This episode was groundbreaking for me—both personally and professionally. In my own journey through burnout, and in the stories I witness daily as a psychologist supporting midlife women, I’ve often sensed that there was something deeper—something unspoken—beneath the exhaustion, the disconnection, the collapse. Meeting Lora Cheadle and learning about betrayal as a root cause of burnout felt like discovering a missing link. Lora—an attorney turned coach, author, and speaker—generously shares her story and her powerful F.U.E.L UP framework for moving through betrayal and reclaiming your inner self. Whether it’s betrayal from a workplace, a partner, a friend, or even from within ourselves, Lora guides us toward recognition, healing, and reconnection. I’ll be forever thankful for this conversation, and I truly believe it’s a must-watch/listen for anyone navigating burnout, broken trust, or a longing to return to themselves.

Guest: LORA CHEADLE, JD CHt is an author, TEDx speaker, and leadership wellness coach who specializes in burnout and betrayal recovery. She shows burned-out professionals, teams, and organizations how to reframe burnout as betrayal so they can get to the root cause of their symptoms and stay engaged, productive, and happy for the long haul. She is the creator of the FUEL UP Burnout-Recovery Method and enjoys speaking and coaching on how to move beyond soothing the symptoms of burnout and resolve its root cause. Lora is the author of It’s Not Burnout; It’s Betrayal: 5 Tools to FUEL UP & Thrive, and the award-winning book FLAUNT!

Connect with Lora

Website: https://loracheadle.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/loracheadlelifechoreographer

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loracheadle/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LifeChoreographer/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lora-cheadle-lifechoreographer/

Host, Shannon Swales: Psychologist, writer, and midlife woman who’s walked through burnout and come out the other side. Shannon combines clinical wisdom with lived experience to support others navigating chronic stress, burnout, and big life transitions. Through gentle conversations and evidence-based insights, she helps women reconnect with themselves, reclaim their energy, and grow through what once felt like breaking points.

If you enjoy the Midlife Reclaimed Podcast, join our community:

• Midlife Reclaimed Online Community - a place to come back home to self

• Social Media: Instagram, Facebook, or LinkedIn

• 1:1 Therapy here

Subscribe to my Mailing List and receive a free eJournal to assist in coming back to yourself.

Disclaimer: This podcast does not create a therapist-client relationship with Shannon Swales. The views expressed are general & not a substitute for personalised therapy. If in distress, seek professional help. Remember—you don’t have to face your struggles alone.

Engaging with this podcast does not intend to create, nor does it create, a therapist-client relationship between you and Shannon A Swales. All views, opinions, and tips expressed by me or my guests are general in nature and not a replacement for personalised therapy. As I have done for myself, I encourage anyone experiencing distress to seek professional support. In Australia, if you are in a life-threatening emergency, please dial 000. For immediate counselling, contact Lifeline (13 11 14) or 13YARN (13 92 76) for First Nation Australians. Stay safe, and remember—you don’t have to face your struggles alone.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In episode 54 of Midlife Reclaimed, we dive into one of the most quietly complex areas of midlife burnout recovery—relationships and intimacy.

Whether you’re partnered or not, midlife often brings emotional and relational shifts that can leave us questioning what connection, desire, and closeness mean now. This conversation is an open, compassionate look at how burnout impacts intimacy—and how we can gently reconnect with ourselves and each other.

Together with a special guest expert, we explore:

- Why desire can feel like it disappears during midlife or burnout

- The most common relational challenges women face in this season

- What healthy intimacy actually looks like (and how to rebuild it)

- Practical steps for nurturing communication and closeness

This episode is a must-listen if you’ve ever wondered, “Is it supposed to feel this hard?” or “Can we get back to what we had—or something better?”

Guest: Isiah McKimmie is one of Australia’s most highly qualified Sex and Relationship Experts. She’s a Couples Therapist, Sex Therapist, Sexologist, and Coach who has spent over a decade helping women and couples build deeper intimacy and connection.

