Thrive With Intention™

Menopause is actually one day. One quiet day you probably won’t feel at all. It’s everything leading up to it and everything that comes after that can make this whole thing so confusing.

I’m breaking down perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopause, including what your hormones are doing, why symptoms can seem completely random, and how to figure out where you might be when periods aren’t a reliable clue.

• Why perimenopause feels like a hormonal storm and can start earlier than you might think
• Why normal blood work doesn’t necessarily mean you aren’t in perimenopause
• What actually marks menopause and why some of us may never know our exact date
• What changes in postmenopause, including symptoms that may improve and others that can get worse
• Why tracking your symptoms and working with a menopause-trained clinician matters

Track your symptoms, spot patterns, and take the tracker with you to your next appointment. I’ve updated the toolkit with more symptoms, tips, and information, so if you grabbed it before, grab the new version.

https://thrivewithintention.com/toolkit

Got something in your life that isn’t working and not sure what to do about it? I’ll walk you through the SHIFT Method™ to help you get clear on what’s really going on and decide what you want to do next.

https://thrivewithintention.com/move

Ready for more support? Whether you need help with one specific situation or you’re ready for deeper coaching through this season of change, explore the ways we can work together.

https://thrivewithintention.com/work-with-me/

Episode 25: Perimenopause Symptoms: What I Wish I’d Known Earlier:

Hear the full story of how long it took me to realize what was happening and finally get help: https://thrivewithintention.com/perimenopause-symptoms/

If you have no clue what I mean when I talk about doing your six commitments every day for six weeks, start here.

https://thrivewithintention.com/how-to-follow-through-on-your-goals/

I’ve personally used MIDI Health for menopause care and am a MIDI Health Ambassador. They specialize in virtual care for women in midlife, and you can check their website to see whether they accept your insurance.

https://www.joinmidi.com/

Find menopause information, resources, and clinicians who have specialized training in menopause care.

https://menopause.org/

I mention Dr. Haver’s books The New Menopause and The New Perimenopause as resources for learning more about what’s happening in your body during this stage of life.

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I’m not a doctor, and this isn’t medical advice. This is based on my own experience, conversations with other women, and my research, so please talk with a qualified clinician about your own body and situation.

#MIDIAmbassador

*As an Amazon associate, I earn on qualifying purchases.

Mentioned in this episode:

Your Next Move™

Your Next Move™ is a free, self-guided coaching experience that walks you through the exact process I use with my coaching clients to help you shift how you’re thinking, decide what you want, and take your next step.

Your Next Move

Emily Alexander has spent years doing improv, which means she’s gotten pretty comfortable walking into situations without knowing what’s going to happen next. And as she points out in this conversation, that’s basically what the rest of us are doing every day too: life is improv.

We talk about what improv can teach us about midlife—from getting more comfortable being uncomfortable to becoming a better listener, surrounding yourself with people who will “yes, and” you, and trying something new without deciding it has to become your entire freaking purpose in life. Sometimes you can just take the pottery class.

• Why getting comfortable with the unexpected is a skill you can actually practice
• What “yes, and” really means—and why it doesn’t mean agreeing with everything or saying yes to everyone
• How being a better listener helps you get out of your own head and be more present
• Why midlife is a great time to experiment with new interests, hobbies, and possibilities without needing a five-year plan
• What to do when the people in your life aren’t quite sure what to make of the version of you that’s changing

Got something in your life that isn’t working and not sure what to do about it? I’ll walk you through the SHIFT Method™ to help you get clear on what’s really going on and decide what you want to do next.

https://thrivewithintention.com/move

Ready for more support? Whether you need help with one specific situation or you’re ready for deeper coaching through this season of change, explore the ways we can work together.

https://thrivewithintention.com/work-with-me/

The Six-Week Shift™ is officially underway! For six weeks, we’re choosing a few commitments to make to ourselves every single day—and actually following through. Want to join us? Listen to Episode 30 for all the details and grab the free tracker to get started.

What If You Actually Did What You Said You’d Do? (The 6-Week Shift) | Ep. 30

Want to learn more from Emily? Through The Improf, she offers improv classes for kids and teens, along with leadership training, team building, and custom training for companies, businesses, and nonprofits.

https://theimprof.com

You can also reach Emily directly at [email protected].

How many things have you been saying you’re going to do any day now? Start working out. Eat better. Drink more water. Get off your phone. Finally start the thing you’ve been thinking about for six months.

The problem is, we keep waiting to feel motivated. And sometimes motivation just doesn’t show up.

