What 55 Episodes Taught Me About Midlife Women

What 55 Episodes Taught Me About Midlife Women

One year. Fifty-five episodes. Countless conversations with women navigating midlife.  When I started Loving That Midlife, I hoped to encourage women through the challenges of this season. What I didn't expect was how much I would learn from all of you.  In this special anniversary episode, I'm sharing the biggest patterns I've noticed after a year of podcasting, coaching, and talking with midlife women. From emotional overload and identity shifts to grief, people-pleasing, and self-criticism, we'll explore what women are really struggling with—and why I have more hope than ever.  If you've ever wondered whether you're doing midlife "right," this episode is a reminder that you're probably doing better than you think.  In this episode, you'll learn:  *  Why so many midlife women feel emotionally exhausted  *  The difference between failing and grieving  *  How midlife exposes patterns that have been there all along  *  Why women are often their own harshest critics  *  What gives me hope after a year of conversations with women just like you  Plus, I'll share a recent anniversary trip to Alaska that reminded me of one of the most important lessons of midlife: life is rarely all good or all bad—it's usually both.   Whether you've been listening since Episode 1 or you're brand new to the podcast, thank you for being part of this community. Here's to another year of learning to love the life we're living right now. If you liked this episode, please share it with a friend! And if you loved this episode, please rate the show and leave a review so others can find it, too.   You can also follow me on my socials: Instagram: @loribuckcoaching Facebook: Lori Buck Coaching Website: www.loribuckcoaching.com  Email: lori@loribuckcoaching.com

How to Actually Enjoy Your Family on Vacation in Midlife

Family vacations can create beautiful memories… and also reveal every unresolved stress response you have. In this relatable summer episode, Lori Buck shares the realities of vacation prep in midlife: the packing, planning, overstimulation, hormonal stress, travel anxiety, emotional labor, and pressure women often carry while trying to make sure everyone else has a good time. This episode will help you: *  stop trying to manage everyone’s emotions,  *  lower unrealistic expectations,  *  enjoy your family without over-functioning,  *  and remember that you deserve to enjoy the vacation too.  If you’re navigating midlife, perimenopause, parenting adult kids, or simply trying to survive summer travel season with your sanity intact, this conversation will make you feel seen. If you liked this episode, please share it with a friend! And if you loved this episode, please rate the show and leave a review so others can find it, too.   You can also follow me on my socials: Instagram: @loribuckcoaching Facebook: Lori Buck Coaching Website: www.loribuckcoaching.com  Email: lori@loribuckcoaching.com

Wake Up to Your Life: How to Find Purpose in the Midlife In-Between

Have you ever found yourself with more space than you've had in years — and somehow that space feels more uncomfortable than you expected? You're not broken. You might just be in the midlife in-between.  In this episode, Lori gets real about her own experience navigating the season after homeschooling ended, her kids grew up, and her days stopped being built around everyone else's needs. And she talks about what she's learning — for herself and with her clients — about how to actually wake up to the life that's right in front of you.  In this episode, you'll hear about:    •  The three things that tangle together in the midlife in-between: lost identity, lost voice, and drift    •  Why "I don't know what I want" is almost never the whole truth — and the coaching question that bypasses it    •  How to use journaling to reclaim a voice you've kept quiet for years    •  Why rhythm matters more than a schedule — and how the things you do consistently become who you're becoming    •  The most important mindset shift for women who are waiting for a better season to start living this one  Plus — a Midlife Moment about what it actually feels like to have 8am to 6pm mostly to yourself for the first time in decades. (Spoiler: it's a little strange. And also kind of good.)  This one is personal. And it might be exactly what you needed to hear today.  If you liked this episode, please share it with a friend! And if you loved this episode, please rate the show and leave a review so others can find it, too.   You can also follow me on my socials: Instagram: @loribuckcoaching Facebook: Lori Buck Coaching Website: www.loribuckcoaching.com  Email: lori@loribuckcoaching.com

Becoming a Mother-in-Law: What to Do (and Not Do) in This New Role

Are you stepping into the role of mother-in-law — or already in it and wondering if you're getting it right? You're not alone. And this episode is for you.  Lori shares the practical advice, mindset shifts, and honest coaching she gives to women navigating one of the most significant new relationships of midlife: the relationship with a child's spouse.  In this episode, you'll hear:    •  The one thing Lori told her own daughter-in-law early on — and why saying the hard thing first builds more trust than anything else    •  Why making the holidays non-negotiable is one of the fastest ways to create resentment (and what to do instead)    •  The truth about unsolicited advice — and why it lands as criticism every single time    •  How to examine the thought "she's taking my child away from me" — and the reframe that changes everything    •  Why holding two truths at once is the key to a healthy mother-in-law relationship  Plus — a tender word for the mother-in-law who is hurting, who is being kept at a distance, or who is watching another grandmother get what she's longing for.  And a Midlife Moment about the quiet surprise of missing your daughter-in-law more than you expected.  This one is full of love — and full of the honest, practical coaching that actually helps.  If you liked this episode, please share it with a friend! And if you loved this episode, please rate the show and leave a review so others can find it, too.   You can also follow me on my socials: Instagram: @loribuckcoaching Facebook: Lori Buck Coaching Website: www.loribuckcoaching.com  Email: lori@loribuckcoaching.com

When Mother’s Day Disappoints You: Expectations, Hurt Feelings & Emotional Adulthood

Mother’s Day can bring flowers, brunch, and sweet social media posts… but for many women, it also brings disappointment.  Maybe you only got a text from your adult kids. Maybe your husband didn’t plan anything. Maybe you spent the weekend celebrating everyone else and ended the day feeling unseen, hurt, or resentful.  In this episode, Lori talks honestly about the emotional expectations many women carry into Mother’s Day, birthdays, and family holidays — and what happens when reality doesn’t match the picture in our heads.  This is not an episode about “never feeling disappointed.” It’s about learning how to recognize:  *  unspoken expectations,  *  the painful stories we tell ourselves,  *  emotional martyrdom,  *  and when disappointment is actually pointing to a real relationship issue that needs attention.  Lori also shares a personal story about one of the biggest arguments in her marriage — and how disappointment eventually led to an important conversation and years of growth.   If you’ve ever ended a holiday feeling hurt, overlooked, emotionally exhausted, or unsure what to do with your disappointment, this episode will help you approach those feelings with more clarity, honesty, and emotional maturity.   In this episode:  *  Why unspoken expectations create resentment  *  The difference between disappointment and rejection  *  How “people are going to people”  *  When mindset work helps — and when a conversation is needed  *  Why emotional adulthood matters in family relationships  *  How to stop handing other people full responsibility for your happiness  You are not wrong for wanting to feel loved and appreciated. But learning what to do with disappointment may change your relationships — and your peace — more than getting the perfect Mother’s Day ever could.   If you liked this episode, please share it with a friend! And if you loved this episode, please rate the show and leave a review so others can find it, too.   You can also follow me on my socials: Instagram: @loribuckcoaching Facebook: Lori Buck Coaching Website: www.loribuckcoaching.com  Email: lori@loribuckcoaching.com