With two Master’s degrees (Relational Psychotherapy and Sexual Counselling), a Postgraduate Diploma in Sexology, and a certificate from the Institute for the Advanced Studies of Human Sexuality, Isiah combines clinical depth with practical tools.

Website: https://isiah-mckimmie.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/isiahmckimmie.sexologist/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Isiah

Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/isiah-mckimmie-52320153

She’s worked with thousands of people, writes a widely-read weekly advice column, lectures in Couples Therapy, and is known for her warm, relatable approach to topics many find difficult to talk about.

Host - Shannon Swales: a psychologist dedicated to empowering individuals with essential mental health skills to prevent, navigate & grow from midlife burnout. Having overcome burnout in her early midlife, Shannon guides others from chronic stress to wellness with balance & empathy. Join her as she shares transformative experiences & insights on growth through adversity.

If you enjoy the Midlife Reclaimed Podcast, join our community:

• Midlife Reclaimed Online Community: A space to come home to yourself - Find Out More & Join here

• Social Media: Instagram, Facebook, or LinkedIn @shannon.a.swales

• 1:1 Therapy: www.burnoutpsychologysupport.com/burnout-therapy

Stay in Touch: Subscribe to my Mailing List here and receive your very own eJournal to help you towards coming back to yourself.

Disclaimer: This podcast does not create a therapist-client relationship with Shannon Swales. The views expressed are general & not a substitute for personalised therapy. If in distress, seek professional help. Remember—you don’t have to face your struggles alone.

Engaging with this podcast does not intend to create, nor does it create, a therapist-client relationship between you and Shannon A Swales. All views, opinions, and tips expressed by me or my guests are general in nature and not a replacement for personalised therapy. As I have done for myself, I encourage anyone experiencing distress to seek professional support. In Australia, if you are in a life-threatening emergency, please dial 000. For immediate counselling, contact Lifeline (13 11 14) or 13YARN (13 92 76) for First Nation Australians. Stay safe, and remember—you don’t have to face your struggles alone.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this solo episode, I invite you to see burnout through a different lens — not as a crisis to fear, but as a call for change, growth, and deeper self-connection.

Drawing from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), my own burnout journey, the inspiring work of Dr. Dina Glouberman (The Joy of Burnout), and the lived experiences of my clients, we’ll explore how burnout can be a doorway to a life more aligned with who you truly are.

Inside this conversation, we’ll dive into:

• Why burnout often triggers fear, shame, and urgency — and how that response can keep us stuck.
• How acceptance (not resistance) can transform the burnout experience into a powerful catalyst for change.
• What it means to stop "fixing" burnout and start listening to it.
• Reflective questions to help you reframe your own relationship with burnout.
• 
  

If you’re ready to move beyond fear and discover the deeper wisdom burnout holds, this episode is for you.

🌿 Burnout isn’t a sign that you’re broken — it’s a message that something deeper is calling for your attention.

Meet Shannon Swales—a psychologist dedicated to empowering individuals with essential mental health skills to prevent, navigate & grow from midlife burnout. Having overcome burnout in her early midlife, Shannon guides others from chronic stress to wellness with balance & empathy. Join her as she shares transformative experiences & insights on growth through adversity.

Connect & Grow

If you enjoy the Midlife Reclaimed Podcast, join our community:

• Subscribe to receive a FREE Journaling Your Way to Thriving Beyond Burnout ebook and more goodies
• Online Membership: Dive into Midlife Reclaimed—an empowering space for burnt-out midlife women - https://midlife-reclaimed.mn.co/
• Social Media: Instagram, Facebook, or LinkedIn
• 1:1 Therapy: Ready to tackle midlife burnout? Visit www.burnoutpsychologysupport.com.
• My Midlife Burnout Story: Nothing Left to Give: A Psychologist’s Path Back From Burnout

Share Your Midlife Wisdom: Have professional &/or lived-experience insights on overcoming burnout or navigating midlife shifts? Email: shannon.a.swales@gmail.com

Disclaimer: This podcast does not create a therapist-client relationship with Shannon Swales. The views expressed are general & not a substitute for personalised therapy. If in distress, seek professional help. Remember—you don’t have to face your struggles alone.

