Midlife Rising

Jennifer Reimer, PhD and Sheri Johnson | Midlife Experts | Holistic Nutritionist | Theta Healer

This is not just another midlife podcast about belly fat, Botox, or bone broth.We’re not here to help you stay young, offer makeup tips, or share recipes to sneak kale into your brownies. If you’re looking for hacks to stay small or “age gracefully,” this might not be the space for you. We’re here to burn down the old rulebook - and help you rise from the ashes.We unpack the invisible systems and internalized conditioning that keep midlife women stuck, over-functioning, and exhausted. We talk about the links between patriarchy, stress, and menopause symptoms. This is the conversation behind the conversation—raw, wise, and necessary. We’re Sheri and Jen - twin sisters, former “good-girls” turned paradigm-breakers, and your new favourite midlife truth-tellers. Our unfiltered conversations crack open the things women don’t say out loud. We’re here to offer you the tools, re-frames, and permission slips to finally stop performing and start becoming.  Expect “why didn’t anyone tell me this sooner?!” kinds of insights, advice to nix your menopause symptoms without HRT, and paradigm-shifting “aha” moments that make you want to take your power back. So if you’re ready to stop performing, and rise into the woman you were always meant to be - pull up a chair. We saved you a seat.

  1. 5 days ago

    42: Why "I Need a Vacation" Is a Sign Something's Wrong (And What To Do About It)

    Why Needing a Vacation Is a Sign Something's Wrong (And What To Do About it) If you're living for the weekend or counting down to your next vacation, this episode is a gift, albeit an uncomfortable one! Needing a vacation so badly isn't a rest problem, it's a signal. In this episode, we get honest about the quiet, persistent emptiness that can hide inside a "good life," and why more achievements, better goals, and longer holidays will never fill it. In this episode we cover: Why needing a vacation is actually a symptom and the vacation isn't actually the solutionThe achievement trap that keeps high-achieving women stuck and still unfulfilledThe guilt of wanting more when you "should be grateful", and why this is quietly destructive"Work you" vs. "vacation you", and the truth about which one is actually realWhat living in alignment genuinely feels like (it's not as difficult or flashy as you think)The hot tub analogy: why vacations offer temporary relief but can't reach the root causeThe counterintuitive move that creates lasting change - and why it's not another goal or achievementResources mentioned: 📖 The Gap and the Gain — Dan Sullivan & Benjamin Hardy🌿 Peru Retreat: midlifewomenrising.com/peru🎙️ Episode 39 — Why women don't leap toward the life they wantIf you're a woman in your 40s to 60s, who’s ready to trade “going through the motions” for a life that actually lights you up...this is your invitation to step beyond the quiet sense that there’s more for you and into a deeper, more vibrant way of living.   Check out all the details of From Autopilot to Soul-Aligned - a 9 Day Sacred Journey in Peru.  Find us on instagram:  @midlifewomenrising

    35 min
  2. 21 May

    41: Unhinged: What Your Aching Hips Are Really Trying to Tell You

    Unhinged: What Your Aching Hips Are Really Trying to Tell You If your aching hips are keeping you up at night (or from walking normally during the day) this episode is for you.  We go three layers deep into midlife hip pain: the physiology most doctors skip, the emotions stored in the pelvic area, and the energetic truth your hips are trying to speak. Hip pain in midlife is one of the most common - and most misunderstood - symptoms women experience. Most of the conversation stops at bursitis. But your body is not that simple, and neither are you. In this episode, we go three layers deep into: the science of what's actually happening in your joints: including the estrogen connection most doctors don't explain, the psoas muscle nobody talks about, and the vicious sleep-pain-inflammation loopthe emotional anatomy of the hips: what the identity shake-ups, suppressed anger, and nervous system dysregulation have to do with your painthe energetic truth: how both the sacral and root chakras map directly onto your hips, and what a blocked or imbalanced energy center in this area is really asking you to look atThis isn't about managing your symptoms. It's about listening to what they're trying to tell you. You are going to discover:  Why estrogen loss accelerates cartilage breakdown in all the jointsWhat the psoas muscle is, and how chronic stress keeps it permanently lockedThe sleep-pain-inflammation loop and how to start breaking itWhy the hips are the body's emotional storage unit for the key stressors that hit right in the middle of lifeThe role of suppressed anger in hip tension and why midlife women carry so much of itThe connection to the sacral chakra and what happens when it's blockedStay until the end because I'm going to give you one simple practice (no, it's not a stretch or mobility movement) that you can do in 10 minutes to alleviate hip pain. The Midlife Red Tent If you can't seem to shake your hip pain - or any other joint pain - the missing piece is almost always the emotional and spiritual layers. Inside the Midlife Red Tent, we go deep on exactly this: not just the physical solution but the stories behind the symptoms, and the practices that create real change.  We're accepting new members now, so join us here: Midlife Red Tent details If you're a woman in your 40s to 60s, who’s ready to trade “going through the motions” for a life that actually lights you up...this is your invitation to step beyond the quiet sense that there’s more for you and into a deeper, more vibrant way of living.   Check out all the details of From Autopilot to Soul-Aligned - a 9 Day Sacred Journey in Peru.  Find us on instagram:  @midlifewomenrising

    28 min
  3. 15 May

    40: Stop Trying to Get Back to Who You Were. Do This Instead.