So I’m trying something different, and I want you to do it with me. I’m calling it the Six-Week Shift: six specific things for six weeks, designed to interrupt your autopilot, build discipline, and give you 252 opportunities to prove to yourself that you can do what you say you’re going to do.

• Why motivation isn’t required to make meaningful changes
• How following through builds discipline, confidence, and self-trust
• How to choose your five things to do and one thing to cut
• The difference between the “No Excuses” and “Keep Going” versions
• How to join me starting September 28 and share your progress with #shift6

I made the tracker for you, so you don’t have to create your own. There’s no email or opt-in required. Just grab it and let’s go.

Grab your free 6-week Shift Tracker

Already thinking, “This sounds great, but I know myself. I’ll start strong and fall off”? Grab Your Next Move™. I’ll walk you through the SHIFT Method™ to help you recognize the thoughts keeping you stuck and decide how you want to move forward.

https://thrivewithintention.com/move

Not sure what’s changing or where to focus first? Take the quiz to see which area of your midlife may be asking for your attention right now.

https://thrivewithintention.com/quiz/

Ready for more support? Whether you need help with one specific situation or you’re ready for deeper coaching through this season of change, explore the ways we can work together.

https://thrivewithintention.com/work-with-me/

The mental toughness challenge created by Andy Frisella that inspired the Six-Week Shift and showed me firsthand how powerful it can be to stop negotiating with yourself and simply follow through on what you decided to do.

Learn more about 75 Hard

Mentioned in this episode:

Your Next Move™

Your Next Move™ is a free, self-guided coaching experience that walks you through the exact process I use with my coaching clients to help you shift how you’re thinking, decide what you want, and take your next step.

Your Next Move

A lot of us have spent decades being practical and responsible, asking What makes sense? What’s realistic? What does everybody need? Then midlife rolls around and suddenly the question is: What do you want now? And sometimes we have no freaking idea.

So I’m getting a little woo-woo. I’m sharing the “receiving mode sprint” I’m doing while I have the house to myself and why I think gratitude, visualization, manifestation, and simply opening yourself to possibility can be useful—even if you’re not sure you believe any of it.

• Why being practical for decades can limit what we imagine is possible
• The connection between belief and the actions we’re willing to take
• My “receiving mode sprint” and the practices I’m trying
• Appreciating what you have while still wanting more
• A personal ritual I used to finally let go of something I’d carried for years

Got something in your life that isn’t working and not sure what to do about it? I’ll walk you through the SHIFT Method™ to help you get clear on what’s really going on and decide what you want to do next.

https://thrivewithintention.com/move

Not sure what’s changing—or where to focus first? Take the quiz to see which area of your midlife may be asking for your attention right now.

https://thrivewithintention.com/quiz/

Ready for more support? Whether you need help with one specific situation or you’re ready for deeper coaching through this season of change, explore the ways we can work together.

https://thrivewithintention.com/work-with-me/

I referenced the episode where I walked you through the SHIFT Method™ and how I use it to work through challenges, get unstuck, and decide what comes next.

Episode 26: Take Back Your Power Using the Shift Method™

Do you ever hear yourself say, “I can’t do that because…” and immediately start listing all the reasons it won’t work? Or maybe you’re trying to make a decision and keep coming back to, “I just don’t know what to do.”

When we stop at I can’t or I don’t know, we’ve basically told our brain there’s nothing left to figure out. But asking a different question—How can I? What if I could? What if I did know?—gives your brain a completely different job. Instead of defending all the reasons something won’t work, it starts looking for options.

I learned this firsthand when I was questioning whether I could keep Thrive With Intention going while juggling work, family, and everything else in my life. My circumstances didn’t magically change. The question did. And once I started asking how I could make it work, I began seeing what I could simplify, stop, automate, or do completely differently.

• Why “I can’t” and “I don’t know” can shut down your problem-solving before you’ve explored your options
• The questions I use to flip my brain from stuck mode into curiosity: How can I? What if I could? What if I did know?
• How reverse engineering from the result you actually want helps you see what matters—and what is just habit, expectation, or busywork
• What I changed in my own business when I stopped assuming certain “best practices” had to stay
• How to use this same approach with relationships, caregiving, health, money, career changes, and other parts of midlife

Got something in your life that isn’t working and not sure what to do about it? I’ll walk you through the SHIFT Method™ to help you get clear on what’s really going on and decide what you want to do next.

https://thrivewithintention.com/move

Not sure what’s changing—or where to focus first? Take the quiz to see which area of your midlife may be asking for your attention right now.

