What if what we’ve been calling a midlife crisis is actually something very different?

In this episode, I slow things down and talk about what a midlife awakening really is — especially for those of us who are early in the journey and wondering what on earth is happening to our bodies, emotions, and lives.

Many women enter midlife feeling confused, exhausted, emotional, or disconnected from the life they once built — often without any understanding of how perimenopause, hormones, trauma, and identity shifts are all happening at the same time. Because we were never taught about this phase of life, it can feel isolating and even frightening.

In this episode, I share:

• What a midlife awakening actually is (and why it’s not a crisis)
• Why confusion is often the first stage of this transition
• How perimenopause can amplify emotional and identity shifts
• The grief many women feel for who they used to be
• Why boundaries become non-negotiable in midlife
• How healing, somatics, and self-awareness play a role in this phase
• Why no woman should be navigating this journey alone

I also share parts of my own awakening journey — including how self-love, boundaries, and no longer caring what others think became unexpected gifts of midlife.

This episode is an invitation to stop judging yourself and start understanding what your body, nervous system, and soul may be asking of you.

You’re not broken. You’re not failing.
You may simply be waking up.

✨ If this episode resonates, you’re warmly invited to join The Midlife Awakening community — a safe, supportive space where women can connect, share, and navigate this journey together.
You’ll find the link in the show notes.

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Aquarius Season & the Midlife Awakening: Letting the Masks Fall

As we move into Aquarius season (20 January – 18/19 February), the collective energy begins to shift — away from duty, expectation, and conformity, and toward authenticity, truth, and freedom.

In this episode, I explore how Aquarius season mirrors what a midlife awakening really is:
not a crisis, not a breakdown, but a deep and honest questioning of who we are beneath the roles, masks, and identities we’ve spent years perfecting.

We talk about why midlife often feels uncomfortable before it feels empowering, how our need for belonging can lead us to abandon parts of ourselves, and why this season invites us to gently loosen the masks we’ve been wearing — especially as women, mothers, partners, and professionals.

Drawing on reflections around authenticity, courage, and vulnerability — including insights inspired by Brené Brown — this episode is an invitation to get curious rather than judgemental about who you’re becoming.

If you’ve been feeling restless, disconnected, or quietly questioning your life, this conversation will remind you that you’re not broken — you’re waking up.

🌬 In This Episode, We Explore:

• What Aquarius season is really about (beyond the stereotypes)
• Why midlife awakens questions around identity, purpose, and belonging
• The masks we wear — and why they often start slipping in midlife
• Motherhood, authenticity, and the pressure to be “good at everything”
• Why judgement keeps us stuck — and community helps us heal
• How Aquarius energy supports collective growth, compassion, and connection

🧠 Journal Prompts to Reflect On:

• Who am I pretending to be — and why?
• What part of me is asking to be seen more fully right now?
• Where am I choosing belonging over authenticity?
• What would feel more truthful for me in this season of my life?

🤍 Join the Community

If healing, reflection, and shared growth speak to you, I’d love to welcome you into my Substack community.

This month, we’re reading Marie Kondo’s book, starting Friday 22 January, with:

• Weekly chapter reflections
• Open discussion threads
• And the possibility of a live Zoom conversation at the end of the month

You’ll find the link to join in the show notes.

🌟 Final Thought

Midlife isn’t the beginning of the end.
It’s the moment you stop abandoning yourself — and start choosing yourself, consciously.

Thank you for listening. If this episode resonated, please share it with someone who might need to hear it.

✨ Midlife isn’t a crisis. It’s an awakening.

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Is January really the right time to start over?

In this episode of The Midlife Awakening Podcast, I’m gently questioning the pressure we all feel at the start of the year to overhaul our lives — especially when we’re exhausted, it’s still winter, and real life hasn’t magically paused.

We talk about why January can feel like trying to sprint through peanut butter, how nature actually supports rest and reflection right now, and why forcing big changes too early often leads to burnout instead of transformation.

I’m also sharing how I’m approaching this year differently — not through rigid New Year’s resolutions, but by choosing one guiding word: Health — across mental, physical, emotional, and financial wellbeing.

Rather than rushing into action, I’m using the time between now and the Spring Equinox as a research and recalibration phase:

• Understanding who I want to become
• Identifying current habits that no longer serve me
• Making small, practical adjustments that actually stick

We explore how sustainable change happens through systems, environment, and compassion, not willpower — from meal planning and budgeting to healthier swaps that don’t feel like punishment.

I also introduce this month’s book for the Midlife Awakening Substack Community:
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo, read symbolically rather than literally — as an invitation to release old habits, beliefs, and identities that no longer align with who you’re becoming.

