The coffee machine hissed softly as I stared at my January calendar. For years, I did what many high-achieving women do: filled every square with more- more goals, more projects, more expectations.

But this year is different.

My word for 2026 is grounded.

Not “busy.” Not “productive.” Grounded. Centered. Present.

The day before I wrote this, I was getting a facial. The young woman working on my skin told me her word for 2026: confidence. “I want to feel confident moving into my new manager role and in my relationships,” she said.

That’s really what this season of life is asking from us- less doing, more trusting. Less pushing, more listening. Menopause is that invitation.

And instead of giant resolutions, the biggest shifts come from tiny habits, stacked into the life you already live.

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1. Choose Your Own Word.

A single word is deceptively powerful. It becomes a filter, a compass, a quiet question you can return to all year.

Research on implementation intentions (the “when X, then I do Y” plans) shows that people who set specific intentions are almost twice as likely to follow through on their goals compared to those who just “try harder.” A word of the year works like a simple, memorable shortcut for those intentions.

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• “Grounded” might mean: pausing before saying yes, honoring your nervous system, choosing presence over perfection.
• “Confidence” might mean: speaking up in meetings, saying no without apology, trusting your body and decisions again.

Practice:

• Choose one word: Grounded, Confident, Freedom, Create, Focus, Courage, Peace, Strength, or Whatever You Need Most
• Write it where you’ll see it: bathroom mirror, phone lock screen, planner.
• Pair it with a simple if–then:

• “If I feel overwhelmed, then I return to grounded.”
• “If I start doubting myself, then I choose confidence.”

That tiny pattern- word + intention- creates new, more supportive pathways in your brain over time.

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2. Habit Stacking: Attach New Habits to the Ones You Already Do (stack where you're stuck)!

Willpower is not the problem. Friction is.

Habit stacking means you attach a new behavior to something you already do on autopilot, so your day holds the habit for you.

Here are some of the stacks that work in my own life:

• Red light therapy stack
• While the red light is on my face, I:
• Practice deep breathing.
• Say a brief prayer for guidance.
• Set an intention for how I want to feel during my day.
• The light becomes my cue for nervous system regulation and spiritual grounding.

• Coffee-brewing strength stack
• While my coffee brews, I:
• See how many squats, lunges, core moves, or arm reps I can get in- no mat, no gym, no special outfit.
• The wait time becomes strength time, which directly supports bone density and muscle mass in menopause.

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These are perfect habit stacks because they:

• Don’t add time to your day.
• Turn “dead time” into deeply nourishing time.
• Align with what your body needs in midlife (strength, breath, connection).

Other stack ideas:

• While your shower warms up → 1–2 minutes of box breathing.
• While you brush your teeth at night → 60 seconds of gentle stretching or gratitude.
• While you log into your computer at work → take three slow breaths and choose your word for the day or repeat your word of the year.

3. Lock It In: Focused Work Blocks + Micro-Breaks That Actually Fit Your Job

The idea: Your brain works best in 60–90 minute focus cycles or ultradian cycles, not in endless, scattered multitasking. After that, your attention naturally drops. ​

For some women, a 90-minute deep work block + 15–20 minute break is realistic. For others, especially in healthcare, education, shift work, or high-demand office roles, it’s not.

So here’s a menopause-friendly, job-realistic version:

If You Can Take a Longer Break

• Work deeply on one task for 60–90 minutes (no multitasking).
• Then take a 10–20 minute break.
• Walk, stretch, eat, breathe, or step outside.

This honors your ultradian rhythm and lets your brain “replay” what you just learned or did.

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If You Can’t Take 20 Minutes (Most of You)

Research on micro-breaks, breaks lasting as little as 2–5 minutes, shows they can:

• Reduce mental fatigue.
• Improve focus and performance.
• Boost well-being and sense of vigor.

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Micro-break menu (2–5 minutes):

• Stand up and do a few desk stretches (neck rolls, shoulder rolls, side bends).
• Walk the hallway or up/down one flight of stairs.
• Do box breathing: inhale 4, hold 4, exhale 4, hold 4.
• Step to a window and look at the sky or trees.
• Fill your water bottle, drink mindfully.

The key isn’t the length. It’s the mental shift. Breaks work when your brain truly steps away from “doing,” not when you just swap work email for Instagram.

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4. Trick Your Brain: Design Your Environment to Do the Work for You

Most of us blame ourselves when habits don’t stick. In reality, our environment quietly wins every time.

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For menopause, this affects nervous system load, movement, nutrition, and follow-through on all the intentions you set.

Instead of “grounding,” say your focus is getting stronger this year:

• Leave your dumbbells in the living room or by the couch- not hidden in a closet.
• Put a kettlebell near your coffee station and do 10 swings while the coffee brews (if appropriate for your body).
• Keep your yoga mat unrolled in a corner of your bedroom or office.
• Put your walking shoes by the door so every glance becomes a gentle nudge.

If your focus is grounding:

• Keep a soft blanket or weighted throw on the couch.
• Place a chair by a sunny window where you can sit for 3 minutes between tasks.
• Put a small plant, rock, or shell on your desk as a tactile reminder to come back into your body.

When your environment changes, your behavior follows- often without needing more willpower.

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5. Watch Where You Wander: Thoughts vs. Thinking

In the book, Don’t Believe Everything You Think, there is a concept mentioned that I love- the idea that a “thought” is a noun, but “thinking” is a verb.

• A thought can be fleeting. It arises, like a cloud.
• Thinking is what happens when we grab that cloud, spin it, analyze it, rehearse it, catastrophize it!

The author suggests that thinking is the root of much of our suffering, especially when we dwell on every thought as if it’s true or urgent.

