Course description

Night sweats, brain fog, heavier periods, a shorter fuse, and a nagging sense that something has changed. This course explains the menopause in plain, calm language: what's happening in the body, the symptoms the NHS describes, how to talk to your GP with confidence, the treatment options, and how to handle the menopause at home and at work.

It's written for women aged 40 and over, for partners who want to understand and help, and for line managers who want to support their teams well. It's also for anyone else going through the menopause, including some trans men and non-binary people. You learn to keep a symptom diary, prepare for a GP appointment with a one-page planner, understand HRT and other options in plain words, talk to a partner, ask for practical changes at work and, if you manage people, start a supportive conversation. You finish by building your own personal menopause plan.

There are 10 sections and 50 written lessons, each with a worked example, common slips, questions people often ask and a short exercise to try, and each section ends with a short quiz. You follow a few made-up people at a housing association in Kendal: Iria, a tenancy officer in perimenopause, her line manager Eloi, and Olalla, a finance officer who goes through a surgical menopause. Every section has a practice pack with a worksheet, example answers, a cheat sheet and worked examples, plus extras such as a symptom diary, a sleep log, a GP appointment planner, questions to ask, a partner conversation card, a work adjustments conversation planner, a line manager guide and a personal plan template.

What you'll learn

• Getting started: the stages of the menopause, what happens in the body, who it affects, common myths and how to keep a symptom diary.
• Common symptoms: changes to periods and bleeding that needs checking, hot flushes and night sweats, brain fog, aches, headaches, palpitations, and vaginal and urinary symptoms.
• Mood and sleep: mood changes, when and where to get help, including urgent routes in every UK nation, sleep problems, a sleep routine and everyday wellbeing.
• Talking to your GP: when to see a GP, preparing with an appointment planner, questions to ask, what to do during the appointment and following up afterwards.
• Treatment options: HRT explained in plain words, benefits and risks as the NHS describes them, non-hormonal options including CBT, vaginal symptoms, low sex drive and herbal claims.
• Early and surgical menopause: early and premature menopause, menopause after surgery or medical treatment, why replacing hormones matters, feelings, fertility and support.
• Relationships and partners: how symptoms affect relationships, talking to a partner, sex and intimacy, contraception, family and friends, and a lesson written for partners.
• Menopause at work: the Equality Act 2010 and health and safety in general terms, workplace adjustments, talking to your manager, absence, and what to do if things go wrong.
• A guide for line managers: starting a supportive conversation, agreeing and reviewing adjustments, confidentiality and fairness, and building a supportive workplace.
• Long-term health and your personal plan: staying active, bone health, heart health, everyday habits and building your own personal menopause plan.

Who it's for

Women aged 40 and over, partners, family members and line managers. You don't need any medical knowledge. A notebook or a document for your symptom diary is all you need to start. Food is covered only briefly; for recipes and meal plans, see the Rootlet course Eating Well Through Perimenopause and Menopause: A Practical UK Guide.

What this course is, and isn't

This course is general education about the menopause, not medical advice. It can't diagnose anything or tell you which treatment is right for you. Health facts come from NHS pages, and workplace guidance from Acas and, for Northern Ireland, the Labour Relations Agency. For advice about your own health, talk to a GP, a practice nurse or a pharmacist. If you need urgent help, call 999, NHS 111 or, in Scotland, NHS 24 on 111. In Northern Ireland, contact your GP or the GP out-of-hours service, or call Lifeline free on 0808 808 8000 in a mental health crisis. Samaritans are free to call on 116 123. Iria, Eloi, Olalla, their colleagues and Mintsbank Housing Trust are fictional.

What will I learn?

• Describe perimenopause, menopause and postmenopause, and what happens in the body, in plain words
• Recognise the symptoms the NHS describes, and know which ones mean contacting a GP or getting urgent help
• Keep a simple symptom diary and use it to spot patterns
• Prepare for a GP appointment with a one-page planner and clear questions, and follow up afterwards
• Explain HRT and non-hormonal options, and the benefits and risks the NHS describes, so you can make a shared decision
• Understand early, premature and surgical menopause, and why replacing hormones matters when menopause comes early
• Talk to a partner, family and friends about symptoms, sex and intimacy, and what would help
• Ask for practical changes at work, with a general understanding of the Equality Act 2010 and health and safety
• As a line manager, start a supportive conversation, agree adjustments and keep information confidential
• Look after your bones, heart and wellbeing, and build your own personal menopause plan

Frequently asked questions