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

Jessica Long | Helping Overwhelmed Women Over 40 Feel Fully Alive Again
  • 5.0 (51)
  • 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 can't I relax even when I have time?""Why don't I feel like myself anymore?"“Is this perimenopause or something else?” This podcast was made for you. ✨For more midlife musings, follow me on Instagram @midlifeadvicepodcast and @heyjessicalong 💌 Join my email list for personal stories, recipes, favorite products, podcast updates, and early access to my special offers! https://belongwellness.myflodesk.com/g7gzq0mtnl 💛 Ready to actually feel good again? Learn about working with me. https://www.belongwellness.com/

  1. 5d ago

    How to Build Muscle After 40 Without Lifting Heavy (BFR Training Explained)

    You've heard you need to lift heavy to build (or keep!) your muscle after 40. But what if your body just isn’t cooperating with that plan right now? Good news: there's another way, and science backs it up. I've been training with Ashley Selman for months, and I've been waiting to record this episode because I knew it was going to be the one everyone sends to a friend. Ashley has 30+ years of experience training Olympic athletes, including Jackie Joyner-Kersee and Brandi Chastain, and coaching at Stanford and the University of Oregon. Now she works with midlife women. And the method she uses, blood flow restriction training, is something most of us have never heard of. Here's the version I wish someone had explained to me: little rubber cuffs on your arms and legs, 5-pound weights, 20 minutes, at home. Same muscle-building response as heavy lifting. Not a gimmick. Studied for decades. In this episode we cover: What BFR actually is and why the name sounds more alarming than it shouldThe science behind why light weights can trigger the same response as heavy liftingWhy this is such a good fit for women in perimenopause and menopause specificallyHow it helps with weight loss, belly fat, and the body composition stuff that won't budgeThe cardio benefits nobody sees coming from a strength workoutHow to start at home without needing a coach in the room with youAshley also shares her own story: hip replacement at 43, menopause at 43, lost 8 pounds of muscle. Found BFR and her life changed. If your body has been telling you the advice everyone gives you doesn't fit your life right now, this one is for you. 💪 Connect with Ashley: selistrength.com | @selistrength I want to hear from you. Send me a text or voicemail! 💌 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, favorite products, high-protein recipes, book recs and exclusive discounts. I’ll send you my 3 favorite smoothie recipes 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 centered, energized, and like yourself again? Learn more about working together at belongwellness.com.

    27 min

  2. May 19

    How to Lose Weight After 40 Without Dieting, Willpower, or Starting Over on Monday

    Tried every diet and still can't make it stick? Certified life coach and bestselling author Lizzie Merritt is here to tell you it's not your fault, and to explain a completely different approach to weight loss after 40 that starts with your brain and nervous system, not a food plan. If you've counted calories, tracked macros, done the cleanses, and found yourself starting over on Monday more times than you can count, you will want to hear this. Lizzie Merritt, bestselling author of LIGHT: The New Psychology of Weight Loss, explains why traditional diets fail so many midlife women, and what a brain-based approach offers instead. In this conversation, we cover: Why your brain cannot build new habits when your nervous system does not feel safeTwo common patterns that drive emotional eating in midlife women: people pleasing and perfectionismThe LIGHT Method: a five-step framework that treats weight loss as learning, not rule-followingWhy changing 'I am trying to lose weight' to 'I am training to lose weight' matters more than it soundsWhat happens after you hit your goal weight, and how identity shapes long-term successLizzie also shares the one mindset shift that helped her clients break the start-over-Monday cycle for good. Resources from this episode: LIGHT: The New Psychology of Weight Loss | https://amzn.to/4uCqyJmThe Confident Body Podcast | https://confidentbody.coach/podcast/ConfidentBody.coach | https://confidentbody.coach/I want to hear from you. Send me a text or voicemail! 💌 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, favorite products, high-protein recipes, book recs and exclusive discounts. I’ll send you my 3 favorite smoothie recipes 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 centered, energized, and like yourself again? Learn more about working together at belongwellness.com.

