The Pressing Play Podcast

Perimenopause, Stress & the Brain: Are You Losing Yourself or Finding Yourself Again?What if perimenopause isn't about losing yourself, but finding your way back to who you really are?It's Stress Awareness Week, and on this solo episode of The Pressing Play Podcast, Jo Fiddy is exploring a different kind of stress. The quiet, often invisible stress of navigating perimenopause while juggling work, family, relationships and everything in between.The brain fog. The anxiety. The sudden loss of confidence. Forgetting your words halfway through a sentence. Feeling exhausted from looking after everyone else, while quietly wondering, what is happening to me?Because sometimes it's not just the symptom. It's how the symptom makes you feel.But what if there's another way to look at what's happening?Drawing on the work of neuroscientist Dr Lisa Mosconi and Dr Mindy Pelz, author of Age Like a Girl, Jo explores the fascinating changes taking place in the female brain during perimenopause and a hopeful perspective on identity, independence and rediscovering your authentic voice.Could this transition be an opportunity to reconnect with the woman you've always been, before years of putting everyone else's needs first?We explore stress, the perimenopausal brain, confidence, dopamine, the importance of play and why reconnecting with your own needs might be one of the most powerful things you do in midlife.And because awareness is only the beginning, Jo also shares practical ways to support yourself, including EFT tapping for stress and overwhelm.This isn't just about managing perimenopause. It's about pressing play on your life again.In this episodePerimenopause, stress, anxiety and brain fogThe emotional impact of changing menopause symptomsThe female brain, hormonal changes and neuroplasticityRediscovering your confidence, identity and authentic voiceDopamine, joy and the importance of play in midlifeSimple ways to support yourself through stress, including EFT tappingFree EFT Tapping with JoFeeling stressed, overwhelmed or struggling to switch off?Explore Tap With Jo, a free YouTube series with guided EFT tapping sessions for stress, overwhelm, brain fog, energy and sleep.You can also learn how to use EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) and tap along with Jo from the comfort of your own home.YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jofiddyWork with JoJo's Specialist Perimenopause Tapping Sessions offer 90 minutes of personalised 1:1 online support for women navigating brain fog, anxiety, overwhelm, sleep difficulties, anger and emotional eating.Find out more and book your session:https://jofiddy.com/perimenopause-tapping-sessions-1About The Pressing Play PodcastThe Pressing Play Podcast is a different conversation about perimenopause, midlife and what comes next.Hosted by Jo Fiddy, it explores the female brain, menopause, wellbeing, confidence and the beliefs that can quietly keep women living on pause.Through honest conversations, science, practical tools and inspiring guests, Pressing Play empowers women to reconnect with themselves and move forwards.About Jo FiddyJo Fiddy (MIBCC) is a Motivational Speaker, Menopause Coaching Specialist, EFT Practitioner and host of The Pressing Play Podcast.Having been a hormonal collapse in her 30s and with nine years' experience working with the female nervous system, Jo combines lived experience, menopause coaching and EFT tapping to help women navigate perimenopause and press play on life again.Website: https://jofiddy.comInstagram: @jofiddy_If this episode resonates, follow The Pressing Play Podcast and share it with another woman who needs to hear it.Keep listening to that voice, and always keep pressing play.

