S1. Ep37 Stacey McCray - Starting Over at 50: Embracing Change, Finding Joy, and Building a New Life (mental health and self-care, community building, dating, and embracing aging).
In this podcast episode, Ros and Cate talk with Stacey McCray, who shares her personal story of starting over in her early 50s. After leaving her successful career, her long-term marriage ended unexpectedly, and she vacated the home she lived in for 22 years, which took a toll on her mental health. Stacey's journey relates to the transitional turning points that occur in life and reminds us that how we respond to them can impact our well-being. Today, Stacey is passionate about using her newly acquired skills to help others through trauma, mental health issues, and loneliness.
Stacey discusses her process of choosing joy and stepping into becoming a more authentic version of herself. She talks about how she coped with post-divorce stress, including fear of moving into change specifically because she was an older woman. She also discusses how these changes impacted her sense of identity and how she balanced building a business and dealing with the stress of a protracted divorce.
Stacey's journey is characterized by self-care, including meditation, holistic health and nutrition courses, energetic healing, and aromatherapy. She discusses healthy habits she incorporated into her daily routine and how they impact her energy, decision-making, and motivation. She also talks about decluttering and creating new spaces as a form of self-care, and how she furnished her apartment to reflect her new chapter in life.
Stacey became a soul coach, a concept she first came across when she began to take care of her soul and identify areas for growth. She is now passionate about building community, finding purpose, and combating loneliness, which she does by getting involved in community projects and initiating groups that bring people together. Stacey also talks about dating, body image, and aging, and provides advice to those struggling with these issues.
Stacey's Meetups: https://www.meetup.com/noosa-social-connections/
Stacey LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/staceymccraycoach/
WEBSITE Ironing Out the Wrinkles
Full Guest Line-up https://www.rosmcmaster.com/guestlineup
Meet Ros & Cate https://www.rosmcmaster.com/meetrosandcate
To read Ros's full bio or purchase her self-help memoir: From Shadows to Light https://www.rosmcmaster.com/fromshadowstolight
Email Ros McMaster roslynmcmaster@icloud.com
