Smile Sessions With Cristina Perri

It’s 2:37 AM. You’re exhausted. Your body is begging for sleep, but your brain has decided it’s the PERFECT time to replay every awkward conversation you’ve had since 2014. 🙃

Bills? Check. Work? Check. That thing you said three years ago that nobody else remembers? ABSOLUTELY.

Sound familiar? Welcome to the wonderful world of being exhausted but unable to sleep!

In this episode of **Smile Sessions**, we're talking about why you might be struggling to fall asleep, stay asleep, or wake up feeling like you haven't slept at all.

From racing thoughts and stress to hormones, perimenopause, and an overstimulated nervous system, there can be more going on behind those sleepless nights than you realize.

We'll explore:

😴 Why you're tired all day but wide awake at bedtime

🧠 How stress, anxiety, and an overactive mind can interfere with sleep

🔥 How hormonal changes and perimenopause may affect your sleep

📱 Everyday habits that could be sabotaging your rest

🌙 Simple ways to calm your mind and create a more restful bedtime routine

Because let's be honest: **being told to relax when your brain has 47 open tabs is not helpful advice.**

If you've been lying awake wondering why your body won't cooperate, this episode is for you. Let's unpack what's happening, explore what might help, and remind ourselves that better sleep starts with understanding what's keeping us awake.

💗 **LET'S CONNECT!**

If you can relate, give this video a thumbs up, subscribe to Smile Sessions, and share your own 2 AM thoughts in the comments. What's the most ridiculous thing your brain has decided to worry about when you're trying to sleep?

I'm Cristina Perri, and this is Smile Sessions — exploring ways to live healthier, happier, more fulfilling lives.

🔔 Subscribe for more conversations about mental health, hormones, gut health, healing, and everyday wellness.

*Disclaimer: This episode is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Persistent sleep difficulties are worth discussing with your healthcare provider.*

#WhyCantISleep #SleepProblems #Insomnia #Perimenopause #HormoneHealth #StressAndAnxiety #NervousSystem #SleepTips #WomensHealth #SmileSessions

Welcome to Episode 3 of the Smile Sessions Perimenopause Series!

Ever feel like you’re exhausted before you’ve even done anything? You wake up tired, make it through the day running on fumes, and suddenly things that used to be easy feel like a full-blown Olympic event.

And you’re thinking…

“Why am I SO tired?”

In this episode, we’re talking about perimenopause fatigue, energy crashes, brain fog, sleep disruption, stress, and the hormonal changes that can make you feel like your internal battery has permanently switched to low-power mode. 🔋

Because sometimes it isn't that you're lazy, unmotivated, or “just getting older.”

Your body may be going through a LOT behind the scenes.

We’ll talk about:

✨ Why your energy can change so dramatically during perimenopause

😴 How hormonal fluctuations can affect sleep and daytime energy

🧠 The connection between fatigue and brain fog

⚡ Why stress can leave you feeling completely depleted

🍽️ How lifestyle factors like nutrition, movement and blood sugar can influence

energy

❤️ And what you can actually do when your body keeps saying, “Nope. We’re

done.”

Perimenopause can feel confusing—but understanding what’s happening can make it a whole lot less scary.

So grab your coffee, your water, or whatever is keeping you functioning today… and let’s talk about it. ☕😂

You’re not imagining it. And you’re definitely not the only one.

👉 Subscribe for more conversations about perimenopause, hormones, gut health, mental wellness, healing, and navigating life in your 40s.

#Perimenopause #PerimenopauseSymptoms #PerimenopauseFatigue #Menopause #Hormones #WomensHealth #BrainFog #MidlifeWomen #SmileSessions #HormoneHealth

Your partner is chewing too loudly.

Your kids have asked you the same question 14 times.

Your coworker just sent another “Just circling back…” email.

And suddenly you're thinking…

“Why can’t I tolerate anyone anymore?”

In Episode 2 of the Smile Sessions Perimenopause Series, Cristina Perri dives into the unexpected emotional side of perimenopause—and why your patience may suddenly feel like it has completely disappeared.

