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I am not about to tell you how to become a domestic goddess, create more To Do lists or sell the benefit of multi-tasking or cooking in advance .. This episode is especially for busy working midlife women who are Googling "Am I burned out or is it just December?" and wondering why their stress is through the roof when they can normally just swing through the season and jingle all the way! How do I protect my sanity? What will help my stress levels? How do I survive the festive season now that my hormones are all over the place? When research tells us that 72% of households rely on women to "make Christmas happen" is it any wonder that we feel overwhelmed - and then throw in the joys of menopause and the challenge of carenting, along with every other thing that comes along - it is a LOT! In this episode we will talk about the challenges of perfection, people pleasing, the weight of carrying guilt and offer you a Framework to help you not just survive but even THRIVE this Christmas. Let's learn more about the 4R's and how Boundaries can prevent Burnout so that we can enjoy Bloody Christmas! Have a good one - see you next year x www.actuallyshecan.co.uk

Stress is costing UK businesses an estimated £28 billion every year, yet too many organisations still treat wellbeing as a tick-box exercise. In this episode of Really Useful Conversations, we give a nod to "International Stress Awareness Week" where the theme for 20235 is "Optimising Employee Wellbeing through Strategic Stress Management" - and we take a look at why strategic stress management is a leadership and performance issue, not a fluffy wellbeing tick-box exercise. We talk about how early, honest conversations can reduce burnout, improve morale, and build psychologically safe teams and why avoiding these "difficult" discussions costs far more than having them. I'm also shining a light on midlife women in the workplace, who often face a "double burden" of hormonal shifts, caregiving, and workplace pressure, contributing an estimated £1.5–2.9 billion to the UK's annual stress-related losses, in keeping with my work through "Actually She Can!" where we actively support women to find more energy, momentum and joy in their Second Act. Whether you are a manager, leader, HR professional or indeed a busy working midlife women, this episode helps us to consider what really useful conversations look like in practice, how to spot early warning signs of stress, and how culture shifts begin with simple, human connection. For more details about my work with corporate clients, please take a look at the website confidentconversations.co.uk and drop me a note if your managers could use some help with their own Really Useful Conversations in the workplace.

The final episode for the mini series, supporting Menopause Awareness Month ... So what happens next? In this no-nonsense episode, we recap the Six Lifestyle Levers that help midlife women support mental health during the menopuase chapter, and as Awareness Month closes, let's hope that the subject is not put back in the drawer until this time next year! Let's hope that the UK Government's new menopause health-check plans receive the support, funding and education that is needed because let's face it, women's health deserves serious investment and not just lip service. With International Stress Awareness Week on the horizon, we will start to take a look at how stress, hormones and midlife mayhem can create that perfect storm and I'll tell you a little about the free live Masterclass on 18 November to help you feel more in control, rested and resilient. Really Useful Conversations matter and I am a woman on a mission to keep those conversations going, in midlife and beyond, so do follow and subscribe and stick with me on this journey? Full details of the FREE November Masterclass are on the www.actuallyshecan.co.uk website - hope you'll take advantage of the offer and do feel free to share with friends who you know will benefit from overcoming that "Wired and Tired All The Time" feeling.

The conversations we have with ourselves are often the most important, so telling yourself that "I should be coping better," and internally beating yourself up, whilst quietly carrying the mental load of work, ageing parents, teenagers, menopause symptoms, and a house that never seems to stay tidy is just not fair. But so often women don't ask for help. We don't want to be a burden. We tell ourselves other people have it worse. And we push on, exhausted, feeling as though we should be able to just crack on. In this mini episode we're talking about the sixth lifestyle lever - Support - and why trying to do everything alone during menopause is one of the biggest risks to your mental health. As human beings we were never meant to be solo flyers, and we learned about the importance of Connection in episode 5 of this mini series - so in this final episode let's take a look at what that support might look like. We need to consider:- How hormonal changes affect mood, resilience and your ability to cope Why asking for help isn't weakness — it's a biological need The types of support that genuinely help midlife women: emotional, practical, social and professional This is not fluffy "you've got this" nonsense. It's about building support that actually lightens the load and helps us better navigate choppy waters. Whether that's a conversation with someone who gets it, advocating confidently at a GP appointment, working with a therapist, being part of a menopause group, or simply letting others at home know how you are feeling and how they might help. Let's not forget, strong women burn out too and if you are struggling with the juggle, alongside challenging perimenopause symptoms, this episode will help. If you have not done so already there are 6 other mini episodes that I have recorded for Menopause Awareness Month so do make time to listen to them all and give yourself the right tools to make small shifts for big impact. Take good care! A

