As we wrap up November and head into December, many of us are prepping for a busy holiday season ahead.

The next month is sure to be filled with friends, family, parties, rich foods, late nights, disrupted schedules and general chaos.

It’s an exciting time that often brings us feelings of joy, love and warmth … and exhaustion.

It’s no coincidence that we have spent the past couple of months exploring how to strengthen our sleep score - It’s all been in preparation for the month of December and the holiday season!

Today, on Episode #127 of the Habit Thrive Podcast, we are focusing on 3 steps to sleep success this holiday season.

Step 1: Determine your non-negotiables.

Think of the things you do for yourself on a daily basis that would be easy to maintain during this tumultuous season.

Maybe you take a hot bath every night or use a specific skincare routine each morning.

You might take a walk after lunch or have a cup of tea while you watch your favorite sitcom after dinner.

Don’t beat yourself up if you aren’t able to keep to your usual schedule. Give yourself some grace and stick to the simple things that work for you.

Step 2: Understand your unique food, beverage, and supplement triggers.

Does herbal tea keep you up at night?

Does a heavy meal leave you feeling sluggish and bloated the next morning?

Maybe you find that certain supplements help you wind down after a long day.

Try and be mindful of what you’re ingesting and when; and just remember that your timing may not always be perfect.

Step 3: Balance your physical and mental being with love and kind words.

When worry strikes, just remind yourself:

I am resting my body.

I am letting my heart rest.

Right here, right now, all is good.

These simple phrases can shift your mindset and help you relax. And if needed, don’t hesitate to seek support—whether that’s a conversation with your doctor, therapist, or trusted loved ones.

With these 3 steps in mind as you reflect back to the past several weeks of sleep talk, you will be armed and ready for the holiday season!

Lorrie xoxox

Download my Sleep Checklist

Loving the show? Let’s connect! Find me:

Facebook: Women's Wellness Community: For women wanting to rock their “Me Now” Years

Instagram: @Habitguru365

Website: lorriemickelson.com

Habits, Mindfulness Routines & Self Care For Women 50 & Beyond

Hey Habit Thrivers!

We are continuing our sleep theme with an amazing interview with Matt Hassett, founder and CEO of Loftie, a New York based company dedicated to creating better tech-life balance for people everywhere!

Loftie is a modern and innovative alarm clock that aims to transform your morning routine by helping you keep your phone out of the bedroom.

Designed with mindfulness and wellness in mind, Loftie offers a multi-functional approach to falling asleep and waking up.

Mattt explains:

The Loftie has features we love like a dimmable display, nightlight, two-phase alarm, and custom content playable right on the device, including guided meditations, sound baths, breathwork exercises, sleep playlists, plus a variety of relaxing sounds. What’s equally important though, is everything it doesn’t do: Connect to your email, apps, and social media, with all the anxiety they bring along. Revamping the alarm clock is just the tip of the iceberg. Matt and the Loftie team are leading a movement of mindful disconnectedness by removing the smartphone as an operational necessity.

So join Matt and I as we explore just how a digital detox can lead to better sleep.

Lorrie xoxox

Download my Sleep Checklist

Learn more about Loftie:

Canadian shipping is available on the website. Check out the Website for great Black Friday deals! (Duties do apply for Canadian customers at this time).

Instagram: @byloftie

Loving the show? Let’s connect! Find me:

Facebook: Women's Wellness Community: For women wanting to rock their “Me Now” Years

Instagram: @Habitguru365

Website: lorriemickelson.com

Habits, Mindfulness Routines & Self Care For Women 50 & Beyond

For the past couple of weeks, we have been exploring how to prepare for and let go into a good night’s sleep.

Of course, that’s the first - and often biggest - part of the sleep battle at times.

But what about those nights you drift off to sleep only to find yourself awake again 4 hours later, staring off into the dark room?

This week, on Episode #125 of the Habit Thrive Podcast, I’m going to share with you 3 breathing exercises - and some honorable mentions - for when you find yourself in that situation.

#1: A Breathing Technique with Progressive Muscle Relaxation

This practice is great for when you wake up feeling tension in your body and is a great way to teach your body to relax.

#2: The 4-7-8 breath

Just like it sounds, this practice involves inhaling for 4, suspending for 7, and exhaling for 8.

A few rounds of this breathing technique can have you drifting back into dreamland.

#3: Alternate Nostril Breathing

This is perfect for when you’re feeling “plugged up” on one side or the other.

It brings balance not only to plugged nasal passages, but a plugged mind as well!

Honorable Mentions:

Square Breath - Inhale for 4, suspend for 4, exhale for 4, suspend for 4.

Suspended Exhalation - Exhale for twice as long as you inhale.

Counting Your Breaths - 1 to 100, 100-1… whatever works for you!

Relaxation Audio - A meditation, nature sounds, or maybe a rainstorm. Anything to distract your wandering mind.

Try one of these the next time you find yourself waking up from your sleep in the middle of the night.

I just know that you will find the perfect practice to bring you back into sleep.

Sweet dreams!

