I’m writing this week’s newsletter from my couch… with a bad cold and a cup of tea.
Coughing.
Sore throat.
Blowing my nose constantly.
That foggy head feeling where it’s hard to focus on much of anything.
And while being sick is never fun… I’ve noticed something about myself over the years.
Whenever I get sick like this, I get really reflective.
What Happens When Life Forces You to Slow Down
Maybe it’s because everything slows down.
Or maybe it’s because I’m forced to stop.
But I start thinking about my life in a different way.
I think about how I’ve been taking care of myself.
Am I moving my body in a way that feels good?
Am I eating in a way that supports me?
Am I getting enough sleep?
Or have I been pushing through… telling myself I’ll get back to it later?
I think about my stress level.
Have I been carrying too much?
Saying yes when I really meant no?
Running from one thing to the next without much space in between?
The Questions We Ask When Everything Gets Quiet
And then I zoom out even more.
I start thinking about how I’m spending my time… my days… my life.
Am I present in it?
Am I enjoying it?
Or am I just moving through it… trying to keep up?
And almost every time, I have the same thought:
When I feel better… I want to do things differently.
I want to take better care of myself.
Slow things down a little.
Be more intentional with how I’m living.
Why Midlife Health Requires a Different Kind of Attention
And actually… this is exactly why I’m so excited about the masterclass we have coming up this week.
It’s called The Natural GLP-1 Effect: How to Reset Your Hormones and Release Weight after 40 — and it’s all about supporting your body in a way that works with you, not against you. Vesna Rysdale, scientist turned nutritionist, will be our guest speaker and will share her 23 years of research and experience on how to use food as medicine to lose weight; even while you’re in perimenopause and menopause.
Because so many women in midlife feel like they need to push harder… when in reality, the shift is often about understanding what your body needs now.
If you’ve been thinking about your health, your energy, or how you want to feel in your body… this could be a really powerful place to start.
And you know what else I’ve learned about that motivation we feel when we’re sick and forced to slow down?
It’s honest.
It cuts through the noise.
Because when your body forces you to stop, you can see things more clearly.
What matters.
What doesn’t.
What’s been working… and what hasn’t.
The Real Challenge Is Holding Onto the Realization
The challenge isn’t having those realizations.
The challenge is holding onto them once we feel better.
Once life speeds back up again.
Once the to-do list comes back.
Once everyone needs something from us.
And maybe that’s where the real opportunity is.
Not in waiting for a big reset moment… but in paying attention to what we already know is true.
One Small Way to Choose Yourself Today
This week, even if you’re not sick…
I invite you to pause for a moment and ask yourself:
Where could I take better care of myself right now?
Not in a big, overwhelming way.
But in one small, meaningful way.
Because your life isn’t something you’re meant to just get through.
It’s something you’re meant to feel…
to experience…
to be present in.
And sometimes, it takes being forced to slow down to remember that.
Positively,
Deanne
PS: Maybe today is your moment to choose yourself.
Inside Beyond by Emerge Positive, we focus on exactly that — creating space to reconnect with who you are, what you want, and how you want your life to feel in this next chapter.
If that’s something you’ve been craving, you can learn more here: https://emergepositive.com/beyond-emerge-positive
