Hello My Friend,

Week 4: Body Your body is not just something to fix… it is something to care for

Over the past three weeks, we've been walking through this Midlife Awakening Series together — Awakening, Identity, and Healing.

And once a woman starts doing that deeper work? The next place it almost always lands is the body.

Welcome to Week 4. And I want to say this right up front:

This conversation is not just about weight.

It's not just about food, workouts, or looking better. It's about the relationship you have with your body. And for a lot of women, that relationship has been at war for a long, long time.

Most women were taught to criticize their bodies — not care for them.

From a very early age, so many of us learned to judge, compare, shrink, and manage our bodies. We learned to ask "What needs fixing?" before we ever asked "What does my body need?"

And after years of that, the inner critic can get really loud: I hate my stomach. I've let myself go. I'll feel better once I fix this.

But here's the truth: criticism doesn't create peace. It might create pressure or temporary motivation — but it doesn't create a healthy, lasting relationship with your body.

You can't keep speaking to your body like an enemy and wonder why the relationship feels broken.

Midlife changes the body — and that brings up a lot.

Less energy. Changes in weight, hormones, sleep, and recovery. A body that responds differently than it used to.

That's not just physically frustrating. It's emotional.

It can bring up grief, fear, loss of confidence, and a feeling of disconnection — like you no longer recognize yourself. That is real, and it deserves compassion.

Because for many women, this isn't just about "getting healthier." It's about learning how to relate to a changing body with more wisdom and less war.

Body grief is real.

More women need permission to admit this.

You might be grieving the energy you used to have. The ease. The confidence. The years spent fighting your body instead of caring for it. Even the peaceful relationship with your body you never really got to have.

That grief isn't shallow or silly. And when it goes unnamed, it often turns into harsher self-talk, more shame, and more hopelessness.

But when you name it honestly? Something softens. You can finally say: This is hard. This is tender. And I want to build something better from here.

Your body is not just an appearance project.

This is one of the biggest mindset shifts of this whole pillar.

Your body is not just something to be looked at. It's something to be lived in. It's where you breathe, move, rest, feel, carry stress, carry memory, and experience your actual life.

The body you criticize may also be the body that got you through heartbreak, showed up through hard seasons, kept you moving, and kept you alive.

That doesn't mean you have to instantly love everything about it. But it does mean your body deserves more than judgment alone.

There's a difference between punishment and stewardship.

A lot of women approach their bodies through punishment: I hate this. I need to get control. I have to force this.

Stewardship sounds different: My body deserves care. I want to nourish it. I want to work with my body, not against it.

Punishment creates panic. Stewardship builds trust.

And what most women in midlife need isn't more body war. It's a more respectful relationship.

Dignity should not be delayed.

This one matters so much to me.

So many women put off dignity until after transformation — I'll buy better clothes when I lose the weight. I'll show up more when I look different.

But that teaches you that your current body isn't worthy of beauty, care, style, or joy.

You can have body goals and treat yourself with dignity right now. Dress with care now. Nourish yourself now. Take the photo now. Stop speaking to yourself with disgust now.

Your body doesn't need to become different before it deserves respect.

This week's invitation.

You don't need to fix everything this week. Just gently ask yourself:

• What story have I been carrying about my body?
• How do I usually speak to my body?
• What am I grieving about my body in this season?
• Where have I been punishing instead of caring?
• What would stewardship look like for me right now?

Because sometimes the first step isn't changing your body.

Sometimes it's changing the relationship.

Listen to the coordinating podcast episode.

Head over to The Midlife GlowGetter Podcast – Episode 4: Body for a deeper conversation on everything we covered here. It's the perfect companion to this week's newsletter.

Want to go deeper with me?

If this week stirred something in you, I want to tell you about something exciting coming soon.

I'm opening a free beta round of:

The Midlife GlowGetter Awakening Virtual Coaching Experience

An 8-week group coaching experience for 10 women over 40 who are ready to do the deeper work — together.

• No cost
• 8 weeks: May 31 – July 19, 2026
• Every Sunday evening, 6:30–8:00 PM EST
• Includes a workbook, weekly exercises, a private community, and guided coaching through all 8 pillars

Just reply to this email and say: "I'm interested in The Midlife GlowGetter Awakening Virtual Coaching Experience."

I'll add your name to the list.

If this week brought up tenderness — if you realized how much emotion, grief, or shame has been tied to your body — please know this:

Your body is not a problem to solve.

It's a relationship to rebuild.

And maybe this next chapter isn't about becoming harsher with yourself. Maybe it's about becoming more honest, more respectful, and more caring toward the body that has carried you this far.

With love, Jax 💗

My High Fives This Week

So this is a list of my top 5 favorite things this past week that brought me joy. I thought I'd share this list with you here in my weekly newsletter. Short and Sweet...right to the point.

(Affiliate Links)

​Great Life Book​

​Favorite Body Wash - (Anti-Bacterial)​

​Favorite Deorderant​

​Favorite Facial Glow Serum​

​Favorite Nail Strengthener​

My Two Glow-Ups This Week

My top two Glow-up this week. One woo woo and the other more mainstream and not so woo woo.

Glow-Up 1 - Woo Woo

Hibiscus "Blood-Cooling" Tea

• Practice: Drinking tart hibiscus tea (Sorrel).
• How-To: Steep dried Hibiscus sabdariffa flowers in cold water for 12 hours.
• History: Traditional Egyptian (Karkade) and Caribbean medicine.
• Explanation: It acts as a natural ACE inhibitor, lowering blood pressure and acting as a mild diuretic.
• Solves: Facial flushing (hot flashes) and puffy ankles

Glow-Up - More Main Stream

• Scalp Micro-Circulation Massage
• How-To: Use your fingertips or a silicone scalp brush to massage the scalp in firm, circular motions for 4 minutes daily.
• History: Derived from traditional trichology (the study of hair and scalp) to treat thinning hair.
• Explanation: Increases blood flow to the hair follicles, ensuring they receive the oxygen and nutrients needed for the growth (anagen) phase.

Visit my newly updated website + blog — everything has been refreshed for 2026:​
​www.JaxStys.com​

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