If you've ever wondered why you feel more forgetful, less focused, more anxious, or simply not quite like yourself during midlife, hormones may be playing a bigger role than you realize.

In this episode of the RenewHer podcast, I sit down with functional health practitioner and mind-body health coach Janell Yule to explore the powerful connection between hormones and brain health.

We discuss why so many women experience symptoms such as brain fog, memory lapses, anxiety, mood changes, disrupted sleep, and declining energy during perimenopause and menopause—and why these experiences are very real.

Janell explains how hormonal shifts affect the brain, the important roles of estrogen, progesterone, insulin, cortisol, leptin, and melatonin, and why gut health, nervous system regulation, and blood sugar balance all play a part in how we think, feel, and function.

Most importantly, she shares a hopeful message: menopause is not simply something to endure. It can be an opportunity to better understand your body and learn how to support it in a new way.

If you're enjoying the RenewHer podcast, I'd be grateful if you'd follow the show, leave a review, and share it with a friend. Your support helps more women discover practical ways to strengthen their brains and thrive in midlife and beyond.

Website: https://www.thetransformationlife.com/

Newsletter: https://www.thetransformationlife.com/#open-popup

Podcast: The Transformation Show

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thetransformationlife

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JanellYuleOfficial

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetransformationlife/

Email: [email protected]

Other Links: The Hormone Quiz

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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/genelllemley/
Email: [email protected]

Most people think about taking care of their heart, but very few think about taking care of their brain.

Yet your brain is behind everything you do—including how you think, focus, communicate, make decisions, and show up at work.

In this Brain Notes episode, we explore the powerful connection between brain health and work performance. If you've been feeling mentally foggy, struggling to concentrate, taking longer to complete tasks, or finding yourself second-guessing decisions that once came easily, your brain may be sending you a signal.

These changes aren't something to ignore—and they don't necessarily mean you're losing your edge. Often, they're signs that your brain needs more support.

In this episode, you'll learn:

✔️ Why success at work starts with a healthy brain

✔️ How brain health affects memory, focus, and decision-making

✔️ Why stress, poor sleep, and chronic overwhelm can impact your performance

✔️ The connection between brain health and confidence

✔️ Why many high-achieving women begin to question themselves when their brains aren't functioning optimally

✔️ Simple lifestyle factors that influence how you think, feel, and perform

Brain health isn't just about preventing future decline. It's about optimizing how you show up right now—at work, at home, and in every area of your life.

Remember, success starts with your brain.

🎙 Episode #3: Success Starts with Your Brain

Subscribe to my newsletter Mind Matters.
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Get my free guide: Fog to Focus: 4 Proven Brain Habits to Reclaim Your Mental Edge
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Check out my website.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/genelllemley/
Email: [email protected]

If you're enjoying the RenewHer podcast, I'd be grateful if you'd follow the show, leave a review, and share it with a friend. Your support helps more women discover practical ways to strengthen their brains and thrive in midlife and beyond.

Welcome to the first episode of RenewHer Reflections, a new short-form series within the RenewHer podcast.

These episodes are more personal and conversational—a chance to share reflections, observations, and experiences that connect to the challenges and opportunities many women face in midlife and beyond.

In this episode, I reflect on a dinner with three lifelong friends I've known for nearly fifty years. As we shared stories, laughter, and memories, our conversation also turned to a reality many women are navigating today: caring for aging parents.

We talk about how friendships evolve over time, why emotional safety matters, the hidden weight of caregiving, and the importance of staying connected during life's most challenging seasons.

If you're caring for a parent, feeling overwhelmed, or have lost touch with someone who once meant a great deal to you, this episode is a reminder that you don't have to do it all alone.

In this episode, I discuss:

We're better together.

If this episode resonates with you, please share it with a friend, follow the podcast, and leave a review. Your support helps more women discover RenewHer.

00:00 Welcome to RenewHer

00:30 RenewHer Reflections Intro

01:08 50 Year Friendship Dinner

02:36 Emotional Safety and Brain

03:30 Caregiving Conversations Shift

05:20 Caregiver Stress and Support

06:26 Joy and Reconnecting

07:45 Closing and Next Steps

Subscribe to my newsletter Mind Matters.
Schedule a free Discovery Session with me.
Get my free guide: Fog to Focus: 4 Proven Brain Habits to Reclaim Your Mental Edge
Subscribe to my YouTube channel RenewHer with Genell  
Check out my website.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/genelllemley/
Email: [email protected]

If you're enjoying the RenewHer podcast, I'd be grateful if you'd follow the show, leave a review, and share it with a friend. Your support helps more women discover practical ways to strengthen their brains and thrive in midlife and beyond.