What happens when everything you thought you knew about your body suddenly stops working?This week on The Pressing Play Podcast, I'm joined all the way from Los Angeles by Corry Matthews, former professional bodybuilder, fitness and nutrition expert and women's health coach with nearly 30 years of experience.Corry spent decades helping others get stronger and healthier. But when perimenopause arrived in her 40s, the strategies she'd relied on for years suddenly stopped working for her own body.This conversation goes far beyond exercise and weight.We talk about changing bodies, confidence, the frustration of feeling that you're doing everything right but getting nowhere. We explore strength training, nutrition, sugar, insulin, cortisol and why finding an approach that works for you matters.Corry's story takes another extraordinary turn. After perimenopause, she faced osteoporosis, a serious spinal injury and major surgery. Her determination to seek answers and rebuild her strength moved me deeply.We also talk about looking beyond the symptoms and thinking about the decades still ahead of us. As Corry brilliantly puts it:"I'm not training for a stage. I'm training for my next 50 years."What would change if you thought about your future that way?Press play and join us.In this episode:Perimenopause and a changing bodyBody confidence and identityStrength training and joyful movementNutrition, sugar and metabolic healthStress, cortisol and doing less, betterOsteoporosis, bone health and self-advocacyRebuilding strength for the next 50 yearsIn this episode, we also discuss anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts during perimenopause. If you're experiencing similar feelings or need support, please visit https://findahelpline.com to find free, confidential support in your country.About Corry MatthewsCorry has nearly 30 years' experience in fitness, nutrition and sports medicine, including competing as a professional bodybuilder. Her own perimenopause experience changed how she supports women over 40. Following an osteoporosis diagnosis and spinal surgery in May 2026, she's sharing her journey back to strength and encouraging women to invest in the decades ahead.Find Corry:Website: https://www.corrymatthews.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/corrymatthews/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/corry.matthews/The Pressing Play PodcastThe Pressing Play Podcast is a different conversation about perimenopause, midlife and what comes next. Hosted by Jo Fiddy, it brings together honest stories and expert insights to empower women to press play on life.About Jo FiddyJo Fiddy (MIBCC) is a Motivational Speaker, Menopause Coaching Specialist, EFT Practitioner and host of The Pressing Play Podcast. Jo explores the Invisible Pause: the stress, emotions, beliefs that can hold women back. Through EFT, Rapid Tapping® and menopause coaching, she helps women navigate the emotional side of perimenopause and feel more confident. Her Specialist Perimenopause Tapping Sessions offer 1:1 support for anxiety, overwhelm, anger, sleep-related stress, brain fog and emotional eating.Work with Jo:Website: https://www.jofiddy.comInstagram: @jofiddy_

Pressing Play on a Magnificent Menopause with Alison BladhWhat if menopause could be more than something we simply survive?This week on The Pressing Play Podcast, I’m joined by Alison Bladh, award-winning Registered Nutritional Therapist, qualified Beauty Therapist, women’s health expert and author of the #1 international bestseller Have a Magnificent Menopause.With more than three decades working with women, Alison brings a fascinating perspective to what happens as we move through our 40s, perimenopause and menopause.And this conversation goes far beyond hot flushes.We talk about the changes women can suddenly notice in their bodies, skin, weight, energy and confidence, and the overwhelm of trying to work out what we should be doing about all of it.We get into menopause nutrition, protein, blood sugar and metabolic health, as well as GLP-1 medications, weight loss, nourishment and maintaining muscle.And because Alison began her career in beauty, we talk about something women can almost feel embarrassed about admitting:We still want to look good.What happens to our skin as our hormones change? And when did caring about how we look become something we were supposed to grow out of?We also explore Alison’s MenoMassage Method, bringing together menopause support, therapeutic touch and nervous-system regulation with a lovely EFT connection too.What