You Keep Me Sane

Episode Overview:

In this episode, we sit down with the unstoppable Jen Hardy - host of The Fabulous Over 50 Podcast, The Jen Hardy Show on YouTube, and creator of the 50 Over 50 Podcaster Awards. We first met Jen at The Podcast Show in London, and were immediately drawn to her energy, her sparkle (literally), and her mission to celebrate midlife women who are finding their voice - and using it.

Jen shares her powerful journey: from ...

Fabulous Over 50? What If You’re Not Feeling It Yet?

In this week’s Sanity Check, we’re talking about something that doesn’t get said enough: what if midlife isn’t fabulous just yet?

We dive into the glossy headlines about women thriving over 50 and unpack what it really feels like behind the scenes - from underactive thyroids and solo parenting to post-brain-fog clarity and Red Bull confessions.

Aileen shares how she’s doing everythi...

Episode Overview:

In this episode, we speak with broadcast journalist Ania Lichtarowicz - Managing Director of Somewhere on Earth Productions and former producer of BBC’s Digital Planet. 

Ania breaks down the alarming rise of AI-generated deepfake pornography - how it works, who’s being targeted, and what we all need to understand to protect ourselves and our children in an increasingly digital world.

This isn't just about celebr...

Episode Overview:

In this week’s Sanity Check, Julie shares a hilarious (and maddeningly relatable) story about a coat hanger left in the hallway - for four days. No one else in the house noticed it. Or did they?

From coat hangers to mugs, to stairs stacked with “to-be-taken-up” items, we unpack the domestic phenomenon where women seem to carry the invisible job of noticing and picking things up. Is it biology? Conditioning? Or just....

Episode Overview:

If you're parenting a 12-year-old (or about to), this one’s for you.

We talk about the moment your sweet kid suddenly starts rolling their eyes, refusing hugs, demanding independence - and testing every nerve you have. We share real stories from our own homes, laugh through the chaos, and get honest about how hard this transition can feel.

But underneath the attitude and inconsistency is a powerful truth: your c...

Episode Overview:

In this Sanity Check, we get real about our lifelong struggles with body image - and how they’ve evolved (or stayed stuck) as we've entered midlife. From tying jumpers around our waists in our 20s to feeling unrecognisable in our 40s, we share the quiet grief, relentless inner voice, and conditioning so many women carry.

But this isn't just about venting. It's about shifting.

We talk through the small ...

Episode Overview

What begins as a chat about fitness quickly turns into something deeper. In this episode, we sit down with Cara Metz, founder of Cara Fitness, to explore not just the shifting demands of midlife bodies, but also the invisible weight of grief, the power of real community, and what it takes to stay connected to yourself when life feels hard.

Cara opens up about losing her beloved cat Missy, recovering from spinal surge...

Episode Overview:

This week, we hit that point where the mental tabs were maxed out - and it wasn’t about the big stuff. It was the what’s for dinner, the laundry, what vitamins to give the kids, the endless little choices that chip away at your sanity. We talk about decision fatigue and how it creeps in when your brain just can’t carry any more. From turtles to t-shirts, it’s not always the weight of the decision, it’s the volume.

K...

Episode Overview

This week’s episode was sparked by a thoughtful voice note from a listener who asked a powerful question: Where does ambition fit into self-worth?

In a culture that often ties success to external achievements, it’s easy to get caught in the trap of proving your value through accolades, productivity, or recognition. But can ambition and self-worth actually coexist in a healthy way? We believe they can and should.

In th...

Episode Overview:

Ever feel like you're living in survival mode - snappy, tired, and overwhelmed for no clear reason? You're not imagining it. That constant buzzing in your body might be cortisol, your stress hormone, running the show. In this short but powerful sanity check, we unpack why cortisol is especially high in midlife - and what you can do to gently bring it down without needing a retreat, a full reset, or a comp...

Episode Overview:

Ever looked around your home and felt your shoulders tense? You're not alone. In this episode, we sit down with Lauren from Perfect Space Home Organisation -  a professional organiser who brings more than tidy cupboards. She brings peace of mind.

We talk clutter, cortisol, and the emotional stories hiding in our cupboards. From junk drawers to inherited guilt, Lauren helps us unpack how physical mess contribute...

Episode Overview

Why do we still treat single women like they’re unfinished stories? In this week’s Sanity Check, we’re getting honest about the outdated assumptions around being single in midlife - and why choosing to stay true to yourself is far from a failure.

We reflect on a conversation Aileen had with a single friend who said it best: “I know peace now, and I’m not giving it up unless someone truly meets me where I’m at.”

If you...

Episode Overview

As mothers of teenagers, we’ve been thinking deeply about how consent, self-worth, and emotional literacy shape the choices our kids make. We remember our own adolescence - when being desirable felt like currency and boundaries were hard to define. It was easy to confuse attention with value, and even harder to say no when something didn’t feel right.

This week, we unpack all of that in a powerful conversation with L...

Episode Overview
In this deeply personal Sanity Check, Aileen opens up about the long, layered experience of grief - particularly after losing both her parents. Together, we reflect on why grief makes people uncomfortable, how loss reshapes us, and why healing has no timeline. This one’s for anyone carrying the weight of grief, old or new.

In this episode:

• Why losing a parent hits differently no matter your age
• The grief that ...

Episode Overview

In this raw and deeply reflective episode, Aileen and Julie explore a rising trend: why so many women in their 40s and 50s are re-evaluating long-term relationships. This isn’t about drama or scandal, it’s about identity, unmet emotional needs, and the quiet inner voice that often grows louder in midlife.

They unpack how perimenopause, shifting priorities, and decades of invisible labour can create a turning point. B...

Episode Overview:
You know that weird flat feeling after something great? A big event, a reunion, a dream trip… and then suddenly you’re back to real life, feeling unexpectedly low? This week’s Sanity Check dives into exactly that. After the excitement of the Podcast Show and finally being in the same room again, we open up about the emotional crash that followed.

In this short but powerful episode, we explore the psychology beh...

Episode Overview

In this episode, we unpack the kind of connection that changes us - the raw, real, healing kind. After spending time together at the Podcast Show in London, we reflect on what it felt like to be seen, heard, and held by strangers.

What started as a marketing moment turned into a powerful reminder of why we started You Keep Me Sane in the first place.

This episode is a love letter to those deep moments of “me too,” to ...

Episode Overview

Ever opened up to someone only to be met with silence or worse, a thumbs up emoji? In this Sanity Check, we dive into the disappointment of emotional disconnection, especially when it comes from people we’re close to. We unpack the hard truth: not everyone has the emotional capacity to meet you where you're at - and it’s not about you.

This conversation is a compassionate reminder that your vulnerability is not ...

Episode Overview

Is it time to stop chasing “having it all” and start redefining what really matters? In this episode, we unpack the growing cultural shift away from hustle culture and into what many are calling the soft life  - a slower, more intentional way of living. We talk honestly about the tension between ambition and rest, how societal expectations have shaped women’s nervous systems, and why the soft life isn’t about giving...