The Habit Thrive Podcast ~ Self Care Habits, Mindfulness & Wellness Routines for Women 50 & Beyond

Keeping a regular sleep routine isn't always easy.

Life gets busy, schedules change, and sometimes staying up for "just one more thing" turns into losing an hour (or two) of sleep.

In this episode of the Habit Thrive Podcast, we're talking about why consistency is one of the best things you can do for your sleep—especially during your Me Now Years.

Whether you're recovering from the fall time change or simply trying to get back into a healthier rhythm, this episode offers practical en...

Welcome to our November series on the Habit Thrive Podcast, where we're exploring one of the most important foundations of health and well-being: sleep.

In this first episode, we're beginning with a guided body scan—a simple yet powerful relaxation practice designed to help you slow down, reconnect with your body, and give your nervous system a chance to settle.

A body scan gently guides your attention through different areas of the body, helping you notice where you may be holding tension and inviting a sense of ease and re...

Do you ever feel like there's just not enough time?

As we head into the final months of the year and prepare for the time change, it's easy to feel the pressure of everything that's still waiting to be done. But what if the answer isn't finding more time…it's changing your relationship with it?

In this week's episode, we're exploring how the language we use around time shapes the way we experience it, why feeling constantly rushed can drain our energy, and how our habits, routines, and rituals ca...

What if, instead of asking "What's next?"...you simply appreciated what's already here?

In Episode #227 of the Habit Thrive Podcast, we're taking a break from adding, improving, and optimizing.

Instead, we're creating space to notice the habits, routines, and little rituals you've already built—the ones that quietly make your days feel good.

Together we'll explore:

How do your walks change with the seasons?

In this week's episode, we're talking about something that goes far beyond getting your steps in. We're exploring our relationship with walking—how it supports our bodies, our minds, our independence, and even how we experience the changing seasons.

You'll hear practical ideas for making your fall walks more enjoyable, including:

In this special Thanksgiving episode of the Habit Thrive Podcast, we’re making space for loving-kindness. ❤️

This guided meditation invites you to extend wishes of kindness, safety, peace, and ease to yourself, the people you love, those you encounter in everyday life, and eventually, the wider world.

We’ll explore how loving-kindness can complement gratitude, help calm a busy mind, and offer a little comfort when life feels challenging.

You can return to this practice whenever you need a moment of calm, a little reassura...

What if the secret to enjoying October isn't doing more—but actually being in October?

In Episode #224 of the Habit Thrive Podcast, we're exploring the idea of your October personality—the way you naturally experience this season—and how becoming aware of it can help you enjoy the month instead of rushing through it.

Together we'll talk about:

What might change if you gave yourself just one quiet minute before stepping into your day?

This week on the Habit Thrive Podcast, we're building on last week's pause by taking one small step further—into mindfulness.

Together, we'll explore how simply noticing your breath, including the quiet transitions between each inhale and exhale, can help you become more present.

From there, we'll gently shift our awareness outward, taking in the light, the sounds, and the subtle signs of fall all around us.

...

Take a few minutes to step away from the busyness of September and simply...breathe.

As the excitement of a new season begins to fill our calendars with fall fairs, cozy sweaters, pumpkin spice, and thoughts of the holidays ahead, it's easy to move from one thing to the next without ever slowing down.

In The Habit Thrive Podcast's special guided pause today, we're not adding another habit to your list. Instead, we're creating space to simply be.

Together, we'll take a few slow...

Fall isn't just changing what's happening outside—it can change what's happening inside, too.

As the days grow shorter and the weather becomes cooler, many of us notice shifts in our energy, mood, skin, sleep, and even our thoughts.

Today, on Episode #221 of the Habit Thrive Podcast, we're exploring three common changes that often come with the transition into fall—and simple, practical ways to work with them instead of against them.

You'll learn how to:

Welcome to September, Habit Thrivers!

After spending August exploring the many ways we can practice rest, we're turning our attention to a brand-new season—and all the changes that come with it.

