Taking charge: Your journey to reclaiming identity

ChangeSelf awarenessMidlifeFinding your purpose

Mar 13

It’s never too late to reclaim your identity

Do you ever look in the mirror and wonder, “Who am I beyond all the roles I play?”

For many women, midlife can feel like a crossroads. After years of prioritising family, career, and the endless to-do lists, it’s common to wake up one day and feel like you’ve lost touch with who you are. The identity shifts we experience in motherhood, relationships, and even as we navigate perimenopause and menopause are profound - but they are not the end of our story. In fact, they are an opportunity for a new beginning.

This blog explores how to reclaim your identity, step into your power, and embrace midlife with renewed confidence and purpose.

Why we lose ourselves (And why it’s not your fault)

Many women arrive at midlife feeling unseen, undervalued, and disconnected from their true selves. Why? Because society has conditioned us to believe that our worth is tied to what we do for others.

From the moment we become mothers, partners, or dedicated professionals, we shift into caretaking mode. We pour ourselves into raising children, supporting families, building careers - but rarely do we stop to ask: What about me?

The truth is, identity shifts are a natural part of life. But when we ignore our evolving needs and desires, we risk feeling lost. The good news? You have the power to reclaim yourself at any stage of life.

A neon word sign on the side of a building saying "Time Is Precious" to encourage you to make the most of the time you have in your one life. — **“Your 2nd life begins when you realise you only have 1 life.” - *source unknown*.**
Make midlife the time you realise this and make the changes you want to embrace all that the rest of your life can offer you.

Midlife as a powerful reawakening - An opportunity to choose which path to take next

Rather than seeing midlife as a period of decline, what if we embraced it as a time of rediscovery?

Much like matrescence (the transition into motherhood), perimenopause and menopause mark another profound transformation. Our bodies, hormones, and priorities shift - but so does our opportunity to redefine what truly matters.

This is your time to reflect, realign, and rewrite your narrative. Instead of asking, What’s next? ask yourself, What do I truly want?

Three steps to reclaim your identity in midlife

Lucy Wylde, a recent guest on my Women’s Health Unwrapped podcast shared three steps that you can take to begin to reclaim your identity as you navigate all things motherhood, menopause and midlife. Take a read and choose one that you can give a little time and focus to over the coming days - and see what shifts it brings for you.

1. Reconnect with what lights you up
Think back to a time when you felt most alive. What activities, hobbies, or passions made you feel energised? Maybe it was dancing, painting, writing, or simply spending time in nature. Make space to reintroduce these elements into your life.

Your action step: Try a 10-minute ‘joy check-in’ each day. Do something small that makes you smile, whether that’s playing music, journaling, or going for a walk.

2. Set boundaries and own your time (and energy)
If you feel drained, overwhelmed, or stretched too thin, it’s time to reclaim your energy. Learning to say “no” without guilt is one of the most powerful things you can do for yourself. Also knowing that you get to choose how you spend your time and energy, so choose with intention how to spend it.

Your action step: Start with micro-boundaries. If scrolling social media at night leaves you feeling depleted or triggered, unfollow the person or account that has this negative impact on you.

3. Nourish yourself from the inside out

Nourishing yourself with the right fuel in terms of what you eat, the products you use, supplements you take, what you consume from things like TV, social media, the news, and the people you spend time with is super important. Bringing more awareness to all of this can be very empowering and lead to significant habit and lifestyle changes.

Your action step: Take inventory of what you’re consuming daily and write down one thing you can swap out, whether it’s a food choice, a negative media source, or a toxic relationship, and replace it with something that truly nourishes you.

And here’s one more step from me as a bonus: Rewrite your inner narrative
For years, you’ve likely absorbed messages from others and even yourself about who you should be. Now, it’s time to decide who you want to be. Challenge limiting beliefs, embrace your worth, and give yourself permission to take up space.

Your action step: Write down one negative belief about yourself and replace it with a new empowering statement. For example: “I’m too old to start something new” becomes “I am experienced, wise, and capable of reinventing myself at any age.”