Wellness Habits in My 40s: Nutrition, Movement and Self-Care Through Perimenopause
Wellness has been part of my life for over a decade. I’ve worked as a personal trainer, taught Pilates and developed recipes, so I’ve rarely been far from this world.
Turning 40 still changed things. My body and my energy started to shift, and I’m still working through those changes now. The old approach of pushing hard, training intensely and getting by on too little sleep stopped working for me. Sleep and recovery became things I had to protect, which meant setting quite firm boundaries around how I live. My days look different from how they did in my 30s.
These are the habits I’m focusing on as I move through my 40s and perimenopause. Some are about food and movement, others about quieter things, and together they make the changes feel like something I can work with.
1. Balanced, nourishing nutrition
I aim for three balanced meals a day, each with protein, healthy fats and fibre. The goal is to eat so I feel steady, with no restriction and no skipped meals.
Skipping meals used to be a habit of mine. It’s also the reason I developed my Mindful Meal Prep System: preparing food ahead means I nourish myself before I’m hungry, rather than reaching for whatever is closest once I’m already depleted.
2. Movement that supports my body
I’ve stepped away from intense cardio and heavy, punishing training. My week is now a mix of strength training, Pilates or yoga, and a daily walk.
All of it builds strength without leaving me burnt out. After years in fitness, that’s the biggest shift I’ve made: I now judge a workout by how I feel the next day.
3. Digital detox and boundaries
I’m much more intentional with screens, especially first thing in the morning and again before bed. The first and last half hour of the day matter most to me, and I protect them from scrolling.
4. Sleep as a non-negotiable
Sleep comes before almost everything else now. I keep a calm evening routine, minimal screens and a dark, cool bedroom. When sleep slips, everything else gets harder, from mood to appetite to how I handle a stressful day.
5. Mindful mornings
I start the day with meditation, a mindful walk or journaling, before the noise begins. It sets the tone for everything that follows. If you’d like more of this, my podcast, The Seeds You Water, is where I explore mindfulness and meditation in more depth.
6. A personalised approach to health
I listen to my body first, and when it comes to my biological health, I’ve stopped following general advice. I now work from my own blueprint, designed around what I personally need.
That distinction matters to me. What’s right for one woman in her 40s can be unnecessary or unhelpful for another, which is why I take a bio-individual approach: starting with what’s actually happening in my body, rather than whatever is being recommended online.
Blood work is the foundation. It shows what you might be lacking, what you may not need at all, and where there’s something worth looking into. From there, a few different people can help:
Your GP, who can order blood tests and refer you on if needed.
A dietitian or nutritionist, who can work out how your food and any supplements fit together.
A doctor with a hormone or menopause focus, if you want to understand what’s changing in your body and what support might suit you.
I’m not going to tell you what to take, because I can’t know what you need. What I can say is that working this out properly, with the right professionals, has been one of the most useful things I’ve done in my 40s.
7. Slowing down and reducing stress
This is the one I’m still learning. I’m paying closer attention to my nervous system: what soothes me, what I need at the end of a day, and how I can switch off a busy mind. Letting go of constant busyness and choosing rest and presence is a practice, and I’m better at it some weeks than others.
Final thoughts
None of this is about doing more. It’s about protecting the things that keep me steady, and I’d rather build a life around those than keep pushing against a body that’s asking for something different.