Midlife Advice | Perimenopause, Hormones and Midlife Women’s Health

Jessica Long | Helping Overwhelmed Women Over 40 Feel Fully Alive Again
  • 4.9 (65)
  • Self-Improvement
  • Updated Weekly

You're a woman over 40, you're in the thick of perimenopause or menopause, and lately you keep coming back to the same thought: I just don't feel like myself anymore. You're doing everything right. Showing up for your family, your work, everyone who needs you. But you feel exhausted in a way that sleep doesn't fix. Work feels harder and less fulfilling than it used to. Your relationship feels distant. Your body is changing. You’re overwhelmed with the neverending decisions. And no matter what you do, you just feel off. Disconnected from yourself.  Midlife Advice is the podcast for intelligent midlife women who are ready to stop white-knuckling through life and feel next-level good. Each week, host Jessica Long brings you honest conversations about navigating perimenopause and menopause, hormones, overwhelm, relationships, confidence, and the identity shift nobody warned you was coming. Not as a patient. Not as a problem to be solved. As a woman who deserves to actually feel GREAT again. Jessica is a holistic health coach, certified menopause coaching specialist, breathwork facilitator and fellow midlife woman navigating all of this right alongside you. If you've ever searched: Why am I so exhausted all the time?Why does work feel so hard lately?Why do I feel so disconnected from my partner?Why do I have low libido and will it ever come back?Why don't I feel like myself anymore?Is this perimenopause or something else? This podcast was made for you. 💌 If you’re a midlife woman navigating perimenopause, hormone shifts, personal growth, and just not feeling like yourself, you’ll fit right in to my community. Join my email list where I share personal stories, nervous system regulation tools, favorite products, high-protein recipes, book recs and exclusive discounts. I’ll send you my FREE 10-minute breathwork session to get better sleep tonight to get you started! ✨For more midlife advice on perimenopause, hormone health, nervous system regulation, and living with purpose in your 40s and 50s follow me: @midlifeadvicepodcast | @heyjessicalong ⚡️Ready to feel f*cking GREAT again? Learn more about working together at belongwellness.com. 

  1. 5d ago

    Why You Can't Enjoy It When Things Are Going Well (And How to Train Your Nervous System to Hold More Joy)

    Ever notice that when things are finally going well, you can't fully enjoy it? You feel good for about five minutes, then you're either moving the goalposts or bracing for something to go wrong. This solo episode is about why your brain does that, and how celebrating small wins trains your nervous system to hold more joy. Celebrating isn't just for weddings, graduations and birthdays. The more you celebrate the small stuff, the more reasons you find to celebrate. I share why this lesson from my mentors felt so counterintuitive to a lifelong goalpost-mover like me, and what's shifted since I started practicing it. Then we practice together. I'm celebrating two big things: Midlife Advice landing in the top 2.5% of all podcasts globally (thank you!!), and the official launch of my new 6-week group breathwork program, the Keep Your Cool Collective.  And before you head off into your day, I'm asking you to find something of your own to celebrate. What we get into: Why your brain resists joy when life is going well, and what "waiting for the other shoe to drop" is really aboutHow moving the goalposts keeps you stuck in hustle, head-down modeWhy celebrating the action you took, not just the outcome, is importantSimple ways to celebrate in five minutes or less How breathwork expands your capacity to handle everyday triggers, like hearing "Mom!" for the 47th timeI want to hear from you. Send me a text or voicemail! Jessica's freebies and resources: 😴 Sleep better tonight with my free 10-minute audio breathwork session. (https://your.belongwellness.com/sleep) ⚡️Join the Keep Your Cool Collective, my 6-week group breathwork experience for women over 40 who are ready to feel f*cking GREAT. This program launches October 5th. (https://your.belongwellness.com/hnly-beta-sales-page) ✨For more midlife advice on perimenopause, hormone health, nervous system regulation, and living with purpose in your 40s and 50s follow me: @midlifeadvicepodcast | @heyjessicalong

  2. Sep 22

    Where Your Body Stores Stress (And How to Release It)

