This isn’t cozy hygge winter. This is Inland Northwest winter — where the cold is real, the light disappears, and your nervous system has opinions about both.
Midlife physiology doesn’t unfold in a vacuum. It unfolds inside geography, climate, distance, and access. The Inland Northwest selects for endurance — until endurance stops being enough.
Caregiving isn’t a character test—it’s a terrain stressor. The cognitive, emotional, and metabolic load of sustained caregiving hits midlife women hardest, when hormonal shifts have already narrowed the margin for error. This isn’t about trying harder. It’s about harm reduction until the load shifts.
