It might look like love. Might even feel like love. But what if it’s not?

In this episode, we’re exploring the difference between love and attachment. Knowing the difference might save years of confusion, resentment, and chasing someone’s potential.

Stacey is walking you through what love is (without the fairytale framing), how attachment shows up in your nervous system and choices, and why the two get so tangled in midlife relationships.

If you’ve ever been in a situation that made you question yourself, held on longer than you wanted to, or built a future with someone who wasn’t fully present, this conversation may give you language and clarity for what you’ve been feeling.

You’ll learn:

• What real love looks like

• How attachment hides in chemistry and caretaking

• The waiting-for-them-to-change trap

• Why long-term relationships aren’t always mutual

• How to stop confusing connection with compatibility

This episode is a roadmap for recognizing the kind of connection that can hold your wholeness.

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A guide to having “the talk” without losing your cool (or your dignity).
https://staceyherrera.com/herpesbook

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If you’re the one who remembers the birthdays, plans the date nights, manages the group chats, and loads the dishwasher (because no one else seems to notice it’s full), this episode is for you.

In today’s conversation, Stacey opens up about what happened when she finally stopped doing it all and what she learned about herself, her nervous system, and the stories that keep so many women in midlife over-functioning in their relationships.

If you’ve ever thought, “If I don’t do it, it won’t get done,” this one will hit home.

You’ll hear why it feels so hard to step back (even when you’re exhausted) and how to make small but powerful changes that allow space for support, help, and actual partnership.

Whether you're in a relationship or just realizing how often you take the lead in your life, this episode offers honest reflections and practical tools for letting go of the mental load.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• The hidden belief that keeps women stuck in the “go-to” role

• Three doable ways to shift the dynamic and stop doing it all

• Why letting people show up for you is vulnerable and necessary

• What really happens when you stop filling every gap yourself

Overfunctioning in relationships leads to burnout.

You deserve rest, support, and space.

✨ Got a topic, idea, or question?
Submit ideas for upcoming episodes in the Suggestion Box
https://staceyherrera.com/suggestion-box

📸 Follow Stacey on Instagram & TikTok for insight, truth, and grown woman reflections

💌 Subscribe to the Midlife & Then Some Substack
https://staceyherrera.substack.com/

📖 Read Stacey’s Book: How Do I Tell Them I Have Herpes?
A guide to having “the talk” without losing your cool (or your dignity).
https://staceyherrera.com/herpesbook

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Midlife brings shifts—some welcome, some disorienting. One of the most confusing? When your desire goes quiet for a while.

This week, we're talking about sexual winter. This season doesn’t get enough airtime, especially among midlife women navigating shifting roles, changing hormones, and the pressure to always be “on.”

This episode is for you if you've ever wondered:

• Why don’t I want to have sex?

• Is this just a phase or something else?

• How can I stay connected to my partner when I’m not feeling sexual?

• Will my desire ever come back?

Stacey shares her story of moving through a dormant season—not with urgency, but with curiosity. She offers insight on what helped, what didn’t, and why winter doesn’t mean anything is wrong. It just means your body is asking for something different.

In this episode:

• What sexual winter is (and how to recognize it)

• A new way to think about intimacy and connection during low-desire seasons

• How to communicate what’s happening without guilt or pressure

• Why slowing down isn’t a step back—it’s part of the rhythm
  
  

💫 Special Offer: May is Masturbation Month. Pleasure for One is just $10. This mini-course will help you reconnect with your body. No fixing or forcing required. Use code LOVEIS at checkout.

✨ Got a topic, idea, or question?
Submit ideas for upcoming episodes in the Suggestion Box
https://staceyherrera.com/suggestion-box

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Daily insights, soft truths, and grown woman reflections
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💌 Subscribe to the Sensual Sundays Newsletter
Weekly love notes on presence, embodiment, and coming home to yourself
https://staceyherrera.com/sensual-sundays/

📖 Read Stacey’s Book: How Do I Tell Them I Have Herpes?
A guide to having “the talk” without losing your cool (or your dignity).
https://staceyherrera.com/herpesbook

⭐️ Love the Show? Leave a 5-Star Review
Your words help other midlife women find us.
https://staceyherrera.com/love-is-review