I’m starting the second month of this new year with a new attitude about “marketing.” I love to create podcasts, posts, and products, but often fail to share my creations beyond this Substack. I turn fifty years old in one month, and I’ve heard that it’s the decade that I’m gonna not give a lot fewer fux. One way I intend to embody this is by showing up. Like, literally showing my face. I don’t vlog. Instead, I record audio in the dark, and I’m done hiding.* I need to be in the world, not in my basement.
First change: I’m no longer activating the @getsetset Instagram account (it's been shadow-banned for years) and choosing to spend more time sharing what my increasingly more integrated life looks like—design, travel, boymom, etc. You can follow along at @aprilpride_
This week marks the return of the Psychedelic Salon at Town Hall Seattle and the inaugural gathering of Women in the Wild. With a Salon on the 1st Thursday of each month and two gatherings per month, I need to shift how I spend my time so I can be fully present at these real-life happenings in Seattle!
That brings me to this week’s podcast episode, in which I’m narrating directly to the camera: Week 1 of my 12-part Substack series, “Microdosing for Midlife.” Each Tuesday, a new episode of this series will drop, featuring me reading the next post and sharing updates on research, context, and life. Over the next 12 weeks, I’m going to experiment with how SetSet shows up in audio, video, and across our socials. LMK what you like or not so much.
And, finally, if you haven’t left a review for the podcast, please take the time to do so wherever you listen. You can find SetSet on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and, of course, here on Substack. It really does help more people find the show!
Take care,
April
*positive outcome related to psychedelic integration!
Episode Summary
This episode marks Week 1 of Microdosing for Midlife, a 12-week audio series exploring how psilocybin microdosing for women can support emotional awareness, intention, and integration during midlife transitions.
In this opening installment, April Pride reads and expands on the first essay in the series, focused on intention setting and finding the right dose, while grounding the conversation in lived experience. Drawing from her own midlife hormonal transition, grief, and identity shifts, April frames microdosing as an integration practice that unfolds during daily life, rather than something that happens after a peak experience.
The episode introduces why midlife—particularly during perimenopause and emotional regulation shifts—can be a uniquely potent time for this work. Listeners are invited to consider intention not as an outcome-driven goal, but as a present-moment orientation that supports nervous system regulation in midlife and long-term change.
This episode serves as an audio companion to a Substack essay, offering context, reflection, and integration insights that stand on their own without replacing the original written post.
🔵 Key Takeaways
Why midlife is a neurological, hormonal, and emotional transition
How microdosing supports integration during daily life
Intention setting in microdosing versus goal-setting
Nervous system regulation in midlife
Hormones, neurotransmitters, and emotional resilience
Microdosing protocol safety considerations
Why community-based psychedelic education supports accountability
🔵 Timestamps
[00:00] Series introduction and safety framing
[02:00] Why this series is being shared as audio
[03:00] Midlife as a period of sovereignty and transformation
[04:30] Psychedelic integration practice in real time
[05:30] Intention versus goals in microdosing
[06:45] Hormones, neurotransmitters, and the midlife brain
[07:45] Finding the right microdose and cadence
[09:00] Safety considerations before beginning
[09:45] Why microdosing should not be done in isolation
[11:00] Listener questions and common concerns
[12:30] What’s next in the 12-week microdosing series
🔵 Host
April Pride @aprilpride_ | aprilpride.com
🔵 Additional Resources
Micro-Psyched is now bundled with medicine & support! Learn more
Women in the Wild application - Looking for an IRL microdose/low-dose psilocybin experience in Seattle with other women? Applications are open for February and March gatherings.
Psychedelics & Seniors | Thursday, February 5, 2026
Learn how psychedelics may play a meaningful role in helping older adults navigate aging, existential distress, end-of-life anxiety, and unresolved trauma.
🔵 Transcript
[00:00:00]
Hey, this is April and this show set, set discusses psychedelics. It’s intended for audiences 21 and over. Also, I’m not a medical expert. If you are looking to engage with psychedelic substances, please consult your physician before doing so.
Hi, this is your host, April Pride on SetSet, for the next 12 weeks, I’m reading the Microdosing for Midlife series on my substack, april pride.substack.com
the first six episodes are available to free subscribers, and the final six are available to. Paid subscribers. There are other benefits to being a [00:01:00] paid subscriber on my substack. Go to
I’m going to read the first six in their entirety, and when we get to the six on the back end, I will read until the paywall enters
if I do stop and explain something that I’m reading, I’ll let you know.
the reason that I am reading this is because I want people who have been listeners for a long time to know what we’re doing on Substack, and I would like my substack to come alive, I am recording in my living room, which is where women in the wild will begin this Saturday, here in Seattle.
