Thank you to everyone who tuned into our Substack Live on Friday!
Nicole and I sat down with Dr. Amber Hull, a U.S. Board Certified physician currently licensed and practicing women’s health in British Columbia. We discussed the critical intersection of physical health, hormonal changes, relationships, and career fulfillment in our “second half” of life.
We also explored how the traditional compartmentalization of the different facets of our lives is pretty artificial. Instead, we need a holistic approach where we prioritize our wellbeing to maximize our personal and professional lives, especially as we age.
Key Takeaways
*Summarized from our audio transcript by Proton’s Lumo AI
Hormones Drive Cognitive Performance: Many midlife professionals mistake perimenopausal symptoms (brain fog, anxiety, fatigue) for burnout or depression. Addressing the root hormonal causes and prioritizing sleep is often more effective than simply prescribing antidepressants.
“Pay Yourself First” with Time: Just as you save money, you must aggressively block off time on your calendar for exercise, rest, and recovery before scheduling work obligations. This isn’t selfishness! It’s a necessary investment to prevent burnout and ensure longevity.
The Danger of Unregulated Trends: Be highly skeptical of “snake oil” solutions like unregulated peptides or blanket hormone prescriptions. Unlike past pendulum swings in medical advice, the current approach requires individualized risk assessments rather than one-size-fits-all protocols.
Redefining Intimacy and Pleasure: For women (and their partners), libido often dips because of the sheer weight of caretaking, work, and life responsibilities. True intimacy requires shifting from a transactional mindset to one where a partner’s pleasure and sense of “being seen” are centered without expectation of some sort of reciprocity.
The Power of Saying “No”: It’s amazing to reach a life stage where you stop trying to make everyone else happy all the time. Setting firm boundaries with employers, family, and others allows you to reclaim your agency and design a life that aligns with your values and needs.
Self-Advocacy is Non-Negotiable: Medical education has not always covered midlife changes and health adequately, so patients must become experts about their own bodies and health. Ask tough questions about risks and benefits rather than blindly trusting authority figures.
Exercise is the Great Equalizer: While pharmaceutical interventions carry risks and trade-offs, consistent physical activity (e.g., weightlifting, walking, hiking, yoga) remains the single most reliable, low-risk intervention for maintaining physical vitality and mental clarity.
⬆️ Scroll up and hit play to watch the video and listen to our full conversation.
About Dr. Hull
Dr. Amber Hull is a U.S. Board Certified physician currently licensed and practicing women’s health in British Columbia. She is a Menopause Society Certified Practitioner (MSCP) and an active member of the International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health and the International Society for Sexual Medicine.
She takes an evidence-based, integrative approach to women’s health; considering measurable goals within the context of improving quality of life. She has a deep understanding of the physical and emotional changes that happen throughout the lifespan; especially in the context of puberty, postpartum, and peri/menopause. In addition to full-time clinical practice in Vancouver, she writes about medicine, immigration, and sexual health on Substack at Under the White Coat.
Larry Cornett, Ph.D. | Empowerment coach, psychologist, nature lover, and fitness freak. I help you escape the “hustle trap” to create an empowered life that fits who you are and what you want most. From Silicon Valley exec to self-employed entrepreneur, I’ve also followed this path to freedom, so now I can help others find their way.
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