Intuition is a Midlife Health Superpower

If you haven’t had a chance to check out my 802h Healthspan Method™ yet (because you’re busy, overwhelmed, or just plain irritated with life right now) — here’s the quick scoop: we use the acronym SIMPLER to guide holistic wellness for midlife women.

Body, mind, spirit, energy… it’s all connected.

And healthspan? It’s about staying functional as long as possible.Because honestly? Your healthspan is twice as important as your 401k. Nobody taught us that until now. 😉

The “I” in SIMPLER stands for: Intuition.

So… what is intuition, really?

Nope — it doesn’t mean you suddenly gain access to the secrets of the universe (or finally figure out why your husband can’t see the ketchup in the fridge).

Intuition is simply tuning in. Listening for what you actually want and need.

Especially when it comes to your health.

Most of us have had moments where we knew something was off in our body — even when the medical shrug we got back was basically, “that just happens as you age.” Spoiler: a lot of that is BS. (if you want to know more, check out the references at the end of this post)

You already use intuition all the time

Think about it:

• That “mom intuition” when you knew something was up with your kid before anyone else noticed.

• That “bish intuition” when your new neighbor seemed way too nice. (You were right.)

It’s the same muscle. The only difference? We’ve spent decades turning our intuition outward, listening for what everyone else needs. Which means it can feel harder to hear ourselves at first.

Why it feels hard to trust yourself

The noise is real:

• Our teenage selves, forever hypercritical about our bodies.

• Society’s endless diet culture and supermodel nonsense.

• The historical fight just to be heard — especially when it comes to women’s health.

It’s no wonder we second-guess what our body is telling us. But here’s the thing: those signals matter. They’re the earliest signs of imbalance, inflammation, or stress overload — the stuff that directly impacts your healthspan.

The question that changes everything

Here’s your Question of the Week:

👉 What do I need right now?

Stick it on a Post-it, your phone lock screen, your bathroom mirror.Ask it multiple times a day — especially when you’re overwhelmed or spinning plates.

Your answer might be:

• A snack 🍎

• A walk 🚶‍♀️

• A hug 🤗

• Or just five freaking minutes of silence 🙃

Then — give yourself what you need.

Because giving yourself what you need is healthcare

Since every part of us is connected — body, mind, spirit, energy — honoring your needs is never selfish. It’s medicine.

Listening inward is how we start building a stronger, more resilient healthspan. Not by doing more. Not by chasing perfect. But by practicing trust in our own inner compass. 🧡

And the Science says...

• Widespread experiences of dismissal and invalidation: Women frequently report that their symptoms are denied or minimized, diagnoses are delayed, and they feel stigmatized by healthcare professionals. These experiences are often described as “medical gaslighting,” which leads to anxiety, trauma, and worsened health conditions (Khan et al., 2024).

• Disparities in diagnosis and treatment: Conditions like endometriosis, fibromyalgia, and autoimmune diseases are frequently dismissed in women. Women also face longer waits for diagnoses of serious illnesses like heart disease compared to men (Wise, 2022).

• Impact on psychological health: Exposure to gaslighting is strongly correlated with increased depression, anxiety, stress, and low self-esteem. Victims may begin doubting their own judgment and struggle to advocate for themselves medically (Ciabatti et al., 2024), (Sengkey & Illahibaccus-Sona, 2024).

• Obstetric gaslighting during childbirth: Mothers report being disbelieved and dismissed during labor, with providers denying their pain, judgments, or emotions. This contributes to feelings of dehumanization and lack of agency during childbirth (Fielding‐Singh & Dmowska, 2022).

• Racial disparities and structural gaslighting: Black women report being disproportionately gaslit during pregnancy and childbirth, with stereotypes contributing to disbelief of their symptoms and inadequate care (Boakye et al., 2024), (Carter, 2022).

• Psychiatric gaslighting: Women advocating for themselves in mental health care—especially during pregnancy—often have their advocacy pathologized as a symptom of mental illness, undermining their autonomy (Abel & Timmermans, 2025).

• Sociological and systemic roots: Medical gaslighting is not just interpersonal—it stems from deeper institutional ideologies and structural gender bias embedded in healthcare systems (Sebring, 2021).