It often happens without you realising at first. One day, you notice that people don’t look your way as much. Your opinion in meetings seems to carry less weight. You start to feel overlooked by others and perhaps by yourself, too.

It’s almost as if you are starting to fade away, becoming invisible as younger, louder, more confident people start to loom over you.

Many women experience this sense of invisibility as they grow older, particularly in midlife. Our youth-obsessed culture often equates value with appearance, energy, and external success, leaving women who are older, wiser, and more grounded feeling unseen.

This could have happened to you or someone you know. You may have felt aggrieved that you have been overlooked for someone else, knowing full well that this is a bias against age, not experience or talent.

A client I worked with told me a story of her sister being overlooked at a bar, younger people being served before her, even though she had been standing waiting patiently.

The scary part, she said, was that she didn’t raise a fuss; she just stood patiently waiting to be noticed.

But here’s the truth: you are not invisible. You’ve simply outgrown a system that doesn’t know how to value depth, experience, and authenticity.

As a holistic life coach for women, I see this pattern often. The key isn’t to chase visibility through external validation; it’s to reconnect to your own inner light, to let it shine so brightly that others can’t help but see you.

Seasonal change can have a real impact on how we feel and function. It is more noticeable when the clocks are going back and daylight is disappearing earlier.

During this time, many people notice a dip in energy, motivation or mood. They can start to withdraw into themselves and can find it harder to get going, stay focused, and stay socially connected.

Although this is a situation that happens every year, many still find the transition difficult to cope with.

So, instead of pushing through or trying to ignore it, this is an opportunity to create a Hygge routine, a gentle, grounding approach that brings comfort, calm and steadiness to your everyday life.

You may well have heard of the concept of Hygge already. It comes from Danish culture, but you don’t need to live the Scandinavian lifestyle to practise it.

Hygge is simply about creating an environment and rhythm that supports your emotional well-being.

This is about feeling safe, nourished, rested and connected, not about creating a picture-perfect cosy aesthetic.

We all live our lives by core values, whether we are aware of it or not. They are the internal compass that helps us make decisions and structure our lives.

Core values are the fundamental beliefs and guiding principles that shape our behaviour, decisions, and interactions with others.

These core values serve as a personal compass, helping to define what is most important in life and influencing how goals are pursued and challenges are handled. In short, they make us the people we are.

Most of the core values we follow will have been there all of the time, and some we will have adopted as we have gone through life and experiences.

Some you will be aware of and some not. Identifying and understanding your core values is essential for creating a meaningful and consistent life, as they provide clarity and motivation for living authentically and making choices that align with your true self.

My role as a life coach means I work with many women in different situations, but the one I work with most often is the feeling of being stuck or lacking direction, especially through the mid-life years.

Now this is something I have had experience with. My coaching practice began as a result of me feeling stuck in the life I was living and wanting more purpose, passion and happiness.

Feeling stuck, restless, or facing the quiet solitude of an empty nest can bring up many emotions and a profound sense of uncertainty and loss.

These emotions are valid and common among midlife women who are trying to live their lives while significant changes are happening all around.

This is where holistic coaching becomes such a valuable tool, as holistic life coaching offers a compassionate approach to help you reconnect with your inner self, uncover new passions, and gain clarity about your next chapter.

When we address the mind, body, and spirit as one whole interconnected entity, you can reclaim your purpose and build a fulfilling, authentic life tailored to your evolving dreams and goals.

Have you heard about the benefits of mindfulness, but you aren’t quite sure what it’s all about?

Many people confuse mindfulness with meditation; sitting in a state of quiet, blocking out intrusive thoughts that pop into their minds. This is not mindfulness!

Mindfulness is the opposite. Mindfulness is about observing fully everything that is around you in the present moment. Your thoughts, your feelings, your environment, everything.

Mindfulness allows you to be fully aware and present in the moment, which is the only place we ever fully live.

Therefore, developing an active mindfulness practice is essential for your holistic well-being. It helps with your physical, mental and emotional well-being and helps you to live with less stress and anxiety, more clarity and happiness.

