As a psychotherapist who specializes in supporting midlife women, I know how big change can be both intimidating and exhilarating. The thing is, it almost always brings growth. Recently, I decided to embrace my own moment of change by expanding my practice to New Orleans. It wasn’t a decision I made lightly—but it was one born from following my intuition and a healthy amount of planning.

We often hear the phrase, “trust your gut,” but many of us struggle to do it. Often anxiety gets loud and we lose our way. Sometimes it can be really challenging to tell the difference between anxiety and intuition.

 In therapy, I encourage clients to reconnect with their intuition because it’s a powerful internal compass, especially during life’s transitional periods. We do this in a variety of ways from somatic exercises to journaling to tarot practice and meditation. It’s easy to get stuck in analysis paralysis, weighing pros and cons, or worrying about what others think. But sometimes, a decision just feels right before all the details align.

You know the drill. You’re going about your day and folks here and there ask you how you are. It may be the guy at the corner store or your co-worker or maybe even a friend, either way you say you’re fine because that’s the social expectation, and you keep it moving. But really, the first thing that comes to mind is: “I’m so tired.” And it’s so true.

Whether it’s the exhaustion that makes you pass out as soon as your head hits the pillow or the low grade blah that keeps you from ever really waking up during the day, fatigue is one of the most common concerns I hear about when women walk through my virtual office door ….

The concept of the midlife crisis conjured images of grown people grappling with their own mortality and (almost exclusively) making irrational decisions, impulsive purchases, drastic career changes, or experiencing unexpected relationship upheavals.

For women in particular, midlife was (and still is) reduced to anxiety and grief, loss of vitality, perhaps shifting family dynamics, and the end of reproductive years. While these challenges are real and significant, they do not have to define the midlife experience.

Isn’t there more to this pivotal time in our lives? I’m gonna say: absolutely.

That’s what I’m hoping we can talk about now. Because believe it or not, midlife is a gift. Dare I say it, midlife is magical. .