    Stop Trying to Get Back to Who You Were. Do This Instead. If you've ever looked in the mirror and thought "I don't recognize myself anymore",  this episode is for you. In midlife, everything shifts. Your body changes. Your energy isn't what it was. Your kids leave. Your roles evolve. And suddenly the identity you've spent decades building - the strong one, the capable one, the one who holds it all together - starts to feel like it's slipping away. But here's what we discovered through working with women in the Midlife Red Tent: what most women are experiencing isn't an identity crisis at all. It's a worthiness crisis. And that distinction changes everything. If you're feeling like you just want to go back to being your 35-year-old self who could handle it all, this episode is going to blow your mind.  You're going to find out: Why midlife women feel like they've "lost themselves", and the real reason it's happeningThe sneaky way patriarchal conditioning, productivity culture, and the glorification of self-sacrifice set us up to fall apart in midlifeThe Downward Spiral of Unworthiness: how a change in capacity leads to self-worth collapse (and why pushing harder makes it worse)The 5 most common mistakes women make when trying to reclaim their former identityThe powerful reframe that separates identity from worth and why this is the key to everythingWhat it really means to be "strong" in midlife (hint: it's not about doing more)Why your worth is not - and has never been - tied to your productivity, your role, or how much you can carry"Most women aren't actually trying to reclaim their identity. They're trying to reclaim the version of themselves that once made them feel worthy." We've been conditioned to believe that being needed, productive, capable, and composed is what makes us valuable as women. So when midlife changes the terms — when the body slows down, the kids leave, the emotional bandwidth shifts — we interpret it as failure. We don't lose ourselves in midlife. We lose our grip on the identity we mistakenly believed made us worthy. And that is very good news — because your worth was never up for debate. If you are ready to reclaim your worth instead of chasing an identity that never served you in the first place, it's time to sign up for From Autopilot to Soul-Aligned, our epic retreat in Peru! The deadline to get in is coming up so act fast!  Can't retreat with us?  You can still get reclaim your worth inside the Midlife Red Tent by joining us TODAY.  If you're a woman in your 40s to 60s, who’s ready to trade “going through the motions” for a life that actually lights you up...this is your invitation to step beyond the quiet sense that there’s more for you and into a deeper, more vibrant way of living.   Check out all the details of From Autopilot to Soul-Aligned - a 9 Day Sacred Journey in Peru.  Find us on instagram:  @midlifewomenrising

    41 min
  4. 7 May

    39: The 3 Hidden Patterns Keeping You From a Life That Feels Fulfilling

    The 3 Hidden Patterns Keeping You From a Life That Feels Fulfilling We've heard many midlife women talk about their second chapter in three key ways:  “I should be happy… my life is pretty good.  But something’s missing”  “I just need to get through this next phase ____ ” (fill in the blank - kids through college, next project, next 5 years etc)  “I know I’m meant for more, but I can't start over at this point in my life” This episode will help you understand why. In the last episode (Part 1), we unpacked what the industry is getting wrong when it comes to midlife, health, and fulfillment.  In this episode, we go deeper. There are a few different reasons why you might be feeling like you're not living your absolute best life and we're going to help you identify your specific block. You are going to discover:  Why some women stay comfortable but unfulfilled  Why others keep postponing what they really want to do… and end up burned out  Why clarity alone doesn’t lead to change  What actually keeps women circling what really lights them up instead of diving inAn extraordinary life doesn't just show up one day.  Nor does it happen by thinking more, learning more or waiting for the “right time”.   It happens when you:  👉 step out of your current environment  👉 interrupt your patterns  👉 and experience yourself differently Because that’s what creates a true shift - alignment plus action. You can keep living a ho-hum life, pushing through until you retire, or circling what you know you really want...but over time, that gap between the life you’re living and the life you feel called to only gets wider. Your environment reinforces who you’ve been. Your roles, responsibilities, and relationships all pull you back into the same patterns.  Which is why so many women know they want something different… but don’t move. This is exactly why we created our retreat in Peru: From Autopilot to Soul-Aligned.  It's not about escaping your life. It’s about stepping out of it just long enough to:  reconnect to what’s actually true for you  shift the version of you that’s been holding everything together  and go home with a clear, aligned and inspired plan to step into your most lit-up life Check out the details for Peru here. (8 spots left at the time of this recording) If you're a woman in your 40s to 60s, who’s ready to trade “going through the motions” for a life that actually lights you up...this is your invitation to step beyond the quiet sense that there’s more for you and into a deeper, more vibrant way of living.   Check out all the details of From Autopilot to Soul-Aligned - a 9 Day Sacred Journey in Peru.  Find us on instagram:  @midlifewomenrising

