Have you ever had a moment at work where something felt off - and then spent the drive home telling yourself it probably wasn’t that bad? That nobody noticed? That you were just being too hard on yourself?
This episode is going to gently — and then not so gently — challenge that.
I recently found a brand new piece of peer-reviewed research about hormones, confidence and women in leadership. It’s so new it’s barely been cited anywhere. And what it found completely reframes the way I think about those moments when your body or your brain does something you can’t control in a professional setting.
Here’s the uncomfortable part: some of what we’ve been telling ourselves to feel better — nobody noticed, it’s probably in my head — turns out not to be entirely true.
Here’s the useful part: the same research tells us exactly what to do about it. Something specific. Something that works in real time. And it has nothing to do with faking it till you make it — which I’ve always believed is the wrong advice for women anyway.
In this episode I also tell you about a woman in Denmark — one of the most senior labour market figures in the country — who figured out the solution before any research proved it. While sitting in high-stakes, male-dominated negotiations. With a fan on the table.
And got promoted.
This is part of my ongoing series on hormones and confidence in midlife — the conversation I think women leaders most urgently need to have. If you’re new here, go back and listen to Episodes 1 and 2 first. But if you’re jumping in here, you’ll be absolutely fine.
In this episode:
— Why the “maybe nobody noticed” story might be costing you more than you think
— The brand new 2026 Penn State study — what they tested, how they tested it, and what it proved
— What actually happens when a woman names what’s going on for her in the room
— The story of Pernille Knudsen — the Danish labour leader who figured this out before the research caught up with her
— Why this isn’t just a personal challenge — and what workplaces urgently need to do about it
— Why both imposter syndrome and “nobody noticed” might be two sides of the same self-gaslighting coin
Research referenced in this episode:
Grandey, A. et al. (2026). “Do Hot Flashes Get the Cold Shoulder? Menopausal Symptoms and Disclosure Influence Leader Ratings.” Journal of Business and Psychology. Open access. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10869-025-10039-2
Pernille Knudsen / Nordic Labour Journal (October 2025). “Denmark: Menopause Should Not Cost Women Their Jobs.” https://www.nordiclabourjournal.org/denmark-menopause-should-not-cost-women-their-jobs/
University of Copenhagen — Women in Healthy Transition (KISO) Survey (2025). First nationwide survey on menopause in Denmark. 153,800 women aged 45–59. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-10-women-denmark-symptoms-menopause.html
Astellas Menopause Experience & Attitudes Study (2025). Global study of 13,800 people across six countries on menopause stigma and workplace disclosure. https://newsroom.astellas.com/2025-03-07-New-Research-Reveals-Impact-of-Menopause-Stigma
Catalyst Global Survey (2024). 72% of women have hidden menopause symptoms at work at least once. https://www.catalyst.org/about/newsroom/2024/menopause-workplace-support-global
MetLife Australia (2024). 14% of Australian women have left the workforce due to menopause symptoms. https://www.metlife.com.au
Read more
This episode is also a full piece on my Substack — with all the research linked and a lot more context. It’s free to read. katrinablowers.substack.com
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Find me here:
Instagram: @katrinablowers Instagram: @claimingyourconfidence Substack: katrinablowers.substack.com
Next week:
I’m looking at the workplaces that are actually getting this right — and asking the honest question of whether it’s going far enough. Because naming it only works where naming it is safe. And making it safe isn’t just an HR policy. It’s the people sitting in the room.
See you then.
