The holidays hit differently when you live solo after 40. Some women feel relief. Others feel pressure from family, traditions, or the world’s obsession with “coupling.” And for many, there is a mix of loneliness, stress, and “I should feel happier than this, it’s the holidays.”
In this fireside, I sit down with licensed therapist Sarah Senst to unpack the mental and emotional load of the season. We get into why the holidays can be a trigger, why single women (especially if you’re over 40) feel judged, how family expectations create pressure, and what to do when your mood drops instead of lifting, no matter how many Hallmark movies you watch.
Find Sarah Senst at sarahsenst.com
TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 Holiday pressure and being single during Hallmark season
02:16 Welcome to the House of Middlelescence and why this topic matters
03:58 Prime example Christmas morning brunch with yourself
06:11 The bigger picture kinless grief and holiday stress stats
11:29 Meet Sarah Sense solo ager therapist and her reinvention story
13:36 Why the holidays trigger emotions and how joy and sadness can coexist
17:00 Boundaries with family micro boundaries and estrangement talk
20:36 The myth that being partnered fixes the holidays
23:39 Therapist toolkit boundaries mindset shifts and holiday minimums
26:53 When it is more than the holiday blues and where to get help
34:37 Powerful practices new traditions and the letter from your older self
36:43 Holiday hot seat spending it alone and handling why are you still single
39:30 Closing return on experience tip and final remix sendoff
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