When we talk about 'environment', most people think about cluttered kitchens, noisy offices or never-ending WhatsApp notifications, and yes, they can make a difference - but in midlife and menopause, your internal environment matters just as much. Thinking about your gut health, blood sugar, hormones, sleep patterns, and the way you speak to yourself when nobody else is listening - all of these will affect the experience you have during this chapter of messy midlife. In this mini episode we explore both sides - the external world you move through and the internal world you carry inside and how each one affects menopause symptoms, mental health and your ability to cope. We need to think about how we can stop our nervous system being on high alert. Consider how low blood sugar, gut health and more can trigger and worsen symptoms. Think about realistic small changes that as women in the real world are do-able. This isn't about buying matching storage baskets and having a declutter - although crack on if that works for you - it's more about creating an environment - both inside and out - that supports your hormones, your head and your heart. The 6 Lifestyle Levers are a great place to start when thinking about how best you can support yourself at this time - whether HRT is on your "To Do" list or not - we can all choose small shifts that make a big impact. Let me know about your experience and if you want to dive deeper and create a plan that is right for you, drop me a note and I can send you the workshop link.

Feeling disconnected, lonely, or like nobody really gets what you're going through? You're not imagining it - midlife and menopause can quietly shrink your world. Between work pressures, family demands, and hormonal changes that impact confidence and mood, it's easy to drift into isolation. It might be that you are busy, just struggling with the juggle of midlife, especially if the "sandwich generation" perfectly describes your world but in this episode of our mini series for Menopause Awareness Month, we explore why connection is one of the most powerful mood-boosters and protectors of mental health during menopause. In the first episode we talked about how declining oestrogen affects neurotransmitters which will have a knock-on effect on how you are feeling, whether your mood, your motivation or even your self-esteem, and how it can be easy to withdraw and feel like you are going through this weird phase on your own - but here we will talk about the fact that your brain literally needs other people for balance, and how small, real-life interactions can rebuild your sense of belonging and joy. Human connection is as important for our wellbeing as food, fresh air and hydration but this isn't about joining a club you don't have time for or pretending everything's fine, it is not about adding further to the fatigue and stress by filling every remaining gap in your day with social events - it is about understanding the science of social connection, oxytocin, and nervous-system regulation, and finding ways to reconnect that actually fit your real life, and that add quality rather than quantity when time is already pressing. If you've been feeling flat, anxious, or invisible, this episode will help - please remember that you were never meant to do this alone and there are lots of ways we can connect and have that sense of community, even without leaving home! Check out the https://actuallyshecan.co.uk website for details of my programmes and online coaching groups - having us in your corner can really help.

Sleep and Menopause – One of the most frequently raised concerns (This is Episode 3 and is part of the 6 Lifestyle Levers: Small Shifts, Big Impact mini-series) If you are tired but cannot switch off, wide awake at 3am, or constantly running on adrenaline, this episode is for you. In this episode we look briefly at how menopause affects sleep, stress, and your nervous system - often one of the most frequently asked questions in my coaching sessions - and take a quick look at what you can do to feel calmer, clearer, and properly rested again. You will learn: We know that changing hormone levels disrupt sleep and increase anxiety in midlife We have talked before about the impact of cortisol, melatonin, and progesterone in your "wired but tired" feeling We get that poor sleep impacts appetite, mood, and weight through ghrelin and leptin Let's think about practical steps to regulate your nervous system and create an evening routine that works This 10-minute episode is packed with simple, evidence-based ideas to help midlife women improve sleep quality, reduce stress, and restore balance without overhauling everything. It's part of a 6 part mini series, so do listen out for the other episodes and if you want to do more about this and make your own experience more positive, join me in the 6 Lifestyle Levers online workshop. There we will be helping everyone create a plan for action that is personal to them. Menopause & Mental Health - 6 Lifestyle Levers Workshop on 22 October at 7pm (UK time). Enjoy this episode, and here's to a great night's sleep!

