The climacteric stage is defined as the natural process of the female life cycle, it is inherent to the transition from reproductive to the non-reproductive phase, with the menopause as its major milestone. In this period, women go through several physiological, emotional, social and economic changes that can negatively impact on the activities performed. Aiming to analyze the perceptions and meanings attributed by the women seen at the Climacteric Ambulatory of the Clinical Hospital at Federal University of Paraná, on the impact on daily activities and occupational roles, we conducted an exploratory and qualitative research using a structured questionnaire with socioeconomic data containing, as well as a self-administered checklist and semi-structured interviews, in which data analysis was made using some techniques of content analysis. We observed that social prejudice and unawareness by the woman about the changes in this phase are barriers to conducting several activities, affecting necessary health care and consequently impairing their life’s quality. On the other hand, during this period, many women have greater ability to adapt, finding new activities, performing postponed plans and performing new occupational roles. It is important that women and health professionals comprehend the changes, perceptions and meanings of the climacteric stage to formulate a comprehensive care enhancing their individuality