Mind Your Midlife Podcast (2026)

21/08/2026

New Episode! "98. The Truth About Friendship Loss and Changing Social Circles in Midlife"

Friendship change or loss is something that we rarely talk about enough during our 40s and 50s. We often feel guilty when we realize we are outgrowing the people we used to spend our time with, or we wonder why we simply don't have the same energy to maintain our social circles.

In this episode, let's talk about the complicated evolution of midlife friendships. Shifts are happening as our kids grow up, after the pandemic, and even as hormone changes happen. I finally learned to evaluate which relationships were uplifting and which were actually draining my energy. If you've been wondering why you just don't have the bandwidth for certain friends anymore, this episode will give you the permission you need to let go gracefully and without guilt.

What You’ll Learn:
The Midlife Friendship Shift: How kids getting older, moving out, and changes in post-COVID life naturally alter the people we spend time with

The Hormone Factor: Why dropping levels of estrogen and oxytocin can make you biologically less inclined to nurture as many relationships

The Zero Tolerance Milestone: How recognizing your time and energy as limited resources empowers you to stop shrinking yourself in imbalanced friendships

Evaluating Your Inner Circle: A simple, judgment-free method to check how you truly feel—before, during, and after—spending time with a friend

Gracefully Letting Go: The difference between taking a friendship "breather" due to circumstances versus moving on using "warm detachment"

Links & Resources:
Vitamin G Sponsor: Use code MINDYOURMIDLIFE for 10% off at CherylPFischer.com/vitaminG
Coaching: Midlife Recharge: CherylPFischer.com/recharge
Episode 61: Mahjong in Midlife
Podcast Sponsorship Info: CherylPFischer.com/mymsponsorinfo
Why This Episode Matters
By dropping the guilt and honestly evaluating how your friendships make you feel, you can completely change your social circle to one that truly supports you.

Take a little bit better care of yourself in midlife.

Episode Chapters:
00:00:00 - The Friendship Question In Midlife
00:00:57 - Sponsor Break Vitamin G
00:01:33 - Why Friendships Change With Kids
00:03:59 - COVID And Moving Disrupt Connections
00:07:12 - Hormones And The Zero Tolerance Shift
00:11:55 - Trying To Fit In As A Mom
00:14:03 - The Before During After Feelings Test
00:18:22 - Space Or Over Signs Of Imbalance
00:22:12 - Fade Out Or Have The Talk
00:26:31 - Guilt And Disenfranchised Grief
00:28:11 - Group Friends And Warm Detachment
00:31:18 - Making Room For Better Community
00:32:20 - Coaching Invite And Closing Notes

Support the show
🌸 Liked this episode? Share it with fellow Gen X women navigating hormone balance, an empty nest, and/or self-confidence!

🫶 Love this show? Leave a review to help more women over 50 find us.

💡Want menopause advice, mindset shifts, or support with midlife transformation?
Find out more about the Midlife Recharge at cherylpfischer.com/recharge
Let’s talk health after 50, self-talk, and redefining aging for women — without the “midlife crisis” narrative. Every week I'm adding new success strategies for midlife women.

Connect with Cheryl: Instagram | LinkedIn | Website
---------------

💡If you are a brand or business wanting to reach an audience of women in their 40s and 50s who are focused on health, success, and taking care of themselves and others well in this stage of life, consider sponsoring Mind Your Midlife podcast. More information here.

Friendship change or loss is something that we rarely talk about enough during our 40s and 50s. We often feel guilty when we realize we are outgrowing the people we…

21/08/2026

5 Star Review: Encouraging a kinder gentler mindset

"I love the positive and thoughtful approach to these topics, especially body image in midlife."

Encouraging a kinder gentler mindset. Published August 13, 2026 by Alexis E Read on Apple Podcasts.

14/08/2026

New Episode! "97. Are You One Of The People You Try To Please (Part 2 of 2), with Lori Montry"

People pleasing is a habit that affects so many of us in midlife, often masquerading as kindness or duty. While we all want to care for our loved ones, it becomes a problem when it constantly drains our energy, causes stress, and negatively impacts our nervous system.