How well did you sleep last night?

For many high-achieving women, the answer isn’t simple. We push through fatigue, rely on caffeine, and normalize exhaustion as part of success. But what if the real issue isn’t just being tired… but what chronic sleep deprivation is actually doing to your brain?

In this episode, we explore the powerful connection between sleep and brain health—and why so many women are unknowingly operating at a cognitive and emotional disadvantage.

You’ll learn:

➡️ Why modern life is actively disrupting your sleep more than ever before
➡️ How sleep deprivation impacts memory, focus, emotional regulation, and decision-making
➡️ What’s happening in the brain while you sleep (including its natural “cleanup” process)
➡️ Why high-achieving women are especially vulnerable to chronic sleep loss
➡️ Simple, practical habits you can start using tonight to improve sleep quality

We also unpack the hidden cost of functioning on too little sleep—and why feeling “fine” may not actually mean your brain is performing at its best.

Sleep isn’t a luxury. It’s not a reward. And it’s certainly not optional.

It’s one of the most powerful biological tools you have for clarity, resilience, and long-term brain health.

If you’ve ever wondered why you’re tired but wired, or why rest feels harder than it should, this conversation will help you reconnect the dots between sleep, performance, and well-being.

Because when your brain is supported, everything changes.

Key Takeaways

✅ Chronic sleep deprivation can feel “normal,” especially for high-achieving women, even when cognitive performance is already declining
✅ Sleep directly impacts memory, emotional regulation, focus, and decision-making
✅ The brain is highly active during sleep, including clearing waste and consolidating memories
✅ Modern habits—stress, screens, caffeine, and inconsistent routines—are major sleep disruptor
✅ Small, consistent changes to sleep habits can significantly improve brain function and daily performance

00:00 Sleep Deprivation Wakeup

01:02 Welcome

01:26 Are You Running on Empty?

02:19 Hustle Culture and Burnout

04:39 Why Modern Life Ruins Sleep

07:34 What Sleep Does for the Brain

10:03 High Performers Pay the Price

11:08 Redefining Rest and Sleep

12:43 Simple Sleep Fixes

15:16 Closing and Next Steps

Subscribe to my newsletter Mind Matters.
Schedule a free Discovery Session with me.
Get my free guide: Fog to Focus: 4 Proven Brain Habits to Reclaim Your Mental Edge
Subscribe to my YouTube channel RenewHer with Genell  
Check out my website.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/genelllemley/
Email: [email protected]

If you're enjoying the RenewHer podcast, I'd be grateful if you'd follow the show, leave a review, and share it with a friend. Your support helps more women discover practical ways to strengthen their brains and thrive in midlife and beyond.

Have you ever picked up your phone to check one thing and suddenly found yourself scrolling for far longer than intended?

In this Brain Notes episode, Genell explores how constant digital stimulation may be affecting our focus, mental clarity, and overall brain health. Social media can be an incredible tool for connection, learning, and inspiration, but it is also designed to capture our attention.

You'll learn why our brains are naturally drawn to novelty, how endless streams of information can contribute to mental overload, and why protecting your attention may be one of the most important things you can do for your cognitive well-being.

This episode is a reminder that sometimes mental clarity doesn't come from doing more—it comes from reducing the noise.

➡️ Why social media feels so difficult to put down
➡️ How dopamine and novelty influence attention
➡️ The connection between digital stimulation and mental fatigue
➡️ How social media can affect your nervous system and emotional state
➡️ Signs your brain may be overloaded rather than declining
➡️ Simple ways to create more space, focus, and mental clarity

Subscribe to my newsletter Mind Matters.
Subscribe to my YouTube channel RenewHer with Genell  
Schedule a free Discovery Session with me.
Get my free guide: Fog to Focus: 4 Proven Brain Habits to Reclaim Your Mental Edge
Check out my website.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/genelllemley/
Email: [email protected]

And if you haven’t already, make sure to subscribe to RenewHer Podcast for more episodes on midlife reinvention, leadership, and brain health for women 50+.