If you have been feeling low, sluggish, or struggling with sleep during menopause, this episode will help you understand why movement really is medicine for the mind. In Episode 2 of my mini-series, 6 Lifestyle Levers: Small Shifts, Big Impact, we look at how physical activity supports mental health, hormone balance, and emotional resilience in midlife, and how it can help you also sleep better. You will learn: How exercise increases serotonin, dopamine, and noradrenaline to lift mood and motivation Why movement helps regulate cortisol and reduce anxiety and overwhelm How simple daily activity can improve sleep, energy, and cognitive function Practical ideas to make movement easier, including stretching, walking, and strength training for hormone health This 10-minute episode is full of evidence-based insight explained in simple, real-life terms. It's aimed at busy working women who are not athletes or fitness fanatics and for whom this time of life is stressful with lots going on. No gym guilt or strict routines, just small realistic shifts that even the most busy woman can introduce that will start to make a big difference. If you want to turn this knowledge into a clear personalised action plan, join me for the Menopause & Mental Health Workshop online Tuesday 22 October at 7 pm. It is a small-group, practical session with me, a qualified, accredited menopause coach, where you will discover which of the six lifestyle levers matter most for you and how to apply them confidently in daily life. No lycra or marathon running needed - honestly, I just want to help you get started in a way that fits with your world and your lifestyle. Progress not perfection! When you are ready to take it to another level, there are people I can signpost you to - but for now, let's just get you started. Grab your spot at the masterclass online at https://actuallyshecan.co.uk/6Levers

If you've been feeling flat, foggy, or wired but tired, it might not just be stress or perimenopause. It could be what, and how, you are feeding your brain during this chapter. In this first episode of my new mini-series, 6 Lifestyle Levers: Small Shifts, Big Impact, we focus on Nourish: how nutrition shapes mood, energy, and emotional balance during menopause. You'll learn: Why falling oestrogen changes the way your body absorbs and uses key nutrients How to fuel the feel-good neurotransmitters (serotonin, dopamine, GABA) that support mood and sleep Simple food swaps that calm inflammation and boost brain health, including olive oil, walnuts, and tinned fish It's a brisky and thought-provoking 10-minute episode designed to help you think about the 6 Lifestyle Levers that can make a change for us all, and talks about evidence-based nutrition insights for midlife women, explained in plain English with practical, real-life advice. No jargon, no kale smoothies, no guilt. Whether you are choosing HRT to help your menopause journey or not, these Lifestyle Levers are useful for us all to consider, especially in protecting our mental health and wellbeing during this time - and if we can work with our body and brain to support this transition, and not unwittingly be doing things that perhaps make matters worse, surely that can only be a good thing? If you want to turn this knowledge into a clear, personal plan of action that fits your life, join me for the Menopause & Mental Health Workshop - 6 Lifestyle Levers online on Tuesday 22 October at 7 pm. Sign up at https://actuallyshecan.co.uk/6Levers

October hosts both World Mental Health Day and Menopause Awareness Day and is indeed Menopause Awareness Month. The theme this year is Lifestyle Medicine and so I am focussing in this podcast episode on the impact that menopause can have on our mental health, and sharing a basic understanding of what is going on that is causing the low mood, anxiety, brain fog and other cognitive and mental health challenges that some women experience during perimenopause. During the hormonal transition, our brain is doing it's best to function without the steady hormonal chemistry that it is used to working with, the fluctuation of hormones during this chapter seems to be the issue - the rise and fall that changes day by day - and not forgetting that those hormones do not work in isolation but impact on other hormones and the work that they do too. I've tried to explain what is happening in a straightforward way, as a midlife woman who has experienced this transition, and as someone who has done lots of research and learning, but not as a medical professional might. I think we need to understand what is happening and why that is the case, but we don't need a science heavy biology lesson that confuses us further, so I've tried to keep it simple and easy to understand. Over the next few weeks I am going to be looking at the 6 Lifestyle Levers that we can all tweak and learn more for ourselves how that lifestyle medicine can help, whether you are taking HRT or not. I'm also offering a free online Masterclass that you are welcome to register for too - details can be found on the website https://actuallyshecan.co.uk Hope this helps!

In the last episode, recorded for World Suicide Prevention Day, I spoke specifically about the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviours for midlife women, given the statistics show that the most female deaths by suicide tend to occur in midlife. I promised that I would follow up to talk about how when navigating perimenopause we might be at more risk and more importantly, what we might do to keep ourselves safe. As a qualified suicide intervention tutor I am aware of evidence based research which shows protective factors that can help - basically the things we can do for ourselves, and others, to help keep them safe from the Edge of Enough. Life happens and events can cause us to wobble, we probably cannot do a lot about that, but there are things that we CAN do to help us stay safe, and I am talking about them in this episode. Navigating this chapter of menopause with low mood, anxiety and depression can be challenging, and whilst many people talk about the physical symptoms that might affect us, fewer are aware of the potential impact to our mental health during the hormonal shift. I hope you find this episode useful and maybe you will join my free Masterclass in October where I focus on lifestyle medicine for improving mental health during menopause - it's so important that we talk about these issues so that women know how to help themselves if things are getting a bit much. Take good care!