    29 min

  3. May 12

    Why You Can’t Relax Even When You Have Time (And How to Feel Calm Again)

    Why you can’t relax, even when you finally have time, and what it has to do with your nervous system. You finally have a break. The house is quiet. There’s nothing urgent to do. And instead of relaxing…you feel restless. Anxious. Like you should be doing something. In this solo episode, I’m digging into why so many midlife women struggle to slow down (even when we want to) and why that uncomfortable, ants-y feeling isn’t a mindset problem, it’s a nervous system response. After years (or decades) of being in go-go-go mode taking care of everyone, managing everything and always being “on,” your body has learned that slowing down doesn’t feel safe. So when you finally have time to rest, your system pushes back. We’re talking about what’s really happening in your body in those moments and how you can start retraining your nervous system to actually feel calm again. If you’ve ever thought, “I don’t even know how to relax anymore,” this episode will hit home. ➡️ My brand new group breathwork program for midlife women called Hello, Next-Level You is coming soon! Join the waitlist here! https://belongwellness.myflodesk.com/vzidtovzh7 I want to hear from you. Send me a text or voicemail! 💌 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, favorite products, high-protein recipes, book recs and exclusive discounts. I’ll send you my 3 favorite smoothie recipes 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 centered, energized, and like yourself again? Learn more about working together at belongwellness.com.

    10 min

  4. May 5

    Best Skincare Routine for Women Over 40: How to Care for Dry, Sensitive, Aging Skin

    Dry skin after 40? Sensitive, aging skin that keeps getting worse? Your skincare routine might be part of the problem. Botanical formulator May Lindstrom explains what midlife skin actually needs and what to stop doing. If your skin has changed in your 40s or 50s and your routine keeps getting longer without getting better results, this conversation is going to shift how you think about your skin. May Lindstrom, founder of May Lindstrom Skin, has been formulating luxury organic skincare for sensitive, changing skin for over 20 years. In this episode, she gets specific about what is actually happening to midlife skin, why more products tend to backfire, which ingredients genuinely help, and one thing most women do every single day that might be working against them. What we cover: How to simplify your routine without losing resultsIngredients to look for (and ones hiding in popular products that may be making things worse)Whether natural and organic skincare can actually deliver resultsWhere to invest in skincare and where it matters lessOne habit most women have right after washing their face that a 20-year formulator says to stop Guest: May Lindstrom, Founder and CEO of May Lindstrom Skin Website: maylindstrom.com | Instagram: @maylindstromskin The serum and moisturizer May recommends. These are affiliate links because I LOVE these products! I want to hear from you. Send me a text or voicemail! 💌 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, favorite products, high-protein recipes, book recs and exclusive discounts. I’ll send you my 3 favorite smoothie recipes 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 centered, energized, and like yourself again? Learn more about working together at belongwellness.com.

    22 min

  5. Apr 28

    Not Feeling Heard in Your Relationship: A 5-Step Fix to Rebuild Connection

    Struggling with communication in your relationship or feeling unheard by your partner?  Not feeling heard in a relationship is one of the most common challenges for midlife women, especially in long-term partnerships where conversations can start to feel like logistics, criticism, or defensiveness instead of real connection. If you’ve ever wondered why communication in your relationship feels harder than it used to, or why you and your partner keep having the same conversations without actually feeling understood, you’re in the right place. In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Stephanie Bacon to discuss why relationship communication often breaks down in midlife and what actually helps. She shares a simple, practical 5-step communication framework called PHIES that helps you slow down, regulate your nervous system, and communicate what’s really going on beneath the surface so both you and your partner feel seen, heard, and understood. We talk about how to stop trying to be right, how to navigate defensiveness (yours and theirs), and how to rebuild emotional connection in a relationship that still matters deeply to you. In this episode, we cover: • Why communication in long-term relationships gets harder in midlife • The PHIES framework (and how to use it in real conversations) • What’s actually happening when your partner gets defensive • How to feel heard without turning every conversation into a fight • A simple mindset shift that can completely change your relationship Connect with Dr. Steph: RippleEffectEmbodiedSEL.com | @RippleEffectwithDrSteph I want to hear from you. Send me a text or voicemail! 💌 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, favorite products, high-protein recipes, book recs and exclusive discounts. I’ll send you my 3 favorite smoothie recipes 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 centered, energized, and like yourself again? Learn more about working together at belongwellness.com.

    29 min

  6. Apr 21

    69: Are Hidden Mineral Imbalances Causing Your Brain Fog, Fatigue, and Mood Swings?

