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Love feels different when midlife hits. Careers pile up, caregiving stretches thin, and bodies change in ways no one warned us about—yet we’re still expected to connect with patience and grace. We sat down with licensed professional counselor and national speaker Shundria Riddick to unpack how communication really works under pressure and what couples can do to move from reactivity to repair.

We explore the wiring beneath our words: the childhood scripts that taught us to fight, flee, or go quiet; the gender expectations that tell men to produce but not process and women to be strong but not supported; and the midlife biology—perimenopause, ED, chronic conditions—that amplifies irritability, fog, and distance. Shundria breaks emotional intelligence into two vital skills: finding language for your own state and sensing your partner’s experience on the other side of you. When you can name disappointment instead of throwing a dish, you invite understanding instead of escalation.

From there, we get practical. Learn a simple mindfulness check-in to calm your nervous system, the active listening move that turns debate into discovery, and how to rethink self-care as relationship fuel rather than selfish escape. We talk identity shifts—why your 20-year-old script won’t carry you at 40—and how to renew thinking so feelings can follow. We name the red flags that suggest it’s time for counseling and why going alone can still change the dance at home. Grounded in faith, empathy, and clear language, this conversation offers tools you can use tonight to rebuild safety, rekindle intimacy, and trade transactional scorekeeping for genuine connection.

If this resonated, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs hope in midlife, and leave a rating and review so more listeners can find these tools. Your story can change, starting now.

Follow Shundria on most social platforms @ShundriaRiddick, author of Married for 5 Minutes: Hope for Living Inside Real-Life Marriages

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💃🏽Stacy M. Lewis
🌍 thestacymlewis.com
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🎩Wayne Dawson
🌍 viptransformativeliving.com
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Intimacy at midlife doesn’t break. It evolves. We open up a frank, compassionate conversation about how desire, confidence, and connection change as our bodies and lives change—and why that shift can lead to deeper, steadier, more soul-filling closeness. From performance pressure to presence, we unpack the scripts we inherited from culture, friends, and faith communities and trade them for safety, honesty, and intention.

We get real about the physiology and the psychology. Hormonal shifts, stress, medications, sleep debt, caregiving, and grief all shape libido and arousal. Men often carry quiet pressure that drives risky quick fixes for ED; women may feel shame about changing bodies and desire. We offer grounded alternatives: medical guidance when needed, trauma-aware support, and practices that make space for tenderness instead of tests. You’ll hear how agenda-free closeness—15 minutes of gentle touch, soft conversation, and shared breath—can reignite connection without turning intimacy into a pass-fail exam.

Self-intimacy is the foundation. We share prompts to grieve what’s gone and appreciate what’s here, plus language to express needs clearly without blame. Small moves compound: better sleep, daily appreciation, creative privacy in a busy home, and affirmations that rewire self-talk. Try these anchors this week: I am desirable beyond performance. My body is evolving, not betraying me. Slower does not mean less powerful. Along the way, we honor community, acknowledge legacy, and keep the focus on alignment—because when your values, body, and relationship are aligned, connection flows.

Ready to rewrite the rules of desire and bring more safety, play, and intention into your relationship? Listen now, subscribe for more midlife wisdom, and share this episode with someone who needs a kinder script. If it resonated, leave a review and tell us which practice you’ll try first.

Coach Wayne's Free Self-Alignment Assessment: https://viptl.fillout.com/purpose-self-assessment

Subscribe @CoachStacyMLewis and @CoachWayneVIP

💃🏽Stacy M. Lewis
🌍 thestacymlewis.com
Schedule a Connecting Conversation
LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube

🎩Wayne Dawson
🌍 viptransformativeliving.com
Book a Discovery Call
LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram

Spotify, Apple, iHeartRadio, Amazon

Send a text

Subscribe @CoachStacyMLewis and @CoachWayneVIP

💃🏽Stacy M. Lewis
🌍 thestacymlewis.com
Schedule a Connecting Conversation
LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube

🎩Wayne Dawson
🌍 viptransformativeliving.com
Book a Discovery Call
LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram

Spotify, Apple, iHeartRadio, Amazon