Teaching is not like other jobs. We don’t have much flexibility in our working routine to help us deal with the symptoms of menopause and perimenopause. There is however a lot we can do to help ourselves – and each other.

1. Make your classroom comfortable for you. Sadly, we aren’t all able to have our own classrooms, but if there’s one you use regularly have a think about how you can set it up for your own comfort. That might mean a decent electric fan. It might mean access to cold water. Or perhaps a peg on which to put all those discarded layers so you don’t look like Wurzel Gummidge when you put them back on. If you’re suffering from aches and pains it might mean making sure your chair is the right size and shape for you.

2. Activate your parasympathetic nervous system. All sorts of perimenopausal and menopausal symptoms – from brain fog to bladder discomfort – get worse when we’re stressed. And you do a stressful job. Your parasympathetic nervous system is the one that calms you down. Get it working for you by breathing deeply with your belly, or by cooling your face with a damp cloth – or even ice from a flask.

3. Manage your memory load. Research has shown that before we reach menopause, our memories work much better than men’s. At menopause they decline until they’re about the same. So could it be that you are in the habit of remembering too much – even remembering things for other people? Try and reduce the amount of things you need to remember by encouraging people to remember things for themselves (which may not be quite so easy if you teach little ones!) and by writing things down and using your tech to help you.

4. Give your brain a break. Your brain cells may not be metabolising as fast as they used to. They may well get tired more easily. It often feels like you are saving yourself time by working through breaks and lunch times but it’s quite likely that things will take longer because you are working less effectively. And brains are like cats. They fall asleep if things stay the same. A change of scene can really perk them up. And a short burst of movement can get them going as well.

5. Don’t be tempted to put off medical appointments until half term holidays. When it comes to treatment of perimenopause and menopause symptoms everyone is different and it can take a few tries to get things right. If you are waiting 6 weeks or more every time you need to see a doctor it could take a very long time before you are at your best. This is one of those occasions where a stitch in time definitely does save nine.

6. Create a comfort pack for yourself with a supply of sanitary protection, water, painkillers, fan, cooling wipes, healthy snacks, aromatherapy spritzes and anything else that helps and find somewhere safe to keep it. If you’re dealing with unpredictable bleeding you may want to have a change of clothes. See if you can organise somewhere to keep them near the toilet. And on the subject of unpredictable bleeding, I’ve found period pants to be a big help!

7. Have a laugh! Not only is a joke a great way of deflecting if we’ve forgotten something or made a mistake, it’s really good for you. It produces all sorts of lovely chemicals which help boost your brain, reduce your stress levels – and blood pressure and inflammation. It also increases your sense of connection with those around you. Most of the teachers I meet have a great sense of humour. It’s a tough job without it!

8. Find your menopause buddies. It really helps to have someone to talk to. You can also help each other in practical ways. That might mean that you swap duties when one of you is at the end of your tether. It might mean that you create a system for emailing each other when you need to nip to the loo so that someone can sit with your class while you nip to the loo. If there’s enough of you, set up a support group.

9. Educate your colleagues – whether that’s organising whole staff events, gently introducing the subject in private conversations or leaving leaflets or posters in the staffroom. The more everyone is aware of menopause the better! Sometimes it’s embarrassing, someone we are afraid of being looked at differently, but in my experience most people are supportive and appreciate the trust we put in them by sharing.

10. Talk to your school management. There are lots of ways they can support you – many of which take surprisingly little money or effort. They can set up a call system similar to your behaviour call system to allow you chance to nip out of your classroom. They can facilitate those fans or clothes hooks. Or a safe place to put bits and pieces near the loo. They may be able to organise things so you aren’t moving classrooms quite so much or that your duties don’t fall on your worse days. They may also need to know about things that could come up in inspections or observations – such as difficulty with remembering children’s names. And ask about the menopause policy which should lay out what you can expect and who you should speak too. A lot of schools do have them these days, although they may be tucked away somewhere!