    45 min
  5. 30 Apr

    38: What the Wellness Industry is Missing About Midlife

    What the Wellness Industry is Missing About Midlife If you feel like you've been doing everything “right” in midlife - following all the biohacking and longevity advice, doing the vision boards and manifesting techniques and doing the personal work or therapy to uncover your blocks - but something still feels off… it probably is.  But here's the thing, you're not doing anything wrong. It’s just that what you’ve been told to focus on might be missing the point. In this episode, we break down what the midlife wellness and personal growth industry is really teaching - and why so many women still feel unfulfilled, disconnected, or what they're next chapter will look like, despite following all the advice. You are going to find out:  Why optimizing your health doesn’t automatically create a life that feels good  The hidden message behind “just get through this phase” (and why it keeps you stuck)  Why vision boards and manifestation don’t work the way you’ve been told  The self-awareness trap… learning without actually changing anything  The real reason midlife can feel like something is missing, even when everything looks good on paper In this episode, we're going to show you why you can:  Take all the supplements  Do all the mindset work  Understand your patterns …but if the life you’re living isn’t aligned with who you are, your body will feel it and resist it. It’s not one big thing. It’s the accumulation of everyday misalignments:  Saying yes when you mean no  Staying in roles that no longer fit  Ignoring what you actually want Over time, that disconnect shows up in your energy, your health, and your overall sense of fulfillment.  And here’s what we believe: 👉 A better life doesn’t come from optimizing everything around you. 👉 It comes from living in alignment with what’s actually true for you. That's what makes us different.   We're looking for 5 adventurous midlife ladies who are ready to really lean into their most lit-up, extraordinary life to join us at From Autopilot to Soul-Aligned Retreat in Peru!  Check out the details here. If you're a woman in your 40s to 60s, who’s ready to trade “going through the motions” for a life that actually lights you up...this is your invitation to step beyond the quiet sense that there’s more for you and into a deeper, more vibrant way of living.   Check out all the details of From Autopilot to Soul-Aligned - a 9 Day Sacred Journey in Peru.  Find us on instagram:  @midlifewomenrising

    44 min
  6. 27 Apr

    37: You're More Stressed Than You Think (Even if Nothing is "Wrong")

    You're More Stressed Than You Think, Even if Nothing is "Wrong". If you’ve been telling yourself “I’m fine… nothing is really wrong,” but you have menopause symptoms, your energy is low, and life feels a little flat, this episode is for you. In this solo episode, Jen breaks down one of the biggest misconceptions midlife women carry: that stress only counts when something big or dramatic is happening. But the truth is, you could be sitting at your desk in a stress response without even realizing it, simply because it’s become your normal. Jen explores how stress is not just caused by major life events like divorce or an ill parent who requires extra care, but by the daily patterns, thoughts, and coping strategies your nervous system has learned over time. You’ll learn how the 4 core stress responses - fight, flight, freeze, and fawn -show up in everyday life in ways that look productive, responsible, and even successful… but are slowly draining your energy, disconnecting you from your body, and keeping you stuck. If you’ve ever wondered why:  You feel tired even when life seems “fine”  You can’t fully relax or switch off, especially in the middle of the night You feel like you’re going through the motions instead of truly living …this episode will help you finally see what’s really going on beneath the surface. In this episode, we cover:  Why you don’t need a crisis to be in a stress response  How stress becomes “invisible” in midlife  The connection between stress, cortisol, and hormonal symptoms  Why your coping strategies might be keeping you stuck  How your nervous system patterns shape how you experience your life This episode is for you if:  You feel off, exhausted, or disconnected, but can’t explain why  You’re experiencing midlife symptoms that don’t seem to improve  You feel like you’re on autopilot instead of fully present in your life Key Takeaway: Stress isn’t just a matter of what’s happening in your life, it’s a matter of your nervous system has learned to respond to it.  And until those patterns change, the stress will keep coming back…no matter how many breaks you take. Coming Next Week: We’re taking this deeper and putting it into a clear framework so you can understand why your life might feel “blah,” why you feel like you’re on autopilot, and what’s actually keeping you from feeling fully present and alive. Come to Peru with us if you want all the secrets to creating a life that truly lights you up! Details here. If you're a woman in your 40s to 60s, who’s ready to trade “going through the motions” for a life that actually lights you up...this is your invitation to step beyond the quiet sense that there’s more for you and into a deeper, more vibrant way of living.   Check out all the details of From Autopilot to Soul-Aligned - a 9 Day Sacred Journey in Peru.  Find us on instagram:  @midlifewomenrising

