In this special birthday episode of the School of Midlife podcast, Laurie Reynoldson is reflecting on some hard lessons learned about herself in the past year. This unfiltered episode is Laurie at her most honest and vulnerable. Laurie talks candidly about unrealized dreams, ways in which she's self-sabotaging her growth and success, and what she plans to do differently in the coming year.

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🎁🎁🎁 Birthday Hat Giveaway:
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It's the most wonderful time of the year...or is it?

What happens when you're feeling a little blue during the holidays? When you're just not feeling as festive as everyone else?

In this sixth episode of the Have Yourself a Merry Little Midlife Holiday series, Laurie shares actionable advice on limiting obligations, finding meaning over perfection, and other ways to care for your whole health during some of the most stressful days of the year.

LINKS AND MENTIONS:
🎁🎁🎁  Click here to get your School of Midlife hat!
https://www.schoolofmidlife.com/giveaway

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In this fifth episode of the Have Yourself a Merry Little Midlife Holiday series, my guest expert Erica Davis and I are talking about how chasing holiday perfection often saps our joy, adds stress, and feeds people-pleasing habits.

Erica makes the case for embracing imperfection through her unique boundary setting process. Erica outlines her 4-step reflection guide to set boundaries around traditions, family expectations, and people-pleasing tendencies.

Learn practical tips for delegating, downsizing traditions, and giving yourself permission to relax expectations. This holiday season really can be your best yet!

LINKS AND MENTIONS:
🎁🎁🎁 Click here to get Erica's Boundaries and the Holidays Guide:
https://www.wellnesswitherica.com/contact

🎙 Listen to Ep. 34: Saying "No" Won't Land You on the Naughty List
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2147326/13967247

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In this fourth episode of the Have Yourself a Merry Little Midlife Holiday Series, we're talking about how embracing imperfection can minimize some of the stress and burnout of the holidays.

In this episode, host Laurie Reynoldson discusses giving yourself permission to have a “C+ holiday.” For the Straight-A students, this concept may feel a little strange, but C's are passing grades. By using Laurie's planning framework, you can create A+ holiday experiences for yourself and others, with C+ effort.

Let this be the year that you write your own permission slip to focus your time and attention only on the things that will bring you most this holiday season, and let everything else go.

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In this third episode of the Have Yourself a Merry Little Midlife Holiday series, we're talking turkey and gratitude because it’s Thanksgiving week!

I'm discussing some things I've learned over 25 years of hosting Thanksgiving dinner—and I'm sharing all of my secrets, including my famous grocery shopping list and Thanksgiving Day timeline.

I'm also covering the history of Thanksgiving, the scientifically-proven benefits of practicing daily gratitude, and research-backed tips for getting through tricky family dynamics this Thanksgiving.

NOTES AND MENTIONS:
🦃 DOWNLOAD the Thanksgiving Guide 

🎙 Listen to Episode #30: The Morning 5-10-5: My Secret to an Intentional Morning

📒 Buy One-Get One Free! BEST LIFE Daily Planner

🎙Have Yourself a Merry Little Midlife Holiday Series:
🎙 #1: Healthy Habits Are This Season's Gift to Your Future Self
🎙 #2: Saying "No" Won't Land You on the Naughty List

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In this second episode of the Have Yourself a Merry Little Holiday series, I'm talking about the importance of setting and holding boundaries to protect your time and energy during the holiday season. You'll discover why boundaries are the best gifts to give yourself this year.

Key takeaways:

- The importance of setting and holiday boundaries for self-care

- Learn how to say no without guilt, manage family expectations, limit commitments, and make self-care a priority

-Tips to stick to your holiday boundaries even with pushback
 

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Welcome to the first episode of the Have Yourself a Merry Little Midlife Holiday series! Each week until New Year's, I’ll be covering different topics to help you not just survive the holidays, but really enjoy them, too! In future episodes, I'll be discussing how to manage holiday stress, avoid burnout, deal with anxiety, set boundaries, host events that you enjoy, and more! Each episode will have practical tips and suggestions that you can start implementing right away.

To kick off the series, I'm discussing how focusing on healthy habits now will help you not just survive, +but thrive this holiday season.

Key takeaways:

- The holidays bring packed schedules and neglected health. Protect yourself by prioritizing healthy habits.

- Don't deprive yourself or wait till January - start building momentum now. You'll have a head start on any 2024 goals.

- Establishing habits now makes it easier to set boundaries and say no to holiday obligations that won't serve you.

- The momentum you build will make your New Year's resolutions feel like a continuation, not a fresh start.

- Healthy habits like daily exercise, good sleep, nutrition, and mindfulness will reduce stress and support you in starting 2024 feeling recharged.

- You'll get clarity on what's working so you can refine habits in the New Year.

- If you focus on wellbeing now, you'll likely enjoy the holidays more and end the year on a high note.

Suggested habits to start before the holidays:

- Daily movement, especially outside
- Strength training
- Consistent sleep schedule
- Good nutrition
- Mindfulness practice

 Let me know if you have any other questions about using this holiday season to set yourself up for health and happiness in 2024!

LINKS AND MENTIONS:
🎙Click to Listen to Episode 4 | The Best Planning Framework: Accomplish More in Less Time

📒 Click to Order The BEST LIFE Daily Planner + Habit Tracker

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In this candid episode, I share why Halloween has always brought up complicated feelings for me. I'll talk about losing a grandparent on Halloween as a child. As an adult and now a midlife woman, I've realized Halloween triggers bigger issues around pretending to be someone I'm not.

I'll open up about how I've struggled with impostor syndrome and 'acting as if' for years - wearing a mask and showing up inauthentically. I'll discuss how the pressure to 'fake it till you make it' prevents us from living authentically and finding fulfillment. I'll share some of my journey to self-acceptance and showing up as my true self.

This will be a raw, personal look at why Halloween is about more than just costumes and candy for me. We'll dive into the deeper reasons this holiday has always felt like another exhausting charade instead of a celebration. My hope is we can have an honest dialogue about the masks we wear and reclaim the freedom to live unapologetically as our real selves.

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One of the biggest struggles for midlife women is knowing when it's time to make a big life change.

In this episode, Laurie identifies typical "big changes" in midlife: career changes, divorce, moving to a new city, going back to school, and others. She discusses the signs that indicate it may be time to make a change, including discussing the red flags in her own life when she decided it was time to make a midlife career change. Finally, Laurie walks the listener through a series of questions to consider when contemplating a big life change.

This episode is a must-listen for any midlife woman feeling restless, bored, stagnant or blah about any part of her life.

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In this week's episode, we're talking all about morning routines - why they matter and how to create one that works for you. I'll explain the benefits of starting your day intentionally versus reactively, and share my simple, flexible routine that takes just 20-30 minutes.

We'll cover must-have elements like hydration, exercise, and visualization, as well as my Morning 5-10-5 ritual. I'll explain the science behind writing down your dreams and how it can rewire your brain for success. You'll learn how to reframe obligations as opportunities and set yourself up for a great day, every day.

Join me as we create morning routines that empower you to be proactive, grounded and grateful every single day.

LINKS AND MENTIONS:
💛 Join the BEST LIFE Retreat Waitlist: https://www.schoolofmidlife.com/retreat-waitlist

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