    You used to be able to handle so much more stress than you can now. Work, kids, travel, hard conversations, not enough sleep, and you kept going. Now your neck is always tight, your digestion is off, you're wired at 11pm and exhausted at 3pm, and you can't figure out what changed. Hormones are part of that. But there's a second thing happening, and almost nobody talks about it: your body may be carrying the physical residue of decades of stress it never got to finish processing. Dr. Carli Axford, a chiropractor with more than 30 years of clinical experience (who has never cracked a back!) and the founder of the Spinal Flow Technique, is here to get specific about what "the body stores stress" actually means. Not metaphorically. Physiologically. Where it goes, what it feels like under a practitioner's hands, and why it tends to surface in your 40s and 50s after years of you managing just fine. Carli explains why women who come in with digestive problems often have stored emotions higher up in the spine, how she can tell the difference between chemical stress and emotional stress by touch, and the one question that tells you whether that knot between your shoulder blades is from your workout or from something you have been carrying for years.  What we get into: What "storing stress" actually means physiologically, and why the spine is where it landsThe three kinds of stress, emotional, physical, and chemical, and how each one feels different in the bodyWhy women who come in with digestive issues often have an older stress pattern sitting higher in the spineWhy your capacity for stress drops in perimenopause, and what fluctuating estrogen and progesterone have to do with your nervous system's resilienceHow to tell whether that knot in your back is a pulled muscle or a pattern you have carried since childhoodWhat you can do at home, in a few minutes, to move your body out of fight or flightDr. Carli Axford is the founder of the Spinal Flow Technique, a healing modality now practiced by thousands of certified practitioners worldwide. She is recognized internationally for her work on stress, trauma, and the body's capacity to heal itself. Her book Awaken Your Spinal Flow is forthcoming from Hay House in May 2027. Connect with Dr. Carli Axford: drcarliaxford.org | @dr.carli.axford I want to hear from you. Send me a text or voicemail! Jessica's freebies and resources: 😴 Sleep better tonight with my free 10-minute audio breathwork session. (https://your.belongwellness.com/sleep) ⚡️Join the Keep Your Cool Collective, my 6-week group breathwork experience for women over 40 who are ready to feel f*cking GREAT. This program launches October 5th. (https://your.belongwellness.com/hnly-beta-sales-page) ✨For more midlife advice on perimenopause, hormone health, nervous system regulation, and living with purpose in your 40s and 50s follow me: @midlifeadvicepodcast | @heyjessicalong

  3. Sep 15

    Why Am I So Anxious All the Time? It Might Not Be What You Think

    Breathwork for anxiety sounds almost too easy. Too obvious. But the mechanism behind it is measurable. This episode explores anxiety as a body problem, not a mind problem, and the way you're breathing all day might be what's keeping it going. Sigmar Berg is the founder of Lovetuner, a breathwork and sound healing tool featured in CNN, the LA Times, and Buzzfeed, and he has spent over a decade studying the intersection of breath, nervous system regulation, and frequency healing. In this conversation, he explains why shallow, fast, chest-level breathing keeps the nervous system locked in fight-or-flight mode, what one conscious extended exhale actually does to your physiology, and how adding sound at 528 Hz amplifies the effect. If anxiety has been creeping in, especially in your 40s and 50s when hormones can make it so much worse, this conversation gives you a framework and a practice you can use the same day. What we get into: - Why anxiety often starts in the body, not the brain, and what's happening physiologically when it does - How shallow, fast breathing sends a danger signal to your nervous system even when you're just sitting at your desk - What makes the extended exhale so effective for calming the nervous system fast - Whether specific breathing patterns like box breathing or 4-7-8 actually matter, or if we're overcomplicating it - What 528 Hz is, why Sigmar built a tool around it, and what the science actually says - How to start a breathwork habit without a 30-minute practice Connect with Sigmar Berg: lovetuner.com | @lovetuner528hz on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube | Book: One Journey I want to hear from you. Send me a text or voicemail! Jessica's freebies and resources: 😴 Sleep better tonight with my free 10-minute audio breathwork session. (https://your.belongwellness.com/sleep) ⚡️Join the Keep Your Cool Collective, my 6-week group breathwork experience for women over 40 who are ready to feel f*cking GREAT. This program launches October 5th. (https://your.belongwellness.com/hnly-beta-sales-page) ✨For more midlife advice on perimenopause, hormone health, nervous system regulation, and living with purpose in your 40s and 50s follow me: @midlifeadvicepodcast | @heyjessicalong

