232: Life After Divorce: Now What? with Valerie Simms
Total Health in Midlife with Elizabeth Sherman
Release Date: 07/22/2025
Holiday Health Series #2: The Invisible Holiday Load
Total Health in Midlife with Elizabeth Sherman
Between shopping lists, social calendars, and endless wrapping paper, it can feel like the entire weight of the holidays rests on your shoulders. You’re not imagining it — that invisible load is real, and it’s costing you more than just sleep. In this episode of Total Health in Midlife, Elizabeth unpacks why so many women feel responsible for making the holidays “magical” for everyone else — and why that pressure leaves them exhausted, resentful, and off track with their health by January. You’ll learn how cultural conditioning, people-pleasing, and “scope creep” quietly chip...
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Holiday Health Series #1: Food and Body Triggers
Total Health in Midlife with Elizabeth Sherman
Feeling like the holidays undo every bit of progress you’ve made with your health? You’re not alone. Between sugar-filled gatherings, endless to-do lists, and the pressure to “make it magical,” midlife women often end up exhausted, bloated, and quietly promising themselves they’ll start over in January. In this episode of Total Health in Midlife, Elizabeth Sherman breaks down what’s really happening beneath the overeating, overdrinking, and overcommitting that show up every December. Spoiler: it’s not about willpower. It’s about stress, hormones, and the invisible load that...
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248: Upleveling Your Health
Total Health in Midlife with Elizabeth Sherman
You’ve upgraded everything—your skincare, your wine, your wardrobe. You’re not DIYing your hair in the bathroom anymore. You’ve outgrown fast fashion, bad coffee, and relationships that take more than they give. And yet… when it comes to your health? You’re still stuck in the bargain bin. Still trying to “just do it” with free downloads, 30-day resets, or the same rules you learned from your mom’s Weight Watchers meetings. In this episode of Total Health in Midlife, I’m pulling back the curtain on the disconnect so many high-achieving women are living with—and the...
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247: What My Hair Taught Me About Midlife Health
Total Health in Midlife with Elizabeth Sherman
What do curly hair and your midlife health journey have in common? More than you’d think. In Episode 247 of Total Health in Midlife, Elizabeth Sherman shares a personal story about ditching the flat iron—and discovering that the path to healthier hair was eerily similar to the path so many midlife women take toward better health. The endless trial-and-error, the frustration, the belief that there must be one perfect product (or plan) out there if you could just find it. This episode is for every woman who’s ever said “Just tell me what to do” and still ended up feeling stuck,...
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246: Is it OK to Want to Lose Weight?
Total Health in Midlife with Elizabeth Sherman
We’ve been told all our lives that thinner is better. But now, in midlife, we’re also told that wanting to lose weight makes us shallow or brainwashed by diet culture. So… is it okay to want to lose weight? In this episode of Total Health in Midlife, I’m asking the question that so many women are silently wrestling with—but don’t feel like they’re allowed to say out loud. I’ll walk you through the real reasons behind that desire, what we’re hoping weight loss will “fix,” and why the fantasy often doesn’t match the reality. If you’ve ever said things like “I just...
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245: Self-Pity, Sabotage & Self-Soothing
Total Health in Midlife with Elizabeth Sherman
Self-pity is one of the most overlooked emotions we experience, and one of the most powerful. It doesn’t stomp in and throw a tantrum. It shows up quietly, as I have to, I deserve this, or no one ever includes me. And because it feels true, we don’t even question it. We just… sabotage ourselves. In this episode of the Total Health in Midlife podcast, I’m sharing a deeply personal moment that pulled back the curtain on my own self-pity spiral—and how it almost derailed my day (and my health habits) before I realized what was happening. We’ll explore how this hidden emotion can show...
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244: Having Your Own Back
Total Health in Midlife with Elizabeth Sherman
Ever catch yourself thinking, “I’ll do it later” — only to realize later is even more chaotic than now? In this episode of Total Health in Midlife, we’re unpacking the subtle, sneaky ways we make life harder for ourselves without even realizing it. From moldy broccoli to missed workouts and late-night wine that wrecks your sleep, these aren’t just random moments — they’re patterns. And those patterns can be shifted. I’ll share the real story behind how one freezing night at a gas station changed the way I treat myself — and why learning to “have your own back” isn’t...
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243: High Functioning Co-Dependency with Sara Fisk
Total Health in Midlife with Elizabeth Sherman
What happens when you're so good at keeping everything together… that you forget to take care of yourself? In this episode of The Total Health in Midlife Podcast, I’m joined by Master Certified Coach and people-pleasing expert Sara Fisk to explore a surprising culprit behind so many women’s exhaustion, resentment, and stalled health goals: high-functioning codependency. We’re not talking about the kind of codependency tied to addiction. This is the polished, over-performing version that shows up in moms, partners, daughters, and leaders—the women who hold everything and everyone...
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242: Ask Better Questions to Get Better Answers
Total Health in Midlife with Elizabeth Sherman
Have you ever asked yourself, “Do I want to go to the gym?” or “Do I feel like making dinner?”—and then beat yourself up when the answer was no? In this episode of Total Health in Midlife, we’re exploring how the questions we ask ourselves—especially around our health—can either sabotage our best intentions or support the version of ourselves we’re trying to become. You’ll hear a story about a real-life conversation with my husband that sparked this whole idea, plus my own recent experience with a motivation slump. And most importantly, we’ll unpack the powerful shift...
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241: Making and Keeping Friendships with Nina Badzin
Total Health in Midlife with Elizabeth Sherman
Making (and keeping) friends in midlife can feel surprisingly hard. In this episode of the Total Health in Midlife podcast, I’m joined by Nina Badzin, writer and host of the Dear Nina podcast, to talk about the real stuff that comes up in adult friendships, like feeling left out, keeping score, and what to do when your once-close friends just… fade. Whether you’ve ever wondered, “Is it just me?” or you’ve found yourself ghosted or burned out from being the one who always initiates, you’re not alone—and you’re not doing it wrong. This episode is full of validation, fresh...
info_outlineWhat happens when your marriage ends but the rest of your life is still waiting for you to show up?
In this episode of Total Health in Midlife, I sit down with Valerie Simms, a divorce coach who blends financial expertise with emotional and spiritual support. Whether you're contemplating divorce, navigating it now, or still feeling stuck years later, this conversation will remind you that you're not broken—and you’re definitely not alone.
Valerie shares what most people get wrong about divorce recovery, why your friends and family may not be the best place to turn for advice, and how to start rebuilding your identity from the ground up. If you've ever thought, “I should be over this by now” or “I don’t even know who I am anymore,” this one’s for you.
We talk about the practical side of post-divorce life (hello, finances), but we also explore the deeper emotional shifts that come with letting go and starting over. It’s part pep talk, part permission slip—and all grounded in real talk.
About Valerie Simms:
Valerie is a passionate coach dedicated to empowering women through transformative money mindset coaching. With a wealth of expertise, she guides her clients to achieve financial independence by shifting their perspectives from scarcity to abundance. Valerie focuses on building confidence and resilience, helping women navigate their unique financial journeys with grace and strength. Through her coaching, she emphasizes the importance of self-care and creating robust support systems to thrive during transitions. As a powerful advocate for women's empowerment, Valerie is committed to inspiring her clients to embrace their potential and live fulfilled, financially secure lives.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN
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Why coaching (not just therapy) might be the key to moving forward after divorce
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The unexpected identity crisis that hits many women in midlife after separation
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Small, doable steps to rebuild your social life, self-worth, and financial confidence
RESOURCES