For many women, perimenopause is the first time we begin paying close attention to what our bodies are telling us. Changes in our cycles, sleep, mood, energy and emotions can leave us wondering what’s happening — and why nobody taught us this earlier.
In this episode of The Midlife Rebel Podcast, I’m joined by Katrina Christian to talk about body literacy: learning to recognise, understand and trust the signals our bodies are giving us.
We explore what happens during perimenopause, why symptoms such as rage and emotional changes can feel so confronting, and how greater body awareness can help women advocate for themselves and make more informed decisions about their health.
But our conversation also looks to the next generation. How do we raise girls who understand their bodies from the beginning? Girls who understand their menstrual cycles, recognise what’s normal for them, feel comfortable talking about their health and develop the confidence to ask questions when something doesn’t feel right?
We talk about:
• Body literacy and what it actually means
• Understanding the menstrual cycle beyond periods and fertility
• Perimenopause, hormones and the nervous system
• Rage, emotional changes and the things we may have been tolerating for years
• Learning to recognise your body's own patterns
• Advocating for yourself in women’s healthcare
• The body education many women never received
• Raising girls with greater body awareness and self-trust
• Changing the conversation about women’s bodies across generations
This is a conversation about understanding the body you’re living in — at midlife and long before we get there.
Because the more we understand our bodies, the better equipped we are to work with them throughout every stage of life.
Subscribe to The Midlife Rebel for more conversations about health, identity, purpose and navigating midlife on your own terms.