    28 min
  7. 16 Apr

    36: The Hidden Energetics Keeping You Feeling Unfulfilled in Midlife

    The Hidden Energetics Keeping You Feeling Unfulfilled in Midlife So many midlife women aren’t unhappy… but they’re not fully alive either. It sounds like...  “I just need to get through a few more years…”  “Once the kids are done school, then I’ll have the time/energy/money to live the life I really want”  “My life is good enough. I shouldn’t complain” In this episode, we unpack the hidden patterns and subconscious beliefs that keep midlife women stuck in a life that works… but doesn’t truly fulfill them.  Here's what you'll find out in this episode:  Why so many midlife women fall into the “I’ll live later” trap The hidden cost of telling yourself that your life is “good enough”  Why you may feel disconnected from what you actually want  The cultural conditioning that teaches women to stay small  The subconscious beliefs that quietly shape your choices  We're also going to show you that you don’t need a massive life overhaul to feel alive and fulfilled again.  You just need to take one small step in the right direction. Join us for the Autopilot to Alive Retreat in Peru! Details here. If you're a woman in your 40s to 60s, who’s ready to trade “going through the motions” for a life that actually lights you up...this is your invitation to step beyond the quiet sense that there’s more for you and into a deeper, more vibrant way of living.   Check out all the details of From Autopilot to Soul-Aligned - a 9 Day Sacred Journey in Peru.  Find us on instagram:  @midlifewomenrising

    46 min
  8. 9 Apr

    35: Why Midlife Women Are So Hard On Themselves (and How to Stop)

    Why Midlife Women Are So Hard On Themselves (and How to Stop) Have you ever caught yourself thinking…  “Why can’t I keep up like I used to?”  “What’s wrong with me that I need more sleep?”  “Why do I feel less capable, less sharp, less resilient?” I was talking to a client recently, and she said something that stopped me in my tracks: “I need more sleep… and I have so much judgment about it.” The truth is, so many women in midlife feel this way.  You’re needing more rest. Your energy isn’t the same. You’re not as productive, not as able to multitask, not as tolerant to stress, alcohol, or intense workouts… And instead of meeting yourself with understanding, you meet yourself with self-criticism. But here’s what we want you to know:  Your body isn't failing.  You're in conflict with it.  In this episode you're going to find out: Why midlife changes in sleep, energy, and brain function are completely normal  The hidden self-judgment that’s making your experience harder than it needs to be  Why you feel less productive or less capable and what’s actually happening  How your identity (being the one who can handle everything) is shifting  The self-judgment loop that keeps you stuck in frustration and burnoutThe real work isn't fixing your energy, it's ending the war with yourself.  Listen to this episode and begin the journey to quieting the inner critic.  References from this episode Limitless: Upgrade Your Brain, Learn Anything Faster, and Unlock Your Exceptional Life  by Jim Kwik If you're a woman in your 40s to 60s, who’s ready to trade “going through the motions” for a life that actually lights you up...this is your invitation to step beyond the quiet sense that there’s more for you and into a deeper, more vibrant way of living.   Check out all the details of From Autopilot to Soul-Aligned - a 9 Day Sacred Journey in Peru.  Find us on instagram:  @midlifewomenrising

    26 min

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About

This is not just another midlife podcast about belly fat, Botox, or bone broth.We’re not here to help you stay young, offer makeup tips, or share recipes to sneak kale into your brownies. If you’re looking for hacks to stay small or “age gracefully,” this might not be the space for you. We’re here to burn down the old rulebook - and help you rise from the ashes.We unpack the invisible systems and internalized conditioning that keep midlife women stuck, over-functioning, and exhausted. We talk about the links between patriarchy, stress, and menopause symptoms. This is the conversation behind the conversation—raw, wise, and necessary. We’re Sheri and Jen - twin sisters, former “good-girls” turned paradigm-breakers, and your new favourite midlife truth-tellers. Our unfiltered conversations crack open the things women don’t say out loud. We’re here to offer you the tools, re-frames, and permission slips to finally stop performing and start becoming.  Expect “why didn’t anyone tell me this sooner?!” kinds of insights, advice to nix your menopause symptoms without HRT, and paradigm-shifting “aha” moments that make you want to take your power back. So if you’re ready to stop performing, and rise into the woman you were always meant to be - pull up a chair. We saved you a seat.