Mid-January and Already Behind? A Simple Reset for Women 40+

New Year, Same Life: A 15-Minute Reset for Your Energy and Sanity

January has this strange vibe where we’re expected to wake up on the 1st like a new model of ourselves. Same face, but with improved productivity, flawless habits, and a sudden passion for early mornings.

A new year can feel like a fresh start, sure. But it doesn’t magically give you more time, better sleep, fewer cravings, or a sudden desire to meal-prep like you’ve got a personal chef and no responsibilities. Because behind the scenes, reality is doing what it always does: work is busy, life is full, sleep is unpredictable, and your energy is not interested in your vision board.

So if you’re halfway through January thinking, I’m already behind, I’m already tired, and I’m already questioning my life choices… I see you.

Here’s my take: you don’t need reinvention. You don’t need resignation. You need an approach that fits your actual life, your actual body, and your actual capacity.

If you read our December post about the menopause resolution trap, consider this the sequel.

December is when we talk about backing off the hype. Mid-January is when real life comes back swinging and we need something practical that still works, even on your most challenging days.

Why January resets fail (even for capable, motivated women)

Most January plans are built on fantasy maths:

• You’ll suddenly have more time

• You’ll suddenly crave salads

• You’ll suddenly love early mornings

• You’ll suddenly stop being affected by stress, hormones, and sleep

Spoiler: you’re still you. And the world didn’t calm down just because the calendar changed.

If you’re a Type A, go-big-or-go-home woman, your default reset is often intense. New routine, new rules, new everything. That can work for a short sprint… until it doesn’t.

And for a lot of women 40+, it doesn’t.

Not because you’re weak. Not because you lack discipline. But because your body is playing by different rules now, and pushing harder is simply not the shortcut it used to be.

The midlife curveball: your body responds differently now

If you’ve noticed any of these lately, you’re in extremely good company:

• Sleep is more fragile and unpredictable

• Fatigue hits harder, even when you’re doing all the “right” things

• Weight changes feel unfair and confusing

• Stress tolerance is lower

• Brain fog makes you question your competence

None of this means there’s anything wrong with you. It means your body is responding to changing biology and a full human life.

This is where I’ll lovingly call you out: if your standard strategy is go harder, restrict more, push through, and pretend you’re fine… how’s that working for you?

Exactly.

So let’s try a different strategy. One that’s so low-lift you can do it even on your worst Tuesday.

The only reset that matters: small things, done consistently

You're not going to make or break your health with a two-week programme or a two-week holiday. Your health is built in the other 50 weeks of the year, in the boring, unsexy, repeatable habits.

That’s why we teach:

• PMA: Positive Messy Action

• All-or-SOMETHING thinking

Because perfection isn’t the goal. Progress is.

Or, as I like to say: the elephant in the room doesn’t get eaten all at once. It gets eaten one bite at a time.

The 15-minute reset (do this for 7 days)

This is not a full routine. It’s a reset lever. The goal is to create a tiny, consistent signal to your body that says: we’re taking care of ourselves now.

Total time: 15 minutes a day
Goal: 7 days in a row
Rule: if you miss any of it, you don’t quit. You start again in the next moment, the next hour, or the next day.

1) 5 minutes: downshift your nervous system

This supports stress, sleep, cravings, and that wired-but-tired feeling.

Pick one (yes, just ONE):

• 5 slow exhales (longer exhale than inhale)

• a short walk outside

• legs up the wall

• a quick body scan in bed

Why this matters: when your stress response is revved, your sleep and appetite cues can get weird. This is your daily brake pedal.

2) 5 minutes: a movement “snack”

Not a workout. A movement snack. We are not negotiating with your calendar.

Pick one:

• gentle mobility (neck, hips, spine)

• 2 strength moves (chair squats + wall push-ups)

• a brisk walk around the house or the office

• stretching while the kettle boils

Why this matters: movement supports energy, mood, blood sugar regulation, and long-term health. It also helps you feel less like your brain floating through the next meeting.

3) 5 minutes: a food anchor for tomorrow

This is where Type A brains panic because it isn’t a full meal plan. Good. That’s the point.

Choose one:

• protein at breakfast

• fibre at lunch

• plan one balanced snack so you don’t hit the 4pm snack-spiral

Examples:

• Greek yoghurt + berries + nuts

• eggs + toast + fruit

• chicken salad + olive oil

• soup with added lentils or extra protein

• planned snack: apple + cheese, hummus + veg, nuts + fruit

Why this matters: steadier food choices support steadier energy, fewer cravings, and less chaotic eating.

What to track (keep it simple)

For these 7 days, jot down:

• sleep quality (0–10)

• energy (0–10)

• cravings (low/med/high)

• mood (calm/flat/anxious/irritable)

You’re looking for patterns, not perfection. We have to acknowledge where we’re starting from, and learn to actually recognise our wins. The devil is in the details, and the details are what help you stop guessing.

Why this works better than a big January overhaul

Because it removes the biggest obstacles:

• time

• overwhelm

• perfectionism

• all-or-nothing thinking

It also gives you something far more valuable than motivation: evidence. You start to see what actually shifts your body.

If you’re thinking, this seems too small to matter, I’ll challenge you with love: your current approach isn’t working. What do you have to lose by trying something different for 7 days?

Want help? Tell us what you’re struggling with most right now

If you’re 40+ and stuck in the loop of trying harder and feeling worse, you don’t need more willpower. You need the right support and the right strategy.

Comment below or message me with your biggest current struggle: sleep, weight changes, fatigue… or something else?

I’ll send you a few ideas you can try immediately. Remember: one bite at a time.