  4. Sep 8

    The Surprising Reason Women Over 40 Don't Feel Like Themselves

    If you've caught yourself thinking "I don't feel like myself" and you can't quite put your finger on why, this one's for you. Hormones play a role. Being stretched impossibly thin plays a role. But there's a third factor that I think is fundamental, and it's one I never hear anyone talking about: interoception. Interoception is your ability to sense and interpret what's actually happening inside your body (like hunger, thirst, stress, emotion). When it's working, you catch yourself before you're hangry, before you snap at your kids, before you're running on fumes. When it's not working, and for so many of us in midlife it's not, you don't know you're stressed until you're yelling, or so numb you're running the whole day on autopilot without feeling a single thing. I'm breaking down exactly how chronic stress shuts your interoception down, what that actually looks like in daily life, and the somatic practices, including breathwork, that bring it back online.  Stick around to the end, because I'm inviting you to two free virtual breathwork sessions where you can feel the shift for yourself instead of just hearing me talk about it. What we get into: What interoception is and how it worksThe specific ways chronic stress shuts your body's signals offWhy you might feel completely numb one day and completely overwhelmed the nextThe research on interoception and stress, explained in plain languageHow breathwork helps you tune back in and hear your body againTwo free virtual breathwork sessions happening soon  Resources: PubMed article: Interoception and Stress I want to hear from you. Send me a text or voicemail! Jessica's freebies and resources: 😴 Sleep better tonight with my free 10-minute audio breathwork session. (https://your.belongwellness.com/sleep) ⚡️Join the Keep Your Cool Collective, my 6-week group breathwork experience for women over 40 who are ready to feel f*cking GREAT. This program launches October 5th. (https://your.belongwellness.com/hnly-beta-sales-page) ✨For more midlife advice on perimenopause, hormone health, nervous system regulation, and living with purpose in your 40s and 50s follow me: @midlifeadvicepodcast | @heyjessicalong

  5. Sep 1

    Do I Have ADHD or Is This Perimenopause? ADHD Symptoms in Women Over 40

    ADHD in midlife women is the topic my audience requested most in my latest Instagram poll - and now it's here! If you've been wondering whether your scattered, overloaded brain is ADHD, perimenopause, or just life, you are in the right place. Today I’m speaking with Dr. Jennifer Dall, Ed.D., an ADHD specialist with a doctorate in educational psychology, a background in special education, and her own late-in-life ADHD diagnosis, to talk about everything women over 40 actually want to know about ADHD. What you'll hear: How ADHD shows up in high-achieving women, and why it looks nothing like the stereotypeWhy perimenopause doesn't cause ADHD but can turn the volume all the way up on symptoms you've had your whole lifeWhy so many Gen X women went undiagnosed for decades, and what the stories we were told about ourselves have to do with itWhether you need a formal ADHD diagnosis and what that evaluation actually involvesWhat you can start doing today to work with your brain instead of fighting itThe ADHD strengths that high-achieving women carry without ever recognizing them as strengths Connect with Dr. Jennifer Dall:  adhdholistically.com | @adhd.holistically  I want to hear from you. Send me a text or voicemail! Jessica's freebies and resources: 😴 Sleep better tonight with my free 10-minute audio breathwork session. (https://your.belongwellness.com/sleep) ⚡️Join the Keep Your Cool Collective, my 6-week group breathwork experience for women over 40 who are ready to feel f*cking GREAT. This program launches October 5th. (https://your.belongwellness.com/hnly-beta-sales-page) ✨For more midlife advice on perimenopause, hormone health, nervous system regulation, and living with purpose in your 40s and 50s follow me: @midlifeadvicepodcast | @heyjessicalong

  6. Aug 25

    What Your Future Self Sees That You're Missing Right Now

    What if your future self could travel back in time to right now and show you exactly what you're missing? That's the exercise we're playing with in today's episode. I've been using it myself, and it shifts my perspective, changes my energy, and influences the trajectory of my whole day in a really positive way. And it couldn't be easier. I first came across this concept while listening to Dr. Benjamin Hardy's book, Be Your Future Self Now. He shares a story about a completely average evening that tugged at my heart strings. And then a text from my 84-year-old dad gave me the chance to try it in real life. In this episode: The future self visualization exercise you can start using on the most ordinary moments of your dayHow to apply it when you're feeling irritated, impatient, or just doneWhy this one simple shift is a powerful way to change your energy and your whole outlook on a regular TuesdayI can’t wait for you to try this. After you do, click the link below to send me a text and tell me about it! I want to hear from you. Send me a text or voicemail! Jessica's freebies and resources: 😴 Sleep better tonight with my free 10-minute audio breathwork session. (https://your.belongwellness.com/sleep) ⚡️Join the Keep Your Cool Collective, my 6-week group breathwork experience for women over 40 who are ready to feel f*cking GREAT. This program launches October 5th. (https://your.belongwellness.com/hnly-beta-sales-page) ✨For more midlife advice on perimenopause, hormone health, nervous system regulation, and living with purpose in your 40s and 50s follow me: @midlifeadvicepodcast | @heyjessicalong