But here's the bigger question:

Is perimenopause making you irrational… or are you finally done tolerating things that have bothered you for years?

In this episode, we explore:

✨ Why hormonal changes can affect your mood, patience and emotional capacity

✨ The connection between poor sleep, stress and irritability

✨ Why the smallest things can suddenly push you over the edge

✨ How “perimenopause rage” can be more complicated than simply blaming your hormones

✨ Why anger can sometimes be information—not something you need to feel guilty about

✨ The connection between perimenopause and people-pleasing

✨ Why you may suddenly have less tolerance for one-sided relationships and unrealistic expectations

✨ How to tell the difference between hormonal overwhelm and a genuine problem in your life

✨ Why you shouldn't necessarily make major life decisions on your worst day 😂

✨ How to get curious about what your emotions are trying to tell you

Because maybe your tolerance isn't disappearing.

Maybe your awareness is increasing.

And maybe you're not becoming difficult.

Maybe you're becoming honest.

💬 QUESTION FOR YOU:

Have you noticed that your tolerance for certain people, situations or behaviours has changed during perimenopause?

Tell me in the comments—I want to know I'm not the only one! 😂

🎙️ Smile Sessions with Cristina Perri

Healthier. Happier. Fulfilling.

Subscribe for more conversations about perimenopause, hormones, mental health, relationships, identity, healing and creating a life that actually feels good.

#Perimenopause #PerimenopauseRage #PerimenopauseSymptoms #WomenOver40 #MidlifeWomen #Hormones #WomensHealth #MidlifeAwakening #HormonalHealth #PeoplePleasing #MidlifeReset #SmileSessions

Is it perimenopause… or are you finally done?

Have you suddenly started questioning your relationship, your career, your friendships—or even who you are?

You’re not alone.

In this episode of Smile Sessions, Cristina Perri explores one of the most confusing parts of perimenopause: the feeling that your entire life is suddenly up for review.

Hormonal changes can affect mood, sleep, stress tolerance and emotional regulation—but what if they’re also making it harder to ignore things that haven’t felt right for a long time?

We’re talking about:

✨ Why perimenopause can make you question everything

✨ The connection between hormones, stress and emotional capacity

✨ Why your career may suddenly feel unfulfilling

✨ Why relationship dynamics can look different in midlife

✨ Losing—and rediscovering—your sense of identity

✨ How to distinguish hormonal changes from genuine life dissatisfaction

✨ Why you don't have to blow up your life to start listening to yourself

✨ The difference between a midlife crisis and a midlife awakening

Sometimes your hormones don't create the problem.

They just make it harder to ignore.

If you've ever wondered, “Is this just perimenopause… or am I finally realizing what I actually want?”—this conversation is for you.

💬 Question for you:

What is something you've started questioning in your 40s that you never questioned before?

🎙️ Smile Sessions with Cristina Perri

Healthier. Happier. Fulfilling.

Have you ever looked in the mirror and thought, “I don’t even recognize myself anymore?”

For so many women, turning 40 can bring changes that go far beyond hormones. Brain fog, fatigue, anxiety, digestive issues, inflammation, overwhelm, and a feeling of being disconnected from who you once were can leave you wondering: What is happening to me?

In this special episode of Smile Sessions, I’m joined by Blake Myers, a naturopathic physician and graduate professor of integrative and functional nutrition with more than 15 years of clinical and teaching experience.

Blake created Phyto-Adapt and The Bridge System to address what he saw as a major gap in natural menopause care.

We dive into the connection between gut health, inflammation, mental health, stress, the nervous system, menopause, and the loss of identity so many women experience in midlife.

But this conversation isn't just about what's going wrong.

It's about understanding what's happening beneath the surface—and what we can do to begin feeling like ourselves again.