If you enjoyed this episode, please follow, leave a review, and share it with a friend who could benefit from the conversation.

Connection is often thought of as something emotional or social.

But what if it’s also deeply biological?

In this episode of RenewHer, we explore the powerful role that connection plays in brain health, emotional resilience, and longevity—and why it may be one of the most overlooked pillars of cognitive well-being.

From meaningful friendships to everyday interactions, from loneliness to loss, and even the bond between humans and animals, connection shapes how our brains function, regulate stress, and age over time.

This is both a personal reflection and a neuroscience-based exploration of why relationships matter more than we often realize.

➡️ Why connection is a foundational pillar of brain health—not just a “nice to have”

➡️ How meaningful relationships influence memory, mood, and cognitive function

➡️ What happens in the brain during social connection and bonding

➡️ How key neurochemicals (oxytocin, dopamine, serotonin, and cortisol) are affected by relationships

➡️ Why loneliness is rising—even in a digitally connected world

➡️ The impact of chronic loneliness on the brain, body, and emotional health

➡️ Why social circles often shrink in midlife and beyond

➡️ The “widowhood effect” and how loss of a spouse affects health and longevity

➡️ How animals can support emotional regulation and brain health

✅ Connection is not optional for the brain. It is foundational.

✅ The relationships in our lives directly influence how we think, feel, regulate stress, and age.

✅ Loneliness is not just an emotional experience—it has real physiological and neurological effects.

✅ And while loss and disconnection can profoundly impact the brain, supportive relationships and meaningful bonds can strengthen resilience, clarity, and overall well-being.

00:00 –– Highlight Clip

00:32 — Welcome + Personal Reflection on Connection

01:40 — What Research Shows About Connection and Brain Health

04:20 — The Neuroscience of Social Connection

05:44 — Loneliness, Midlife, and the Widowhood Effect

09:57 — How Animals Support Brain Health and Emotional Well-Being

12:15 — Not All Relationships Are Healthy

13:59 — Why Connection Matters More Than We Realize

15:13 –– Closing

Subscribe to my newsletter Mind Matters.
Schedule a free Discovery Session with me.
Get my free guide: Fog to Focus: 4 Proven Brain Habits to Reclaim Your Mental Edge
Subscribe to my YouTube channel RenewHer with Genell  
Check out my website.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/genelllemley/
Email: [email protected]

If you're enjoying the RenewHer podcast, I'd be grateful if you'd follow the show, leave a review, and share it with a friend. Your support helps more women discover practical ways to strengthen their brains and thrive in midlife and beyond.

Grief is often thought of as something purely emotional.

But what if it’s more than that?

In this deeply personal episode, I open up about the 15-year anniversary of my husband John’s passing—and explore what I’ve come to understand about how grief truly lives in the brain.

From the unexpected waves of emotion to the brain fog, memory triggers, and sense of disorientation, there is a neurological reason behind so much of what we experience in grief.

This episode is both a personal story and a deeper look at the science behind loss—offering insight, understanding, and hope for anyone navigating grief in any form.

➡️ Why grief is not just emotional—but neurological and physiological
➡️ How the brain’s attachment system responds to loss
➡️ What’s happening in the brain when grief feels sudden or unpredictable
➡️ The role of memory and emotional triggers in grief
➡️ How stress hormones impact your brain and body during loss
➡️ Why grief can affect focus, clarity, and decision-making
➡️ The impact of cumulative grief on the brain
➡️ How identity shifts after loss—and why that can feel so disorienting
➡️ The role of neuroplasticity in healing and integration
➡️ Why grief doesn’t go away—but can change over time

Grief is not something you “get over.”
It’s something your brain works through.

The waves you feel are not random.
They are rooted in memory, attachment, and emotional processing.

What you may have once interpreted as weakness…
is often your brain under strain.

And while grief changes you—
your brain also has the capacity to adapt, rewire, and heal.

This episode includes a deeply personal reflection on love, loss, and what it means to carry someone with you long after they’re gone.

If you are navigating grief—whether recent or long ago—
this conversation is meant to offer both understanding and reassurance:

You are not broken.
You are processing.