✨ This episode is for you if:

• You’re exhausted by “New Year, New You” culture
• You want meaningful change without extremes
• You’re navigating midlife and craving a slower, wiser approach
• You want your goals to feel supportive, not overwhelming

You don’t have to rush.
You don’t have to have it all figured out.
And it’s never too late to begin again — gently.

🔗 Join the Community

If you’d like to explore the book, seasonal inner work, and reflective prompts with us, you’re warmly invited to join the Midlife Awakening community on Substack:
👉https://themidlifeawakening.substack.com/subscribe

Send us a text

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As we move into Capricorn season, many of us start feeling the pull to slow down, reflect, and reassess how we’re really living — especially as the year comes to a close.

In this final episode of Season Two of The Midlife Awakening, I explore how Capricorn season invites us to look honestly at our boundaries, our energy, and the structures of our lives — particularly during the festive period, when expectations around family, tradition, and togetherness can feel overwhelming.

In this episode, we talk about:

• What Capricorn season is and how its Saturn-ruled energy supports structure, responsibility, and self-respect
• Why this time of year can be especially challenging for boundaries with family and loved ones
• How Capricorn season helps us say no without guilt — and yes without resentment
• My personal journey from people-pleasing to boundary-setting, and the moment everything shifted
• Why boundaries are not about controlling others, but about protecting your comfort and emotional safety
• A practical framework for recognising healthy vs unhealthy boundary dynamics
• Insights from The Book of Boundaries by Melissa Urban, including why “clear is kind”
• The importance of strengthening your boundary muscle — with others and with yourself
• Why Capricorn season is the ideal time to start building sustainable routines before the New Year
• A personal Christmas message and reflection as I close out Season Two of the podcast

This episode is for you if you’re feeling tired, stretched thin, or quietly craving more space — and if you’re ready to move into the New Year with stronger foundations, clearer boundaries, and deeper self-trust.

✨ Season Two Finale
I’ll be taking a short break over Christmas and will be back on January 8th with Season Three — featuring new conversations around midlife, healing, health, hormones, money, beauty, and personal transformation.

Until then, take care of your heart, honour your energy, and remember — self-respect is not selfish.

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In this week’s off-the-cuff episode of The Midlife Awakening, Odelia opens up about something so many women struggle with but rarely say out loud — our midlife bodies.

After decades of self-criticism, unrealistic expectations, and diet culture conditioning, midlife invites us into a completely different relationship with ourselves. In this honest and intimate conversation, Odelia shares how she’s learning to love her body after years of self-loathing, and how tuning into her body’s needs has changed everything.

This episode explores:

• 💛 Why body acceptance becomes essential in midlife
• 💛 How childbirth, stress, trauma, and perimenopause shift our bodies — and why that’s not failure
• 💛 The shift from wanting to be “skinny” to wanting to be strong, energetic, and emotionally steady
• 💛 Small, manageable changes that have transformed her health and mood
• 💛 The role of hormones, cortisol, and insulin resistance in midlife weight
• 💛 Why nourishing your body will take you further than dieting ever could
• 💛 How listening to your cycle radically changes the way you eat, move, and rest
• 💛 Setting bare minimum wellbeing boundaries as we head into the festive season
• 💛 The importance of compassion, patience, and incremental change

You’ll also hear the real-life habits Odelia has adopted — from switching her morning coffee to dandelion tea, to eating breakfast within 30 minutes of waking, to daily walks and rebounding — and how these tiny choices have made a noticeable difference.

This episode is a gentle reminder that your body has carried you through so much, and it deserves to be loved, nourished, and honoured — especially in midlife.

✨ Resources Mentioned

• Fasting Like a Girl by Mindy Pelz
• Atomic Habits by James Clear
• Previous podcast episode with nutritionist Arianna Morgan

Send us a text

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In today’s powerful episode of The Midlife Awakening, Odelia sits down with Alcohol Freedom Coach Jacki Fleniken, who went from drinking 12–13 beers a day to living completely alcohol-free — not through willpower, shame, or restriction, but through a science-based method that rewired her beliefs, neural pathways, and emotional patterns around drinking.

Jacki’s story is raw, honest, and deeply inspiring. After hitting emotional rock bottom, she realised that alcohol wasn’t helping her cope — it was controlling her life. A heartbreaking wake-up call at a celebration of life pushed her to ask the question:
“Is this going to be my story too?”

What followed was a transformational journey of self-inquiry, neuroscience-based tools, subconscious reprogramming, and a commitment to understanding the root beliefs driving her drinking. Today, she helps others find freedom — not just sobriety — from alcohol, nicotine, gambling, and more.

If you’re sober-curious, struggling quietly, or simply wondering if your relationship with alcohol is still serving you, this episode will meet you exactly where you are.