In this episode, which is part two of our two-week focus on the topic, I welcome Lori Montry. Lori is an author, a somatic practitioner, an educator, and the founder of the You're Not the Problem movement. We dive deep into why people pleasing is actually a nervous system adaptation designed for safety, why simply trying to force boundaries usually backfires, and how midlife provides the perfect opportunity to finally step into the starring role of your own life.

What You’ll Learn:
The Safety Strategy: Why people pleasing isn't a character defect, but rather an evolutionary adaptation wired into our DNA to keep us safe and connected.

Alignment vs. Capacity: How to evaluate your "yeses" by asking yourself not only if a choice aligns with your values, but if you actually have the energetic capacity for it.

The Midlife Shift: How the decline of estrogen and the natural transitions of our 40s and 50s give us the internal push to explore what we truly want in our next phase of life.

Links & Resources:
Sponsor: Get 10% off Vitamin G with code MINDYOURMIDLIFE
Lori's Website & Free Resources: lorimontry.com
Lori's book: You're Not the Problem
Listen to Part 1: Episode 96
Cheryl's Midlife Recharge: cherylpfischer.com/recharge
Episode Chapters:
00:00:00 - Intro To People Pleasing
00:01:11 - Sponsor Vitamin G
00:01:47 - Part Two Focus And Guest
00:04:16 - Lori’s Pivot From Law
00:09:42 - What People Pleasing Really Means
00:12:39 - When Pleasing Becomes A Safety Plan
00:16:13 - Why You Cannot Just Stop
00:20:01 - Stop Being A Supporting Character
00:21:31 - Midlife Pressures And Hormone Shifts
00:23:34 - Change Without Fighting Yourself
00:27:25 - Values Versus Capacity In Real Life
00:29:39 - [Ad] Unbreakable and Irreplaceable: The Self-Loyal Woman
00:29:40 - (Cont.) Values Versus Capacity In Real Life
00:31:03 - Weekly Review And Body Wisdom
00:32:47 - Somatics And Where To Find Lori
00:39:07 - Closing Thoughts And Intuition Reminder

Why This Episode Matters By understanding that your people-pleasing habits were originally designed to protect you, you can stop fighting yourself and start gently guiding your nervous system toward true authenticity. It’s time to stop being a supporting character and become the main character in your own life.

Take a little bit better care of yourself in midlife.

Support the show
🌸 Liked this episode? Share it with fellow Gen X women navigating hormone balance, an empty nest, and/or self-confidence!

🫶 Love this show? Leave a review to help more women over 50 find us.

💡Want menopause advice, mindset shifts, or support with midlife transformation?
Find out more about the Midlife Recharge at cherylpfischer.com/recharge
Let’s talk health after 50, self-talk, and redefining aging for women — without the “midlife crisis” narrative. Every week I'm adding new success strategies for midlife women.

Connect with Cheryl: Instagram | LinkedIn | Website
---------------

💡If you are a brand or business wanting to reach an audience of women in their 40s and 50s who are focused on health, success, and taking care of themselves and others well in this stage of life, consider sponsoring Mind Your Midlife podcast. More information here.

People pleasing is a habit that affects so many of us in midlife, often masquerading as kindness or duty. While we all want to care for our loved ones, it becomes a…

07/08/2026

New Episode! "96. How to Stop People Pleasing and Start Trusting Yourself in Midlife (Part 1 of 2)"

There is a habit that drains the energy of so many women in their 40s and 50s, yet we struggle to break free from it: people-pleasing. We often spend our days managing what other people are feeling, worrying about being perceived as rude, and agonizing over every decision so we don't upset anyone.

In this episode, we tackle the exhaustion of constantly accommodating others and avoiding conflict. This is part one of a two-part series on people-pleasing (so stay tuned next week as well!). We dive into why Generation X women were often conditioned to be agreeable "good girls," how always saying yes drains your self-trust, and actionable ways to shift from simply being "nice" to being truly kind.

What You’ll Learn:
The Root of People-Pleasing: Discover how "good girl" conditioning and a subconscious desire to control other people's emotions drive us to be accommodating.

The Hidden Costs of Always Saying Yes: Learn how saying yes when you mean no builds up a "resentment account" that eventually leads to passive-aggressive behavior or burnout.

