926-418e-97e0-2e738cd11cac","_type":"category","_rev":"kuh6IZ2IntHupgeCe7EXM5","_createdAt":"2025-10-09T14:09:34Z","_updatedAt":"2025-10-26T18:20:40Z","description":"Discover strategies for supporting women's health in the workplace, from managing burnout to navigating fertility and menopause.\n","hideFromNav":false,"seo":{"_type":"seoFields","seoDescription":"From mental health and burnout to fertility and menopause, discover how leaders and organizations can support women’s health and wellbeing in the workplace with insights from Chief.\n","seoMetaTitle":"Chief | Women's Health & Wellbeing - Women's Mental Health at Work"},"slug":{"_type":"slug","current":"health-wellbeing"},"title":"Health & 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same conversation.","title":"The Menopause Transition: When Biology and Ambition Collide","id":"-8c11fbaa-745b-530f-9e03-8382039c9d0e","children":[],"parent":null},"thirdArticle":{"_id":"da02a8d5-e504-441a-9a93-56850d9c0891","_type":"editorial","_rev":"qVP76ppwpIURRmEnLN36ef","_createdAt":"2026-08-26T15:45:06Z","_updatedAt":"2026-08-27T20:27:16Z","articleAuthor":{"_id":"2b535736-5bd8-496d-ab83-3a226c96847f","_type":"author","_rev":"uieKIKcy4g3qgUFJY3HhtZ","_createdAt":"2026-08-26T15:46:02Z","_updatedAt":"2026-08-26T15:46:02Z","bio":"Meghan Joyce is the Founder & CEO of Duckbill, a virtual executive assistant for personal life. She’s balanced roles as mother, daughter, partner, and friend with nearly two decades of executive leadership at companies like Uber and Oscar Health.","name":"Meghan Joyce ","seo":{"_type":"seoFields","seoDescription":"Meghan Joyce, Founder & CEO of Duckbill, has spent nearly two decades in executive leadership at companies like Uber and Oscar Health.","seoMetaTitle":"Meghan Joyce | Chief"},"slug":{"_type":"slug","current":"meghan-joyce"},"id":"-9475f221-1de7-561b-ae3c-a4b138f8de9f","children":[],"parent":null},"content":[{"_key":"e450f2dd7861","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"b5873cf337930","_type":"span","marks":["4d496ae07be8","em"],"text":"Meghan Joyce"},{"_key":"b5873cf337931","_type":"span","marks":["em"],"text":" is the Founder & CEO of Chief partner Duckbill, a virtual executive assistant for personal life. She’s balanced roles as mother, daughter, partner, and friend with nearly two decades of executive leadership at companies like Uber and Oscar Health."}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"4d496ae07be8","_type":"link","href":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/meghanvjoyce/"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"f459bd455df1","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"af001cbd03640","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Every senior woman leader has heard the advice: Delegate more of your personal life. Hire the assistant, get the concierge, outsource the errands."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"46498f9e6de2","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"172a55f4cdc70","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Most of us have tried. And here's the truth almost no one says out loud: "},{"_key":"172a55f4cdc71","_type":"span","marks":["b5804d8f02e9"],"text":"Delegation rarely sticks"},{"_key":"172a55f4cdc72","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":". Help has existed for decades. Yet, the women executives I know — people who can easily afford every form of support — are still the ones rebooking the flight on Sunday night, tracking whether the pediatrician's office ever called back, and holding the entire invisible inventory of their family's life in their heads."}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"b5804d8f02e9","_type":"link","href":"https://chief.com/category/work-life-balance"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"dda03f177234","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"85f190668fc00","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"If the advice were right, the problem would be solved by now. It isn't. This means we've been misdiagnosing it all along."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"ca88b816f51d","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"1efdc02b1fb40","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"The Mental Load Is Not a Labor Problem"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"heading2"},{"_key":"0acecd74a286","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"f5c4e1088c120","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"We talk about the mental load as if it were a volume of tasks — too many things to do, not enough hands. But what’s more difficult is ownership: noticing that something needs to happen, specifying what \"done right\" means, and verifying that it actually happened."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"ac8772977b8e","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"0659a3c540900","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"That last loop is where traditional forms of delegation fail. You can hand someone a task, but you can’t hand them accountability. So you keep the task alive in your head because “completed” and “solved: are not the same thing. Anyone who has asked someone to “handle” an insurance dispute knows the difference. The appointment was marked scheduled,"},{"_key":"0659a3c540901","_type":"span","marks":["em"],"text":" but"},{"_key":"0659a3c540902","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" was it scheduled around school pickup? The return was initiated, "},{"_key":"0659a3c540903","_type":"span","marks":["em"],"text":"but "},{"_key":"0659a3c540904","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"did the refund ever land?"