could a magnificent menopause actually look like for you?Press play and join us.In this episode:• Perimenopause and the changing female body• Nutrition, protein, blood sugar and metabolic health• GLP-1s, weight loss, nourishment and muscle• Hormonal skin changes, collagen and ageing• Confidence and why wanting to look good matters• Stress, anxiety and the nervous system• Alison’s MenoMassage MethodAbout Alison BladhAlison is an award-winning Registered Nutritional Therapist, qualified Beauty Therapist and women’s health expert specialising in women over 40. She is the author of the #1 international bestseller Have a Magnificent Menopause.Find Alison:alisonbladh.comalisonbladh.com/bookThe Pressing Play PodcastThe Pressing Play Podcast is a different conversation about perimenopause, midlife and what comes next.Hosted by Jo Fiddy, it goes beyond managing menopause symptoms to explore what’s happening in our brains and bodies — alongside the beliefs and experiences that can quietly put our lives on pause.Because perimenopause isn’t a pause. It’s time to Press Play.About Jo FiddyJo Fiddy (MIBCC) is a Motivational Speaker, Menopause Coaching Specialist, EFT Practitioner and host of The Pressing Play Podcast.Having been through the menopause journey twice herself, and with nine years’ experience working with the female nervous system, Jo combines lived experience, menopause coaching, EFT/tapping and nervous-system support to help women navigate perimenopause and press play on what comes next.Jo’s Specialist Perimenopause Tapping Sessions offer focused 1:1 support for brain fog, anxiety and overwhelm, anger and rage, sleep and emotional eating.Work with Jo:https://jofiddy.com/perimenopause-tapping-sessions-1https://jofiddy.comInstagram: @jofiddy_

This week on The Pressing Play Podcast, I’m joined by the brilliant Charlotte Body, founder of The Health Assembly and the woman behind Pause Live — the UK’s largest women’s health event.And this conversation has ENERGY.Charlotte is a serial entrepreneur with more than 20 years’ experience building, scaling and selling businesses across healthcare, media and events. But it was her own experience of perimenopause and the struggle to get the answers she needed that helped set her on a completely new path.We talk about what happened next.From why women are still struggling to access the information and support they need, to the power of community, better conversations around women’s health and Charlotte’s mission to make sure the next generation does things differently.We also go behind the scenes of Pause Live 2026, the UK’s largest women’s health event, and talk about what happens when you bring thousands of women together in one room and, because this is Pressing Play, we get onto dancing, day raving and why midlife absolutely does NOT mean the party is over.Charlotte is funny, refreshingly honest and completely passionate about changing the conversation around women’s health.This episode is about women having better information, better support and a much bigger conversation about what life can look like in midlife and beyond.In this episode, we talk about:Charlotte’s own experience of perimenopause and what led her into the women’s health spaceWhy accessing the right information and support can still be so difficultThe power of bringing women together and having honest conversations about women’s healthThe story behind The Health Assembly and Pause LiveWhat to expect from Pause Live 2026Why community mattersMidlife, dancing, day raving and refusing to disappearWhat pressing play looks like for Charlotte nowPause Live 2026I’m so excited to also be joining Pause Live in London on Saturday 10th October, where I’ll be delivering The Healing Power of Tapping in the Experience Hub!!!If you’re coming along, please come and say hello and come and tap with me!Get your tickets at www.pauselive.com and use the discount code PAUSE10.About Jo Fiddy.I’m Jo Fiddy, Menopause Coaching Specialist, EFT Practitioner, speaker and host of The Pressing Play Podcast.I work with women navigating perimenopause using evidence-based EFT tapping, nervous system support and menopause coaching to help with issues including brain fog, anxiety, overwhelm and stress.You can find out more and work with me at JoFiddy.com.Follow me on Instagram: @jofiddy_And if you enjoyed this episode, please follow The Pressing Play Podcast, share it with a woman who needs to hear it and leave a review. It makes such a difference in helping more women find these conversations.Perimenopause isn’t a pause. It’s a pivot.

