With the summer holidays over and kids back to school or university, I find September is the perfect time to reset. Whether it's motivation from the lingering summer glow, or the nostalgia of a new term starting - opening new stationery and the anticipation of all the possibilities that lie ahead - I feel energised to start something new and stretch my brain. My education pretty much went on pause after school and University - then life and kids got in the way and that was a whole other kind of life learning. Now, in my Second Act, it is patently clear that as we age that there is still so much about life I could, and should, be educating myself on – from lessons in a healthier way to eat for my hormones, to exercising for a pre-menopausal body or looking after my face.
That's before I start on my finances. I always said I was a words, not a numbers person, and put my head in the sand about what to do with money. But now I'm a grown-up (how did that happen?!), savings and pensions are essential to help future me have the best life I can, so I need to put my past triggers of maths in the middle school block behind me and get on with it. While I wish I had done this sooner, it is never too late to start. Here are some of the essential reset courses I've found to give you the kick start and reboot your midlife.
Courses to take in midlife
1. Invest in becoming financially literate
Don't know the first thing about investing your money? Join the club. Being educated in how to manage your finances is an essential life skill, yet I don't remember ever being taught it at school. As we age, our responsibilities grow with us and the need to get a handle on our bank accounts and figure out a plan for future us, and our family suddenly becomes more pressing.
© Getty ImagesSo, stop putting your head in the sand and start doing the work. In her recent Second Act podcast, Grace Dent spoke about how she has reframed the way she looks at money. It took until she was in her 50s before she started taking money out of the bank account she opened during uni and started investing for her future. "Money is power. I think that women are often embarrassed to say that. Financial literacy… you're going to have to teach yourself. It's a real buzz once you start to get it online." Listen to the podcast below...
The course: Female Invest has a live webinar on September 9 with Dragons Den money wizard Deborah Meaden to help get you started. They also offer classes you can sign up to with advice on how to start investing over 40, breaking down the basics for those financially illiterate amongst us who haven't got a clue on the difference between an ISA and an EFT, other than being letters in the alphabet. Time to get your head out of the sand and start educating yourself.
2. Skin education
Did you know that you can exercise the muscles on your face just like your body at the gym? Grief, stress, hormones and more contribute to the appearance of your face, but there are so many things we can do at home to glow up, if we just educate ourselves about them.
Going back to basics and teaching yourself how to look after your face can not only leave you feeling less stressed, it can save you thousands on injectables! Holistic training is on the rise with more people looking for no-tox solutions to age gracefully. Procedures such as lymphatic drainage, relieving jaw tension and realigning your posture can all have positive impacts on how you look and feel without having to turn to injectables.
© Getty ImagesThe course: Glow Academy: Facial massage expert Nicki Wright from Niks Skin has spent years researching the links between the mind body connection and how everything is linked. She developed a six-week Zoom course to practice transformative techniques such as facial massage, yoga and lymphatic drainage to target areas of tension and resculpt your face that you can incorporate into your routine. This course starts September 9, with others throughout the year.
Glow and Grow: Acupuncturist Sarah Braden's own experience of resetting her life after suffering stress related severe skin issues, resulting in her creating the Sarah Bradden Technique. Combining ancient wisdom with modern science, you’ll learn how to nurture your skin using acupressure, facial exercises, massage, nutrition, and tapping techniques.
3. Menopause and fitness
There is so much information flooding into our feeds about menopause and perimenopause, but how do we put it into action? Sometimes we need a shove in the right direction to make habits we already know should be good for us stick. Exercise, particularly strength training, is essential for our mental wellbeing and to help us age well. But combine this with nutritional advice to help your hormones and you can feel more in control of how you are feeling in your own body.
© Getty ImagesThe course: Unstoppable September. Personal trainer Kate Rowe-Ham's mission in life with her Own Your Own Menopause platform is to educate women on how to listen to their bodies and develop tools they can tap into at home to transform their lives. Her 30-day September reset is a bite-sized version of her wider monthly membership where she combines the benefits of exercise, with meal plans, stress management and more to sculpt a more balanced menopause journey.
4. Career
If you feel compelled to switch careers or return to the workplace after caring for kids and family, now could be an excellent time to tap into what else is out there.
Look out for introduction courses at local colleges if you are not sure if you want to commit. Also, it might be worth getting some advice on finetuning your CV and interview techniques to help you get the role you want. In her recent Second Act podcast, Jo Glynn-Smith talked about how she pivoted after redundancy from an executive job to coaching people into midlife career changes with her company The Ascent Associates. "On social media, we are fed young successes; people telling you: 'I set up these businesses and I'm only 23'. That makes it so difficult, because you feel like you are failing," she says. "The important thing everyone should know about midlife is you come into yourself a little bit more, you have spirit."
The course: Skills For Work. Adult learning experts WEA offer adult education courses in life and work skills up and down the country. Professional development courses can signpost training options and skills courses where you can transfer the skills you already have gathered to start again. - they can also be found in most local colleges.
AllBright Accelerate: This is a virtual and in-person learning programme at the mid-stage of their career thinking what is next. With lessons and networking opportunities, this is for people looking to invest in personal and professional development to see what else is out there and gain the confidence to move on in their careers.
5. Nutrition
After growing up on an 80s and 90s diet of crispy pancakes and beige ultra-processed foods, it is now in midlife we are realising the impact this has on our body. Food is not only fuel, but what we put in our mouths affects how we think, how we feel, our hormones, our skin, our joints and our blood. Taking care of what we eat in relation to our gut microbiome is a massive life lesson we could all have done with learning in Food Technology rather than making fairy cakes with toxic blue icing.
The course: The 360 Plan. Nutritional expert Rosemary Ferguson keeps her celebrity friends glowing from the inside out. She launched the 360 plans on her RHealth platform which combines lessons in eating protein and hormone friendly foods alongside 'purposeful movement'.
"September is the perfect time to do this," says Rosemary. "After a summer of long lunches, late nights and perhaps a little too much of everything, the body craves structure. The 360 Plan resets that rhythm — helping you reduce inflammation, stabilise blood sugar, clear brain fog and find your flow again."
HELLO!'s Second Act is a newsletter for women in midlife and beyond. It's completely free to sign up and is a one-stop-shop for advice and inspiration on the issues our Second Act community have told us matter most: health, relationships, travel, menopause, divorce, careers, finance and more.
