Aging Reimagined: Releasing Stored Pain and Stepping Into Your Next Chapter

Oct 7
3 min read

By Heather Hanson

They call it a “mid-life crisis.”

For many women, it’s painted as an impulsive haircut, a career change, or a sudden urge to buy the red convertible. But the truth is, what we label as “crisis” often runs much deeper.

For some, it’s grief.

Not always the kind wrapped in black and spoken of at funerals—but the quiet, persistent ache of change and loss.

Maybe it’s the end of a marriage.

The shift from full-time mom to an empty nest.

The loss of a job, a friendship, or the version of yourself you thought you’d always be.

Or, like me, it might be the kind of loss that splits your world into “before” and “after.”

When my oldest son died unexpectedly—just 12 days before my 50th birthday—my body became a map of my grief. My chest was tight. My sleep was tormented. My gut hurt and felt empty. My mind was foggy, my energy nonexistent. I wasn’t just feeling loss—I was carrying it.

What I’ve learned, both personally and professionally, is this:

Grief doesn’t just live in your memories. It lives in your body.

Why Your Body Feels Different After Loss

When you experience a loss—whether it’s a person, a role, a dream, or a season of life—your nervous system registers it as danger. Your body shifts into survival mode, flooding you with stress hormones, tightening muscles, and rerouting energy away from digestion, immunity, and healing.

For women over 40, this effect is amplified. Our bodies are already navigating hormonal changes, shifting metabolism, and years of accumulated stress. Add unprocessed grief, and you may see symptoms like:

Fatigue that no amount of coffee fixes
Bloating, gut discomfort, or sudden food sensitivities
Brain fog or memory lapses
Anxiety, irritability, or mood swings
Unexplained weight changes

Too often, these symptoms are dismissed as “just getting older” or “just menopause.” But the truth is, unresolved grief and emotional weight can keep your nervous system stuck in overdrive—making it impossible to feel truly at peace in your body.

Aging Reimagined: Reconnecting With Your Body

What if midlife wasn’t a crisis, but an invitation?

An invitation to pause, listen, and reconnect with yourself—not the version shaped by expectations, but the one your body and soul have been trying to guide you toward all along.

When I work with women through my 16-week programs, we don’t just address symptoms. We create safety in the body, so it’s finally possible to release what’s been stored for years.

Through breathwork, gentle nervous system regulation, somatic release, and mindful nourishment, we create space for both grief and peace to coexist.

Here’s what that looks like:

Slowing down without guilt. Rest stops being a reward and starts being medicine.
Feeling your emotions without fear. You learn that tears won’t break you—they free you.
Nourishing your body in the now. Food stops being a battleground and starts being a way to support your healing.
Designing the next decade intentionally. You decide what matters most, and your daily life starts reflecting it.

Learning to Carry the Unimaginable

Grief isn’t something we “get over.” It becomes a part of who we are. The goal isn’t to erase it—but to learn to carry it without it crushing us.

This is especially true for women in midlife, when so many roles and identities are shifting at once. When you reconnect with your body, you not only process grief—you reclaim the strength, clarity, and joy that grief tried to take.

If you’ve been feeling disconnected from your body, stuck in a cycle of stress, or unable to move forward after loss—know this:

You are not broken.

You are not behind.

And you can create a future where peace and purpose walk beside you, even in the presence of pain.

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