Subscribe
Share
Share
Embed
Nourishing Her Midlife Rest: Body & Soul is a podcast for Christian women in their 40s and 50s navigating perimenopause, hormone shifts, exhaustion, burnout, and the changing rhythms of midlife.
Hosted by Bethany Thomson, Registered Dietitian, functional nutritionist, and Christian life coach, this podcast blends functional nutrition, hormone health, whole-person wellness, and grace-filled encouragement to support women in body and soul.
Some episodes are practical and educational—covering topics like perimenopause, hormones, fatigue, inflammation, nervous system support, digestion, stress, and nourishment in midlife.
Others are more reflective and restorative, offering gentle conversations about rest, emotional healing, caregiving, faith, identity, and learning to live with greater steadiness and compassion in seasons of overwhelm.
Whether you feel exhausted, disconnected from yourself, stuck in survival mode, or simply weary from carrying too much for too long, there is space for you here.
Together, we’ll explore a gentler path toward nourishment, steadiness, and rest—body and soul.
Learn more at:
www.ingrainedliving.com
Episode 020 | Why Trying Harder Isn’t Working Anymore in Perimenopause
Last time…
we slowed things down even more.
We stayed with what we were feeling…
and began to listen…
instead of rushing to fix it.
And if you practiced that at all…
you may have noticed something.
That the urge to fix things…
comes on pretty strong.
It feels urgent.
It feels important.
It can even feel… powerful.
Like—
“Okay… this is it.
Now I’m going to get it together.”
Welcome to Nourishing Her Midlife Rest: Body & Soul.
I’m Bethany Thomson—Registered Dietitian, functional nutritionist, and holistic Christian life coach.
This podcast is for weary Christian women navigating perimenopause and the sacred middle seasons of life—
where flourishing isn’t about pushing through,
but about learning to receive: grace, wisdom, and rest—body and soul.
If you’ve been carrying too much…
pushing too hard…
or wondering where the real you has gone—
you’re not alone.
This is a space to breathe again.
To reconnect with your body.
To rest in the care of the Good Shepherd—
who meets you with gentleness in this midlife season.
Because you can’t hack your way to healing…
and you can’t hustle your way to wholeness…
but you can begin to return to rest.
And that’s where we’ll start today.
If you’ve ever found yourself here…
at that point where something has to change…
maybe your body feels different…
your energy is lower…
your weight or your labs have shifted…
and something in you says—
“I can’t keep going like this.”
So you decide…
“This time I’m going to do it.”
You try harder.
You get more disciplined.
You tighten things up.
And for a moment…
it feels like you’re back in control.
But what I want to gently show you is this:
That surge of “I’ve got this”…
isn’t actually what builds something that lasts.
Because reacting can feel powerful…
but steadiness is what actually creates change that holds.
And most of us were never really shown the difference.
We’ve been surrounded by messages that say:
try harder
be more disciplined
push through
start over
do more
So it makes sense…
that when something feels off…
your instinct is to respond quickly.
And for many women…
that response looks like tightening.
And for some of you…
that urgency might look like deciding you need to do a full detox…
or cutting out sugar overnight…
or suddenly trying to be “perfect” with your food…
not because your body asked for it…
but because something in you feels like it has to fix this… now.
And those things can sound like care…
but when they’re coming from urgency…
they often create more stress than support.
Sometimes…
even the desire to finally take care of yourself…
starts to come out as pressure.
And here’s what’s happening underneath that.
When your body feels urgency…
pressure…
or panic…
it shifts into a stress response.
Your body moves into protection mode.
Not because something is wrong with you—
but because your body is trying to keep you safe.
But from that place…
everything becomes harder.
Your hunger cues get disrupted.
Cravings can increase.
Your energy becomes less stable.
And the very things you’re trying to manage…
become harder to manage.
So what often happens is this cycle:
You try harder…
you tighten more…
and when it doesn’t hold…
you feel frustrated…
or defeated…
and you end up right back where you started.
Not because you’re failing…
but because your body doesn’t thrive under that kind of pressure.
It doesn’t heal well from urgency.
It doesn’t respond well
when everything suddenly feels like something to fix.
And sometimes…
it’s not just how hard you’re trying…
it’s that you’ve been given so many different messages
about what you should be doing…
that you end up putting your energy into things
that don’t actually match
what your body needs right now.
And that can feel exhausting…
because you’re trying…
but it’s not creating
the kind of support your body is actually asking for.
So the invitation here…
is not to try harder.
It’s to begin to notice
when you’re moving from that place of urgency.
And instead of reacting from it…
to pause…
just enough…
to take one slow breath…
before deciding what to do next.
Because urgency is fast…
but that doesn’t mean it’s taking you
where you actually want to go.
And the way you respond to your body in this season
will shape not just your health—
but your peace…
your energy…
and how you experience your life.
And I want to gently ask you something:
Where have you been reacting out of urgency…
to what you’ve been noticing in your body
in this midlife season…
instead of choosing something steadier?
And what might it be like…
to meet that moment
with steadiness…
instead of urgency?
Just take a moment here…
Not with criticism.
Not with shame.
Just with awareness.
Because awareness…
is where this begins to shift.
And for now…
that’s enough.
You don’t need to overhaul everything.
You don’t need to figure it all out today.
Just noticing…
when that urgency rises…
is already a different way forward.