The Erosion of Self-Trust: Understand how constantly deferring to other people's instincts and decisions causes you to stop trusting your own gut feelings and opinions.

How to Stop Over-Apologizing: Get practical strategies to replace unnecessary apologies with expressions of gratitude, and learn why it is not your job to fix it when someone gets upset about your boundaries.

Episode Chapters:
00:00 - Are You A People Pleaser
04:01 - Rude Vs Nice Vs Kind
09:42 - Why We Default To Nice
14:35 - The Hidden Costs Of Pleasing
22:15 - Spot The Pattern In Real Time
26:43 - Let People Feel Their Feelings
31:20 - Midlife Is Too Short

Links & Resources:
Cheryl's Midlife Recharge: cherylpfischer.com/coaching
Episode 93 with Ellen Baker: Good Girl Conditioning

Episode 95 with Stephanie Malia Krauss: Dealing with Depletion and Burnout

Episode 97: Somatic Healing for People-Pleasing (Coming Next Week!)

Why This Episode Matters By learning to stop managing other people's emotions, you can rebuild your self-trust and stop draining your mental energy on worry.

Take a little bit better care of yourself in midlife.

Support the show
🌸 Liked this episode? Share it with fellow Gen X women navigating hormone balance, an empty nest, and/or self-confidence!

🫶 Love this show? Leave a review to help more women over 50 find us.

💡Want menopause advice, mindset shifts, or support with midlife transformation?
Find out more about the Midlife Recharge at cherylpfischer.com/recharge
Let’s talk health after 50, self-talk, and redefining aging for women — without the “midlife crisis” narrative. Every week I'm adding new success strategies for midlife women.

Connect with Cheryl: Instagram | LinkedIn | Website
---------------

💡If you are a brand or business wanting to reach an audience of women in their 40s and 50s who are focused on health, success, and taking care of themselves and others well in this stage of life, consider sponsoring Mind Your Midlife podcast. More information here.

There is a habit that drains the energy of so many women in their 40s and 50s, yet we struggle to break free from it: people-pleasing. We often spend our days manag…

31/07/2026

New Episode! "95. Depletion vs Burnout and How to Reclaim Your Energy in Midlife, with Stephanie Malia Krauss"

The constant, crushing overwhelm of modern life affects so many of us in our 40s and 50s, yet we tend to internalize it as if it's our personal issue. We often feel like we are failing to balance it all, caught between caring for aging parents and raising children, all while dealing with our own midlife body changes, career pressures, and a 24-hour news cycle designed to keep us hooked.

In this episode, I welcome author, speaker, and strategist Stephanie Malia Krauss. Stephanie is the author of How We Thrive, a book exploring the urgent need to protect our "human essentials"—like sleep, connection, and play—which modern life constantly restricts. We dive deep into why midlife feels like "compressed, catastrophic living," the four "storms" of modern life that are depleting us, and how to practice "rehumaning" to finally replenish your energy.

What You’ll Learn:
✔ The Four Storms of Modern Life: How being overtapped, overworked, overstimulated, and overwrought combine to create extreme volatility and drain our energy.

✔ The "Third Quarter" Squeeze: Why navigating a 100-year lifespan means midlife women are managing complex obligations for themselves as well as loved ones in their first, second, and fourth quarters of life.

✔ The Practice of Rehumaning: How to protect your 14 human essentials through reflexive, routine, radical, and rapid everyday choices.

✔ Depletion vs. Burnout: The empowering realization that feeling depleted is not the same as being burned out, meaning you actually have the power to be replenished.

Episode Chapters:
00:00 - Constant Stress In Modern Midlife
02:25 - Grab The Self-Care Menu
06:10 - Why These Storms Hit Caregivers
12:30 - The Four Over Conditions Explained
20:10 - Humane Tech And Breaking The Hook
26:20 - What Rehumaning Means In Practice
33:40 - Easy Wins For Sleep And Connection
39:50 - Reflexive Routine Radical Rapid Rehumaning
44:40 - When You Need Help Or Change
47:20 - Depletion Not Burnout Final Takeaway

Links & Resources:
Cheryl's Free Self-Care Menu: cherylpfischer.com/selfcaremenu
Stephanie's Website & Free Resources: rehumaning.com
Stephanie's Book: How We Thrive
Why This Episode Matters By understanding that your exhaustion isn't a personal failing, but rather a reaction to an unnatural modern world, you can begin to reclaim your human essentials. Small, simple shifts can right-size your life and replenish your spirit for the decades to come.