Taking a mindful walk daily is one of the best ways to introduce yourself to mindfulness.

To do a mindful walk, choose a quiet place without distractions. Focus your attention on the sensation of your feet touching the ground, the movement of your legs, and the rhythm of your breath.

As you walk, notice the sounds around you, the smells in the air, and the feeling of the air on your skin.

When your mind wanders, which it will do when you first begin, gently bring your awareness back to the present moment without judging or berating yourself.

Keep your pace steady and relaxed; this allows you to fully experience each step and each moment as it comes.

Over the last few years, there has been a lot of information flooding social media about holistic retreats. At any one time, there seems to be a retreat being run. The popularity of holistic retreats has exploded, and with very good reason…they work!

You may have heard about them, be intrigued by them, or even feel you would benefit from going, but are you fully aware of what they are and the benefits they can offer you?

If you are unsure, curious or interested and would like to discover some more information before you book somewhere, then you have come to the right place.

A holistic retreat is a focused experience designed to promote overall well-being by addressing the mind, body, and spirit.

It typically combines various practices such as meditation, yoga, nutritional guidance, and personal development workshops to foster healing, balance, and self-awareness.

These retreats aim to create a supportive environment where you can disconnect from daily stress, reflect on your life goals, and cultivate healthy habits that contribute to lasting positive change.

The holistic approach recognises the interconnectedness of mental, emotional, and physical health as essential for achieving true wellness.

The Be Do Have model is a coaching model that has been used for many years to reframe goal setting. Its origins though date back to the Vedas, a large body of Sanskrit religious texts written in Ancient India.

The concept of "Be Do Have" in personal development and coaching fields, emphasises the importance of mindset and identity in achieving your goals.

This model suggests that for you to attain the things you desire in your life - (Have) you first need to adopt a certain mindset and identity (Be) that aligns with those desires.

This mindset will naturally influence your actions (Do), leading to the desired outcomes - BE, DO, HAVE.

This framework encourages you to focus on becoming the person you wish to be, thereby taking actions that are congruent with your goals and aspirations.

This approach builds a deeper self-awareness and alignment in all areas of your life, ultimately paving the way for you to live a successful and purposeful life.

The Be Do Have concept has its roots in timeless principles taught by thought leaders like Stephen R. Covey, Bob Proctor, and Jim Rohn.

These leaders have stressed true success and fulfilment come from being the right person first.

Ageing is something we should all be grateful for and yet, so many worry about ageing and strive to hold it at bay.

Now most of us would love to age well, by that I mean have good mental and physical health, still look good and have great relationships and lifestyles. This can be achieved if you are conscious of how you live.

Ageing well as a woman encompasses embracing the physical, emotional, and mental changes that come with each stage of life. It involves prioritizing health, cultivating self-awareness, and fostering resilience to navigate the challenges that may arise.

Women can achieve a fulfilling and vibrant life by focusing on holistic wellness, building strong support networks, and nurturing a positive mindset.

This journey encourages women to redefine their narratives around ageing, empowering them to embrace their experiences and wisdom while fostering a sense of confidence and purpose.

We age every day imperceptibly but it’s happening all of the time. There are certain times when we will seem to escalate in the ageing process.

Women tend to experience the most significant physical changes as they age during their forties and fifties, which is often marked by the onset of menopause.

During this period, hormonal fluctuations can lead to a range of changes, including increased wrinkles, weight gain, sleeping patterns can be affected, and diet and exercise can all go awry. Women can also experience an increase in joint pain and stiffness, all making them feel older than their years.

Living your best life will mean something different to everyone but there are some common traits we can all adopt to make sure we are living our best lives. Setting and pursuing your goals and dreams is one of the simplest and easiest ways to begin. Doing what you love will mean living a life you love that motivates and excites you. Be true to your values and embrace opportunities to help you grow. Prioritizing your well-being and happiness, and cultivating positive relationships with yourself and others.

True happiness comes from within and is not reliant on external factors such as material possessions or other people.

