Managing Perimenopause at Networking Events: Staying Confident and Comfortable
Networking events during perimenopause can feel daunting. Practical tips for managing hot flashes, anxiety, fatigue, and brain fog so you can connect with confidence.
Why networking feels harder during perimenopause
Networking events require a specific kind of social energy: the ability to approach strangers, hold multiple conversations, remember names, and present yourself confidently over an extended period. Perimenopause can erode the resources that all of that draws on. Anxiety makes approach feel more daunting than it used to. Brain fog makes names and faces harder to retain. Hot flashes arrive without warning in warm, crowded rooms. Fatigue from disrupted sleep leaves you depleted before the event has even started. The result is that many women in perimenopause begin pulling back from professional networking at exactly the point in their careers where those relationships matter most. This guide is about changing that by working with your symptoms rather than against them.
Choosing which events to attend and which to skip
Not all networking events are equally worth the energy cost. During perimenopause, being selective is not withdrawal. It is resource management. Prioritise events where you have a specific goal, meeting a particular person, connecting with a specific sector, or following up on an existing relationship. Smaller, more structured events are often more productive than large, unstructured cocktail parties where the noise, heat, and open-endedness are harder to manage. Online networking events are a legitimate alternative on high-symptom days. They are not a lesser option. A sharp, energetic virtual presence in a 30-person online event often generates more meaningful connections than a drained, uncomfortable appearance at a 200-person physical one.
Preparation that makes arrival easier
Walking into a networking event already depleted guarantees a harder experience. On the day of an event, protect your energy earlier in the day. Avoid scheduling high-intensity work in the afternoon if the event is in the evening. Eat a protein-rich meal or snack before you go, not at the event itself, where food options are unpredictable and eating while networking is awkward. Dress in a breathable outfit with layers you can adjust. If the event is in a venue you have not visited before, look it up online or call ahead to ask whether the space is air-conditioned. Knowing the venue layout before you arrive removes one layer of arrival anxiety. Have two or three conversation openers ready so you are not improvising from scratch.
Managing hot flashes in a crowded room
Crowded, warm networking venues are one of the most reliable hot flash triggers during perimenopause. Position yourself near an exit, an open window, or an air conditioning unit where possible. Holding a cold drink is a practical tool, the cold against your palm and wrist lowers your peripheral temperature and can reduce the intensity of a developing flash. Stepping outside for a genuine reason, checking your phone, getting some air, gives you a physiological reset without signalling distress. If a flash happens mid-conversation, a steady pause, a sip of your drink, and a brief redirect of the conversation ('where were you before your current role?') moves things forward without you having to address what just happened.
Dealing with brain fog: names, faces, and follow-through
Forgetting a person's name within seconds of being introduced is a common and mortifying experience during perimenopause, particularly in the social context of networking where names matter. Use the name immediately after hearing it: 'It is great to meet you, Sarah. How long have you been in this sector, Sarah?' Repetition within the first 30 seconds of a conversation is the single most effective memory technique for name retention. After a conversation, jot a brief note on your phone while the person is still nearby, linking their name to one memorable detail from your conversation. At the end of the event, review those notes before they fade. Follow-up messages sent within 24 hours are warmer and more specific when they reference something from the actual conversation rather than just 'great to meet you'.
Building a networking approach that works for your current season
Networking does not have to look the way it did in your 30s to be effective. During perimenopause, a smaller number of genuine, well-maintained relationships often delivers more than a large, thin network maintained by constant attendance at every industry event. Identify the five to ten professional relationships that matter most right now and invest in those deliberately: a coffee, a check-in message, sharing a relevant article. Online networking through LinkedIn, industry forums, or communities of practice allows you to maintain professional visibility on days when physical attendance is not feasible. Log how you feel after different types of networking events in PeriPlan alongside your symptoms. Over time, you will see which formats leave you energised and which leave you depleted, and you can build your professional relationship strategy around that pattern.
Related reading
Get your personalized daily plan
Track symptoms, match workouts to your day type, and build a routine that adapts with you through every phase of perimenopause.