The Midlife Rebel Podcast

Host - Nadine Shaw - Midlife Rebel, Astrologer, Gene Keys Guide, Human Design Enthusiast

Midlife Rebel is a podcast for women in their 40s and 50s who feel like something is shifting — even if they can’t quite explain it. In 2022, I hit my own turning point. I stopped drinking, had my first Human Design reading, and started questioning a lot of what I thought I knew about life. What some people call a midlife crisis, I came to see differently — as a midlife awakening. Because at this stage of life, things do start to change.Your body. Your roles. Your priorities.And the questions get bigger. Who am I now?What actually matters to me?How do I navigate hormones and menopause in a way that works for me?How do I stay vital as I get older?What does purpose look like from here? I wasn’t prepared to just follow the old story — that it’s all downhill from here.I wanted answers. I wanted to feel better in my body. And I knew there had to be more to this stage of life than what we’ve been told. On this podcast, I explore these questions through conversations with a wide range of guests — from health practitioners and authors to coaches and everyday women navigating their own version of midlife. We talk about: – health, hormones, and staying well in midlife – burnout, stress, and emotional wellbeing – purpose, identity, and starting over – menopause, sobriety, and lifestyle change – and the more esoteric side of things, including Human Design, astrology, and personal growth This isn’t about blowing up your life. It’s about finding your truth and rewriting the old story — because there’s a little bit of rebel in all of us. Contact Nadine: https://midliferebelpodcast.com/contact

  1. Why So Many Women Feel Numb in Midlife | Jordin Wiggins

    6d ago

    Why So Many Women Feel Numb in Midlife | Jordin Wiggins

    Send us Fan Mail Pleasure isn’t selfish. It isn’t frivolous. And it definitely isn’t something women are supposed to earn after everyone else’s needs have been met. In this episode of The Midlife Rebel Podcast, I’m joined by Jordin Wiggins for a powerful conversation about pleasure, nervous system health, hormones, intimacy, burnout, and why so many women lose themselves while continuing to function for everyone around them. We explore the deeper roots of low libido, anhedonia, emotional numbness, and the experience so many women describe as: “I should be happy… but I’m not.” This conversation goes far beyond sex. We talk about pelvic pain, hormone chaos, chronic stress, autoimmune risk, over-functioning, loneliness, and what happens when your brain and body no longer feel safe enough to access pleasure, joy, rest, or desire. We also unpack the pressure many women carry to hold everything together while disconnecting from themselves in the process. In this episode we discuss: • Low libido and sexual health in midlife • Pelvic pain and hormone imbalance • Nervous system regulation and chronic stress • Anhedonia and emotional numbness • Burnout, overwhelm, and over-functioning • Loneliness, relationships, and women’s mental health • Pleasure-centred intimacy and emotional safety • Reconnecting with joy, desire, and yourself We also challenge the old scripts many women inherited around intimacy, relationships, productivity, and self-sacrifice — and explore what becomes possible when women stop abandoning themselves in order to keep everyone else comfortable. If you’ve been feeling disconnected from yourself, emotionally flat, constantly “on,” or simply exhausted by carrying too much for too long, this conversation will hit home. Visit our website to find out more about this week's guest. All of our guests, including this one, are included in our Guest Directory so that you can find out more about them and the work that they do. https://midliferebelpodcast.com/guest-directory If you'd like to support the show you can buy me a coffee! https://buymeacoffee.com/midliferebelpodcast

    50 min
  2. Healthspan vs Lifespan: How to Stay Well for Longer | Dr Yi Song

    Jun 25

    Healthspan vs Lifespan: How to Stay Well for Longer | Dr Yi Song

    Send us Fan Mail Living longer doesn’t mean much if the final decades are spent exhausted, inflamed, medicated, and disconnected from life. In this episode of The Midlife Rebel Podcast, I’m joined by Dr Yi Song for a fascinating conversation about longevity, healthspan, Traditional Chinese Medicine, stem cell therapy, and what it actually means to age well. We explore the difference between lifespan and healthspan — not simply how long you live, but how well you live — and why prevention, balance, and listening to the body matter far more than many of us have been taught. Dr Yi Song bridges Eastern and Western approaches to health, drawing from Traditional Chinese Medicine alongside modern science and regenerative medicine. We talk about yin and yang balance, stress, nervous system overload, seasonal living, grounding, sleep, and why so many people feel “off” long before anything appears on medical tests. We also dive into stem cell therapy and regenerative medicine, including what stem cells actually are, the myths surrounding them, ethical sourcing, and why they’re not a magic shortcut to health. In this episode we discuss: • Healthspan vs lifespan • Traditional Chinese Medicine and holistic health • Yin yang balance and chronic stress • Preventative healthcare and early warning signs • Grounding, nature, sleep, and nervous system regulation • Stem cell therapy and regenerative medicine • Immune health and inflammation • Longevity strategies for midlife health and vitality If you’re interested in ageing well, preventative health, natural approaches to wellbeing, and combining ancient wisdom with modern science, this conversation is packed with insight. Visit our website to find out more about this week's guest. All of our guests, including this one, are included in our Guest Directory so that you can find out more about them and the work that they do. https://midliferebelpodcast.com/guest-directory If you'd like to support the show you can buy me a coffee! https://buymeacoffee.com/midliferebelpodcast