In this episode, we explore:

✨ Why gut health and mental health are so closely connected

✨ The relationship between chronic stress, the nervous system, and

inflammation

✨ How hormonal changes during midlife can affect how we feel physically and

emotionally

✨ Why women over 40 may experience brain fog, fatigue, anxiety, and

overwhelm

✨ How years of putting everyone else first can contribute to losing our sense of

self

✨ The difference between surviving and actually feeling well

✨ Why healing may require looking at the whole person—not just individual

symptoms

✨ How women can begin reconnecting with themselves in midlife

If you've ever thought “Where did I go?”, this conversation is for you.

You aren't broken.

You aren't imagining it.

And getting older doesn't mean you have to disappear.

It's time to find your way back to you. ❤️

👤 About Blake Myers

Blake Myers is a naturopathic physician and graduate professor of integrative and functional nutrition with over 15 years of clinical work and teaching. He is the creator of Phyto-Adapt and The Bridge System, developed to help address gaps in natural menopause care.

🔗 Learn more about Blake and his work:

www.thebridgesystemmethod.com

◎ Instagram @thebridgesystem

♪ TikTok @bridgesystem

💬 Let's Connect

If this episode resonated with you, subscribe to Smile Sessions and share this episode with a woman who needs to hear that she isn't alone.

What part of this conversation resonated with you most? Leave a comment below—I would love to hear from you.

Smile Sessions is a podcast about living healthier, happier, and more fulfilling lives.

Youtube Lisence Codes:

L7ZHPZO2UOCVXEXR

MAMYNYLDFB7DXDTO

What if becoming a mother doesn't just change the way you see your child…

but changes the way you see yourself?

In this episode of Smile Sessions, I’m sharing something deeply personal: how motherhood brought me face-to-face with parts of myself I thought I had already healed.

The short fuse.

The hyper-vigilance.

The need to keep everything under control.

The feeling that if I wasn't paying attention to everything, something might go wrong.

And then came the question so many of us have asked ourselves:

"How did I become the thing I was most afraid of?”

But what if the better question is:

What happened to me?”

Through therapy, hypnosis, inner-child work, prayer, grounding, and learning to regulate my nervous system, I began to understand that I wasn't broken.

I was carrying patterns that had once helped me survive.

And motherhood became the mirror that helped me see them.

In this episode, we talk about:

✨ Why becoming a parent can awaken childhood wounds

✨ How our children's behavior can sometimes trigger unresolved

emotions in us

✨ The difference between shame and self-understanding

✨ Why your nervous system can still feel unsafe even when your life

is safe

✨ Meeting your inner child with compassion instead of trying to “fix”

her

✨ How pausing, grounding, tapping, and prayer can help us respond

instead of react

✨ Breaking generational patterns through awareness and repair

✨ What it means to find the person you were before you learned to

survive

And perhaps most importantly…

What if the little girl or little boy you used to be isn't gone?

What if they're simply waiting for you to come home?

If this episode resonates with you, I'd love to hear from you in the comments:

Who were you before you learned you had to be someone else to be loved?

And if you're enjoying Smile Sessions, subscribe to the channel and join me for more conversations about healing, mental health, relationships, hormones, nervous-system regulation, and creating a healthier, happier, more fulfilling life.

📖 My book: a.co/d/06dRMbrb

🌐 Visit: www.cristinaperri.com

If this episode touched something in you, share it with someone who might need to hear it. Sometimes one conversation can help us understand ourselves a little differently.

About Smile Sessions

Smile Sessions with Cristina Perri is a space for honest conversations about healing, self-discovery, mental health, relationships, hormones, nervous-system regulation, and all the messy, beautiful things that make us human.

Because living a healthier, happier, more fulfilling life isn't about becoming perfect.

It's about becoming more you.

#SmileSessions #Motherhood #InnerChildHealing #ChildhoodTrauma #HealingJourney #NervousSystemRegulation #InnerChildWork #GenerationalTrauma #ConsciousParenting #MentalHealth #SelfHealing #PersonalGrowth

Do you find yourself explaining your decisions, feelings, boundaries, or choices long after you’ve already made yourself clear?

You might not be “too much.” You might be over-explaining.

In this episode of Smile Sessions, Cristina Perri explores why we explain ourselves so much, what can be behind the need to justify every decision, and how over-explaining can be connected to people-pleasing, fear of rejection, conflict avoidance, and experiences where you learned that simply saying “no” wasn’t enough.

