Episode Summary
Have you ever felt sandwiched between motherhood and being a caregiver for an elderly parent? If so, you are not alone! As a matter of fact, a staggering number of women find themselves in this very predicament at one point or another in their lives. It’s challenging to say the least.
On this episode of the Fit is Freedom Podcast, I am thrilled to be joined by Laurie James, somatic relationship coach, author of Sandwiched, and host of the “Confessions of a Free Bird” Podcast. She will be walking us through not only the struggles of those who are in the stage of being sandwiched but also how somatic healing can change your life, the effects of long term stress, and more.
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All About Laurie James
Laurie James is a somatic relationship coach, focusing on helping women transform their relationships with themselves, their pasts, and their experiences. She is the author of Sandwiched, a “memoir of holding on and letting go,” and the host of the Confessions of a Freebird Podcast. Additionally, she offers courses that help women navigate dating in midlife.
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What does it mean to be “sandwiched?”
Being sandwiched is the experience many women face as they are raising children while caregiving for parents. It’s when they feel pulled in two opposing directions while also navigating life for themselves between the ages of 45-65.
Personally, Laurie spent 14 years being sandwiched as she raised her children and cared for her parents. She experienced a great deal of burnout and heartache throughout this time, eventually resulting in the ending of her marriage.
While her book walks readers through navigating this trying time, her podcast acts as the sequel. Confessions of a Freebird focuses on her newfound freedom as she now refers to herself as a “freebird” instead of an “empty nester.” No longer feeling sandwiched, she has a newfound opportunity to make herself a priority again.
All About Somatic Healing
A big piece of Laurie’s work is helping others through somatic healing. Somatic healing is body and mind work that helps people process past experiences in order to move on and find more self-love.
For example, if a woman struggles with finding strong girl friendships because of a past experience that made her distrust her friends, it will stay with her until she processes it properly from her body (through movement) and mind (belief system).
If you don’t process your experiences properly (whether they are big “T” or little “t” traumas, putting too much on your plate, or not getting out of your head), it will eventually catch up with you in a big way. Whether it’s a physical illness that lands you in the hospital or something less extreme, your body will make you stop if you don’t take the time to stop and process on your own!
Action Tip
The final piece of this episode of the Fit if Freedom Podcast is a wonderful exercise Laurie James walks us through! You WON’T want to miss it!
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