    1h 6m
  3. What Does a Midlife Crisis Really Feel Like? | Teri M. Brown

    Jun 18

    What Does a Midlife Crisis Really Feel Like? | Teri M. Brown

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode of The Midlife Rebel Podcast, I’m joined by author Teri M Brown to talk about midlife reinvention, menopause, resilience, and what happens when life completely unravels and asks you to rebuild yourself from the ground up. Teri shares her own experience of leaving an emotionally abusive marriage after years of losing herself, and how one unexpected decision — agreeing to ride a tandem bicycle across America despite not having ridden in 40 years — became a turning point that changed everything. We also talk about her latest novel, Peg Unhinged, which follows a woman navigating a full-blown midlife upheaval: hot flushes, emotional chaos, collapsing relationships, and the uncomfortable reality that the life you built no longer fits. This conversation goes deep into the real experience of midlife for many women — not the polished version, but the messy middle. We talk about menopause symptoms like rage, brain fog, night sweats, and exhaustion, along with the frustration of feeling dismissed or unheard when searching for support. We also explore: • Why doing hard things can rebuild confidence in midlife • Emotional abuse, self-worth, and starting again • Menopause, perimenopause, and advocating for yourself • Reinvention after divorce and major life change • Writing, creativity, and finding purpose later in life • Why midlife can become the beginning of something more honest If you’ve ever felt like your old identity is falling apart, or wondered whether it’s too late to begin again, this conversation is a reminder that midlife isn’t the end of the story. Visit our website to find out more about this week's guest. All of our guests, including this one, are included in our Guest Directory so that you can find out more about them and the work that they do. https://midliferebelpodcast.com/guest-directory If you'd like to support the show you can buy me a coffee! https://buymeacoffee.com/midliferebelpodcast

    1h 7m
  4. Adventure Has No Expiry Date | Midlife Travel & Reinvention

    Jun 11

    Adventure Has No Expiry Date | Midlife Travel & Reinvention

    Send us Fan Mail You can’t unsee it once you notice it: some of the boldest, funniest, most adventurous people on the road are women in their 70s and 80s. That alone completely challenges the story we’ve been sold about ageing and what life is supposed to look like after midlife. In this episode of The Midlife Rebel Podcast, I’m joined by traveller and author Melissa Rodway to talk about solo travel, reinvention, freedom, and the unexpected ways travel changes us as women. Melissa shares stories from decades of travelling the world, including hiking through the Dolomites, navigating Bolivia, and meeting people whose lives quietly challenge the idea that our best years are behind us. We also explore the very real crossroads moments that many women reach in midlife — stable careers that no longer feel aligned, the temptation to finally break free from “golden handcuffs,” and the fear that often comes with choosing a different path. This conversation isn’t about glamorous Instagram travel. It’s about resilience, discomfort, self-trust, and learning who you are when you step outside the routines and identities you’ve lived inside for years. In this episode we discuss: • Solo travel and adventure travel in midlife • Midlife reinvention and personal freedom • Travel confidence and doing things alone • Leaving behind security for something more meaningful • Travel fatigue and searching for deeper purpose • Nature, perspective, and spiritual reset • Writing, storytelling, and processing life through travel • Why ageing may not look the way we’ve been told If you’ve been craving more freedom, adventure, or simply a bigger life than the one you’ve settled into, this conversation will leave you thinking differently about what’s still possible. Visit our website to find out more about this week's guest. All of our guests, including this one, are included in our Guest Directory so that you can find out more about them and the work that they do. https://midliferebelpodcast.com/guest-directory If you'd like to support the show you can buy me a coffee! https://buymeacoffee.com/midliferebelpodcast

