What changes when we finally have language for what is happening in our bodies?
In this second episode of Season 9 of Midlife Reclaimed, I continue the conversation about our relationship with our bodies — this time exploring our changing bodies through the experience of perimenopause.
For a long time, I knew very little about perimenopause. Like many women of my generation, it simply wasn’t something we talked about. Looking back now, I can see changes that were happening before I had the language to understand them — changes in my mood, energy, sleep, body and eventually the hot flushes and night sweats that made me stop and take notice.
In this episode, I reflect openly on my own perimenopause journey: what I knew before it began, what I understand differently now, learning to advocate for myself, and why I believe talking about perimenopause matters. But this isn’t an episode about turning perimenopause — or ourselves — into another problem to solve. It’s an invitation to become informed about our changing bodies while also meeting ourselves with curiosity, compassion and care.
Together, we reflect on:
• What did I know about perimenopause before I started going through it?
• What was happening before I had language for it?
• What changed when I started to understand what was going on?
• Why does talking about perimenopause matter?
• How do I stay informed without this becoming another problem to be solved?
I also share some of the more personal parts of my experience and what I’m learning about the difference between trying to “fix” myself and recognising when my changing body needs support, accommodation and care. I finish with a short guided practice inviting you to turn towards your own experience with compassionate curiosity — to notice what has been changing, what might deserve more of your attention, and what you may need from here.
If you’d like to continue exploring the question, what is midlife asking me to reclaim?, I’d love to welcome you into the Midlife Reclaimed online community — a compassionate space for midlife women to reflect, connect, and come home to themselves. You’ll find the link below.
And if the topic of joy in midlife interests you, my next Midlife Reclaimed Teaching is Coming Home to Joy in Midlife — a 90-minute online session exploring what joy is, what can get in the way, and how we can become more available to it in midlife. If you’re interested, email me at admin@shannonaswales.com to express your interest, receive more information, and reserve your spot.
Take gentle care of you,
Shannon
Burnout Psychologist | Midlife Women's Coach | Midlife Woman
Website: www.shannonaswales.com
Email: admin@shannonaswales.com
Midlife Reclaimed Online Community: https://midlife-reclaimed.mn.co/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shannon.a.swales/
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