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Impostor Syndrome, Menopause… or a Bit of Both?
Lately, I’ve been seeing a lot of posts about impostor syndrome.
And just as many about menopause and perimenopause.
Two very different topics—or are they?
The more I read, the more I wonder: How many women are quietly experiencing both… and not connecting the dots?
We already know impostor syndrome is common.
Up to 82% of people experience it at some point. And women? They’re three times more likely to feel it than men.
Why?
Because we’re often navigating:
- High expectations
- Underrepresentation in leadership
- Workplaces that don’t always value different communication or leadership styles
The Symptoms Overlap More Than We Talk About:
- Brain fog (hello, forgetting your own point mid-sentence)
- Mood swings or emotional reactivity
- Energy crashes that make a confident meeting feel like a marathon
- Sleep disruption that leaves you questioning your own competence
- A general sense of “what’s wrong with me?”
Now add that to a high-pressure role or a new leadership position, and suddenly even themost accomplished woman can feel like she’s faking it.
And here’s the danger:
If we don’t talk about how menopause can show up at work, we start to internalise these changes as personal failings.
We call it impostor syndrome.
We work harder. We stay quieter. We doubt ourselves more.
But maybe… we’re just in a different phase of life.
A phase that no one prepared us for.
Here’s What I Wish More Workplaces Knew:
- Confidence isn’t linear—and it’s not always a mindset issue
- Hormonal shifts are real, physical, and valid
- Women don’t need fixing—we need more honest conversations and better support
Ask:
“Could this be my body changing? Could this be perimenopause showing up at work?”
Because the moment we stop seeing these experiences as weaknesses and start seeing them as context, everything changes.
You’re not less capable.
You’re not less of a leader.
And this season? It’s not the end—it might just be the recalibration before your next chapter.
Let’s make space in leadership conversations for both the head and the hormones.
And support women in showing up fully—wherever they’re at.
Have you seen this in yourself or the women around you? Let’s talk about it.
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