    58 min
  5. When Talk Therapy Isn’t Enough: A Deeper Way to Heal

    Jun 4

    When Talk Therapy Isn’t Enough: A Deeper Way to Heal

    Send us Fan Mail Something starts to change in midlife… and you feel it. In your body. In your energy. In the way the old ways of holding it all together just stop working. The patterns get louder. The questions get harder to ignore. What am I actually here to do? And underneath that, something deeper — how to start healing from trauma in a way that actually changes things, not just helps you cope. In this episode, I’m joined by Ajita Shah — a psychologist who also works in energy healing, and is bridging those two worlds in a really grounded way. We talk about what happens when talk therapy helps… but doesn’t quite reach the deeper layers. What is talk therapy really doing, and where does it stop? And from there, we open up the conversation around what is energy healing — not as something abstract, but as a way of working with the patterns, emotions, and experiences we carry in the body and nervous system. Ajitah shares her own story — growing up highly sensitive, feeling things deeply, and eventually reaching a point in her clinical work where the traditional tools just weren’t enough on their own. That’s what led her into deeper work — including Omnisource Healing, karmic patterns, and the idea that some of what we’re moving through in midlife isn’t new… it’s just ready to be seen. We also get into the part that isn’t always easy to hear. Responsibility without blame. Self-love that looks like boundaries. And the slow process of rebuilding trust in your own intuition — not as a thought, but as something you feel. There’s also a bigger conversation here around purpose and conscious leadership. What it actually looks like to be someone who’s done their own work — and how that ripples out into families, relationships, and even workplaces. If you’re in that space where things aren’t quite working the way they used to… where you’re questioning your direction, your patterns, or your purpose in midlife, this is a really honest conversation to sit with. And a different way of understanding what’s really going on — and what might be possible from here. Visit our website to find out more about this week's guest. All of our guests, including this one, are included in our Guest Directory so that you can find out more about them and the work that they do. https://midliferebelpodcast.com/guest-directory If you'd like to support the show you can buy me a coffee! https://buymeacoffee.com/midliferebelpodcast

    1h 21m
  6. Should You Take Birth Control For Perimenopause  & Menopause Symptoms?

    May 28

    Should You Take Birth Control For Perimenopause & Menopause Symptoms?

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode of The Midlife Rebel Podcast, we’re talking about something many women are never properly informed about: women in midlife — and even beyond reproductive age — are still being prescribed birth control as a default solution for symptoms that deserve deeper investigation. From heavy periods and acne to mood swings, fatigue, and perimenopause symptoms, hormonal contraception is often handed out as the first answer. But is it always the right one? I’m joined by Tierra Duncan, women’s wellness educator, certified coach, and author of The Birth Control Illusion, for a powerful conversation about hormones, informed choice, and understanding what’s really happening in the female body. We explore why reproductive hormones are about so much more than reproduction. Oestrogen, progesterone, and testosterone influence energy, sleep, bone health, cardiovascular health, cognition, appetite, mood, and overall vitality. In this episode we discuss:  Why women in midlife are still being prescribed birth control  The difference between symptom suppression and true support  How the pill, implant, patch, and hormonal IUD actually work  Why withdrawal bleeds can be mistaken for a real cycle  What happens when ovulation is suppressed long-term  PMS, mood swings, and symptoms that may be common but not normal  How to ask better questions and advocate for your health  Endometriosis, inflammation, and whole-body healing  Why lifestyle foundations matter before chasing the next supplement  GLP-1 weight loss drugs, satiety, and body image pressures This is a conversation for women who want to understand their bodies more deeply and stop outsourcing their authority. Because midlife often asks us to become more informed, not more compliant. If this episode resonates, subscribe, share it with another woman navigating hormones or midlife change, and leave a review so more women can find The Midlife Rebel Podcast. Visit our website to find out more about this week's guest. All of our guests, including this one, are included in our Guest Directory so that you can find out more about them and the work that they do. https://midliferebelpodcast.com/guest-directory If you'd like to support the show you can buy me a coffee! https://buymeacoffee.com/midliferebelpodcast

