Breaking Menopause Stigma: Insights and Support

On this episode of JPF First Aid, we speak to Mandy Gutsell of Know Limits Ltd. Mandy discusses the impact of menopause on women and addresses the issues around the stigma of menopause in both men and women. Mandy stresses that although it can be a difficult process to go through, it’s a time of natural change and that you are never alone in what you’re going through.

In this episode, we discuss a lot of the challenges posed by menopause, and steps you can take to help cope, and Mandy provides some tips and tricks to make people more comfortable in both the workplace and everyday life to those going through the menopause.

Key Takeaways

Menopause is a time of natural change. It's not like you wake up one day and suddenly there's this dramatic change, it tends to happen over a period of time and Mandy addresses some of the signs and symptoms of it.

Mandy believes that there’s a stigma around menopause, particularly in Western culture. We dive into some of the reasons as to why this may be, and how we can help to tackle that stigma.

More can be done in the workplace to help people going through the menopause and create a more comfortable environment for them. This can even be little things such as having dialogue with them and taking on board their needs.

Key moments

“I remember being aware of these changes and thinking to myself, well, I don't know. Do I speak to somebody about that? Am I just, almost getting into my head about it too much? What will people say? I felt quite embarrassed by it.”

“We're also in a culture which, to some extent, is great, where there's a lot of information out there, and that's a good thing, so we can find out a lot more things. But equally, the amount of information you can get can also be quite conflicting sometimes.”

“It shouldn't be something whereby a person is made to feel there's something wrong with them or that, they're somehow, being made to feel that they're being a burden or embarrassed.”

About the guest

Mandy Gutsell is the founder of Know Limits Ltd and has been helping individuals and organisations since 1991. There are four main services to the business - Coaching, Therapy, Supervision and Training/Consultancy. The key thread running through the four services is the underlying focus on mental health. At Know Limits they believe in encouraging NO limits and placing no limitations on the mind however they are firm believers in boundaries and KNOWing your own limits, hence their philosophy: Know your Limits, whilst having No Limits.

Mandy delivers a range of courses with the Training Service. This includes Mental Health First Aid England courses for staff in workplaces to qualify as Mental Health First Aiders. Mandy's expertise is in care, education, health, emergency frontline services, HR and Health and Safety leads. She supports the people who support others to try and reduce the risk of burnout.

Connect with Mandy: https://www.knowlimitscoach.com/

About the Host

John Fogarty has a training background dating back to 2005, with achievements including a teaching qualification and assessor standard. He has previously worked with two first aid charities, delivering sessions in workplace and educational environments.

John has consistently received excellent feedback for his delivery and customer service, as evident in numerous reviews. He ensures learners enjoy and achieve their goals and works with customers to select the right courses and resolves any issues promptly.

Find out more at https://jpffirstaid.co.uk/

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