That matches what we know from mindfulness research:

• Mindfulness-based interventions reduce anxiety, depression, and stress.​
• Women with higher mindfulness scores report fewer menopausal symptoms and better quality of life.

The skill here is watching where your mind wanders and then choosing whether to keep following it.

Practice:

• When a thought pops up (“I’m failing,” “I look old,” “Nothing is working”), silently label it: “Thought.”
• Then notice what happens when you start thinking- adding stories, replaying, predicting.
• Gently return to:
• Your breath,
• Your word of the year,
• The sensation of your body in the chair.

You’re not trying to stop thoughts. You’re learning not to believe or feed every one of them.

In menopause, when hormone shifts can make anxiety and rumination louder, this is a relief: You don’t have to stop thoughts. You just don’t have to go with all of them. When you get off track with your thoughts, just re-direct them and get back on track!

6. Box Breathing: A Calm Nervous System on Demand

When stress hits, most of us gasp, hold our breath, and spiral. Navy SEALs are trained to do the opposite.

Box breathing is a simple pattern:

Inhale for 4 counts → hold for 4 → exhale for 4 → hold for 4. That’s one round.

This pattern activates your parasympathetic nervous system- your body’s natural brake pedal- and slows your breathing to about 6–8 breaths per minute, a range shown to calm the stress response and support emotional regulation. For women in peri/menopause, when cortisol tends to run higher and the nervous system is more sensitive, that kind of built‑in “off switch” is powerful.

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Your practice:

The moment you feel the first flicker of stress- a hot flash, a 3 a.m. worry spiral, that familiar sense of “too much” - pause and do box breathing for 2–3 minutes. Notice how your heart rate, thoughts, and body start to settle. This is grounding from the inside out, no extra tools required.

7. Karma: Falling in Love with the Effort, Not the Outcome

The Sanskrit teaching I love says - “You have the right to your actions, but not to the fruits of your actions” - is deeply relevant here.

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Midlife and menopause are full of variables you didn’t choose: hormone shifts, sleep disruptions, body changes, workload and caregiving demands. When everything feels uncertain, effort becomes the anchor. Neuroscience supports this: your brain’s reward system responds to the process of engaging in meaningful effort, not just to the moment you “win.”

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So:

• You did box breathing but still felt anxious? You practiced.
• You stacked squats onto your coffee routine but only did 8 instead of 30? You showed up.
• You noticed your thoughts spiraling and came back to your word once today, not ten times? That’s a rep.

This is not about perfect execution. It’s about building evidence that you are the kind of woman who keeps returning- to grounded, to confidence, to herself.💜

Most of us were taught that dopamine is the “reward chemical” that only shows up when you hit the goal- lose the weight, finish the project, get the promotion. In reality, a significant amount of dopamine is released during the process of moving toward something you care about, not just when you arrive.

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That means when you keep showing up for:

• Your box breathing,
• Your 90-minute focus block,
• Your red light + prayer + grounding,
• Your coffee-squats habit stack,

you’re not just hoping for a payoff later- you’re actively feeding the motivation system that makes it easier to keep going next time. The finish line gives a spike, but it’s the act of working toward it that continually refuels dopamine and makes long-term change sustainable.

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In this season, effort isn’t a consolation prize. Effort is the medicine- biochemically and emotionally.

Bonus:

8. Grounding When It’s Freezing Outside

Grounding isn’t only barefoot in the grass, especially not in a Missouri winter.

The concept of grounding is about bringing your system back into connection with your body, your breath, and the present moment. Physical earth contact adds another layer, but it’s not the only route.

Indoor Grounding Ideas:

• Stand at a window with both feet flat on the floor. Feel the floor supporting you. Notice one thing you see, one thing you hear, one thing you feel in your body.
• Use texture: hold a warm mug, a stone, or a soft blanket. Let your senses register warmth, weight, and texture.
• Ground through breath: place one hand on your chest, one on your belly; breathe slowly and feel the movement under your hands.
• Chair grounding: feel your sit bones, back, and feet. Name silently: “Supported. Here. Now.”
• Indoor plants or small nature objects (shells, stones, wood) can stand in for literal earth when you can’t be outside.

When the weather allows- even for a moment- grounding outside (even on a porch, or in socks on a doormat) can still help align your circadian rhythm and support cortisol balance. But your winter practice can be fully indoors and still be deeply regulating.

Putting It All Together for 2026

Here’s a gentle, realistic way to bring this into your year:

Week 1:

• Choose your word.
• Write it down and pair one simple if–then statement.

Week 2:

• Add one habit stack:

• Red light + prayer + breathing, or
• Coffee brewing + strength moves.

Week 3:

• Try one 60–90 minute focus block.
• Add a 2–5 minute micro-break that fits your job.

Week 4:

• Integrate one grounding practice you can do indoors (window, blanket, breath). Over time, these aren’t “one more thing.” They’re how you live this season- with more ownership, more calm, more confidence in your own capacity.

Invitation

If this resonates, and you’re thinking:

• “I want a word, but I also need a plan for my hormones.”
• “I want to feel grounded and confident, but I’m not sure where to start with my symptoms.”
• “I’m ready for a year that feels intentional, not reactive.”

Then this is the perfect moment to work together.

In a visit, we can:

• Map what’s happening in your body (perimenopause vs. menopause, hormones, nervous system).
• Design an evidence-based hormone and lifestyle plan that aligns with your word.
• Address sexual health, energy, sleep, weight changes, skin changes, and mood- with tools that match your reality.

Your word sets the tone. Your tiny habits build the bridge. Your care plan gives your body the support it deserves.

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If you’re ready to step into a grounded, confident year of perimenopause or menopause, you’re not meant to do it alone. Schedule a visit with me and we’ll build a plan that actually fits your life.

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Want to watch the YouTube video that inspired this blog? Click here!

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