Have you noticed yourself craving different foods? Sleeping differently? Feeling ready for more routine...or maybe a little scattered? Ayurveda reminds us that these shifts aren't something to fight—they're something to notice.

This month on the Habit Thrive Podcast, we're exploring the transition into fall through an Ayurvedic lens and discovering simp...

What if getting better sleep doesn't start at bedtime?

As we wrap up the August Rest Series here on the Habit Thrive Podcast, I'm exploring something that surprised me in the research: The rest we practice during the day may have just as much impact on our sleep as our nighttime routine.

After diving into peer-reviewed research using Consensus AI, three simple, evidence-based practices kept rising to the top for women over 40:

...

Knowing that rest is important is one thing. Actually making time for it is another.

In today's episode of the Habit Thrive Podcast, we're taking everything we've started exploring throughout our August Rest Series and putting it into practice.

I'll walk you through a simple, realistic way to create a personal rest routine that fits your life—without adding one more thing to your to-do list.

We'll revisit the Habit Thrive habit loop of Cue. Routine. Reward. and use it to make restoration a na...

We spend so much of our lives doing—working, caring for others, managing schedules, checking off to-do lists—that we often forget how to simply be.

But in our "me now" years, rest isn't a luxury. It's one of the most important habits we can build.

Today, on Episode #217 of the Habit Thrive Podcast, we're exploring why restoration becomes even more essential as we move through midlife and beyond.

We'll talk about the difference between stopping and truly resting; why our bodies, nervous systems, and...

If July was all about joy, August feels like an invitation to slow down and savor it.

I like to think of August as the “Sunday of summer.” The pace feels a little softer, the long days are still here, and there’s an opportunity to pause, breathe, and enjoy the fruits of all our work.

This month on the Habit Thrive Podcast, I want to explore something many of us struggle with: Rest.

We often treat rest like a reward we’ll get to once...

As we wrap up our July Joy Series, we're exploring one final question:

If the purpose of life is to be happy…why aren't we happier?

After spending the month immersed in the science of happiness and the wisdom of books like The Book of Joy, The How of Happiness, and The Art of Happiness, I've noticed something unexpected—I really am happier. But is it because I've been reading about happiness? Or because I've been putting simple happiness practices into action?

In this episode, we explore why...

As we begin to wrap up our July Joy Series on the Habit Thrive Podcast, this week's conversation explores one of the most powerful ideas we've discussed all month:

Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.

Life will always include disappointment, conflict, grief, frustration, and heartache. Those moments are part of being human.

But what we do after the pain—that story we tell ourselves, the replaying, the overthinking, the defensiveness—is often where suffering begins.

In this episode, we expl...

What if one of the simplest ways to experience more joy wasn't about changing your own life at all?

Welcome back to our July Joy Series here on the Habit Thrive Podcast! This month, we've been discovering that joy isn't something we simply wait for—it's something we intentionally notice, cultivate, and create.

On Episode #213 this week, we're exploring one of the most powerful (and surprisingly challenging) joy practices of all: celebrating the happiness and success of others.

Whether it's a friend sharing exciting ne...

What if happiness isn't something you find... but something you quietly build, one small moment at a time?

In this week's episode of our July Joy Series on the Habit Thrive Podcast, we're exploring the difference between happiness and joy—two words we often use interchangeably but that can mean very different things.

While happiness is our overall sense of well-being over time, joy often shows up in small, everyday moments when we're fully present.

We're also going to dive into the fascinating science of...

Joy isn't always about adding more happiness to your life—it may start with creating a little space for it.

That sounds simple enough, but many of us don't realize just how full our minds and nervous systems have become.

Before we can welcome in more joy, it helps to become aware of what's already taking up space.

On Episode #211 of the Habit Thrive Podcast, we're exploring the connection between mindfulness, your nervous system, and your capacity for joy.

To...

Have you ever looked around and thought, "Life is good... so why do I still feel so heavy?"

If that question has crossed your mind lately, you're not alone.

In this episode of the Habit Thrive Podcast, we're talking about why joy can feel surprisingly difficult right now, especially for women in midlife.