Welcome back to The Pressing Play Podcast Season Two 🎧We’re back, my loves. And Season Two feels different.This season, I want us to go deeper. I’ll be bringing you extraordinary guests, honest conversations, science, tapping, perimenopause and plenty of Press Play energy all with one purpose: helping more women stop putting themselves on pause.In this first episode back, I’m talking about something that has been on my mind all summer:The Invisible Pause.It’s that place you can find yourself in during perimenopause where, from the outside, life is still happening. You’re working. Parenting. Showing up. Getting things done.But underneath?You’re exhausted. You’re snapping over things that never used to bother you. You’re crying in the car and then putting your sunglasses on and carrying on. You walk into a room and forget why you’re there. Your confidence has taken a knock. You start questioning yourself.And sometimes, almost without noticing it, you begin making yourself smaller.You stop going for things.You think, Should I even bother?That’s The Invisible Pause.In this episode, I’m exploring why I believe perimenopause can turn the volume up on the beliefs, patterns and stories we’ve been carrying for years, including what we’ve been taught about women, ageing, worth and what this chapter of life is supposed to look like. We’re experiencing it inside a culture that has spent generations telling women what ageing should mean.And I want us to challenge that.I also share why HRT can be life-changing , it has been for me, but why supporting our minds, beliefs and nervous systems matters too.Also in this episode…I’m sharing a little of what happened at Latitude Festival this summer (the energy was OFF THE SCALE), plus a huge pinch-me moment: I’ll be taking to the stage at Pause Live in London on 10th October, bringing the Healing Power of Tapping to the UK’s largest women’s health event.And I have two pairs of Pause Live tickets to give away!Head over to my Instagram to find the competition and enter:Instagram: @jofiddy_Feeling your own Invisible Pause?If something in this episode made you think, Oh God, that’s me, I’m opening up my 90-minute 1:1 perimenopause coaching sessions.Bring me the one thing that’s keeping you awake, the decision you keep circling, the anger, overwhelm or loss of confidence you can’t seem to shift.Together, we’ll calm the noise, explore what’s really running underneath and start moving you from The Invisible Pause → Pressing Play.Work with me: jofiddy.com/perimenopausecoachingRemember, my love:You are not declining. You are just getting started.Keep Pressing Play. ❤️Jo x

Pressing Play with Persia LawsonWhat if the secret to navigating midlife, relationships and life's hardest moments isn't waiting for everything to feel okay……but choosing to bring the magic anyway?This week I'm joined by someone I've wanted to have on the podcast for a very long time.Persia Lawson is one of the UK's leading relationship experts, bestselling author of Love Is Coming, speaker and television relationship coach. But this conversation goes far beyond dating.Together we talk about grief, resilience, perimenopause, beliefs, intuition, relationships, ageing, self-worth and why life is far too precious to spend waiting for permission to fully live it.Persia shares, with incredible honesty, the difficult season she and her family are currently navigating, and the mindset that is helping her move through it one day at a time.It's about remembering how to stay open to life.It's about choosing possibility over resignation.And it's about pressing play even when life feels uncertain.In this episodeWhy your beliefs shape far more than your relationships.The hidden stories we carry about love, ageing and what's possible.Why your intuition deserves to be listened to.The importance of bringing magic into difficult seasons of life.The mindset shift that changes everything: choosing your story.About Persia LawsonNamed by The Times as one of the UK's most successful love coaches, Persia Lawson is a dating and relationship expert, bestselling author, speaker and television personality. For more than a decade she has helped thousands of women build healthier relationships by changing the beliefs that keep them stuck. Her work has been featured by Vogue, Cosmopolitan, the BBC and HBO Max, and she hosts the chart-topping podcast Love Is Coming.https://persialawson.com/About JoJo Fiddy is a Speaker, Menopause Coaching Specialist and host of The Pressing Play Podcast. She helps women who feel like they've quietly disappeared during perimenopause understand what's happening in their brain and body, change the beliefs that have been keeping them stuck through her Belief Soundtrack® method, and press play on the next chapter of life with greater confidence, energy and purpose.Work with JoThe Press Play SessionIf you know something needs to change but can't quite work out what's keeping you stuck, this is where we start.During this powerful 90-minute one-to-one session, we'll uncover the Pause Button that's keeping you stuck, identify the Belief Soundtrack® running beneath the surface, and help you take your first confident step towards pressing play again.You'll leave with greater clarity, a calmer nervous system and a clear direction for what comes next.📩 Email: [email protected] Comeback Kit (Free)Somewhere along the way, so many women stop choosing themselves.The Comeback Kit is your invitation to press play again.Inside you'll find:A confidence pep talkA guided tapping sessionA practical boundaries guideIt starts with choosing yourself.Download your free Comeback Kit.https://jofiddy.myflodesk.com/comebackConnect with JoInstagram: @jofiddy_Website: jofiddy.com