Lorrie xoxox

Download my Sleep Checklist

Loving the show? Let’s connect! Find me:

Facebook: Women's Wellness Community: For women wanting to rock their “Me Now” Years

Instagram: @Habitguru365

Website: lorriemickelson.com

Habits, Mindfulness Routines & Self Care For Women 50 & Beyond

If you’ve been following along the past month of October, you have seen us welcoming the transition into fall by exploring our sleep.

We began with a pause breath exercise and then talked about sleep hacks, evening rituals, and how our daily routines lead to a good night’s sleep.

On Episode #124 of the Habit Thrive Podcast, we are extending our “sleep talk” into the first episode of November with five phrases that I find help me get to - and stay - asleep.

1. The early darkness from the time change is going to help me hunker down and go to sleep.

Try to embrace this time change and use it to your advantage.

Having darkness fall earlier allows you to nudge your body’s internal clock into sleep earlier, which can help leave you more well-rested in the morning.

1. I’m going to keep to my evening ritual as much as I can.

Picture this: You and some friends have decided to join an exercise class together.

The class meets Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6pm and lasts for an hour.

This seems like no big deal until you start to think about all the things you have to do in the evenings: dinner, laundry, dishes, pack lunch for the next day, etc.

So, you resign yourself to getting less sleep on those nights because you know you’ll go to bed later.

Instead, try preparing and planning ahead so you don’t miss your sleep target.

Pack all your lunches on Sunday so you don’t have to do it during the week. Ask someone else in the family to share in laundry duties. Have your pajamas and toiletries laid out and ready to go for your bath when you get home.

Planning ahead helps the routine be more automatic - and more effective!

1. Keep telling yourself, “All will be well.”

Once you’ve completed your routine and gotten into bed, you hunker down, close your eyes and…

Nothing. You can’t sleep.

Maybe your mind is going a million miles per minute; thinking of things you might have forgotten or need to do the next day. It happens to us all!

In that moment, I like to remind myself that all will be well. My family, my friends, my animals, my home, my plans, my responsibilities. They will all be well.

Then I let that sink in, and allow that feeling to calm me and relax me into sleep.

1. If I wake up during my sleep, I remind myself I’m resting.

If you find yourself waking up in the early Vata hours between 2 and 4am, it can sometimes be difficult to let go back into sleep.

If you can’t simply remember that although you may not be sleeping, you are resting.

Your mind and body are resting and healing and preparing for the day ahead.

1. Once I am up for the day, I remember that I have had enough sleep to do what I need to do for today.

You’re not performing brain surgery. (Well, unless you are a brain surgeon!)

Even if you got very little sleep, or your sleep quality felt less than you desired, it’s still OK.

You did, in fact, get enough sleep to accomplish your goals and tasks.

And, remember, there’s always tomorrow night!

Just keep repeating and remembering these 3 phases, incorporating your habits and routines, and you will soon find yourself relaxing into a wonderful night’s sleep…

Lorrie xoxox

Download my Sleep Checklist

Loving the show? Let’s connect! Find me:

Facebook: Women's Wellness Community: For women wanting to rock their “Me Now” Years

Instagram: @Habitguru365

Website: lorriemickelson.com

Habits, Mindfulness Routines & Self Care For Women 50 & Beyond

This month on the Habit Thrive Podcast is all about sleep.

We started with an episode exploring what contributes to a good night’s sleep and moved into answering the question: Why is it so difficult to put a daily routine into place?

On Episode #123 this week, we are using our Sleep Checklist to set ourselves up for a blissful sleep.

So, start by thinking about what time you go to bed.

10? 11:30? After Midnight?

If you have a consistently later bedtime and it works for you; by all means, stick with that!

But if you notice mornings are a little rough, and you’re always telling yourself “I need to get to bed earlier…”

Then plan for that.

Maybe back that bedtime goal up an hour or two.

From there, begin to plan your evening routine:

Dinner by 7pm

Stopping social media screen time by 8pm

Journal/Yoga/Meditaion

A warm bath at 8pm

A little TV or reading

In bed at 10

And, remember, your bedtime plan doesn’t have to go perfectly every time.

But I guarantee that once you start to notice how you feel after getting a blissful sleep, you’ll have an easier time following that sleep checklist.

Lorrie xoxox

Download my Sleep Checklist

Loving the show? Let’s connect! Find me:

Facebook: Women's Wellness Community: For women wanting to rock their “Me Now” Years

Instagram: @Habitguru365

Website: lorriemickelson.com

Habits, Mindfulness Routines & Self Care For Women 50 & Beyond

On this week’s episode of the Habit Thrive Podcast, we are continuing our journey into a good night’s sleep.😴

Last week, we explored how a good daily routine contributes to a good night’s sleep. This week, on Episode #122, we’re answering the question:

🤔Why is it so difficult to put a daily routine into place?

