# Peace Signs, Petty Parking & Protecting Your Energy

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/40ish-laughing-our-way-through-midlife-perimenopause-menopause-6968219/peace-signs-petty-parking-protecting-your-energy
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/40ish-laughing-our-way-through-midlife-perimenopause-menopause-6968219/peace-signs-petty-parking-protecting-your-energy.md
Podcast: [40ish - Laughing Our Way Through Midlife, Perimenopause & Menopause](https://stenobird.com/podcast/40ish-laughing-our-way-through-midlife-perimenopause-menopause-6968219)
Published: 2026-04-02T03:44:00+00:00
Episode link: https://www.spreaker.com/episode/peace-signs-petty-parking-protecting-your-energy--71164720
Audio file: https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/71164720/nsr4549538093.mp3
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Duration seconds: 2096

## Resource

Today on 40ish: Nicole has officially had enough of the algorithm, and Lauren is launching a bold new driving movement: replacing the universal thank-you hand with a casual two-finger peace-out gesture. Will it catch on? Only time will tell. We dive into a listener dilemma about friendships in midlife. She used to be the organiser and emotional support system for everyone. Now the energy to keep friendships running just isn’t there. Is this burnout from years of carrying the load, a normal midlife shift towards protecting your energy, or the slow drift into becoming a bad friend? We talk about balance, boundaries, and what showing up for people really looks like in your 40s. Plus, midlife meltdowns are in full swing as a listener has a full internal breakdown in a supermarket car park after being silently pressured by a woman waiting for her parking space resulting in an act of slow-motion petty resistance that honestly deserves a medal. Friendship burnout, car park standoffs, failing eyesight, rogue algorithms, and a potential driving hand-gesture revolution. It’s just another calm and normal week in midlife. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/40ish-laughing-our-way-through-midlife-perimenopause-menopause--6942825/support . We love to hear from you! Get in touch with your dilemmas and rants. DM & follow us on Instagram TikTok Order Our Book here

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