How to reignite your spark and feel energised in midlife

Do you wake up excited to start the day—or do you hit snooze, already feeling behind? If energy is something you’ve been chasing (or feel like you’ve lost), you’re not alone. In midlife, many women find themselves tired, wired, and wondering where their spark has gone. But the truth is: energy isn’t just about sleep or caffeine. It’s about how you live, what you value, and whether you’re truly present in your own life.

In this blog, I’m pulling together some incredible insights from my recent podcast conversation with Charlotte Carter, a high performance coach and energy mentor who helps women feel good again. We had such an insightful conversation into the role energy plays in your overall health and wellbeing, and I’m taking the best insights and tips to give you actionable advice to help you reignite your spark and feel energised as you navigate midlife and menopause.

Rethinking energy in midlife

It’s easy to see energy as something binary: you either have it or you don’t. And that once you'r energy dips, or isn’t there when you first wake-up, that this is how it must feel for the rest of the day. But Charlotte shared how energy is much more holistic. There’s physical energy (movement, food, sleep), yes. But there’s also emotional, mental and spiritual energy—the deeper layers that impact how alive and aligned we feel.

You’ll know the feeling: walking into a room and immediately sensing the mood, or speaking to someone who instantly lifts (or lowers) your vibe. That’s energy. And when we stop and notice what lifts us, we start to understand what we need more of.

Are you addicted to being busy?

Many high-performing women in midlife are running on empty without even realising it. We’ve been conditioned to tie our worth to how much we’re doing. But constantly being busy doesn’t make us successful—it disconnects us from ourselves.

Charlotte talked about how busyness became her default, especially after years working in mental health. She realised she was doing meaningful work, but it wasn’t aligned with how she wanted to feel. It was only when she gave herself permission to slow down that she found her true rhythm.

I shared a little of my own experience working in a demanding corporate role which involved regular travel and nights away from home. The pressure was high and alongside delivering results in my paid job, I also pushed hard to have the “perfect” home and family life. I thought the more I did and fit into my life, the happier I would feel.

 

The 4 types of energy

We don’t get our energy from just one place. It flows from four core areas: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. When even one is out of sync, we feel it—whether it’s physical fatigue, brain fog, emotional overwhelm, or a sense of disconnect. But when we nurture each one, even in small ways, we start to feel more balanced, more energised, and more like ourselves again.

 

Create space to feel good again

The great news is that you don’t need an hour-long morning routine to change your life. You can begin by building just one new habit to help bring space and peace to your busy day. Charlotte recommends a 90-second heart-focused pause as the simplest place to begin. Just breathe, connect with your body, and allow space to feel what’s going on.

From there, you can start asking the right questions: What’s draining me right now? Where do I feel most alive? Even these tiny acts of self-awareness can shift your energy instantly.

Presence over perfection

When I think about presence, I think about those moments where I actually feel my life. Not rushing to the next task or overthinking what just happened. Not thinking of a hundred things all at once. But being there, in my body, in the moment.

Charlotte talked about how so many of us, especially in midlife, are craving that presence but don’t know how to access it. We're great at productivity. We’re not so great at pausing. But those pauses? They’re where the real energy lives.

Whether it’s journaling in the evening, dancing in the kitchen, or choosing to lift weights instead of running on autopilot, presence helps us return to ourselves. Charlotte reminded me that perfection isn’t the goal—peace is. And the more we let go of doing things ‘right’, the more freedom and energy we create.

And if you’re wondering where to start? Charlotte left us with three beautifully simple steps:

  1. Start your day with appreciation. Before your feet hit the floor, take a couple of minutes to focus on what’s good. It sets the tone for your day. As Charlotte told me: “Appreciation is the absolute mirror to receiving.”

  2. Pause mid-afternoon - after lunch is a perfect time for this. Ask yourself, “What’s draining me right now?” It brings you back to centre and helps you raise your vibration for the rest of the day.

  3. Reflect before bed. Try the 3-2-1 journal method: Note down 3 things that went well and you appreciated in your day, 2 moments of reflection that you’d do differently, 1 joyful moment from your day.

None of this is about doing more. It’s about creating micro-moments of connection so your energy works for you, not against you.

Your energy is worth protecting

If there’s one thing to take away from this, it’s that how you feel matters. You deserve to feel good—not just on holiday, but every day. Whether it’s taking time to reflect, setting boundaries, or simply choosing joy, your energy is yours to own.

And as Charlotte shared, energy is contagious. When you feel better, you show up better—for yourself, your work, and your people.

You don’t need a big life overhaul to start feeling good. You just need a pause, a question, and the willingness to prioritise yourself. Midlife can be your most energised season yet.

 
Presence isn’t a luxury. It’s how we find ourselves again in the middle of everything we’ve been holding. When we stop trying to do it all perfectly, we finally create space to feel good.
— Nicola Farndell
 

How about taking a pause right now to check in with how you feel using these powerful journalling prompts?

  • What’s draining your energy right now?

  • What brings you joy—and how can you do more of it this week?

  • Have you challenged your definition of success lately?

 

Listen to this podcast episode where we explore reigniting your spark and energy in midlife:

 

Like this topic? Find out more with these additional FREE resources:

 

Tired of running on empty? You don’t have to stay stuck in survival mode.

If you’re waking up exhausted, feeling disconnected from yourself, and wondering how to get your energy back—this is for you.

In my free guide, ‘10 Ways to Feel Good Again: Your Perimenopausal Revival Guide’, you’ll get simple, powerful habits to help you eat well, move with joy, and feel more like you again.

💛 Let’s shift from just getting through the day… to creating one that actually feels good.

 
Nicola Farndell

A health & wellness coach helping women to build daily habits for a healthy, strong, happy life.

https://www.lifenow.uk
Next
Next

The midlife reframe: 6 Steps to shift, act and thrive