https://thrivewithintention.com/quiz/

Ready for more support? Whether you need help with one specific situation or you’re ready for deeper coaching through this season of change, explore the ways we can work together.

https://thrivewithintention.com/work-with-me/

Have something you’re stuck on? Send me your situation or question and I may coach you through it on an upcoming episode. You can absolutely stay anonymous.

https://thrivewithintention.com/getcoached

I’m on a mission to have more conversations about menopause, midlife, and all the changes that come with this season. If you have a podcast—or know one where I’d be a great fit—send it my way.

https://thrivewithintention.com/reachout

Do you ever look at other women who seem to have their shit together and wonder how they managed to get rid of all those negative thoughts? Meanwhile, your brain is serving up criticism, what-ifs, worst-case scenarios, and all the reasons you probably shouldn’t try the thing you want to do.

Here’s the truth: they haven’t gotten rid of them. None of us have. Negative thoughts are part of having a human brain. The goal isn’t to make them disappear. It’s to recognize what your brain is doing so those thoughts don’t run the show or keep you from building the life you actually want.

In this episode, I’m breaking down the four different “brains” I picture in my head—from the overprotective Helicopter Mom and obnoxiously loud Inner Critic to the Creative and Intentional parts we actually want to strengthen. And I’ll show you how the SHIFT Method™ can help you give the other side of the story some airtime, choose what you intentionally want to believe, and start putting in the reps.

• Why having negative thoughts doesn’t mean you’re doing personal growth wrong—and why reaching the next goal won’t magically make them disappear.
• The four parts of the brain I use to understand what’s happening in my head: Helicopter Mom, the Inner Critic, the Creative Brain, and the Intentional Brain.
• How psychological distance can help you recognize an automatic thought as a mental event instead of immediately treating it as truth.
• Why someone else’s beautiful vacation photos, happy marriage, successful business, or seemingly perfect life are never the whole story.
• How to use the SHIFT Method™, positive evidence, and a new mantra to strengthen the thoughts you actually want to give more airtime.

Got something going on in your life right now and your brain has a whole lot to say about it? This free guided coaching experience will walk you through the SHIFT Method™ step by step so you can separate what’s actually happening from the story your brain is telling you, get clear on who you want to be, and decide what to do next.

https://thrivewithintention.com/move

Not sure what’s changing—or where to focus first? Take the quiz to see which area of your midlife may be asking for your attention right now.

https://thrivewithintention.com/quiz/

When something in your life isn’t going the way you want, it’s really easy to decide the problem is out there. Your husband doesn’t want what you want. Your adult kid barely calls. You look in the mirror and don’t quite recognize the woman looking back at you.

Some circumstances genuinely suck. This isn’t about pretending they don’t or positive-thinking your way out of them. It’s about recognizing when you’ve made something outside of you responsible for whether or not you’re okay—because that’s when you’ve handed over your power.

In this episode, I’m teaching you The SHIFT Method™, my practical five-step framework for taking it back. We’ll walk through three very real midlife struggles—marriage, the empty nest, and aging—and look at how to separate the facts from the story, decide who you want to be, choose what you want to believe, and figure out what you can actually do next.

• The five steps of The SHIFT Method™: Separate Fact from Fiction, Hear the Story, Identify Who You Want to Be, Find Your Next Mantra, and Take Action.
• How to separate the actual facts of a situation from all the assumptions, judgments, fears, predictions, and good old-fashioned bullshit our brains pile on top.
• Why deciding who you want to be is more powerful than trying to figure out how to make your husband, your adult child, or anyone else behave differently.
• How to choose a believable mantra that gives you somewhere intentional to return when your old story starts popping back up.
• What SHIFT looks like in real life when you’re dealing with marriage, an empty nest, or the fact that yes, we really are getting older—and no, apparently we cannot stop it.

Bring one real situation you’re struggling with, sit down with me, and I’ll walk you through The SHIFT Method™ step by step in this free self-guided coaching experience.

https://thrivewithintention.com/move

Tell me what’s going on in your life—anonymously if you’d like—and I may coach through your situation using The SHIFT Method™ on the podcast.

https://thrivewithintention.com/getcoached

Not sure what area of your life is asking for your attention right now? Take the free quiz to find out.

https://thrivewithintention.com/quiz/

For years, I had headaches, brain fog, sleep problems, body aches, low libido, painful sex, GI issues, irritability, and a growing list of other symptoms.

