How to Navigate Perimenopause at Work (with Amita Sharma)

My guest Amita Sharma was sitting in a meeting when it hit: a hot flash, out of nowhere, with no idea why. She didn't even know the word "perimenopausal" yet. "Nobody tells you," she says. "At least in my case, nobody told me or prepared me." If you've ever sat through a meeting wondering what on earth is happening to your body and whether you're allowed to say so out loud, this episode on navigating perimenopause at work is for you. Amita is the co-founder of NourishDoc, a holistic wellness platform built for women moving through perimenopause and beyond. She built it after years of being, in her words, "miserable" in corporate roles while dealing with irregular periods, anxiety that bordered on depression, and a medical system that ran her bloodwork, found nothing wrong, and sent her home still feeling like something was off. We talk about why so many women downshift their careers rather than name what's happening to them, and what she's learned from talking to thousands of women who all describe the exact same experience, regardless of culture. You'll hear Amita's "food as medicine" starting point, the bite-sized lifestyle changes that actually stuck for her, and why she believes if men went through this, the research dollars would already be there. Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQcJtHJ5770 In this episode What it's like to get hit with a hot flash mid-meeting and not even know the word "perimenopausal" yet Why so many women stay quiet at work for fear of age discrimination, and how that silence keeps the whole topic invisible Anxiety, mood swings, and "borderline depression": the symptoms Amita didn't expect and couldn't untangle from ordinary midlife pressure Why the medical system treats the body "in compartments," and what a whole-person, mind-body approach looks like instead The bite-sized, one-thing-at-a-time changes (starting with food) that actually stuck, instead of an overwhelming overhaul Body responsibility for the workplace: self-advocating when your labs come back "normal" but you know something's wrong Timestamps (00:01) Welcome and guest intro: meet NourishDoc co-founder Amita Sharma (01:24) The hot flash in a meeting, and not even knowing the word "perimenopausal" yet (02:46) Fear of age discrimination: why she stayed quiet about it at work (05:14) Anxiety, mood swings, and "borderline depression" on top of ordinary midlife pressure (07:19) Why the medical system treats the body "in compartments," and the case for mind-body connection (09:24) The bite-sized lifestyle changes that worked, and the ones that didn't (12:35) "Food as medicine": where to start when everything feels like too much (15:34) Stepping back from full-time climbing the ladder into consulting to protect her health (18:06) Advocating for yourself when your labs come back normal but you know something's off (20:37) If men went through perimenopause, the research dollars would already be there (22:07) What NourishDoc actually is: bite-sized, holistic, and built from talking to thousands of women (28:34) Where to find Amita Sharma and NourishDoc About Amita Sharma Amita Sharma is the co-founder of NourishDoc, a holistic wellness platform focused on empowering women through perimenopause and beyond. Drawing on her own experience navigating symptoms in corporate roles, and conversations with thousands of women around the world, she built NourishDoc around bite-sized holistic guidance, symptom tracking, and community support. Learn more at NourishDoc.com, or reach out directly at [email protected]. Favorite quotes "Nobody tells you, at least in my case, nobody told me or prepared me." —Amita Sharma "We are not just compartments here... it's all mind and body connection." —Amita Sharma "Food as medicine. It's so important what you put inside, you know, in your body is so important." —Amita Sharma Resources mentioned NourishDoc.com: Amita's holistic wellness platform for women navigating perimenopause and beyond, including a bite-sized program and an app launching at under $10 a month Related episodes Why the Traditional 9-to-5 Is Failing Modern Mothers: more on how the modern workplace wasn't built with women's changing bodies and lives in mind. Glass Ceiling Shattered!: pairs with Amita's fear of age discrimination for anyone navigating being a woman at a certain career stage in corporate spaces. How to Spot Burnout Before It's Too Late: for anyone whose anxiety and exhaustion might be hormonal, workplace-driven, or (like Amita found) both at once. Subscribe & connect If this episode gave you something to sit with, follow Phoenix and Flame so you never miss an episode: all apps in one place, or jump straight to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or YouTube. And if it moved you, leave a review; it's the easiest way to help another listener find the show. Learn more about Phoenix and Flame, connect with Dana, and listen to more episodes here. Curious where your own boundaries stand? Take my free Work Boundaries Quiz: danaskaggs.com/quiz