Engaging with this podcast does not intend to create, nor does it create, a therapist-client relationship between you and Shannon A Swales. All views, opinions, and tips expressed by me or my guests are general in nature and not a replacement for personalised therapy. As I have done for myself, I encourage anyone experiencing distress to seek professional support. In Australia, if you are in a life-threatening emergency, please dial 000. For immediate counselling, contact Lifeline (13 11 14) or 13YARN (13 92 76) for First Nation Australians. Stay safe, and remember—you don’t have to face your struggles alone.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In Episode 52, I’m joined by Nicole Gribble, owner and coach at This is Living Nutrition, and a coach at one of Australia’s most popular gyms—Fitstop.

Nicole works with adults across all life stages, but many of her clients happen to be midlife women—navigating stress, hormonal changes, and the question we all ask at some point:

“Why am I doing everything ‘right’ and still feel so tired?”

Together, we explore how nutrition can be a key player in reclaiming your energy, how to move away from all-or-nothing thinking around food, and what a realistic, flexible approach looks like in real life.

Whether you’re in the depths of burnout or just curious about how food could support your wellbeing more effectively, this episode is packed with practical tips and compassionate insights.

Grab a cuppa—or throw on your headphones while you meal prep or unwind—and let’s get into it.

Guest - Connect with Nicole Gribble: the owner and coach behind This is Living Nutrition and a coach at the popular Australian gym Fitstop. With a strong foundation in both nutrition and functional fitness, Nicole supports adults of all ages—both men and women—to find balance, energy, and nourishment through realistic, no-BS nutrition strategies. While she doesn’t exclusively work with midlife women, many of her clients fall into this stage of life and are navigating stress, hormonal shifts, and burnout. Nicole helps her clients break free from diet culture and perfectionism around food so they can feel empowered and supported in their everyday lives.

Host - Shannon Swales: a psychologist dedicated to empowering individuals with essential mental health skills to prevent, navigate & grow from midlife burnout. Having overcome burnout in her early midlife, Shannon guides others from chronic stress to wellness with balance & empathy. Join her as she shares transformative experiences & insights on growth through adversity.

If you enjoy the Midlife Reclaimed Podcast, join our community:

• Online Membership: Dive into Midlife Reclaimed—an empowering space for burnt-out midlife women - Find Out More & Join here

• Social Media: Instagram, Facebook, or LinkedIn @shannon.a.swales

• 1:1 Therapy: www.burnoutpsychologysupport.com/burnout-therapy

Stay in Touch: Subscribe to my Mailing List here

Disclaimer: This podcast does not create a therapist-client relationship with Shannon Swales. The views expressed are general & not a substitute for personalised therapy. If in distress, seek professional help. Remember—you don’t have to face your struggles alone.

Engaging with this podcast does not intend to create, nor does it create, a therapist-client relationship between you and Shannon A Swales. All views, opinions, and tips expressed by me or my guests are general in nature and not a replacement for personalised therapy. As I have done for myself, I encourage anyone experiencing distress to seek professional support. In Australia, if you are in a life-threatening emergency, please dial 000. For immediate counselling, contact Lifeline (13 11 14) or 13YARN (13 92 76) for First Nation Australians. Stay safe, and remember—you don’t have to face your struggles alone.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Vulnerability isn’t a weakness—it’s a superpower that fuels growth, resilience, and deeper connections. Yet, for many midlife women, embracing vulnerability can feel daunting, especially when navigating career shifts, evolving relationships, and changing identities. In this episode, we explore what vulnerability truly means, why it’s essential for navigating midlife with courage, and how it can become a catalyst for self-discovery and closer, more meaningful relationships. We’ll also unpack the societal pressures that discourage emotional openness and share practical strategies to embrace vulnerability in a way that feels empowering and safe. If you’re ready to show up more authentically in your life and relationships, this conversation is for you. Tune in and discover the courage to be seen.

