Have you ever been set off by something that looks small to everyone else — but suddenly your chest is tight, your throat feels blocked, and you can’t fully exhale?

Your body feels like it’s under attack… even though nothing “that bad” just happened.

That’s spiraling — and if you’re a millennial mom in perimenopause, it may be happening more often than ever.

In today’s episode of The Next Phase Podcast, I’m teaching you one of the most powerful nervous system regulation tools I know — one you can use anytime, anywhere, completely on your own.

We’re talking about EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) — also known as tapping.

I’ll walk you through:

• What spiraling actually is (and why it’s not a personal failure)
• Why anxiety feels more intense during perimenopause
• What EFT is and why it works (yes, there’s real science behind it)
• How tapping helps calm your nervous system without numbing you
• A simple EFT formula you can use anytime you feel overwhelmed
• And finally, a guided EFT session you can come back to whenever you need it

This episode is especially for you if:

• Your anxiety feels physical (tight chest, racing thoughts, shallow breath)
• You’re tired of trying to “positive think” your way out of stress
• You want to calm your body without gummies, wine, or scrolling
• You need a tool that works in the moment — not later

✨ Guided EFT Session

EFT tapping begins at: 25:32
(Bookmark this section so you can return to it anytime you’re spiraling.)

🖐 EFT Meridian Points Used in This Episode

Use this list to follow along during the tapping session:

1. Karate Chop Point – Side of the hand, below the pinky
2. Eyebrow – Inner edge of the eyebrow
3. Side of the Eye – Outer corner of the eye
4. Under the Eye – On the cheekbone, directly below the eye
5. Under the Nose – Between the nose and upper lip
6. Chin – Crease between the lower lip and chin
7. Collarbone – About 1 inch from the center of the collarbone
8. Under the Arm – About 3–4 fingers below the armpit, along the side of the body
9. Top of the Head – The crown of the head

(No need to memorize these — perfection is not the goal. Presence is.)

💛 Want More Support?

If EFT resonated with you and you want help using it to finally tackle the things you’ve been avoiding, I’d love to invite you to my January Reset Body Doubling Session.

We’ll start with a guided EFT to calm your nervous system — then actually do the thing together, from a grounded, supported place.

You don’t need more willpower in January.
You need nervous system support — and community.

👉 Sign up here:
stacey-hutson.com/body-doubling

If this episode helped you, feel free to come back to the tapping anytime. There’s no rush, nothing to fix, and nothing you need to figure out right now.

Just one breath at a time.

Peace 🤍

After watching K-Pop Demon Hunters, my daughters asked me if they “should want abs”… and that moment changed the entire direction of this episode.

Today we’re talking about meno belly — why your belly is changing in perimenopause, what’s actually happening biologically, and the stories we’ve carried since growing up as millennial girls raised on Friends, Ally McBeal, The O.C., and the Victoria’s Secret angels.

This episode isn’t about flattening your stomach.
It’s about healing your relationship with it — so we don’t pass our body shame down to our daughters.

Inside, we cover:

• What “meno belly” really is
• How hormones, stress, sleep, and muscle loss affect your midsection
• The moment I caught myself judging my own body on the mat
• A cultural reframe inspired by Pulp Fiction and Sarah Landry (@thebirdspapaya)

Next week, we’ll talk about how to support your metabolism in your 40s — without restriction or punishment.

👉 Download my Cycle Syncing Food Guide + Cycle Syncing Map here.

You know that low-key identity crisis that hits somewhere around 38–42? The mood swings, the random rage, the 3 AM wakeups, the nostalgia for your 90s life and the feeling that you’re somehow running out of time?

It might not just be burnout. It might be perimenopause.

In this episode, I’m talking with Lauren Tetenbaum — therapist, former lawyer, certified menopause practitioner, and author of Millennial Menopause — the bright pink book I found in Barnes & Noble that basically helped birth this podcast.

We get into:

• Why so many millennial moms feel “off” but can’t put their finger on why
• What perimenopause actually is (and why the label matters less than your symptoms)
• The sandwich-generation pressure cooker: little kids, aging parents, and a changing body
• Millennial rage, overstimulation, and feeling like a “different person” overnight
• How to ask for what you need at home and with your doctor without feeling stupid or dramatic
• Why surrounding yourself with women in their 50s can make turning 40 feel less terrifying
• How perimenopause can become a permission slip to rest, reset, and re-write this next phase

If you’ve ever wondered, “Is this perimenopause or am I just losing it?” this conversation is your sign you’re not alone — and you’re not powerless.