Hot Flashes in the Break Room

So there we were, all sitting in the break room at work. It was one of those days when lunch felt like salvation, like if I didn’t sit down with a sandwich and a drink, I was going to pass out on the copier. A few of my girlfriends joined me, and we were just starting in on our food, gossiping about who was late that morning and who better not touch our yogurt in the fridge, when it happened.

I pulled out my electric fan.

Yes, right there at the lunch table, I sat eating my sandwich with one hand and holding my little fan in the other. I even gave a polite, “Excuse me, ladies,” like I was sneezing. Except I wasn’t sneezing. I was roasting alive.

One friend looked at me and immediately burst out laughing. “Oh girl, I’ve been there. Don’t miss that part of it.”

I froze, mid-bite. “What are you talking about?”

And that’s when the stories started.

The Break Room Turns Into a Therapy Session

One friend leaned in, her fork halfway to her mouth. “Listen, I once sat in a meeting with the VP of the company, fanning myself with the agenda packet like I was on trial for my life. Sweat dripping, makeup melting. I thought I was going to combust.”

The other friend laughed so hard she nearly choked on her salad. “Oh no, I topped that one. I had a hot flash at church, and I swear I nearly stripped down to my slip right in the pew. I was fanning with a hymn book, begging the Lord for a breeze from Heaven.”

Now we’re all howling, trying not to spit food across the table. Then the quiet one spoke up. “You know what’s worse? Waking up at 2 a.m. like somebody set your bed on fire. My poor husband thought I was possessed. One minute I’m freezing, the next I’m turning into a space heater.”

We laughed until tears rolled down our cheeks. And somewhere in between the laughter, there was this knowing. We all had the same story, just different versions.

The Fan is My Best Friend

Back to my little fan. I told them, “Listen, don’t judge me. This fan is the only thing standing between me and an HR incident. If I don’t cool down, I might start taking off clothes, and nobody in this office deserves that trauma.”

We laughed again, but it was true. These hot flashes are no joke. They sneak up on you in the middle of the day, in the middle of a sentence, in the middle of a bite of food, and suddenly you’re wondering if you’ve been dropped into an oven.

The “We Need a Pill” Moment

At some point I sighed, shook my head, and said, “Gosh, we need to be able to take something. A pill, a drink, some kind of magic. There has to be an answer.”

And that’s when we got serious for a second. Because as funny as it is to swap stories, it’s also real. Hot flashes are exhausting. They make you tired, anxious, embarrassed, and sometimes just plain over it.

So I said, “Okay, let me share what I’ve found. Nothing cures it like magic, but here’s what helps me, and what other women swear by.”

Quick Break Room Tips

1. Stay hydrated. I know, boring. But water helps regulate body temperature, and it makes a difference.
2. Cool snacks. Yogurt, berries, even a cold apple at lunch can calm you down faster than chips.
3. Dress in layers. That blazer may look cute, but sis, make sure you can peel it off like a banana.
4. Limit caffeine. I know, I know. Coffee is life. But cutting back, even a little, can lessen hot flash intensity.
5. Breathe through it. Slow, steady breaths actually calm your nervous system. And no one has to know you’re basically doing Lamaze at your desk.
6. Soy and flaxseeds. These foods have phytoestrogens that mimic estrogen. For some women, they help take the edge off.
7. Move your body. Walking, stretching, yoga — it keeps hormones steadier.

I shared all this, not as some lecture, but like girlfriends passing notes in class.

Raw and Funny Truths

We went back to laughing. One friend said, “So basically, we have to eat bird food and breathe like we’re giving birth, just to survive?” Another added, “I’m buying three more fans. One for the office, one for the car, one for my purse. Forget lipstick, I’m carrying backup batteries.”

I told them about the night I tried to hide a hot flash during a dinner date, pretending everything was fine while secretly plotting to dump ice water in my lap just for relief.

They almost fell out their chairs.

Because that’s the thing. If you don’t laugh, you’ll cry. And honestly, sometimes we do both in the same five minutes.

Encouragement at the Lunch Table

Before we went back to work, I looked around at my girlfriends and said, “You know what, ladies? We’re not crazy. We’re not weak. We’re just in the middle of a season nobody prepared us for. And if we can laugh about it, share tips, and hold each other up, we’ll make it through.”

One friend nodded. Another one whispered, “Thank God I’m not alone.” And that right there is the truth. None of us are alone in this.

Final Bite and Final Word

So yes, I’m the lady in the break room with a fan at the lunch table. I’m the one excusing myself in the middle of a sandwich because my body decided to hit me with a furnace blast. But I’m also the one who refuses to let menopause win.

We keep laughing. We keep learning. We keep lifting each other up, one hot flash at a time.

So if you see me with my little fan buzzing while I eat my lunch, just know — I’m not being dramatic. I’m surviving. And maybe, just maybe, starting another break room therapy session we all need.

‍