Lonely in a Crowd: Heart Health in Midlife Transitions

The Truth About Loneliness

It’s National Heart Month. And while most of the conversation focuses on blood pressure, cholesterol, and cardio routines… there’s another kind of heart health we don’t talk about nearly enough.

The relational kind.

Midlife has a way of shifting our roles — parenting adult children, career pivots, menopause, retirement, divorce, grief, reinvention. When those roles shift, identity shifts. And when identity shifts, our sense of belonging can wobble.

You can be surrounded by people and still feel lonely.

In this solo episode of Late Bloomer Living, I reflect on what losing a dear friend recently stirred up in me — and how unexpected conversations with old friends softened the edges of grief. I also explore the research behind loneliness as a public health issue and the powerful mind–body connection that shapes how our beliefs and self-talk affect our physical health.

But this episode isn’t just about loneliness.

It’s about self-compassion.
It’s about noticing how you speak to yourself.
It’s about play.
It’s about connection that regulates instead of drains.