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"f31e78cfae5d","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"711ab84746190","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"When you delegate a task but retain the verification loop, your mental load stays the same, you’ve just added a management layer to it. This is why the assistant economy has never solved this problem. It moved the labor and left the load exactly where it was."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"609b44ac654f","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"7323929b87c30","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"At work, we solved this long ago by delegating outcomes with accountability attached, rather than tasks. At home, we never built the machinery because coordinating idiosyncratic personal tasks to a consistent standard is genuinely hard. And, for a hundred years, the market's answer was to shrug and match you with whoever was available."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"e234f650ecd4","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"6e4261b8f67f0","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"AI Solved the Wrong Half of Your Life First"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"heading2"},{"_key":"7741da93dbdb","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"3a3c86bdeb740","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Here’s what the standard “AI will fix this” story gets backward."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"b59952eaa5db","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"ae7f8ebdc48c0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The past few years of AI have been extraordinary for the "},{"_key":"ae7f8ebdc48c1","_type":"span","marks":["7871e8d2bc06"],"text":"digital half of our lives"},{"_key":"ae7f8ebdc48c2","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":". Drafting, summarizing, researching, and planning are largely solved. But look at what actually populates a senior woman leader's personal load. The call to the medical office that only answers between 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM. The airline agent with discretion to waive the fee (if a human asks the right way)."}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"7871e8d2bc06","_type":"link","href":"https://chief.com/category/ai-the-future-of-work"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"cccb1ec6392e","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"b2a947d7b1330","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The load that "},{"_key":"b2a947d7b1331","_type":"span","marks":["8584086fdc34"],"text":"grinds leaders down"},{"_key":"b2a947d7b1332","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" is overwhelmingly analog. It lives in phone trees, waiting rooms, and conversations with other humans who have judgment and moods. We are still learning how AI interacts with the internet. We have barely begun solving how it interacts with the world. The chatbot drafts the email. Only a human sits on hold for 40 minutes and persuades the rep."}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"8584086fdc34","_type":"link","href":"https://chief.com/articles/senior-women-leaders-burnout-emotional-labor"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"9799195e3d79","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"41c6c4097c660","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"More importantly, what AI "},{"_key":"41c6c4097c661","_type":"span","marks":["em"],"text":"has"},{"_key":"41c6c4097c662","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" changed is the coordination layer. Software can now track every open loop, remember every preference, sequence every dependency, and verify every completion without a human carrying it in their head. What made ownership untransferable for a century is what machines turn out to be great at — the impossibility of coordinating quality across a thousand idiosyncratic tasks."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"8377da1c4181","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"6487729314ad0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"That's the real division of labor emerging: AI owns the remembering, routing, and verifying; "},{"_key":"6487729314ad1","_type":"span","marks":["a640d7a22449"],"text":"skilled humans own the judgment"},{"_key":"6487729314ad2","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":", persistence, and real-world navigation. Rather than replacing it, AI is finally making human help "},{"_key":"6487729314ad3","_type":"span","marks":["em"],"text":"accountable"},{"_key":"6487729314ad4","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":". Regardless of what system you use, the question to ask of any support in your life is now \"Who closes the loop?\""}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"a640d7a22449","_type":"link","href":"https://chief.com/women-leaders-agentic-ai-study-2026"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"ef3054c38ddd","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"93354c69f76d0","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"The Last Barrier Isn't Logistics"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"heading2"},{"_key":"88c6ec2a2e16","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"887b1e5ebb220","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Even with the machinery in place, I watch accomplished leaders hesitate and I recognize it, "},{"_key":"887b1e5ebb221","_type":"span","marks":["em"],"text":"because I've done it."},{"_key":"887b1e5ebb222","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" The tasks we hold onto hardest are the ones where a dropped ball has a face attached: a child, a parent, a spouse."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"f6484d52fcc6","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"d8e699cfcdab0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"We tell ourselves this is diligence. 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