Between the demands of work, family, aging parents, changing roles, and the constant noise of the world around us, it's no wonder so many of us are carrying a weight we...

What is the absolute least amount that you can do right now to move, to shift, and to get unstuck?

The answer is remarkably simple: just breathe.

In this episode of the Habit Thrive Podcast, we are diving back into the world of "Movement Morsels" (a direct continuation of last week's Episode #208!). Today, we are exploring a beautiful, powerful truth: simply breathing is movement.

This is not your typical podcast episode. There is no formal intro or outro. Instead, after a very brief setup, Lorrie guides you...

Have you ever looked at exercise guidelines and thought, "Ugh... there's no way I'm doing all of that!"?

If so, this episode is for you!

This week, on episode #208 of the Habit Thrive Podcast, we're talking about why you don't have to exercise perfectly to experience real benefits.

I'm digging into the idea of "movement morsels"—small bits of movement sprinkled throughout your day—and explaining how even a minute or two of activity can make a difference for your health, energy, strength, and mobi...

The other day, I found myself standing on one foot while brushing my teeth—a habit I've picked up as a quick balance exercise. Somewhere between trying not to wobble and trying not to get toothpaste on my shirt, I started thinking about how balance shows up in so many areas of life.

This week, I’m wrapping up our May Movement Series on the Habit Thrive Podcast by talking about balance—the movement pillar that helps bring everything else together.

While we often think of balance as simply not fa...

So far in our May Movement series, we've been exploring how cardio keeps us energized and strength training helps us feel capable and confident.

This week, on Episode #206 of the Habit Thrive Podcast, we're talking about flexibility—and why it matters so much more than simply being able to touch your toes. Flexibility is actually just one piece of the larger mobility puzzle.

We're looking at simple, realistic ways to build flexibility into everyday life without adding another overwhelming task to your already full schedule.

...

Want to hear something I've learned recently?...

Just because I can lift something doesn’t always mean I should.

Somewhere between cottage season, flower pots, and unloading trucks, I’ve realized that strength in our Me Now Years looks a little different — and honestly, a whole lot wiser.

In today’s episode, I’m talking about real-life strength — the kind that helps us carry groceries, lift luggage, paddle kayaks, garden, travel, climb stairs, and simply move through life with more confidence and independence.

Cardio can feel like one of those things we know we’re supposed to do…

But, somewhere along the way, it also became tied to pressure, intensity, sore knees, exhaustion, or feeling like we’re already behind.

Today, on episode #204 of the Habit Thrive Podcast, we’re taking all of that energy out of it and having a much more real conversation about what heart health can actually look like in your Me Now Years.

I’m sharing a little bit about my own history wi...

Have you ever asked yourself:

If so, you’re in luck! — That’s exactly where we’re starting this month on the Habit Thrive Podcast.

In this first episode of our May Movement Series, I’m setting the stage for our conversations around movement, fitness, healthy aging, and what exercise can look like in our Me Now Years.

We also talk...

Still feeling a little heavy even though it’s spring?

You’re not alone—and you don’t need a full life overhaul to shift it.

Episode #202 of the Habit Thrive Podcast is your gentle nudge to notice what’s still weighing you down and lighten things up in simple, doable ways.

Think small resets: Clearing out a few things in your pantry, letting go of old products, or creating a bit more space in your day.

Nothing drastic—just enough...

Ever notice how traveling (or even just this time of year) can leave you feeling either really light and energized…or kind of heavy and off?

Episode #201 of the Habit Thrive Podcast is a little snapshot from my last getaway of the year, and how I try (imperfectly) to bring Ayurveda with me on the road—especially during this sluggish spring season.

I ended up connecting a few things that don’t seem related at first—an Iyengar Yoga class, how I eat fruit, and that whole “stop at 80% full” idea...

Hey Habit Thrivers ... I can’t believe we’re at Episode #200!

Truly, thank you for being here and sharing this space with me.

It feels like such a special milestone, and it also feels like the perfect moment to talk about something we all need this time of year—movement that brings us back to life.