• Jacki’s journey from heavy drinking to total alcohol freedom
• The moment that changed everything — and why midlife is often the awakening point
• The science behind addiction: neural pathways, subconscious beliefs, dopamine & dinorphin
• Why traditional approaches like AA didn’t work for her
• How she rewired her brain to stop craving alcohol
• The physical and emotional symptoms of healing (including post-acute withdrawal)
• Why it’s not about quitting drinking — it’s about choosing freedom
• How to deal with anxiety, emotional triggers, and coping without alcohol
• The mindset work that creates lasting change
• The first step you can take today if you’re scared to start

• Women in midlife questioning their relationship with alcohol
• Anyone struggling with addictive patterns or emotional coping mechanisms
• Those curious about mindset-based or science-based approaches to habit change
• People who want freedom, not restriction, when it comes to alcohol
• Anyone seeking hope, validation, or a relatable story of transformation

Explore her work or book a free call: https://www.coachingbyjacki.com/index.html

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jackifleniken/

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/jacki.fleniken.2025

Linkedin: http://linkedin.com/in/jacki-fleniken-89a751353

Exclusive for listeners:
✨ $400 off a 13-week coaching package (details inside the episode)

Send us a text

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In this episode of The Midlife Awakening, we explore the powerful transition from the deep emotional work of Scorpio season into the expansive, hopeful energy of Sagittarius season.

Scorpio has taken many of us into the depths — shadow work, subconscious patterns, emotional truths, and the parts of ourselves we’ve long suppressed. And in today’s episode, I share my own personal breakthrough: discovering the Golden Shadow and realising I’ve spent most of my life hiding a part of myself that has always wanted to be expressed.

From childhood memories of singing and dancing to an unexpected emotional reaction while watching The Greatest Showman, Scorpio season revealed something I could no longer deny — and it changed everything.

Now, as we step into Sagittarius season (22 Nov–21 Dec), the energy shifts. Where Scorpio takes us inward, Sagittarius invites us outward — into possibility, belief, expansion, spirituality, self-trust and fun. This season calls you to ask:

✨ What could my life be now?
✨ Who am I becoming?
✨ Do my beliefs still fit the woman I’m evolving into?

We’ll explore:

• The four types of shadows: Dark, Golden, Tender, and Rebellious
• Why midlife makes these shadows impossible to ignore
• The final revelation the Scorpio new moon brings before a seasonal shift
• How Sagittarius helps you step into hope, curiosity and reconnection with joy
• Why this is a perfect time to stop healing for a moment and start living
• My spiritual focus for this season and my connection to Ana Otero's teachings
• The importance of becoming the main character of your own life
• The book of the month: The Power of Fun by Catherine Price

This is your invitation to reclaim joy, explore new philosophies, try new adventures, reconnect with your spiritual roots, or simply allow yourself to breathe and integrate everything you’ve just moved through.

You’ve done the deep work.
Now you get to expand.

💛 Connect with Me

If this episode resonated, I’d love to hear what your Scorpio season revealed, or what you’re hoping to explore this Sagittarius season.
Come say hi on Instagram or TikTok, or join my new Midlife Awakening community on Substack for deeper reflections, spiritual tools, astrology guidance and weekly content.

Thank you for being here.
Take care of your heart.
And go enjoy the silly season.

Send us a text

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In this inspiring episode of The Midlife Awakening, I sit down with Tessa Grint — leadership coach, business consultant, and founder of Light Me Up.

After spending 17 years in the corporate world, Tessa found herself completely burnt out and chasing a promotion she didn’t even want. That breakdown became her breakthrough — the moment she realised success isn’t about job titles or LinkedIn updates, but about alignment.

Now, Tessa helps women reconnect with who they truly are, discover their zone of genius, and redesign their working lives so they can thrive — not just survive.

Together, we talk about:
✨ How burnout can be the wake-up call your soul’s been waiting for
✨ What your “zone of genius” really is — and how to find it
✨ How to handle the Sunday scaries and listen to the whispers of intuition
✨ Practical steps to start shifting your career without burning it all down
✨ The mindset shifts that help you reclaim your power and joy at work
✨ And how to blend science, strategy, and a sprinkle of magic to create lasting change

If you’ve ever felt stuck in a job that looks good on paper but feels wrong in your body, this conversation is your reminder that you have the power to change it — one conscious step at a time.

🌙 Mentioned in this Episode:

• Connect with Tessa Grint on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tessa_grint/
  
  
• Find her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tessa-grint-nee-williamson-39650529/
  
  
• Learn more about her Promotion Pathway Program at https://lightmeup.club/
• Join her Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1460524095221835
  

💖 If you loved this episode:

Subscribe to The Midlife Awakening on Substack
and receive your free “5 Journal Prompts to Start Your Midlife Awakening” to begin reconnecting with yourself and creating a life that lights you up.

Don’t forget to follow the show, leave a review, and share it with someone who might need a reminder that it’s never too late to redefine success and start again.

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