The light is back, and apparently so am I
Winter doesn’t break me, but it does make my life smaller. I move less, want less, reach for less. Then the days lengthen, the air… Read More »The light is back, and apparently so am I
Em
We aren’t bound to the first draft
There are moments when I catch myself doing something simply because I’ve always done it. It’s usually something completely ordinary. Standing in the kitchen on… Read More »We aren’t bound to the first draft
What I’ve kept through every version of me
I found an old bullet journal the other day. Nothing particularly exciting. Just one of those notebooks I’d apparently bought with the very serious intention… Read More »What I’ve kept through every version of me
Living in alignment starts with noticing your midlife priorities
I used to think alignment was something you found … like it was hiding out there somewhere, waiting for me to stumble across it if… Read More »Living in alignment starts with noticing your midlife priorities
I’ve been waiting to feel different before I started
I’ve spent an embarrassing amount of my life waiting. Waiting until Monday. Waiting until next month. Waiting until work settled down. Waiting until I had… Read More »I’ve been waiting to feel different before I started
When helpful habits become heavy rules
I realised something recently. My blog was completely ruining my Sundays. And, sometimes, my Saturdays. Sounds a bit dramatic. Especially considering how much I love… Read More »When helpful habits become heavy rules
The woman I keep meeting on holiday
Half an hour ago (as I write this) my phone rang. It was my big brother. “Just doing the post-holiday welfare checks,” he said, laughing.… Read More »The woman I keep meeting on holiday
The quiet strengths we forget to count
The other day I was updating my LinkedIn profile and found myself staring at that familiar list of skills. The usual suspects. And it got… Read More »The quiet strengths we forget to count
Why I say I’m fine (when I’m really not)
“Hey Em, how are you doing today?” they asked. Without hesitation, I replied: “I’m fine thanks, how are you?” I can’t be sure — because… Read More »Why I say I’m fine (when I’m really not)
Who am I now? The midlife identity shift catching many of us off guard
At some point (and it rarely announces itself) you catch yourself mid-sentence, mid-task, mid-perfectly ordinary Tuesday, and something doesn’t quite add up. Like a note… Read More »Who am I now? The midlife identity shift catching many of us off guard
Why do I feel guilty for resting? (It’s not what you think)
You sit down. Finally. And almost immediately, something in your brain objects. A low hum of unease. A mental inventory of everything still undone. The… Read More »Why do I feel guilty for resting? (It’s not what you think)
People pleasing in midlife: same program, better disguise
There’s a moment I keep having. Someone asks if I’m okay with something — a decision, a plan, a request — and before I’ve even… Read More »People pleasing in midlife: same program, better disguise
Age Like a Girl: an honest review from a midlife woman
I thought I was falling apart. Turns out I was being rebuilt. Midlife can be disorientating. Sometimes you look in the mirror (metaphorically and literally)… Read More »Age Like a Girl: an honest review from a midlife woman
The difference between being liked and being known
You can be surrounded by people who genuinely like you, and still feel completely invisible. Not in a dramatic, no-one-loves-me way. More like … you’re… Read More »The difference between being liked and being known
When did you stop knowing what you wanted?
There’s a question that gets pulled out at dinner parties, workshops, and well-meaning conversations. You know the one. If money were no object, if you… Read More »When did you stop knowing what you wanted?
Inherited beliefs midlife women don’t realise they carry
“I don’t want to seem too pushy.” I heard myself say it before I’d even thought it. I was mid-conversation about something I was requesting… Read More »Inherited beliefs midlife women don’t realise they carry
The self you built for someone else
The self you spend decades performing for other people doesn’t disappear overnight, but midlife has a way of making the gap between who you are… Read More »The self you built for someone else
The types of midlife friendships and why you need them all
Your childhood best friend. Your mum friends. Your work crew. The new ones — the ones you’ve somehow managed to collect in the last few… Read More »The types of midlife friendships and why you need them all
Midlife courage: why it’s important to be a beginner again
Nobody tells you that one of the sneakiest midlife traps is competence. You’ve spent decades getting good at things — good at your job, good… Read More »Midlife courage: why it’s important to be a beginner again
Rest vs recovery in midlife: they are not the same thing
You did everything right. You stayed home, you slept in, you did approximately nothing. And on Monday you were still completely wrecked. If you’ve ever… Read More »Rest vs recovery in midlife: they are not the same thing
Making new friends in midlife: why it’s worth it
Nobody warns you that one of the stranger losses of midlife is the slow fade of social ease. You used to just … make friends.… Read More »Making new friends in midlife: why it’s worth it