I thought I was getting old, maybe losing my mind a little, and dealing with a bunch of completely separate problems. What I didn't know was that many of those changes could be connected to perimenopause.

I'm sharing what finally helped me connect the dots, why finding a healthcare provider with specific menopause expertise mattered so much, and what changed after I started getting treatment that was tailored to me.

This isn't medical advice or a prescription for what you should do. It's the conversation I wish someone had had with me years earlier—because when something feels different in your body, it's worth paying attention.

• The surprising perimenopause symptoms I experienced beyond hot flashes and night sweats, including brain fog, GI issues, painful sex, skin changes, and irritability
• Why years of slowly accumulating symptoms made it difficult for me to see that they might be connected
• What I learned about the importance of finding a healthcare provider with specific perimenopause and menopause expertise
• How I tracked my symptoms and worked with my clinician over time to adjust my treatment
• The changes I experienced after treatment and why I want women to start paying attention to their bodies earlier

Midlife can bring a lot of changes at once. Take the free Shift Happens™ Quiz to discover which area of your life deserves your attention first. https://thrivewithintention.com/quiz/

Track symptoms, notice patterns, and prepare for more useful conversations with your healthcare provider. https://thrivewithintention.com/toolkit

Tell Jody what you’re navigating, and she may coach through your question on a future episode. https://thrivewithintention.com/getcoached

Dr. Mary Claire Haver books

The New Menopause https://amzn.to/4xaXWZq

The New Perimenopause https://amzn.to/4ggSpt7

Midi Health

Jody shares her experience as a Midi Health patient and notes that she is now a Midi Health ambassador. https://www.joinmidi.com/

The Menopause Society

Jody mentions its searchable directory as another way to find a menopause practitioner. https://menopause.org/

#midiambassador

*As an Amazon Associate, I earn on qualifying purchases.

Not everyone in your life is going to understand every part of you—and they don’t have to. But when you’re navigating menopause, an empty nest, a career change, a new dream, or simply becoming a different version of yourself, having people around you who do get that part of your life can make a huge difference.

After a conversation at a recent conference reminded me how powerful it feels to be around women who immediately understand this season, I started thinking about why finding your people matters so much in midlife. We’re talking about expanding your circle without abandoning the people you already love, letting different relationships support different parts of you, and making new connections as an adult—even when walking into a room where you know nobody feels awkward as hell.

• Why the people who have known you the longest may not always understand who you’re becoming now
• How different people can support different parts of your life—and why one person doesn’t have to be everything for you
• Where to look for people who share your interests, experiences, or goals
• Why making friends as an adult requires being willing to be the new person and initiate connection
• One intentional step you can take this week to start expanding your circle

Take the Shift Happens™ Quiz: Midlife can bring a lot of changes at once. This quiz helps you discover which area of your life deserves your attention first.

Submit a Coaching Question: Tell Jody what you’re navigating, and she may coach through your question on a future episode.

Join the Thrive Tribe: Get honest conversations, practical tools, and encouragement for navigating menopause and midlife.

Visit Thrive With Intention: Explore the podcast, free resources, and coaching options.

Atomic Habits: One of my favorite books on building better habits through small, intentional changes.

*As an Amazon Associate, I earn on qualifying purchases.

You spend years preparing your child for college, but almost no time preparing yourself for what happens after you drive away. If you're getting ready to send a child to college or adjusting to an empty nest, this episode is an honest conversation about the emotions that come with this major midlife transition.

Jody shares what these first few weeks have really been like, along with practical advice on the conversations to have before move-in day and the dorm essentials she wishes someone had told her about. It's a reminder that it's okay to grieve what's changing while also embracing the opportunities this new season can bring.

• Why sending a child to college can bring grief, excitement, freedom, and guilt—all at the same time.
• The money conversations to have before move-in, including budgets, spending expectations, and paying for college.
• How to talk with your college student about grades, credit cards, safety, dating, parties, and having a no-questions-asked exit plan.
• Practical dorm move-in tips, including what to buy, what to skip, and the items Jody wishes she'd packed from the beginning.
• How this transition creates space to reconnect with yourself and begin thinking intentionally about what you want in this next chapter.

Resources and Links:

College Prep & Move-In Checklist: Everything you need to help make move-in day a little easier—from important conversations to dorm essentials.

Take the Shift Happens™ Quiz: Midlife can bring a lot of changes at once. This quiz helps you discover which area of your life deserves your attention first (and what to do about it)!

Visit Thrive With Intention: Explore the podcast, free resources, and coaching options.