I’ve been getting ready for a month doing all kinds of things to my house. I’m so excited for it to be interactive if you’re curious about that, you can go to get SetSet.com and check out Women in the Wild in the Shop. Okay.
Let’s [00:02:00] see.
I’m gonna read week one of Microdosing for Midlife, and week one is intention setting and finding your dose. this went live on June 13th, 2025. I wanna begin this post with a huge thank you to each of you. You’ve shared your thoughts on this series with me directly, especially the men who are following along to gain a deeper understanding of the lived experiences of the women they love.
Your enthusiasm for and encouragement of this work means a great deal to me. Truly.
I have a follow up here a Montreal based startup called Eli Health. Closed $12 million for their series A to launch the world’s first instant hormone monitoring system. if you go to Substack week zero, I’m reading week one, you’ll learn more about why that’s important for.
women’s [00:03:00] reproductive health. Okay, back to the post. I read somewhere that our forties can be seen as a period of adult adolescence. The stage in our life when we rebel against our conditioning and step into sovereignty,
add to that new hormonal terrain, put ‘em together, and what have you got? Well, some may say a recipe for a midlife crisis, but my founder brain sees an opportunity for transformation. If you’re reading this, perhaps you’ve experienced one side of the same coin. As I write this, I know that my choices during this decade have been in the name of self-actualization, which psychedelic integration continues to support.
The power of integration in microdosing psilocybin isn’t something that happens after the fact. With microdosing, it unfolds in real time. It’s the practice of bringing new insights and emotional breakthroughs into daily life while life is happening. Unlike high dose psychedelic [00:04:00] experiences that may need weeks of unpacking microdosing.
Psilocybin allows for gradual embodied healing. You walk through your routine with greater awareness, compassion, and choice. No escaping instead dropping in
before taking my first microdose yesterday, I began with the self scan exercise included in SetSet’s Micro-Psyched protocol. This tool elicits a snapshot of the physical, emotional, and mental landscape of one’s current state. Here’s what surfaced for me. Physical, a persistent case of tennis elbow caused by laptop strain, emotional.
A tender undercurrent of grief as my eldest son graduates high school mentally anticipation mixed with subtle resistance to change due to a job search. Interestingly, Louise Hayes, heal Your body attributes elbow pain to difficulty with flexibility, symbolically resisting change or new directions. That couldn’t be more aligned with where things [00:05:00] are in my life.
midlife is the right time to microdose. Midlife for women is a neurological, hormonal, and emotional metamorphosis. The steady drop of serotonin, cortisol fluctuations and the recalibration of dopamine all make it harder to stay balanced.
Many of us start to feel overwhelmed, emotionally volatile and disconnected from our sense of purpose. This is where Psilocybin Microdosing offers a unique ally. it gently stimulates neuroplasticity, helping us break mental loops, shift perspective and better regulate emotions.
Microdosing psilocybin for midlife women is about rediscovery. Who were we before? Unlike goals which focus on the external and often feel pressure driven, intention, how we wanna feel, my intention to move into the unknown with ease and courage. I’ve written it on a neon [00:06:00] pink sticky note that lives on my mirror, my journal and my phone locks screen every time I see it.
I’m reminded of the energy I want to embody, not just the outcome I want to chase. How intention shapes the psilocybin experience. Intentions aren’t magic spells, but they are like energetic compasses. When paired with psilocybin, they create clear signal. For the brain to explore new patterns. As therapist Kendra Bloom explains, A goal is what you do and intention is how you wanna feel while you’re doing it.
as I begin this journey. I’m less concerned with measuring success and more focused on sensing, trust, surrender, and forward motion. I’ll link to the original Substack post in the show notes. And you might wanna also check out the link in the show notes to episode 72, setting the stage, preparing for a psychedelic experience.
I love that episode. Hormones, [00:07:00] emotions, and the midlife brain. Let’s talk biochemistry. Why does midlife feel so mentally foggy or emotionally raw? hormone shifts impact neurotransmitters that govern our mood, energy, motivation. , focus, sleep, cortisol, stress response, dopamine, motivation reward.
Psilocybin interacts with serotonin receptors helping to regulate these systems. It can quiet the default mode network, which governs rumination and negative self-talk while enhancing access to intuitive insight. And emotional resilience. Finding the right microdose for a midlife woman. The SetSet protocol recommends dosing every third day for a total of three months, four weeks on, two weeks off.