And you may even begin to notice…
you’re becoming a woman
who responds to her body
with steadiness instead of urgency.
And next time…
we’re going to begin to explore…
what it looks like
to move out of that urgency…
and into something more steady…
in a way that actually supports your body.
And if you’re finding yourself in a season where things feel tight…
or urgent… or unclear…
and you’re longing for support in building something steady—
you don’t have to figure that out alone.
If you’d like to work together,
you can visit ingrainedliving.com
to learn more about the ways I support women in midlife
through nutrition therapy and holistic life coaching.
I’d be honored to walk with you.
And if this episode met you in a tender place…
would you consider sharing it with a friend
who might need that same kind of gentle support?
Or leaving a review—
it helps this message reach more women
who are quietly carrying the same things.
Until next time, dear one—
You are not failing because trying harder isn’t working…
You may just be ready
for a steadier way forward.
Grace and peace,
Bethany
And if you practiced that at all…
you may have noticed something.
That the urge to fix things…
comes on pretty strong.
It feels urgent.
It feels important.
It can even feel… powerful.
Like—
“Okay… this is it.
Now I’m going to get it together.”
Welcome to Nourishing Her Midlife Rest: Body & Soul.
I’m Bethany Thomson—Registered Dietitian, functional nutritionist, and holistic Christian life coach.
This podcast is for weary Christian women navigating perimenopause and the sacred middle seasons of life—
where flourishing isn’t about pushing through,
but about learning to receive: grace, wisdom, and rest—body and soul.
If you’ve been carrying too much…
pushing too hard…
or wondering where the real you has gone—
you’re not alone.
This is a space to breathe again.
To reconnect with your body.
To rest in the care of the Good Shepherd—
who meets you with gentleness in this midlife season.
Because you can’t hack your way to healing…
and you can’t hustle your way to wholeness…
but you can begin to return to rest.
And that’s where we’ll start today.
If you’ve ever found yourself here…
at that point where something has to change…
maybe your body feels different…
your energy is lower…
your weight or your labs have shifted…
and something in you says—
“I can’t keep going like this.”
So you decide…
“This time I’m going to do it.”
You try harder.
You get more disciplined.
You tighten things up.
And for a moment…
it feels like you’re back in control.
But what I want to gently show you is this:
That feeling…
that surge of “I’ve got this”…
isn’t actually what builds something that lasts.
Because reacting can feel powerful…
but steadiness is what actually creates change that holds.
And most of us were never really shown the difference.
We’ve been surrounded by messages that say:
try harder
be more disciplined
push through
start over
do more
So it makes sense…
that when something feels off…
your instinct is to respond quickly.
And for many women…
that response looks like tightening.
Cutting things out.
Pushing harder.
Overthinking everything.
Trying to finally “get it right.”
Sometimes…
even the desire to finally take care of yourself…
starts to come out as pressure.
And here’s what’s happening underneath that.
When your body feels urgency…
pressure…
or panic…
it shifts into a stress response.
Your body moves into protection mode.
Not because something is wrong with you—
but because your body is trying to keep you safe.
But from that place…
everything becomes harder.
Your hunger cues get disrupted.
Cravings can increase.
Your energy becomes less stable.
And the very things you’re trying to manage…
become harder to support.
So what often happens is this cycle:
You try harder…
you tighten more…
and when it doesn’t hold…
you feel frustrated…
or defeated…
and you end up right back where you started.
Not because you’re failing…
but because your body doesn’t thrive under that kind of pressure.
It doesn’t heal well from urgency.
It doesn’t respond well
when everything suddenly becomes something to fix.
And sometimes…
it’s not just how hard you’re trying…
it’s that you’ve been given so many different messages
about what you should be doing…
that you end up putting your energy into things
that don’t actually match
what your body needs right now.
And that can feel exhausting…
because you’re trying…
but it’s not creating
the kind of support your body is actually asking for.
So the invitation here…
is not to try harder.
It’s to begin to notice
when you’re moving from that place of urgency.
And instead of reacting from it…
to pause…
just enough
to respond more steadily.
Because urgency is fast…
but that doesn’t mean it’s taking you
where you actually want to go.
And I want to gently ask you something:
Where have you been reacting out of urgency…
to what you’ve been noticing in your body
in this midlife season…
instead of choosing something steadier?
And what might it be like…
to meet that moment
with steadiness…
instead of urgency?
Just take a moment here…
Not with criticism.
Not with shame.
Just with awareness.
Because awareness…
is where this begins to shift.
And for now…
that’s enough.
You don’t need to overhaul everything.
You don’t need to figure it all out today.
Just noticing…
when that urgency rises…
is already a different way forward.
And next time…
we’re going to begin to explore…
what it looks like
to move out of that urgency…
and into something more steady…
in a way that actually supports your body.
And if you’re finding yourself in a season where things feel tight…
or urgent… or unclear…
and you’re longing for support in building something steady—
you don’t have to figure that out alone.
If you’d like to work together,
you can visit ingrainedliving.com
to learn more about the ways I support women in midlife
through nutrition therapy and holistic life coaching.
I’d be honored to walk with you.
And if this episode met you in a tender place…
would you consider sharing it with a friend
who might need that same kind of gentle support?
Or leaving a review—
it helps this message reach more women
who are quietly carrying the same things.
Until next time, dear one—
You are not failing because trying harder isn’t working…
You may just be ready
for a steadier way forward.
Grace and peace,
Bethany