Take a little bit better care of yourself in midlife.

It's Substack launch week! Join us at mindyourmidlife.substack.com and grab your 20% off annual subscription by July 31st.

Find the GreenSynergy Elixir and Energy Fizz duo at cherylpfischer.com/greens. Grab your water bottle, add these, and enjoy!

Grab your Vitamin G pixie sticks for detoxification and wellness at cherylpfischer.com/vitaming.

Support the show
🌸 Liked this episode? Share it with fellow Gen X women navigating hormone balance, an empty nest, and/or self-confidence!

🫶 Love this show? Leave a review to help more women over 50 find us.

💡Want menopause advice, mindset shifts, or support with midlife transformation?
Find out more about the Midlife Recharge at cherylpfischer.com/coaching
Join the inner circle by subscribing on Substack: mindyourmidlife.substack.com
Let’s talk health after 50, self-talk, and redefining aging for women — without the “midlife crisis” narrative. Every week I'm adding new success strategies for midlife women.

Connect with Cheryl: Instagram | LinkedIn | Website

The constant, crushing overwhelm of modern life affects so many of us in our 40s and 50s, yet we tend to internalize it as if it's our personal issue. We often feel…

24/07/2026

New Episode! "94. Resilience and Hope When There Is No Happy Ending"

Many of us in midlife are navigating situations with no happy ending. We struggle with how to stay positive when facing the harsh realities of aging parents, chronic illness, or deep loss.

In this episode, a follow-up to the popular conversation on "getting your hopes up" (Episode 86), I explore what happens when the hard thing happens anyway.

I'm sharing my personal journey of navigating my mom's Parkinson's diagnosis, the ongoing grieving process we face as caregivers, and why falling into the pessimism trap only makes things harder. We dive into redefining hope, understanding true resilience, and how to safely process the heavy emotions that come with midlife challenges.

What You’ll Learn:
✔ Scalable Hope: How to redefine getting your hopes up when there isn't a magic fix by looking forward to small moments

✔ The True Meaning of Resilience: Why bouncing back doesn't mean ignoring pain, and how having a healthy relationship with resilience prevents you from feeling defeated

✔ Processing Pain Safely: Why shoving down negative emotions leads to physical symptoms, and actionable tools—like tapping, journaling, or finding "glimmers"—to help you feel and release the hard stuff

Episode Chapters:
00:00:00 - Getting Hopes Up Part Two

00:02:29 - Why Lowering Expectations Hurts Twice

00:04:00 - When There Is No Happy Ending

00:05:45 - Caring For A Sick Parent

00:09:39 - Redefining Hope In Small Wins

00:13:11 - What Resilience Really Means

00:17:55 - Stop Ignoring The Hard Feelings

00:25:59 - Glimmers Self Care And Next Steps
Links & Resources:
Mind Your Midlife on Substack: mindyourmidlife.substack.com
Episode 86: Don't Get Your Hopes Up
Story Cycle Resource: The Wheel of Emotions

Menu of Self-Care Options: cherylpfischer.com/self-care-menu
Midlife Coaching: cherylpfischer.com/recharge
Why This Episode Matters By stripping away the pressure to just "be happy" and instead allowing ourselves to process pain, we build the true resilience needed to navigate midlife's toughest challenges.

Take a little bit better care of yourself in midlife.

Find the GreenSynergy Elixir and Energy Fizz duo at cherylpfischer.com/greens. Grab your water bottle, add these, and enjoy!

Grab your Vitamin G pixie sticks for detoxification and wellness at cherylpfischer.com/vitaming.

Support the show
🌸 Liked this episode? Share it with fellow Gen X women navigating hormone balance, an empty nest, and/or self-confidence!

🫶 Love this show? Leave a review to help more women over 50 find us.

