The word mother carries weight. It evokes comfort, sacrifice, wisdom, and devotion. It reminds us of caretaking—not just of children, but of communities, friendships, partners, and teams. Whether or not we’ve raised children, most of us have mothered others in profound, often invisible ways.
This Mother’s Day, I want to offer a different kind of invitation:
What would it look like to mother yourself?
To offer yourself care that isn’t earned through exhaustion.
To prioritize rest not as indulgence—but as nourishment.
To reclaim the girl you left behind to be liked, wanted, or deemed worthy.
The Forgotten Self
So many of us left parts of ourselves behind in adolescence.
We learned to shrink our needs. To perform. To adapt.
We were taught that our value came from being agreeable, attractive, and self-sacrificing.
It’s no wonder that by midlife, we feel untethered—like we’ve lost track of who we are beneath the roles we’ve mastered.
“There was a moment I realized my body wasn’t just tired—it was asking for reverence.”
That sentence came to me during my own transition into midlife—a time when I changed everything: my nutrition, my workouts, my sleep, my supplements, and the way I spoke to myself.
It was a reclamation. Not just of energy, but of identity.
Listening to the Midlife Body
When was the last time you asked yourself what you truly needed?
The menopause transition isn’t just physical—it’s deeply emotional, psychological, and spiritual.¹ Hormonal shifts affect everything from mood and sleep to memory and focus. But these symptoms are often mischaracterized or dismissed, leaving women feeling gaslit or broken.
We’re not broken. We’re evolving.
A 2021 study found that lifestyle changes and targeted supplements significantly improved menopause-related symptoms like mood, energy, and clarity.² The key is to support—not suppress—what our bodies are asking for.
That support might look like rest. Saying “No.” Choosing plant-based supplements for menopause that regulate your nervous system and reduce inflammation.
It might mean mothering yourself in the way you always wished someone had.
Reframing the Journey
Too many women enter midlife completely unprepared—misdiagnosed, misunderstood, and often gaslit. It’s not their fault.
Most doctors receive little to no training in menopause, and as a result, symptoms like anxiety, brain fog, night sweats, and mood swings are often miscategorized and mistreated with antidepressants or antianxiety meds… or brushed aside entirely.¹
And then there’s the deeper cultural story:
That menopause is the end.
The end of vitality. The end of desirability. The end of who we were.
We’re here to say: That story is a lie.
Midlife isn’t an ending—it’s a beginning. A powerful, messy, transformational homecoming to yourself.
But to get there, we need to tell the truth about what’s happening in our bodies.
We need information. Compassion. Encouragement.
We need options—from nutrition and exercise to supplements and HRT—so we can move through this transition informed, supported, and reconnected to our power.
Returning to Center
At CLEA, we believe midlife is a sacred reset.
Our clean, chemical-free menopause supplements are designed to support the endocannabinoid system (ECS)—a central regulator of sleep, mood, inflammation, and cognition.³ This system is deeply affected by hormonal changes, and supporting it can help ease:
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Mood fluctuations
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Brain fog
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Sleep disturbances
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Stress sensitivity
Our products are designed to support your body’s natural systems—including the endocannabinoid system—whether you're using hormone therapy or choosing a plant-based path.
CLEA can complement your HRT journey or offer natural support when hormones aren’t an option.
We believe in informed choice, not one-size-fits-all solutions.
Because healing isn’t about overriding your symptoms.
It’s about reconnecting with your body’s wisdom—and listening.
Reclaiming the Narrative
Midlife isn’t a breakdown. It’s a homecoming.
It’s where the parts of us we’ve neglected rise to the surface.
It’s where the girl we once were asks us to choose her again.
It’s where you stop abandoning yourself—and start honoring the whole of who you are.
This Mother’s Day, whether you’ve mothered children or held space for others in countless unseen ways, know this:
You are worthy of the same tenderness you give so freely.
With love,
Anea
Founder & CEO, CLEA Midlife
📚 Works Cited
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Geraghty, D. A., et al. (2018). “Bio-psycho-social-spiritual model of menopause.” Journal of Holistic Nursing, 36(4), 320–330. https://doi.org/10.1177/0898010117719205
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Genazzani, A. R., et al. (2021). “Nutraceuticals in the management of menopausal symptoms.” Nutrients, 13(6), 1954. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13061954
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Mendell, L. M., & MacKie, K. (2020). “Endocannabinoid modulation of the stress response.” Neurobiology of Stress, 13, 100281. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ynstr.2020.100281