Sometimes we explain because we want to be understood.

Sometimes we explain because we’re afraid of being misunderstood.

And sometimes, we explain because somewhere along the way, we learned that our decisions needed to be defended in order to be accepted.

But you don't need to build a courtroom case for every boundary you set.

This episode explores how to recognize the difference between healthy communication and over-explaining, why it can feel uncomfortable to stop explaining yourself, and how you can begin trusting yourself enough to say what you mean—and let that be enough.

✨ In this episode, we talk about:

Why you may feel compelled to explain

yourself

The psychology behind over-explaining

People-pleasing and the need for

approval

How fear of conflict can fuel

over-explaining

Why setting boundaries can trigger guilt

The connection between over-explaining

and past experiences

How to communicate without constantly

justifying yourself

Learning to trust your own decisions

Why “No” can be a complete sentence

How to stop explaining yourself and start

standing in your truth

If you’ve ever caught yourself thinking, “Why am I explaining all of this?”—this conversation is for you.

💬 Question for you:

What is something you’ve realized you no longer need to explain or justify to other people?

📖 Want to go deeper? Grab my book for more conversations about healing, self-awareness, boundaries, and breaking patterns that no longer serve you.

❤️ If this episode resonates with you, like, subscribe, and share it with someone who needs to hear this.

How often do you say “sorry” when you haven’t actually done anything wrong?

Sorry for asking.

Sorry for speaking up.

Sorry for needing something.

Sorry for being emotional.

Sorry for taking up space.

At some point, apologizing can become more than good manners—it can become a habit of making ourselves smaller so everyone else feels comfortable.

In this episode of Smile Sessions, we’re talking about why so many of us have learned to apologize for simply existing, having needs, expressing an opinion, setting boundaries, or expecting to be treated with respect.

And here’s the reminder you may need today:

You don't need to apologize for taking up space.

Your voice matters.

Your needs matter.

Your boundaries matter.

And you are allowed to be seen, heard, and fully present without constantly making yourself smaller.

✨ In this episode, we explore:

Why we apologize when we haven't done anything wrong

The connection between people-pleasing and making ourselves smaller

How “sorry” can become an automatic response

Why taking up space can feel uncomfortable

The difference between being considerate and diminishing yourself

How to start replacing unnecessary apologies with confidence

If you've spent years trying to be “easy,” “low-maintenance,” or agreeable so you don't inconvenience anyone, this episode is your permission slip to stop shrinking.

You don't have to earn your right to take up space.

You already belong here.

🎧 Subscribe to Smile Sessions for conversations about living a healthier, happier, more fulfilling life.

💬 Question for you:

What is one thing you've been apologizing for that you actually don't need to apologize for?

#SmileSessions #StopApologizing #PeoplePleasing #SelfWorth #Boundaries #Confidence #PersonalGrowth #TakingUpSpace #Healing #MentalHealth

Have you ever walked away from a conversation wondering...

"Did that really happen the way I remember it?"

Maybe you replayed it over and over in your mind.

Maybe you questioned whether you were being too sensitive.

Maybe you even apologized—not because you knew you were wrong, but because you weren't sure anymore.

If that sounds familiar, this episode is for you.

In this episode of Smile Sessions, we're continuing the Stop Disappearing series by exploring one of the most confusing and emotionally draining experiences in a relationship: gaslighting.

Gaslighting isn't always loud, dramatic, or obvious.

More often, it begins quietly.

It's the subtle shift from questioning someone else's behavior... to questioning your own reality.

Together, we'll unpack what gaslighting really feels like, why it slowly erodes your confidence, and how to begin rebuilding trust in yourself again.

In this episode, we'll discuss:

✨ What gaslighting actually is—and what it isn't

✨ Why you begin questioning your own memory and perception

✨ How confusion can become a form of emotional manipulation

✨ The warning signs that are easy to miss

✨ Why your body often recognizes something is wrong before your mind does

✨ How to rebuild trust in your intuition and your own reality

One of the biggest takeaways from today's conversation:

"Gaslighting doesn't begin when someone calls you crazy. It begins the moment you stop trusting yourself."