💡Want menopause advice, mindset shifts, or support with midlife transformation?
Find out more about the Midlife Recharge at cherylpfischer.com/coaching
Join the inner circle by subscribing on Substack: mindyourmidlife.substack.com
Let’s talk health after 50, self-talk, and redefining aging for women — without the “midlife crisis” narrative. Every week I'm adding new success strategies for midlife women.

Connect with Cheryl: Instagram | LinkedIn | Website

Many of us in midlife are navigating situations with no happy ending. We struggle with how to stay positive when facing the harsh realities of aging parents, chroni…

17/07/2026

New Episode! "93. Escaping the Good Girl Trap and Rewriting Your Midlife Story, with Ellen Baker"

There is a perfect storm of transitions that hits women in our 40s, 50s, and 60s: kids leaving home, aging parents, prep for retirement, and menopause. With so much happening at once, it is completely normal to feel frustrated, unfulfilled, or a little bit lost. We often spend our days running on an exhausting loop of "I have to" and forget that we actually have a choice.

In this episode, I welcome successful novelist and mindset coach Ellen Baker. Ellen is the author of four novels, including her latest release, Summerland Cove, and the creator of the Next Chapter Studio. We dive into how the "good girl" conditioning keeps us playing small, why we need to stop outsourcing our authority to others, and how to rewrite your beliefs so you can finally become the main character in your own life.

What You’ll Learn:
✔ "Good Girl" Conditioning: How ingrained beliefs to stay small, blend in, and constantly prove ourselves keep us stuck in an exhausting cycle.

✔ Outsourcing Authority: How to recognize when you are giving your power away by constantly scanning the room to fix everyone else's problems.

✔ The Power of a Small Pivot: Why making a tiny, one-degree shift in your choices—like asking yourself what you need in the moment—can completely change the trajectory of your life.

Episode Chapters:
00:00:00 - Escaping The 'Have To' Loop

00:01:05 - Inner Circle And Support Space

00:02:13 - Why Midlife Can Feel Lost

00:04:38 - Ellen Baker’s Reinvention Story

00:12:51 - Emotions Point To Misalignment

00:16:46 - The Belief That Blocks Rest

00:23:25 - Author Your Life With Authority

00:27:31 - Trading Obligation For Choice

00:31:10 - Fictional Mirror And Tiny Pivots

00:34:02 - Find Ellen And Closing Reminder

Links & Resources:
Ellen's Website: Ellenbakernovels.com
The Next Chapter Studio: EllenbakerNovels.com/studio
Ellen's Instagram:
Ellen's Book: Summerland Cove
Substack - Subscribe as a Founding Member! mindyourmidlife.substack.com
Why This Episode Matters
By checking in with your own needs and changing your internal narrative from "I have to" to "I choose to," you can reclaim your agency and find peace even amid midlife chaos.

Take a little bit better care of yourself in midlife.

---------------

Find the GreenSynergy Elixir and Energy Fizz duo at cherylpfischer.com/greens. Grab your water bottle, add these, and enjoy!

Grab your Vitamin G pixie sticks for detoxification and wellness at cherylpfischer.com/vitaming.

Support the show
🌸 Liked this episode? Share it with fellow Gen X women navigating hormone balance, an empty nest, and/or self-confidence!

🫶 Love this show? Leave a review to help more women over 50 find us.

💡Want menopause advice, mindset shifts, or support with midlife transformation?
Find out more about the Midlife Recharge at cherylpfischer.com/coaching
Join the inner circle by subscribing on Substack: mindyourmidlife.substack.com
Let’s talk health after 50, self-talk, and redefining aging for women — without the “midlife crisis” narrative. Every week I'm adding new success strategies for midlife women.

Connect with Cheryl: Instagram | LinkedIn | Website

There is a perfect storm of transitions that hits women in our 40s, 50s, and 60s: kids leaving home, aging parents, prep for retirement, and menopause. With so much…

11/07/2026

4 Star Review: Exceptional

"Cheryl has an innate ability to draw out what is truly important for us midlife women in every episode. Listening is 100 percent time well spent every single time!"