To be truly happy, it is important to cultivate self-love, practice gratitude, live in the present moment, and pursue activities and relationships that bring you joy and fulfilment.

Additionally, setting and achieving meaningful goals, taking care of your physical and mental well-being, and maintaining positive relationships are key components of experiencing lasting happiness in life.

Are you someone who works on your gut instinct? Do you listen to the feelings inside and make opinions based on how you feel about them? If so you are someone who listens to your higher self.

A higher self is that innate part of you the powerful inner guide inside of you that works for your best interests. When you are aligned in life, that is your higher self, working for your best interests, in a positive, productive way so you live the life you want to be living.

The higher self is associated with multiple belief systems. It is seen as an omnipotent, intelligent, conscious being that is a person's true self.

What does the term ageing well mean to you? Is it looking good, feeling great, having plenty of energy or still being driven and focused into your twilight years?

Society often drives home the message that ageing well is all about looking young. They feed the belief that ageing well is a purely aesthetic quality, having wrinkle-free skin and looking like you are in your 20s.

The fact is, ageing well is more, much more than this. It is a whole holistic package. It is of course how you look to some extent but also how you feel, behave and what you believe.

Someone can be 25 going on 85 if they have the wrong mental attitude, no matter how young they look. Whereas, someone in their 80s can have the mental attitude of a 30-year-old and can still come across as young and vibrant.

Anyone who has suffered or is suffering from disturbed sleeping patterns associated with menopause will understand straight away the issues this symptom can bring.

You are lying there at night, staring at the ceiling counting down the hours until you have to get up or tossing and turning pleading with yourself to go to sleep aware of how tired and irritable you will be the next day if you don’t get some sleep.

If you suffer from food obsession, you could find that it is starting to rule your life. You might constantly question how to stop obsessively thinking about food, or be constantly on the lookout for the best diets or ways in which to change your life so you are no longer ruled by food.

An unhealthy preoccupation with food can start to have consequences in all areas of your life, from your job, and health to your relationships. You can find yourself thinking about meals that you are going to be eating instead of concentrating on work, spending too much time planning meals instead of being with family and you can discover that it takes up too much space in your mind, leaving you with little room to think about anything else.

There is, of course, the major issue of health. An unhealthy obsession with food can leave you either overweight with health issues or underweight with health issues, which in both instances can be mental problems as well as physical problems.

Seasonal adjustment disorder or seasonal affective disorder is a type of depression that comes and goes during the seasons. Most people who suffer from SAD do so during the winter months, though there are people who can feel fine during the winter months and who suffer during the summertime. SAD can often be known as winter depression because it is more prevalent during the winter months.

You walk into a room and forget why. You can’t remember the name of someone you have just been introduced to and feel mortified or, you are fed up with constantly looking for things you have just had and can’t remember where you put them.

These everyday occurrences seem innocuous enough but you can’t get rid of the nagging feeling that something is wrong with you and you are starting to lose your memory at a young age

There can be no doubt about it the last few years have been an incredibly stressful time for many and with so much looming on the horizon, you may be wondering about how to increase your resilience to stress and anxiety for 2023.

Globally, there has been a pandemic, war, talks of recession, rising energy, fuel and food bills and a general sense of uncertainty, so it is no wonder that many people are starting to feel stress and have anxiety levels rising as we start to approach 2023.

We all know the scenario, you wake up and before you even check your clock, you know that it’s going to be 3.00 am and that you will then spend the next hour or so, tossing and turning, trying to get back to sleep, all the while your brain will be ruminating on all of the things that you really don’t want to be thinking about. Everyone will have been in this situation at some time or another but why does it happen? And what can we do to stop it from becoming a regular pattern?

Self-worth, one of those buzz words that we hear so often now, but what exactly does it mean? There seem to be so many “self” words, from self-worth, self-confidence, self-esteem, self-care, that it is hard to distinguish one from another.

Self-worth comes from within, it is an internal sense of being that is achieved by acquiring self-love, self-acceptance, and self-understanding.