If this episode resonated with you, share it with someone who may need it.

Because understanding what’s happening in the brain can change how we experience—and support ourselves through—grief.

00:00 Highlight Clip

00:34 Welcome & What to Expect

01:49 Grief Doesn’t Follow a Straight Line

02:36 Your Body Remembers

05:03 The Neuroscience - Grief Is a Full-Body, Full-Brain Experience

10:05 Your Brain Is Not Fixed in Brief

11:36 My Personal Reflection on My Husband’s Passing 1

3:57 How to Support Your Brain Through Grief

15:12 Closing and Next Steps

Subscribe to my newsletter Mind Matters.
Schedule a free Discovery Session with me.
Get my free guide: Fog to Focus: 4 Proven Brain Habits to Reclaim Your Mental Edge
Subscribe to my YouTube channel RenewHer with Genell  
Check out my website.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/genelllemley/
Email: [email protected]

And if you haven’t already, make sure to subscribe to RenewHer Podcast for more episodes on midlife reinvention, leadership, and brain health for women 50+.

What if the thing you fear most about aging… isn’t aging at all—but losing your mind?

For many high-achieving women, that quiet concern about memory, clarity, and staying sharp is always there—especially if you’ve seen a parent or loved one experience cognitive decline.

But here’s the truth: cognitive decline is not inevitable.

In this episode of RenewHer, we explore a more empowering way to think about brain health—one that moves away from fear and toward action. You’ll learn why your brain thrives on a multidisciplinary approach, and how small, consistent lifestyle shifts can support how your brain functions today—and in the years ahead.

This isn’t about overhauling your life overnight. It’s about understanding what matters—and starting with one simple step.

In this episode, we cover:
➡️ Why cognitive decline is common—but not something you have to accept

➡️ The difference between normal memory changes and signals your brain may be under-supported

➡️ How factors like sleep, stress, nutrition, and movement impact brain function

➡️ Why brain health requires a multidisciplinary approach, not a single solution

➡️ The concepts of neuroplasticity and neurogenesis—and why your brain can change at any age

➡️ Everyday habits that may be helping—or hurting—your brain without you realizing it

The 5 RenewHer Pillars for Brain Health
In this episode, I walk through five core pillars from the RenewHer Framework and how each supports your brain.

Move – Increase blood flow, oxygen, and overall brain function

Nourish – Fuel your brain with the nutrients it needs to perform

Relax – Reduce chronic stress and support mental clarity

Rest – Improve sleep to allow your brain to repair and reset

Discover – Keep your brain engaged through learning and new experiences

Simple ways to get started
You don’t need to do everything at once.

Start small.

Small changes, done consistently, create meaningful results over time.

Final thought
Your brain is not something to fear—it’s something to care for. And when you do, you’re not just preventing decline… you’re enhancing how you live right now—with more clarity, energy, and confidence.

00:00 Highlight Clip

00:35 The Quiet Fear of Cognitive Decline

01:08 Cognitive Decline Is Not Inevitable

03:20 A Multidisciplinary Approach

04:38 Memory Lapses: What They May Really Mean

05:42 Your Brain Can Change

09:07 The 5 Pillars of Brain Health - Actions You Can Take

14:21 Start Small, Stay Consistent

16:23 Closing

How to connect with Genell
Subscribe to my newsletter Mind Matters.
Schedule a free Discovery Session with me.
Get my free guide: Fog to Focus: 4 Proven Brain Habits to Reclaim Your Mental Edge
Subscribe to my YouTube channel RenewHer with Genell  
Check out my website.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/genelllemley/
Email: [email protected]

And if you haven’t already, make sure to subscribe to RenewHer Podcast for more episodes on midlife reinvention, leadership, and brain health for women 50+.

What starts as spring cleaning… can turn into something much deeper.

In this episode of RenewHer, I take you inside a very personal process of sorting through years of memories—boxes filled not just with “stuff,” but with pieces of lives, stories, and moments that once meant everything to someone.

As I worked through photos, letters, and memorabilia, I found myself facing a question I think many of us quietly carry: How do you let go of something that once mattered?

But what surprised me most wasn’t just the emotional side of this experience—it was how much lighter, clearer, and calmer I began to feel.

In this episode, I share what this process brought up for me, and why clearing your physical space can have such a powerful impact on your brain.