    If you’re dealing with brain fog, fatigue, mood swings, irritability, low energy, or a metabolism that feels like it has completely changed in midlife, this episode is worth a listen. We talk so much about hormones in perimenopause and menopause, but what if there’s another foundational piece of midlife health that almost no one is talking about? In this episode, Jessica talks with Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner Dori Martin about hidden mineral imbalances, how they can affect energy, stress, mood, metabolism, and nutrient absorption, and why they may be a missing piece for midlife women who still feel off even when they’re doing all the “right” things. Dori explains what Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA) is, how this mineral test works, what minerals matter most, and how mineral imbalances may contribute to symptoms like brain fog, fatigue, irritability, and mood swings. They also talk about chronic stress, burnout, heavy metals, nervous system regulation, and what you can actually do if your minerals are off through nutrition, lifestyle, and targeted support. Jessica also shares an important post-interview clarification about how the hair sample is collected and what to know if you color your hair. Connect with Dori: Website → https://www.dorimartin.com/ Instagram → @midlifeenergy.dori 🎧 Other episodes you’ll love: 61: Do Peptides Help with Sleep, Energy, and Weight Gain in Perimenopause? 47: Why You Don’t Feel Like Yourself in Perimenopause (& How to Get Your Groove Back) I want to hear from you. Send me a text or voicemail! 💌 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, favorite products, high-protein recipes, book recs and exclusive discounts. I’ll send you my 3 favorite smoothie recipes 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 centered, energized, and like yourself again? Learn more about working together at belongwellness.com.

    23 min

  7. Apr 14

    68: Why Your Job Feels So Hard Lately and What to Do About It

    Ever catch yourself thinking… why does work feel so hard lately? You’re showing up, doing everything “right,” and yet you feel more exhausted, more disconnected, and less motivated than ever. If you’ve been wondering if your job is even right for you anymore—or if you’re dealing with career burnout, overwork, or that nagging sense that something is off—this episode is for you. In this conversation, I sit down with Allie Stark, leadership coach to high-level female founders, to discuss why hustle culture stops working for women in midlife, and what a different way of working could actually look like. We explore the idea of a “feminine economy”—a model rooted in collaboration, support, boundaries, and sustainable success—and how shifting the way you work can change not just your career, but how you feel in your life. We also talk about what to do if you’re burned out at work but not ready to quit, how to set boundaries in a high-pressure job, and why your job feeling harder lately might be a signal—not a failure. In this episode, we cover: • Why work feels so hard lately (even when nothing is “wrong”) • Career burnout and how hustle culture contributes to it • What a feminine economy is and how it changes the way we work • How to stop overworking and start setting boundaries at work • What to do if you feel stuck in your job but aren’t ready to leave • How to explore career change or new opportunities without blowing up your life Connect with Allie: Allie Stark Wellness → https://www.alliestarkwellness.com/ Noria (The Residency Network) → https://hellonoria.com/ 🎧 Other Episodes You’ll Love: Director to VP Promotion: Why High-Performing Midlife Women Get Stuck in Corporate Leadership Midlife Overdrive and Why Slowing Down Feels Hard I want to hear from you. Send me a text or voicemail! 💌 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, favorite products, high-protein recipes, book recs and exclusive discounts. I’ll send you my 3 favorite smoothie recipes 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 centered, energized, and like yourself again? Learn more about working together at belongwellness.com.

    27 min

  8. Apr 7

    67: Feel Like Life is Passing You By? How to Get Back on Track Without Overhauling Everything

    If it feels like your life is passing you by and you’re not fully in it, let’s talk. You’re keeping everything running, everyone’s taken care of, nothing is wrong…but you’re not exactly feeling like the main character in your life either. Am I right? This is your invitation to pause, check in, and get back on track without overhauling everything. Seriously, we’re keeping it easy peasy because who needs one more thing to do? In this solo episode, I’m walking you through a simple reset using your intentions as a guide. I share how I’m evaluating what’s working (and what’s not) for me, what it looks like to make decisions from the standpoint of your future self, and why small shifts—not big dramatic changes—are what move you forward.  If you’ve been stuck in autopilot, this will help you step back into the driver’s seat. I talk about what it means to live on purpose in midlife, how to reconnect with yourself when life feels busy and disconnected, and why slowing down—even briefly—can change everything. You’ll walk away with one small, doable step to realign your life starting this week. 🎧Other Episodes You’ll Love: 56: Midlife Overdrive and Why Slowing Down Feels Hard I want to hear from you. Send me a text or voicemail! 💌 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, favorite products, high-protein recipes, book recs and exclusive discounts. I’ll send you my 3 favorite smoothie recipes 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 centered, energized, and like yourself again? Learn more about working together at belongwellness.com.

    11 min
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About

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 can't I relax even when I have time?""Why don't I feel like myself anymore?"“Is this perimenopause or something else?” This podcast was made for you. ✨For more midlife musings, follow me on Instagram @midlifeadvicepodcast and @heyjessicalong 💌 Join my email list for personal stories, recipes, favorite products, podcast updates, and early access to my special offers! https://belongwellness.myflodesk.com/g7gzq0mtnl 💛 Ready to actually feel good again? Learn about working with me. https://www.belongwellness.com/

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