In this episode, I’m sharing how we can gently shake off that heavy, sluggish winter energy and start to feel lighter, clearer, and more energized as we move thr...

What if the shift you’re craving this spring isn’t about adding more—but gently doing the opposite?

In Episode #199 of the Habit Thrive Podcast, I'm sharing one of my favorite Ayurvedic principles: like increases like, and opposites bring balance.

It’s simple, but it can completely change how you support your body during seasonal transitions.

Spring carries a heavier, slower energy, and I know for many of us that can show up as feeling sluggish, foggy, or just a little off.

<...

As we move through a seasonal shift, Episode #198 of the Habit Thrive Podcast explores how Ayurveda can support us in embracing change with more ease and awareness.

A sister science to yoga, Ayurveda has long been part of my wellness toolbox, and this time of year is when it becomes especially helpful.

In early spring — especially in places like Northern Ontario where winter can linger — we may feel caught between seasons.

Ayurveda explains this through Kapha energy (earth and water), which can leave us feel...

Do you ever lie in bed at night with your mind racing—replaying conversations or worrying about what’s coming up?

Today, on Episode #197 of the Habit Thrive Podcast, I’m sharing a simple practice I’ve been loving lately called the Best Possible Outcome Exercise: It's perfect for those nights when your mind just won’t settle down.

Instead of replaying worries or overthinking, you'll learn to gently shift your thoughts by visualizing how things could go really well.

Whether it’s an upcoming eve...

What sparks a sense of optimism for you?

Is it something you see, something you do, or simply a way you choose to think in certain moments?

Have you ever thought that you could cultivate your own optimism?

On today's episode of the Habit Thrive Podcast, we explore the simple—but not always easy—habit of cultivating optimism.

Inspired by The How of Happiness by Sonja Lyubomirsky, we look at how nearly 40% of our happiness is shaped by intentional acti...

Have you ever travelled alone — navigating the airport, checking into a hotel, and realizing the adventure is completely up to you?

In Episode #195 of the Habit Thrive Podcast, I'm reflecting on travelling solo through different stages of life — from backpacking in my 20s, to business trips in my 40s, to visiting my incredible 81-year-old mom in Mexico this week.

After losing her husband last year, my mom continues to travel independently with a powerful mantra:

“I can do this.”

Solo tra...

In Episode 194 of the Habit Thrive Podcast, I continue our journey through the Me-Now Women’s Wellness Wheel as we explore how connection, health, and our brains work together to help us thrive.

Last week, we covered the first three quadrants, and today we move into the remaining five:

This episode is also part two of our theme of following the bold energy of the Fire Horse.

I'll share a couple of my...

How do you decide what your next bold move is?

On today's episode of the Habit Thrive Podcast, I'm inviting you to rise to the occasion of yourself.

As women in our Me-Now Years, we are not starting from scratch. We are building on decades of experience, wisdom, resilience, and accomplishment.

Before we ask, “What’s next?” I want us to pause and celebrate how far we’ve already come.

I’m honoring my word of the year—bold—and encouragin...

The Year of the Fire Horse began on February 17, 2026 — bringing bold, dynamic, transformative energy with it.

For many of us in our Me Now Years (especially those turning 60 and completing a full 60-year zodiac cycle), this feels like a powerful moment of renewal and return to our original destiny.

Today, on Episode #192 of the Habit Thrive Podcast, we're exploring what this fiery, forward-moving year means for your energy, relationships, habits, and daily routines — and how to harness it without burning out.

We'll talk about:

Self-acceptance. Self-compassion. Self-love. Self-care.

Today, on Episode #191 of the Habit Thrive Podcast, we explore how research shows that these four practices are deeply connected, but they are not interchangeable.

Self-acceptance reduces internal conflict and builds emotional stability.

Self-compassion lowers stress and increases resilience after setbacks — and contrary to popular belief, it actually strengthens motivation.

Self-love shapes identity and self-worth, influencing the boundaries we set and the long-term choices we make.

Self-care, the behavioural piece, re...