  7. Aug 18

    Joint Pain After 40: What's Actually Causing It and What to Do

    Muscle and joint pain in perimenopause is not just a hormone problem, and it's not just aging. Physical therapist and musculoskeletal specialist Stacey Roberts explains what's really driving pain in midlife women, and what to do about it. Her answers might surprise you. We talk about: Why your hormones were acting as your body's natural anti-inflammatories, and what happens when they drop in perimenopause and menopauseThe non-drug, non-injection options for joint and muscle pain that most women never hear aboutWhy cortisol being too low (not just too high) can cause nighttime inflammation, especially in high-achieving womenHow to tell the difference between normal workout soreness and pain you should actually stop forWhy the place where you feel pain is not always where the problem is (a weak hip causing foot pain, for example)The vicious cycle of hurt, stop moving, get tighter, hurt more, and how to break out of itWhy heavy lifting is not the only way to build strength and protect your jointsWhat to do first if you've stopped working out because something always hurtsStacey Roberts PT, RN, MSN has over 30 years of experience helping patients live pain-free. Stacey owns New You Health and Wellness in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, combining advanced manual therapy, cutting-edge technology, and functional medicine. She is the author of the number one bestselling book The Pain Free Formula and host of The Pain Free Formula podcast. Connect with Stacey NewYouHealthandWellness.com | The Pain Free Formula book | The Pain Free Formula podcast | @newyouhealthandwellness I want to hear from you. Send me a text or voicemail! Jessica's freebies and resources: 😴 Sleep better tonight with my free 10-minute audio breathwork session. (https://your.belongwellness.com/sleep) ⚡️Join the Keep Your Cool Collective, my 6-week group breathwork experience for women over 40 who are ready to feel f*cking GREAT. This program launches October 5th. (https://your.belongwellness.com/hnly-beta-sales-page) ✨For more midlife advice on perimenopause, hormone health, nervous system regulation, and living with purpose in your 40s and 50s follow me: @midlifeadvicepodcast | @heyjessicalong

  8. Jul 28

    Why Perimenopause Hits Some Women So Much Harder (It Might Be Your DNA)

    Do your perimenopause symptoms like brain fog, weight gain, and sleep issues feel like they are so much worse than your friend’s? Your DNA might explain why. Today I’m speaking with Kim Ressler, Founder and CEO of SNiP Nutrigenomics, to unpack the growing science of nutrigenomics and what your genetic blueprint reveals about how you experience perimenopause and menopause.  If you've ever wondered why your symptoms feel so much worse than everyone else's, this episode has an answer worth hearing. In this episode we discuss: Why menopause is more genetically influenced than most women realizeHow your DNA shapes specific symptoms like brain fog, weight gain, insomnia, anxiety, hot flashes and moreWhat genetic testing can tell you about your menopause experienceHow to use your DNA to make smarter nutrition and lifestyle decisions without going deep into biohacking Guest: Kim Ressler, Founder and CEO, SNiP Nutrigenomics snipnutrition.com I want to hear from you. Send me a text or voicemail! Jessica's freebies and resources: 😴 Sleep better tonight with my free 10-minute audio breathwork session. (https://your.belongwellness.com/sleep) ⚡️Join the Keep Your Cool Collective, my 6-week group breathwork experience for women over 40 who are ready to feel f*cking GREAT. This program launches October 5th. (https://your.belongwellness.com/hnly-beta-sales-page) ✨For more midlife advice on perimenopause, hormone health, nervous system regulation, and living with purpose in your 40s and 50s follow me: @midlifeadvicepodcast | @heyjessicalong

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You're a woman over 40, you're in the thick of perimenopause or menopause, and lately you keep coming back to the same thought: I just don't feel like myself anymore. You're doing everything right. Showing up for your family, your work, everyone who needs you. But you feel exhausted in a way that sleep doesn't fix. Work feels harder and less fulfilling than it used to. Your relationship feels distant. Your body is changing. You’re overwhelmed with the neverending decisions. And no matter what you do, you just feel off. Disconnected from yourself.  Midlife Advice is the podcast for intelligent midlife women who are ready to stop white-knuckling through life and feel next-level good. Each week, host Jessica Long brings you honest conversations about navigating perimenopause and menopause, hormones, overwhelm, relationships, confidence, and the identity shift nobody warned you was coming. Not as a patient. Not as a problem to be solved. As a woman who deserves to actually feel GREAT again. Jessica is a holistic health coach, certified menopause coaching specialist, breathwork facilitator and fellow midlife woman navigating all of this right alongside you. If you've ever searched: Why am I so exhausted all the time?Why does work feel so hard lately?Why do I feel so disconnected from my partner?Why do I have low libido and will it ever come back?Why don't I feel like myself anymore?Is this perimenopause or something else? This podcast was made for you. 💌 If you’re a midlife woman navigating perimenopause, hormone shifts, personal growth, and just not feeling like yourself, you’ll fit right in to my community. Join my email list where I share personal stories, nervous system regulation tools, favorite products, high-protein recipes, book recs and exclusive discounts. I’ll send you my FREE 10-minute breathwork session to get better sleep tonight to get you started! ✨For more midlife advice on perimenopause, hormone health, nervous system regulation, and living with purpose in your 40s and 50s follow me: @midlifeadvicepodcast | @heyjessicalong ⚡️Ready to feel f*cking GREAT again? Learn more about working together at belongwellness.com. 

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