And another reminder I hope you'll carry with you:

"Healthy relationships don't make you question your reality. They make you feel safe enough to tell the truth about it."

If today's episode resonated with you, I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

💙 Have you ever found yourself doubting your own memory after a conversation?

💙 What helped you begin trusting yourself again?

Your story may encourage someone else who feels confused and alone.

📖 Get my book:

Stop Disappearing: How to Start Choosing Yourself Without Guilt or Fear

https://a.co/d/0fDvyeh7

🎙️ Subscribe to Smile Sessions for weekly conversations on emotional healing, self-worth, healthy relationships, boundaries, nervous system regulation, and learning how to choose yourself without guilt or fear.

If this episode encouraged you, please Like, Subscribe, and Share it with someone who needs this reminder today.

#SmileSessions #Gaslighting #StopDisappearing #EmotionalHealing #HealthyRelationships #MentalHealth #SelfWorth #ChooseYourself #Boundaries #TraumaHealing #PersonalGrowth #NarcissisticAbuse #EmotionalAbuse #HealingJourney #TrustYourself

Have you ever looked back on a relationship and wondered...

"How did I miss all the red flags?"

What if you didn't?

In this episode of Smile Sessions, we're continuing the Stop Disappearing series by exploring a concept I call Pink Flags—those moments when attraction, hope, and chemistry soften the warning signs your intuition has been trying to show you all along.

Sometimes we don't ignore red flags.

We explain them away.

We tell ourselves they're temporary.

We convince ourselves that potential is enough.

But what if your body knew the truth long before your mind was ready to accept it?

In this deeply personal episode, I share my own story of ignoring the quiet voice inside me—including the moments leading up to my wedding that I now recognize as clarity, not "cold feet." Together, we'll explore why even smart, self-aware people can override their intuition and how learning to trust yourself again can change every relationship you have.

In this episode, we'll discuss:

✨ What "Pink Flags" really are—and why we create them

✨ The difference between chemistry and compatibility

✨ How dopamine and oxytocin influence attraction and attachment

✨ Why your body often recognizes misalignment before your mind does

✨ How hope can keep us stuck in unhealthy relationships

✨ Why trusting your intuition is one of the greatest acts of self-love

One of the biggest takeaways from today's conversation:

"Attraction is not a character reference. Oxytocin is not a love story."

And another reminder I hope stays with you:

"If you have to explain it away... your body already knows."

If this episode resonated with you, I'd love to hear from you in the comments.

💗 Have you ever experienced a "pink flag"?

💗 Was there a moment when your intuition

was trying to protect you—but you talked

yourself out of listening?

Your story might encourage someone else who needs to hear they're not alone.

📖 Get my book:

Stop Disappearing: How to Start Choosing Yourself Without Guilt or Fear

https://a.co/d/005Own3f

🎙️ Subscribe to Smile Sessions for weekly conversations on emotional healing, healthy relationships, nervous system health, boundaries, self-worth, and creating a life where you no longer disappear to keep the peace.

If this episode encouraged you, please Like, Subscribe, and Share it with someone who needs this reminder today.

Chapters

00:00 – How Did I Miss the Red Flags?

01:18 – Welcome to Smile Sessions

02:35 – What Are Pink Flags?

05:10 – Why We Explain Away Warning Signs

08:20 – The Science of Attraction: Dopamine & Oxytocin

11:10 – My Story: The Pink Flags I Ignored

18:30 – It Wasn't Nerves. It Was Misalignment.

22:10 – Why We Override Our Intuition

25:15 – Reflection Questions

27:00 – Trust Yourself Again

#SmileSessions #StopDisappearing #PinkFlags #RedFlags #HealthyRelationships #EmotionalHealing #SelfWorth #ChooseYourself #Boundaries #PeoplePleasing #DatingAdvice #MentalHealth #TraumaHealing #PersonalGrowth #Women'sWellness