Meet Shannon Swales—a psychologist dedicated to empowering individuals with essential mental health skills to prevent, navigate & grow from midlife burnout. Having overcome burnout in her early midlife, Shannon guides others from chronic stress to wellness with balance & empathy. Join her as she shares transformative experiences & insights on growth through adversity.

Connect & Grow

If you enjoy the Midlife Reclaimed Podcast, join our community:

• Subscribe to receive a FREE Journaling Your Way to Thriving Beyond Burnout ebook and more goodies
• Online Membership: Dive into Midlife Reclaimed—an empowering space for burnt-out midlife women - https://midlife-reclaimed.mn.co/
• Social Media: Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, or Threads
• 1:1 Therapy: Ready to tackle midlife burnout? Visit www.burnoutpsychologysupport.com.
• My Midlife Burnout Story: Nothing Left to Give: A Psychologist’s Path Back From Burnout

Share Your Midlife Wisdom: Have professional &/or lived-experience insights on overcoming burnout or navigating midlife shifts? Email: shannon.a.swales@gmail.com

Disclaimer: This podcast does not create a therapist-client relationship with Shannon Swales. The views expressed are general & not a substitute for personalised therapy. If in distress, seek professional help. Remember—you don’t have to face your struggles alone.

Engaging with this podcast does not intend to create, nor does it create, a therapist-client relationship between you and Shannon A Swales. All views, opinions, and tips expressed by me or my guests are general in nature and not a replacement for personalised therapy. As I have done for myself, I encourage anyone experiencing distress to seek professional support. In Australia, if you are in a life-threatening emergency, please dial 000. For immediate counselling, contact Lifeline (13 11 14) or 13YARN (13 92 76) for First Nation Australians. Stay safe, and remember—you don’t have to face your struggles alone.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is your phone taking more than it’s giving? In this episode of Midlife Reclaimed, I take a personal and reflective journey into my mobile phone habits—how overuse has impacted my sleep, focus, and well-being, and what I’m doing to reclaim control. Drawing on research from Nick Petrie and his team, I explore the connection between phone overuse and burnout, and why a conscious "phone strategy" can be a game-changer for mental energy and stress reduction. Plus, I’ll guide you through reflective questions to help you assess your own habits and set healthier boundaries. If you're ready to break free from the constant scroll and reclaim your time and focus, this episode is for you! 🎧✨

Meet Shannon Swales—a psychologist dedicated to empowering individuals with essential mental health skills to prevent, navigate & grow from midlife burnout. Having overcome burnout in her early midlife, Shannon guides others from chronic stress to wellness with balance & empathy. Join her as she shares transformative experiences & insights on growth through adversity.

Connect & Grow

If you enjoy the Midlife Reclaimed Podcast, join our community:

• Subscribe to receive a FREE Journaling Your Way to Thriving Beyond Burnout ebook and more goodies
• Online Membership: Dive into Midlife Reclaimed—an empowering space for burnt-out midlife women - https://midlife-reclaimed.mn.co/
• Social Media: Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, or Threads
• 1:1 Therapy: Ready to tackle midlife burnout? Visit www.burnoutpsychologysupport.com.
• My Midlife Burnout Story: Nothing Left to Give: A Psychologist’s Path Back From Burnout

Share Your Midlife Wisdom: Have professional &/or lived-experience insights on overcoming burnout or navigating midlife shifts? Email: shannon.a.swales@gmail.com

Disclaimer: This podcast does not create a therapist-client relationship with Shannon Swales. The views expressed are general & not a substitute for personalised therapy. If in distress, seek professional help. Remember—you don’t have to face your struggles alone.

Engaging with this podcast does not intend to create, nor does it create, a therapist-client relationship between you and Shannon A Swales. All views, opinions, and tips expressed by me or my guests are general in nature and not a replacement for personalised therapy. As I have done for myself, I encourage anyone experiencing distress to seek professional support. In Australia, if you are in a life-threatening emergency, please dial 000. For immediate counselling, contact Lifeline (13 11 14) or 13YARN (13 92 76) for First Nation Australians. Stay safe, and remember—you don’t have to face your struggles alone.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.