This week is World Suicide Prevention Day and hopefully there will be lots of media coverage in encouraging a "Change in the Narrative" - to make conversations about this issue more commonplace. This in turn helps to reduce the stigma and smash the silence and makes it easier for people to ask for help. You may have seen media coverage in recent times talking about the high number of male suicide deaths and men's mental health in general, which is definitely something that needs attention, but we have not seen anywhere near the same attention given to midlife women and the challenges that they might be silently struggling with during midlife; the chapter of peri menopause, becoming the sandwich generation, caring for ageing parents and other elders, whilst still keeping an eye on adult children and even grandchildren. Once you stop and look at the research you will see some shocking statistics - indeed the majority of deaths by suicide are male, but what about the significant number of suicide attempts made by women all over the world? Do attempts not matter so much? Should we not be paying as much attention to PREVENTION for everyone seeing as suicide does not discriminate? In this episode I am exploring the intersectionality of factors for midlife women that might explain the statistics behind sucide thoughts and attempts in midlife. I hope you will find it thought provoking and informative and that through conversations like this learn that we can ALL make a difference - for a person in crisis as well as for ourselves as women.

*This episode talks about suicide and I hope will be useful to women, their friends, family, support network AND their employer* The coronor confirmed that the lady had indeed taken her own life, following perimenopause then menopause causing her mental health condition to have worsened - and tragically this situation is more common than you might think. Often people think of menopause symptoms as just the hot flushes or night sweats when actually more women find the cognitive impact far more debilitating and as many as 1 in 10 women will have suicidal thoughts during this transition. Sadly women often feel isolated, alone, misunderstood, misdiagnosed and even mistreated - this can worsen their situation and significantly impact an already troubled mind - we MUST get this message out there - you are not alone, you are not being dramatic, you are NOT making it up and you are NOT alone. Donna Mann took her own life and this tragic loss should be prompting us all to get better informed, better educated, more aware and able to have conversations that matter - those conversations could be the difference between life and death. Please do share this episode with friends, colleagues, HR professionals so that women like Donna get the help they need, before it is too late. For more details visit my website Confident Conversations - You Are Not Alone and again please do share the link with anyone else who might need it.

Yesterday I received the devastating news of the loss of an incredible woman - strong, confident, bold, kind, wise, caring and funny as heck! I thought she was invincible and when she got her cancer diagnosis I would have bet my house on her surviving. Yesterday made me realise that tomorrow is not guaranteed. I know we say it all the time that life is too short but sometimes when you lose someone who really was so amazing, you realise that there is a sad truth in that. Today's episode is not polished or scripted or offering downloads for learning - it's from the heart and a reminder that we need to stop putting things off, quit losing time in perfectionism, being paralysed by not good enough, waiting for the perfect moment and we just need to make space. I'm not being flippant, I have two ageing parents and my carenting responsibilities are heavy and very real, but I need to stop and look for even the tiniest glimmer of space for me to top up my cup too. This episode is a tribute the the force that was an incredible influence in my life and she listened to my podcast too so I hope she hears this, wherever she has landed now. For all midlife women who are doing a LOT and struggling with the juggle, and in memory of Anne-Marie, here's your reminder xxx

If you have ever had the experience where your mind just will not switch off - perhaps going to bed and you struggle to sleep, maybe you sit down for a rest and your inner voice reminds you of all the things you SHOULD be doing, when relaxation is almost impossible as you just cannot disconnect ... this episode is for you. You are doing all the things that those self-care folks tell you to do - bedtime routine, switching off digital devices, drinking cups of herbal tea but still your mind is racing, over-thinking, so damn busy all of the time and even when you make time to specifically rest and relax, it just doesn't help. As midlife women we are always juggling a lot, in a world that encourages us to keep on keeping on, and a sense of failing if we cannot cope with it all. The cost of that is our stress switch gets stuck and we cannot rest and relax, however much we try - in fact trying harder to rest and relax frustrates us and adds further to our challenge. So how do we fix it? This season we are focussing on Really Useful Conversations for Midlife Women and I hope you are finding it useful? In this episode I refer to a free handout suggesting techniques you can try - it's available to download at https://actuallyshecan.co.uk/ans Let me know what you think?