I'm the Grown Girl Who Fell Running in the Horror Movie: Dealing with 40+ Horror-mones.

I want to be honest about where I am right now. I need to talk about it.

I'm talking about the "at this big age" hormones that have me crying over Lifetime movies and nearly crashing out because Publix ran out of Mardi Gras wings (don't judge me, they’re my favorite). I’m talking about the grown girl acne that popped up to remind me I just might still owe puberty a debt. I’m talking about mood swings that make me feel like I need a time-out in my car with my favorite 90s R&B playlist. And I haven’t even mentioned the brain fog that has me searching for my phone while I’m holding it, and being tired all the time like I just ran a marathon in stiletto heels. It’s a lot, right?

For years, I was the one giving the “your body is changing, and it’s OK” speeches to my teenager, who was navigating her own messy hormonal journey. I had the patience. I had the products. I had the support. I truly thought dealing with her hormones would be the toughest thing I had to do this decade.

Then I started “changing,” involuntarily. I had to look in the mirror and deal with my own horror-mones. I caught a real glimpse of the chaos happening inside my own body.

Nobody sent me the official email about this transition. Nobody told me that the chaos would be coming from inside. We were told to hustle in our 30s, stack our coins, and run the world (thanks, Beyoncé). Then 40 hits, and suddenly, my body started doing things that made me wonder, "Am I losing it?"

Not there yet? Have no idea what I’m talking about? Cool, let me break down the most disrespectful changes happening to me right now:

The Energy Thief: I remember when I could pull an all-nighter and be at the office by 9 AM. Nah, not today, Satan. Now, at 2 PM, my social battery is on 1%, and I feel like I need to nap under my desk just to make it through the rest of the day.

My Brain is on DND: I used to keep my professional calendar, my family schedule, and the entire Fashion Nova sales cycles in my head. Now? My brain is out here moving like Atlanta traffic on a Monday morning, slow and full of congestion. Losing my train of thought, forgetting why I walked into a room, confusing my spiritual intentions with my grocery list… It’s disrespectful!

The Emotional Switch-Up: I can go from zero to "I need to quit my job and open a little shop selling sea moss" in the same time it takes me to remember the Hulu login.

The Loudest Guest at Dinner (A.K.A. The Date Crasher): And since I’m keeping it all the way real, let’s talk about the sexual energy. Again, no one warned me that in my 40s, my body would decide it was time for a Peak Performance Tour. My libido has suddenly become super loud and disrespectful, showing up uninvited, especially when I’m out on a date trying to be cute and spiritually intentional.

I’m trying to vet a potential bae, listening intently to his five-year plan, and meanwhile, my body is yelling, “God, thank You for the work of your hands! Lord, he's fine! Let’s go!”

That internal conflict is maddening, especially for a woman committed to living obediently and dating with purpose. I feel like something is wrong with me; that I’m not spiritual enough or disciplined enough because my physical desires are raging. But friend, Im learning to embrace that these “disrespectful” acts are a result of my body hitting its natural stride, and it's normal. It’s just another loud signal demanding my attention and intentionality.

Before I knew better, I used to take all those symptoms: the fatigue, the brain fog, the unexpected urge to “go at it” on a first date, and turn it inward. I used to tell myself: "You’re not working hard enough." "You’re failing." “Your spiritual walk is clearly weak if you’re having these urges." I’d carry a heavy load of guilt and shame because I can no longer perform the way I did in my 30s. I’d punish myself for being tired, or overstimulated, forgetting that fatigue is a boundary my body is setting for me.

I’d rebuke myself for natural desires, failing to recognize that this is a physiological shift, not a moral failure. I am dealing with an intense, biological change, and instead of giving myself grace, I use to slap myself with a spiritual ruler, not realizing my vessel was asking for a recalibration.

Here is the wisdom I’m now claiming, and I need you to claim it, too: You are not required to run your 40s on the same engine you used in your 30s. Period. That was a different season of life. Spiritually, metaphysically, this is your cue to hit the RESET button. The intense changes, the sudden tiredness, the acne, the mood swings are not punishments; they are divine prompts.

Embrace Your Transition: This physiological change is tied to a powerful, divine shift in your purpose. Your body is slowing down the external demands of endless energy so that your spirit can speed up in clarity and guidance. God is calling you into a deeper place of rest and effectiveness, not retirement.

Stop Hustling for Your Worth: The shift from 30s 'Doing' to 40s 'Being' is divine permission to stop hustling for your worth. Your body is mirroring a change in your spirit; it's demanding that you listen and adjust.

Practice Radical Kindness: It is okay to change your schedule, your diet, and your routine to match your current season. If your body is demanding a nap, grab that pillow. If your spirit is demanding quiet time, put the phone on DND. Practice radical honesty and kindness with yourself. Stop trying to keep up with an old rhythm. That isn't wit; that's just unnecessary stress.

This season is about stepping into the wisdom that comes from the practice of honoring your limits. Your hormones are just loud messengers telling you it’s time to switch the vibe. And trust me, I’m working on listening to mine just as much as I’m listening to my daughter’s.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go rub some witch hazel on my face and look up a scripture about patience... because my car keys are still missing.

Continue to write your story, one healing page at a time… QP