    53 min
  7. Midlife Becoming: Transforming Into Your True Self - Soreya James

    May 21

    Midlife Becoming: Transforming Into Your True Self - Soreya James

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode of The Midlife Rebel Podcast, I’m joined by Soreya James — author and mentor — for a powerful conversation about transformation, healing, and what it really takes to become who you are when the old version of you no longer fits. During our conversation, Soreya shares an extraordinary story of lying on a tiled floor in Thailand with dengue fever, believing she might be dying. Yet instead of panic, she felt peace. It becomes a profound doorway into a wider discussion about surrender, resilience, and the wisdom that can emerge when life strips everything back. We explore why real change often asks for more than mindset alone, and why so many women in midlife reach a point where they can no longer ignore what’s calling them forward. In this episode we discuss:  Why talk and willpower often aren’t enough for real transformation  How the body stores shock, trauma, and unfinished emotion  Nervous system healing and the power of somatic tools  Why you are more than the story you’ve been living  What happens when women in midlife can no longer ignore themselves  Burnout, stagnation, and the call to level up  Menopause as a portal rather than a problem  Psilocybin, microdosing, intention, and conscious healing pathways  Generational wounds and the courage to break old patterns This is a conversation for women who sense something deeper is asking to emerge — and know that surface-level change is no longer enough. Because midlife often isn’t about fixing yourself. It’s about shedding what was never truly you. If this episode speaks to you, subscribe, share it with a woman in transition, and leave a review so more women can find The Midlife Rebel Podcast. Visit our website to find out more about this week's guest. All of our guests, including this one, are included in our Guest Directory so that you can find out more about them and the work that they do. https://midliferebelpodcast.com/guest-directory If you'd like to support the show you can buy me a coffee! https://buymeacoffee.com/midliferebelpodcast

    1 hr
  8. Rewriting Midlife: Menopause, Longevity & Beautyspan - Dr Sofia Din

    May 14

    Rewriting Midlife: Menopause, Longevity & Beautyspan - Dr Sofia Din

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode of The Midlife Rebel Podcast, I’m joined by Dr Sofia Din for an honest and empowering conversation about menopause, ageing, vitality, and how women can navigate this season with more knowledge, agency, and self-trust. So many women reach midlife feeling confused. You’re eating well, exercising, doing everything you’ve always done — yet your body feels different. Energy drops. Sleep becomes unreliable. Weight shifts. Brain fog rolls in. Confidence can wobble. We explore why this happens, and more importantly, how to respond without assuming decline is inevitable. We talk about:  Why midlife can feel like a full system recalibration  The truth about metabolism, hormones, and energy  Sleep, stress, movement, protein, and protecting long-term health  The difference between lifespan, healthspan, and truly living well  Why many women feel dismissed in hormone conversations  The importance of testing, nuance, and finding the right practitioner  Beauty, aesthetics, Botox, and conscious choices in midlife  Hair loss, skin health, confidence, and identity shifts We also speak openly about something deeper beneath all of it: How do we care for ourselves without abandoning ourselves? Because midlife often asks women to redefine beauty, worth, femininity, and what thriving actually means now. This episode is for women ready to stop outsourcing their authority and start listening to their bodies with more wisdom and compassion. If this conversation resonates, subscribe, share it with a woman walking her own midlife path, and leave a review so more women can find The Midlife Rebel Podcast. Visit our website to find out more about this week's guest. All of our guests, including this one, are included in our Guest Directory so that you can find out more about them and the work that they do. https://midliferebelpodcast.com/guest-directory If you'd like to support the show you can buy me a coffee! https://buymeacoffee.com/midliferebelpodcast

    1 hr
5
out of 5
8 Ratings

About

Midlife Rebel is a podcast for women in their 40s and 50s who feel like something is shifting — even if they can’t quite explain it. In 2022, I hit my own turning point. I stopped drinking, had my first Human Design reading, and started questioning a lot of what I thought I knew about life. What some people call a midlife crisis, I came to see differently — as a midlife awakening. Because at this stage of life, things do start to change.Your body. Your roles. Your priorities.And the questions get bigger. Who am I now?What actually matters to me?How do I navigate hormones and menopause in a way that works for me?How do I stay vital as I get older?What does purpose look like from here? I wasn’t prepared to just follow the old story — that it’s all downhill from here.I wanted answers. I wanted to feel better in my body. And I knew there had to be more to this stage of life than what we’ve been told. On this podcast, I explore these questions through conversations with a wide range of guests — from health practitioners and authors to coaches and everyday women navigating their own version of midlife. We talk about: – health, hormones, and staying well in midlife – burnout, stress, and emotional wellbeing – purpose, identity, and starting over – menopause, sobriety, and lifestyle change – and the more esoteric side of things, including Human Design, astrology, and personal growth This isn’t about blowing up your life. It’s about finding your truth and rewriting the old story — because there’s a little bit of rebel in all of us. Contact Nadine: https://midliferebelpodcast.com/contact

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