You’ll learn how clutter affects your mental energy, why unfinished spaces create stress loops in the brain, and how letting go—intentionally—can create more clarity, calm, and control in your life.

If you’ve ever felt weighed down by what you’re holding onto… this conversation will resonate.

🎧 Tune in to explore:

➡️ Why clutter creates cognitive overload and decision fatigue

➡️ How your brain holds onto “unfinished” spaces as open loops

➡️ The emotional connection between memory and the brain

➡️ Why letting go isn’t about losing memories

➡️ How clearing your space can create more calm, clarity, and control

➡️ This isn’t just about cleaning. It’s about renewing.

00:00 Highlight Clip

00:38 Welcome

01:05 More Than Just Spring Cleaning

02:23 When Letting Go Feels Like Losing Something

04:36 The Moment That Stopped Me in My Tracks

05:32 From Holding On to Letting Go

08:12 Why Clearing Space Feels So Good

08:52 What Clutter Is Doing to Your Brain

14:05 Creating Space for What Matters 15:55 Closing

How to connect with Genell

Subscribe to my newsletter Mind Matters.
Schedule a free Discovery Session with me.
Get my free guide: Fog to Focus: 4 Proven Brain Habits to Reclaim Your Mental Edge
Subscribe to my YouTube channel RenewHer with Genell  
Check out my website.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/genelllemley/
Email: [email protected]

And if you haven’t already, make sure to subscribe to RenewHer Podcast for more episodes on midlife reinvention, leadership, and brain health for women 50+.

What if the real risk isn’t making a change… but staying exactly where you are?

In this episode of RenewHer, we explore a powerful reframe: the very thing that feels uncomfortable—stepping into something new—is often exactly what your brain needs to stay sharp, resilient, and engaged.

Because when you understand how your brain works, everything shifts.

That hesitation you feel when considering something new? That discomfort?
That self-doubt? I

It’s not a sign to stop.
It’s a sign your brain is being challenged in the best possible way.

In this episode, I share my own journey of stepping away from the corporate world and building RenewHer Wellness—and how that process pushed me into the “messy middle” where real growth happens.

We’ll also break down the science behind why change is so powerful for your brain, including neuroplasticity, cognitive reserve, and the role of purpose in keeping your mind strong as you age.

If you’ve been feeling stuck, uncertain, or questioning whether it’s too late to try something new, this episode will give you a completely different way to think about what’s possible.

Because you’re not done growing.
And your brain isn’t done changing.

In this episode, we cover:

➡️ Why feeling uncomfortable is often a sign of brain growth—not a warning sign

➡️ The “messy middle” and why it’s a critical part of change

➡️ How neuroplasticity allows your brain to adapt and rewire at any age

➡️ What neuroplasticity and cognitive reserve are—and why they matter more than ever after 50

➡️ Why staying in routine may be limiting your brain more than helping it

➡️ The connection between purpose, motivation, and brain health

➡️ Simple ways to support your brain if you’re navigating a transition

If this conversation sparked something in you, don’t ignore it. That curiosity… that pull toward something more… may be exactly what your brain is asking for.

00:00  Highlight Clip – Why Brain Health Matters For A Pivot
00.41  Welcome To Renewher After 50
01:06  Why Pivots And Brain Health Are Connected
03:43  My Experience Building Renewher Wellness
06:59  How Change Builds A Stronger, More Resilient Brain
10:07  Brain Health Habits To Support Pivots
12:10  The Power Of Purpose And Reflection
14:05  Embracing Growth: Overcoming Doubt And Fear
16:14  Closing Thoughts And Next Steps

Ready to strengthen your brain and step into what’s next? Schedule a free 15-minute Discovery Sessionwith me. We’ll talk about how you can improve clarity, build resilience, and confidently take your next bold step.

How to connect with Genell

Subscribe to my newsletter Mind Matters.
Schedule a free Discovery Session with me.
Get my free guide: Fog to Focus: 4 Proven Brain Habits to Reclaim Your Mental Edge
Subscribe to my YouTube channel RenewHer with Genell  
Check out my website.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/genelllemley/
Email: [email protected]

And if you haven’t already, make sure to subscribe to RenewHer Podcast for more episodes on midlife reinvention, leadership, and brain health for women 50+.