Exceptional. Published July 8, 2026 by Lori Montry on Apple Podcasts.

10/07/2026

New Episode! "92. Assuming What Others Think is a Trap; The Story in Your Head May Be Wrong"

Have you ever been in a situation where you are absolutely convinced, 100% convinced, that you know what someone else is thinking about you? I think the answer to that for all of us is yes! We convince ourselves we know what our partners, bosses, or friends are thinking, and it causes us a lot of unnecessary struggle.

Today we're diving into the mind-reading cognitive distortion—the false belief that we know exactly what is going on in someone else's head. Drawing on insights from Tara Mohr's book, Playing Big, we explore why women are so conditioned to care about what others think, how we project our own insecurities onto the people around us, and actionable ways to step out of this mental trap.

What You’ll Learn:
✔ The "Mind-Reading" Distortion: Why we falsely believe we know what someone else is thinking and why we almost always assume it's negative.

✔ The Projection Trap: How our own uncomfortable feelings and insecurities—like worrying about our changing midlife bodies or learning new skills—are often projected onto others as a defense mechanism.

✔ The Power of the "Boring" Explanation: How to challenge your assumptions by looking for simple, everyday reasons for someone else's behavior.

✔ Unhooking from Criticism: Why the feedback you receive actually tells you more about the person giving it than it does about you.

Episode Chapters:
00:00 - The trap of being convinced you know what others are thinking

01:07 - Exciting news: The launch of the new Mind Your Midlife Inner Circle on Substack!

03:43 - Real-life struggles and the "mind-reading" cognitive distortion

07:10 - How we project our midlife insecurities onto our spouses and bosses

10:52 - Lessons from Tara Mohr's Playing Big and unhooking from praise

13:41 - Relational focus, good girl conditioning, and why we care so much

19:11 - Finding the evidence and the "boring" explanation for people's behavior

20:50 - Changing your perspective on negative feedback and trusting your gut

Links & Resources:
Join the brand new community: Mind Your Midlife Inner Circle on Substack (Get 20% off the annual membership fee during the July 2026 launch!)

Link to join the launch party: mindyourmidlife.substack.com/launchparty
Grab Tara's book Playing Big here: cherylpfischer.com/read
Why This Episode Matters
By recognizing that you cannot truly know what other people are thinking, you can free yourself from the exhausting cycle of seeking external validation. Trust your gut, trust the simplest explanations, and avoid letting imagined judgments hold you back.

Take a little bit better care of yourself in midlife.

Find the GreenSynergy Elixir and Energy Fizz duo at cherylpfischer.com/greens. Grab your water bottle, add these, and enjoy!

Grab your Vitamin G pixie sticks for detoxification and wellness at cherylpfischer.com/vitaming.

Support the show
🌸 Liked this episode? Share it with fellow Gen X women navigating hormone balance, an empty nest, and/or self-confidence!

🫶 Love this show? Leave a review to help more women over 50 find us.

💡Want menopause advice, mindset shifts, or support with midlife transformation?
Find out more about the Midlife Recharge at cherylpfischer.com/coaching
Join the inner circle by subscribing on Substack: mindyourmidlife.substack.com
Let’s talk health after 50, self-talk, and redefining aging for women — without the “midlife crisis” narrative. Every week I'm adding new success strategies for midlife women.

Connect with Cheryl: Instagram | LinkedIn | Website

Have you ever been in a situation where you are absolutely convinced, 100% convinced, that you know what someone else is thinking about you? I think the answer to t…

03/07/2026

New Episode! "91. Meditation Even When You Can't Stop Overthinking, with Lauri Stern"

We know that meditation could help with the stress and upheaval of midlife (or we've at least heard that somewhere). Yet, so many of us feel like we just can't stop our brains from running a mile a minute, leaving us feeling guilty that we can't get meditation right. Today energetic wellness strategist and yoga teacher Lauri Stern joins me to help. Lauri is the host of The Real and the Woo podcast and the founder of Custom Designed Wellness. We discuss a totally different approach to mi...

We know that meditation could help with the stress and upheaval of midlife (or we've at least heard that somewhere). Yet, so many of us feel like we just can't stop…

Mind Your Midlife Podcast

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