We Weren't Meant to Do Midlife AloneLast week, for the very first time, I missed an episode of The Pressing Play Podcast.The reason? I was in London attending two incredible events. I went expecting to learn, but what I wasn't expecting was how I would feel afterwards.I came home calmer. Lighter. More energised.It reminded me that sometimes the most powerful thing we can do for our wellbeing isn't adding another supplement, another podcast or another thing to our to-do list. Sometimes, it's simply saying yes to connection.In this episode, I explore the fascinating science behind why being physically together changes how we think, feel and regulate our nervous systems. We look at why perimenopause can become one of the loneliest seasons of a woman's life, how stress and fluctuating hormones can amplify that feeling, and why gathering with other women may be exactly what our brains and bodies have been designed to do.In this episodeWhy connection is more than a nice idea—it's powerful support for your nervous system.The science of collective effervescence and why shared experiences leave us feeling more alive.Why online communities help us find our people, but real-life connection deepens those relationships.How perimenopause can increase feelings of stress, anxiety and isolation.What anthropology teaches us about why women have always gathered together.Simple ways to create a more connected summer.About JoJo Fiddy is a Speaker, Menopause Coaching Specialist and host of The Pressing Play Podcast.She helps women who feel like they've quietly disappeared during perimenopause understand what's happening in their brain and body, change the beliefs that have been keeping them stuck through her Belief Soundtrack® method, and press play on the next chapter of life with greater confidence, energy and purpose.Work with JoThe Press Play SessionIf you know something needs to change but can't quite work out what's keeping you stuck, this is where we start. In this powerful 90-minute one-to-one session, we'll uncover the Pause Button that's holding you back, identify the Belief Soundtrack® running beneath the surface, and help you take your first confident step towards pressing play again.You'll leave with greater clarity, a calmer nervous system and a clear direction for what comes next.To book your session, email [email protected] Comeback Kit (Free)Somewhere along the way, so many women stop choosing themselves.The Comeback Kit is your invitation to begin again.Inside you'll find practical tools to help you quiet the mental noise, calm your nervous system and reconnect with yourself.You'll receive:A confidence pep talk.A guided tapping session.A practical boundaries guide.Because pressing play doesn't start with changing your whole life.It starts with choosing yourself.Download Here. Connect with JoInstagram: @jofiddy_Website: jofiddy.comIf you enjoyed this episode, I'd love it if you subscribed, left a review or shared it with a friend. The more women we reach, the more women we remind that they don't have to navigate midlife alone.Keep pressing play.

Welcome back to the Pressing Play Podcast.In this solo episode, Jo dives into one of the topics women ask her about most, body confidence in perimenopause, and why it gets even harder to navigate when summer rolls around.If you've ever stood in front of the mirror before a holiday and felt your stomach drop, this one is for you.Jo unpacks why your body is changing, where the beliefs about how it "should" look actually came from, and why the way out isn't about shrinking yourself it's about feeling more and looking less.In this episode she covers:Why body changes in perimenopause are a hormonal reality, not a personal failingThe science behind water retention, weight shifts, hair and skin changes — and what's actually driving themHow childhood messages, magazine culture and decades of shifting fashion standards quietly built your belief soundtrack about your bodyThe "mirror fallacy" how constant self-checking trains your brain to find fault, not confidenceJo's three holiday body rulesThe ripple effect of body confidence — and how it changes the way you experience your whole summer, not just how you look in itIf this episode moved something in you, if you're done not liking your body for the next half of your life get in touch and work with Jo. Email [email protected] to find out more.Jo Fiddy is a Speaker and Menopause Coaching Specialist who has been through menopause twice — once in her thirties and now navigating perimenopause at 45. She helps women go from living in the pause of menopause to Menoplaying™, regaining their confidence along the way.Using menopause strategies, somatic techniques and her Belief Soundtrack™ method, Jo helps women release the blocks holding them back, understand what's happening in their brain and body, and press play on the life they actually want.Follow Jo on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jofiddy_/Subscribe to the Pressing Play Podcast so you never miss an episode.