Let’s start by recognizing what, exactly, makes a routine (and noticing that you may already have some).😉

✅Waking up at the same time each morning

✅Hitting a few yoga poses to get your muscles warming as you get out of bed

✅Planning ahead for a healthy, well-balanced lunch

✅Taking a walk every afternoon

✅Having dinner before 8pm

✅Taking a warm bath before bed

Just to name a few!

These all seem like simple, easy routines to have… so what could possibly make them difficult to put into place?🤷‍♀️

For one: LIFE!

There’s just a lot going on right now for a lot of us.😬

⭐You might have a social obligation that keeps you out later than normal, leaving you hitting snooze in the morning

⭐You’ve got a busy day that requires you to grab a quick lunch wherever you can instead of making your normal salad at home

⭐The rain prevents you from taking your daily walk

⭐A new dinner recipe turns into an utter disaster and results in a late-night pizza

Another distraction from our routine is the constantly overwhelming presence of technology.

📱We have all stayed up way too late scrolling on Facebook

📱Or letting news articles cause us to stress over things we can’t control

📱Or hopping onto Pinterest for a quick recipe only to go down the rabbit hole

The time and mental toll that technology tends to take can certainly hijack our day … and our happiness.

So, try swapping your phone or tablet for a journal🖊️

Take a deep breath.😮‍💨

Enjoy nature around you.🌳

And put yourself first, even if just for a moment!🤗

Keep your routines at the forefront of your mind, and you’ll start to notice how they connect to letting go into a good night’s sleep.

Lorrie xoxox

Download my Sleep Checklist

Loving the show? Let’s connect! Find me:

Facebook: Women's Wellness Community: For women wanting to rock their “Me Now” Years

Instagram: @Habitguru365

Website: lorriemickelson.com

Habits, Mindfulness Routines & Self Care For Women 50 & Beyond

Why is a daily routine important for a good night’s rest?🤔

This week, on Episode #121 of the Habit Thrive Podcast, we are answering this question to kick off our series of episodes on sleep.😴

1. Regulating Our Internal Clock.

Doing the same time at the same time every day can be challenging.😕 Kids, jobs, holidays, sickness … they all wreak havoc on our schedules.

But it is 💯% worth it to work to keep to a schedule!

Let’s say you are used to going to bed at 10pm but, for some reason, stayed up until after Midnight last night.🫣 Today was your day off, so you slept in, and in the end got the same 8 hours of sleep you are used to.

Why do you still feel sluggish and tired?😖

It’s because your internal clock has gotten out of whack, so to speak. You can recognize what you did differently that negatively affected your sleep.

1. Having a Routine that Our Body Recognizes Can Reduce Stress.

Our bodies are designed to follow a 24-hour cycle🕒 influenced by light and dark, which affects when we feel awake or sleepy.

Keeping a consistent cycle of producing serotonin☀️ or melatonin🌛 helps your body’s rhythm and allows it to “know” when you are almost ready or bed or need to wake up and get going.

If you are constantly changing your bedtime⌚, you are constantly forcing your body to adjust to the new cycle.

1. There is Potential for Better Sleep Quality When We Stick With Routines.

We are going to see this even more as we dive into daily routines this month.🙌

But it just makes sense that if you sleep better, you feel better.😌 And if you feel better, you let go into sleep easier.

Routines can help reduce the stress of feeling rushed or overwhelmed.

It can help prevent you from lying in bed at night, mind racing,😨 thinking of all the things you need to do or that you neglected.

Imagine instead that you wind down your day, complete your nightly routine,🥱 slip into bed at your normal time, and drift off to sleep quickly and easily. Waking refreshed the next day and ready to take on the world.💪

It’s not a dream (pun intended😜), it’s the future that is in reach for you!

Experiment, create your own routine, and stick with it!

Before you know it, you’ll be in a rhythm that brings peace, rest and renewal.😉

Lorrie xoxox

Mentioned on this episode:

Sleep Checklist

Loving the show? Let’s connect! Find me:

Facebook: Women's Wellness Community: For women wanting to rock their “Me Now” Years

Instagram: @Habitguru365

Website: lorriemickelson.com

Habits, Mindfulness Routines & Self Care For Women 50 & Beyond

Welcome to the month of October🍁, Habit Thrivers!

This is a month of transitioning from late summer to fall, when the weather, leaves, and the world around us start to change.🤗

However, it can also be the perfect month to take a pause.✋

Many of us may be moving out of that time of year when we mow the lawn once a week or tend to our garden🌻 on weekends.

But we’re not quite to the point of salting the driveway or shoveling snow.🥶

So what better time for a pause in our breath practice, as well?😊

Today, on Episode #120 of the Habit Thrive Podcast, I’m bringing you a special treat: A “Pause Breath” technique that you can use over the next few weeks as you prepare for the busy holiday season ahead.

So, take a seat, recline, relax, 🥰and lets pause…

Lorrie xoxox

Loving the show? Let’s connect! Find me:

Facebook: Women's Wellness Community: For women wanting to rock their “Me Now” Years

Instagram: @Habitguru365

Website: lorriemickelson.com

Habits, Mindfulness Routines & Self Care For Women 50 & Beyond