Last updated: October 2026 · Podcast episode · 19 minutes
Is self-care in midlife really that important?
Here’s the short answer: yes. Self-care in midlife isn’t a bubble bath you earn after everything else is done. It’s maintenance. It keeps your mind, your body, and your emotions working, so you can handle everything else on your plate. The secret is to plan it on purpose, the same way you’d plan anything else that matters.
In this episode of The Midlife GlowGetter Podcast, I share the new meditation routine I do right in bed, how I time block my self-care every Sunday, and the 6 types of self-care a full week should touch.
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Say these out loud, right where you are. Then say them again and let them sink in.
Yes. I do mine flat on my back, still cozy in bed. I meditate twice a day: once when I wake up and once right before I go to sleep.
I’ve started a meditation practice based on Dr. Joe Dispenza’s work. He’s known for teaching people how to use meditation to change their thoughts and their habits over time. I picked up his meditation workbook and built two practices into my day. A lot of his practices are done sitting up. For me, lying down just works better. I’m not a morning person who wants to sit up the second my eyes open.
My morning meditation. Before I check my phone or get out of bed, I focus on my breath and slow it down. Then I set an intention for how I want to feel that day. Not what I want to get done. How I want to feel. Calm, confident, energized. I sit with that feeling for a few minutes before I start my morning.
My night meditation. At night, I flip it. Instead of setting an intention for the day ahead, I reflect on the day I just had.
Try this: Tomorrow morning, before you touch your phone, take 5 slow breaths and pick one word for how you want to feel.
Because midlife stacks more on your plate at the same time your body is changing. In your 20s and 30s, self-care may have felt optional. In midlife, it needs to be something you plan for.
All of that stacked together is a recipe for burnout. Self-care isn’t about avoiding hard work. It’s how you keep doing hard work without running yourself into the ground.
Time block it, just like work. Put your self-care on the calendar first, then treat those blocks like meetings you can’t move.
Every Sunday, I sit down and time block my whole week. Not loosely. Specifically. Workouts, walks, meal prep, everything showers, reading, journaling, beauty time, shopping time with friends and family, and salon appointments. I treat every block like a job, because to me it is.
What my mornings look like:
My whole morning is built around taking care of myself first, before the rest of the world gets its hands on my day.
What my nights look like: Dinner, a short walk, and a show on Netflix or Amazon Prime (or the news). Then skincare, teeth care, humidifier on, reading, and meditation. Before bed, I look at what I need tomorrow to feel amazing. Not just my to-do list. Those aren’t always the same list, and that matters.
The 6 types of self-care are physical, beauty and style, mental and emotional, social, practical, and rest.
A full week touches most of these. You don’t need all 6 every day. Just make sure none of them gets ignored for weeks at a time. Want ideas? Here are my top 20 self-care practices as a midlife woman.
Decide ahead of time that the answer is no. That time is already spoken for.
Every Sunday, I use my paper planner and my Google Calendar on my iPad to block my self-care right alongside everything else. Those blocks don’t move, the same as a meeting I couldn’t reschedule. Then every evening, I take a few minutes to check tomorrow and make sure my self-care time is still on the schedule.
Something will try to take that time. Be ready to protect it. If saying no feels hard, read how to set boundaries without feeling guilty.
You can’t pour from an empty cup. Here’s what running on empty can look like:
When you take care of yourself on purpose, everything gets easier. You show up with more patience, more energy, more creativity, and more joy, even in a hard season.
Taking care of yourself isn’t selfish. It’s maintenance.
Pick one self-care block this week. Just one. Put it on your calendar like an appointment you can’t cancel. Protect it. Show up for it. Then notice how different your week feels.
In midlife, self-care is maintenance, not a treat. It’s the planned habits that keep your mind, body, and emotions working well, like workouts, walks, journaling, rest, and time with people you love.
The 6 types are physical, beauty and style, mental and emotional, social, practical, and rest. A full week touches most of them, even if you don’t do all 6 every day.
Time block it. Every Sunday, put your self-care on the calendar first, then treat those blocks like meetings you can’t move. A quick check each evening keeps them from getting pushed out.
No. When you run on empty, you get short-tempered and tired, and everyone around you feels it. Taking care of yourself gives you more patience and energy for the people and work you care about.
Yes. Many practices are taught sitting up, but you can meditate flat on your back in bed. I meditate lying down in the morning before I check my phone, and again at night before sleep.
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Ready for your own glow-up? Take the free Midlife GlowGetter Quiz to see exactly where to start.
Read the full episode transcript
With love and confidence,
Jax
This post shares my personal experience and is not medical advice.