Welcome back to The Pressing Play Podcast.   What happens when you finally give yourself permission to pause  and actually feel alive because of it? In this solo episode, I’m recording from a balcony overlooking the mountains and lake in Bavaria, on my first ever solo getaway in eight years of living there. And the questions it's brought up are ones, I  suspect you might be sitting with too. This one is for every woman who has quietly learned to put herself at the bottom of the list. Who has been responsible, available, accommodating  and is now wondering why she feels so flat, disconnected, and stuck. Especially when perimenopause arrives and makes all of that even more exhausting. Pressing play doesn't have to be a huge reinvention. Sometimes it's a night away. A slow coffee. A walk. Listening to your own thoughts. This episode is an invitation to do exactly that. In this episode, I explore:•       Why so many women learn to pause themselves and why perimenopause is the wake-up call that starts to change that•       The people-pleaser neurons that perimenopause begins to dissolve  and why that's actually brilliant•       What happens in your brain and body when you do press play•       Why we wait for permission that was ours to give all along•       Five journal questions to help you press play right now About Jo FiddyJo Fiddy is a Speaker and Menopause Coaching Specialist who has been through menopause twice once in her thirties and now navigating perimenopause. She helps women go from living in the pause of menopause to Menoplaying™ and regaining their confidence along the way. Using menopause strategies, somatic techniques and her Belief Soundtrack™ method, Jo helps women release the blocks holding them back, understand what's happening in their brain and body, and press play on the life they actually want. Work with Jo90-Minute Pressing Play SessionNot sure where to start? This is it. One powerful hour and a half where you tap through what's blocking you, get clear on where you are, and leave knowing your next step. Book yours email [email protected] The Comeback Kit — FreeReset all your passwords and now it's time to reset you. Includes a pep talk, an EFT tapping session and a boundaries guide. Grab it free here Follow JoInstagram: @jofiddy_Website: jofiddy.comPodcast: Pressing Play on Apple Podcasts Subscribe to the Pressing Play Podcast so you never miss an episode.

Welcome back to the Pressing Play Podcast.In this episode, Jo is joined by Dr. Helen Wall  GP, menopause specialist, Resident GP on BBC Breakfast and author of Menopause and ADHD: How to Navigate Hormone Flux and Neurodivergence.If you've ever found yourself asking "is it ADHD or is it perimenopause?" this one is for you.Dr. Helen Wall has spent years watching women be missed, mislabelled and dismissed. This book which hit number one bestseller in Menopause on Amazon in its first two weeks, is her answer to that.In this episode they cover:Why perimenopause brings ADHD to the surface  often for the very first timeThe hidden cost of masking and why there is always a price paidHow to tell the difference between perimenopause and ADHDHow oestrogen and progesterone impact dopamine, GABA and the brain's chemical messengersWhy HRT alone is not the full answer  and what else needs to be in the mixThe role of gut health, nervous system regulation and dietDr. Helen's three practical things you can do right nowWhy this is not just a book  it is a movementFind Dr. Helen Wall: 📖 Menopause and ADHD: How to Navigate Hormone Flux and Neurodivergence by Dr. Helen Wall available on Amazon now wherever books are sold Instagram: @doctorhelenwallFacebook: Dr Helen Wall  Community: Finally Seen — join via Dr. Helen's website https://tvhealthdoctor.com/Jo Fiddy is a Speaker and Menopause Coaching Specialist who has been through menopause twice, once in her thirties and now navigating perimenopause at 45. She helps women go from living in the pause of menopause to Menoplaying™  and regaining their confidence along the way.Using menopause strategies, somatic techniques and her Belief Soundtrack™ method, Jo helps women release the blocks holding them back, understand what's happening in their brain and body, and press play on the life they actually want.90-Minute Pressing Play Session — not sure where to start? This is it. One powerful hour and a half where you tap through what's blocking you, get clear on where you are, and leave knowing your next step. Book yours and find out more [email protected] Comeback Kit — free — Reset all your passwords and now it's time to reset you. Includes a pep talk, an EFT tapping session and a boundaries guide. Grab it free here Follow Jo on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/jofiddy_/Subscribe to the Pressing Play Podcast so you never miss an episode.