A microdose is anywhere from, 0.1 to 0.350 grams. I take 0.15, which is the capsule that SetSet gifts on its website.you might wanna go check that out. There’s a [00:08:00] guide for what these capsules are all about.
You purchase that and then you’re gifted the psilocybin. So let’s go back to the protocol dosing every third day. For a total of three months, figure out what your dose is and that’s experimentation. Two rest days between each microdose to allow integration. Another way that a lot of people are doing it, particularly this time of year is, and this is me April currently talking, this is not in the post, is to have four to five days on and then two to three days off.
It is darker in Seattle. The winter’s just not as cheerful. people wanna keep , their vibe high. all right, let’s get back to this. On rest days, many people report breakthroughs, little aha moments that feel like puzzle pieces falling into place.
it’s in the quiet that the shifts emerge. Safety first, a [00:09:00] quick check-in before starting, always review safety considerations. Talk to healthcare provider. Especially if you’re on medications or have preexisting conditions, avoid microdosing of pregnant breastfeeding, or diagnosed with schizophrenia, blood pressure disorder, or cardiovascular issues.
Note psilocybin may slightly increase blood pressure and heart rate always microdose in a resource informed and intentional way. Why you shouldn’t microdose alone. Research and experience tells us the buddy system is everything. Now, what am I talking about? I’m not talking about someone sitting with you while you’re on your microdose.
I’m talking about having somebody, a cohort like SetSet paid subscribers who’s doing it at the same time you are. Ask questions am I doing it right? Which a lot of people ask since you can’t actually feel it like figuring out your intention.
These are your cheerleaders and they’re a mirror that you didn’t know you needed.
Often others see our growth [00:10:00] before we do. the accountability and the reflection of not doing things the same way seem to be holding your intention loosely yet with direction. This weekly series is part of my own accountability and connection.
I’ll go through some FAQs. Is microdosing psilocybin safe for women in perimenopause? When done intentionally and with medical oversight, many women report improved emotional stability and sleep during hormonal transitions. How long before you notice effects from microdosing psilocybin?
Some feel subtle shifts within a day or two. For others, it builds over weeks. Integration days are often where emotional clarity arises. Can I microdose if I’m taking antidepressants? It should never combine psilocybin with SSRIs or MAOIs without professional guidance. Always consult your prescriber. Recently, after this was posted new studies about SSRIs and [00:11:00] microdosing the research currently states that there is not a risk when the two are combined.
I’ll include the study in the show notes. What’s the difference between. Intention and goal in microdosing Goals are future oriented tasks. Intentions are present moment energies guiding how you show up daily.
How do I know if my microdose is too strong? If you experience visuals, nausea, or anxiety, it’s likely too much. Reduce your dose and track your experience. Can microdosing help with grief of major life transitions? Many midlife women report that microdosing helps them move through grief, identity shifts, and life changes with more softness and self-trust.
If you’re interested in learning more about SetSets, Substack community. You can check out the show notes. I’ll link to my subscribe page . Or you can just go straight to [00:12:00] april and check out the tiers and how to work with like-minded women .
it’s $99 for the year, and every month an integration call with your cohort. There’s opportunities to do more focused group work
Thank you for joining me for week one of Micro-Psyched. If you’re curious about Micro-Psyched, our clinician created 12 week microdosing protocol created by Kendra Bloom, a psychotherapist and master coach. keep tuning in every Tuesday for the next 12 weeks to learn more about how microdosing for 12 weeks over last summer. was the final push to get me out of four years of grief. I had tried everything else and this really. Helped me I wanted to share the experience in real time with others since I’m asked about it all the time.
thanks for being on this journey with me and a couple of things. This Thursday is psychedelics and seniors, although I should have named it, [00:13:00] psychedelics and Aging at Town Hall Seattle. our guests are Dr. Emily Win here in Seattle, and we have two guests who are flying in As speakers,
One is Scott Wright, who created a film on seniors who went to Mexico, took psilocybin, and report back their stories. And Abby Rosner, a journalist releasing her book this summer, that includes 36 profiles Who have used psychedelics,
To make meaning of the last decades of their lives. you can also check out a couple of
episodes ago. Abby was my guest and we talked about, what’s the perception of elders versus seniors? What is aging all about? Why are they turning to psychedelics
and it came down to meaning making.
Have a great week. Take care of yourself and take care of those around you.
[00:14:00]
