Scenic Route through Midlife— Mindset, Society & Mental Health cover art

Scenic Route through Midlife— Mindset, Society & Mental Health

Scenic Route through Midlife— Mindset, Society & Mental Health

By: Jennifer Walter
Listen for free

About this listen

We're on the Scenic Route through Midlife — Mindset, Society & Mental Health is a podcast for high-functioning women who think deeply, feel a lot, and are done pretending that burnout is a personal failure.

Hosted by sociologist, mental health advocate, and millennial Jennifer Walter, Scenic Route explores the intersection of mindset, society, and mental health: from perfectionism, overthinking, and people-pleasing to power, gender, capitalism, and social change.

Scenic Route challenges self-optimisation culture, the notion that only men age like fine wine, and reframes healing as both a personal and collective process.

New episodes every Tuesday.
New affirmations every Friday.

The longest way round is the shortest way home. That’s why we’re taking the Scenic Route.

© 2026 Scenic Route by Jennifer Walter, MASoc UCC
Hygiene & Healthy Living Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Science Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Weekly Affirmation – Self-Worth
    Feb 13 2026

    It's Friday. Pause for a breath you didn't know you were holding. Exhale.

    This week's Soft Landings affirmation is for the woman who's tired of measuring herself against someone else's yardstick. For midlife women exhausted from the endless performance of worth.


    Today's Affirmation:

    "I release the belief that my worth is defined by what I've been taught to buy, do, or become."

    You don't need the right house, the right body, the right title to matter. You don't need to achieve enough, accumulate enough, or transform enough to be worthy.

    Your worth isn't a product.
    It isn't a performance.
    It isn't a before-and-after photo.

    This weekly self-worth affirmation for women in midlife is a gentle reminder: you're already whole. Worthy without the purchase. Worthy without the productivity. Worthy without the perfect transformation.


    What would it feel like to stop chasing someone else's definition of enough?

    Not because you've proven anything. Not because you've earned the right. Just because you're already whole.

    Save. Share. Come back when you need the reminder. 🤍



    CRAVING A SOFTER LIFE?

    Soft is my monthly newsletter. It arrives in your inbox with reflections, small insights, and the occasional nudge toward a gentler pace. No productivity tips, but my personal favourites of the month, a fun meme, and just something you can open when you want a little more space.

    Subscribe to soft

    Send me a DM

    Support the show

    _____________________________________________________________________

    💬 JOIN THE CONVERSATION

    • Follow on Instagram
    • Follow on TikTok
    • Follow on Threads


    🔮 DAILY DOSE OF CHILL
    The Scenic Route Affirmation Card Deck is your online invitation to trust your inner voice again. What does your card say? Share it with me!

    👉 Pull Your Free Card


    LOVE THE SHOW?
    If this episode resonated with you, please leave a rating and review. It helps other women find their way to the Scenic Route podcast.

    Show More Show Less
    3 mins
  • What Is Propaganda? How It Works & Why You Can't See It
    Feb 10 2026

    You've been propagandised today. Probably in the last hour. And I'm not talking about political ads or conspiracy theories—I'm talking about ideas that feel so obvious, so natural, so true that you'd never think to question them.

    In this episode, we explore what propaganda actually is, how it works in modern society, and why the most effective propaganda doesn't look like propaganda at all.

    Here's what surprised me most while researching this episode:

    The best propaganda isn't loud. It's not flashy. It's quiet, repetitive, and boring. It blends into the background until you forget there were other ways to think. And the language we use every day, from news headlines to social media, is doing more work than you realise.

    We dive into:

    • Why billionaires buy newspapers (and what that has to do with your morning coffee routine)
    • Why does how we talk about certain things matter more than you think
    • How "both sides" became propaganda itself
    • A trend you've definitely seen on social media that's actually a masterclass in normalisation
    • The question that changes everything: not whether you're influenced, but whether you're aware

    You'll hear from: Jacques Ellul, Antonio Gramsci, Stuart Hall, Michel Foucault, and Paulo Freire, but don't worry, I make it actually interesting.

    Fair warning: Once you hear this, you'll start seeing propaganda everywhere. Your social media feed. Your work culture. Maybe even in this very podcast description. There's no going back.

    Listen, if you've ever wondered:

    • Why certain ideas feel "obviously true"
    • How the media shapes what we think is normal
    • What makes something "extreme" vs. "reasonable"
    • Whether you can actually think for yourself (spoiler: it's complicated)


    See you on the Scenic Route!

    Send me a DM

    Support the show

    _____________________________________________________________________

    💬 JOIN THE CONVERSATION

    • Follow on Instagram
    • Follow on TikTok
    • Follow on Threads


    🔮 DAILY DOSE OF CHILL
    The Scenic Route Affirmation Card Deck is your online invitation to trust your inner voice again. What does your card say? Share it with me!

    👉 Pull Your Free Card


    LOVE THE SHOW?
    If this episode resonated with you, please leave a rating and review. It helps other women find their way to the Scenic Route podcast.

    Show More Show Less
    29 mins
  • Weekly Affirmation – Rest
    Jan 23 2026

    Exhale. TGIF

    This weekly affirmation is for you if you've been told that you need a five-year plan when you can barely figure out what you want for lunch.

    This week's affirmation:
    "I release the belief that I have to earn my rest."


    New Soft Landings every Friday. Save this. Share it. Come back to it when you need the reminder. 🤍



    About Soft Landings:
    Every Friday on The Scenic Route, one grounded affirmation to help you rest, reset, and remember you're way back home to yourself.


    Send me a DM

    Support the show

    _____________________________________________________________________

    💬 JOIN THE CONVERSATION

    • Follow on Instagram
    • Follow on TikTok
    • Follow on Threads


    🔮 DAILY DOSE OF CHILL
    The Scenic Route Affirmation Card Deck is your online invitation to trust your inner voice again. What does your card say? Share it with me!

    👉 Pull Your Free Card


    LOVE THE SHOW?
    If this episode resonated with you, please leave a rating and review. It helps other women find their way to the Scenic Route podcast.

    Show More Show Less
    2 mins
No reviews yet