229 The Power of the Pause: Creating Space Before You Set Your 2026 Intentions

Last week, we took a gentle but honest look back at the year you’ve just lived - what worked, what didn’t, and what you’re proud of. This week, before you rush into planning 2026, I want to guide you into something far more powerful (and wildly underrated): the pause.In the busy season where life is loud, routines are disrupted, and your nervous system is probably crying out for rest, creating intentional space becomes the difference between goals that feel aligned and goals that feel like pressure. This episode is all about helping you breathe, soften the noise, switch off autopilot, and give yourself the clarity that only stillness can bring.Practical reflection prompts from the episode:Where can I intentionally create space—physical, mental, or emotional—over the next two weeks?What helps my nervous system soften? (A bath, a walk, lying on the bed for 10 minutes, sitting in silence…)Where do I need to slow down so that my plans for next year come from desire, not pressure?What would feel good—not productive, not worthy, not impressive—good?Space creates clarity. Before you choose your 2026 goals, give yourself room to digest this year and reconnect with what you actually want—not what you think you should want.Follow me on instagram or explore more on the website.

This week we’re kicking off a short pre-Christmas series designed to help you ease into 2026 feeling clearer, lighter, and far more aligned.And before you even think about setting goals for the new year, there’s so much power in pausing and looking back. So today, I’m guiding you through a simple end-of-year reflection that helps you recognise what worked, what didn’t, and what your year has been trying to teach you.We'll be noticing the patterns you’ve been repeating, the things that drained you, the things that energised you, and the moments you’re genuinely proud of - because these are the very things that will shape an easier, more intentional 2026. Reflection questions from the episode:What didn’t go so well this year—and what can I learn from it?What am I genuinely proud of? (Including the things I gave myself, not just the things I achieved.)What drained me—and what energised me?What am I ready to stop carrying into 2026? (Habits, beliefs, relationships, expectations… anything.)The more clearly you understand the stories, patterns, energy, and choices that shaped this year, the more powerfully you get to shape next year.Follow me on instagram or explore more on the website.

This week, we’re continuing the Christmas eating miniseries with a conversation that so many women need right now: how to create more food freedom without feeling like you’re destined for huge Christmas weight gain. If last week was about understanding why the Christmas overeating happens, this week is all about what you can actually do to change the pattern — not through restriction, discipline, or force… but through awareness, trust, and nervous system regulation.We’ll also talk about how food freedom doesn’t mean you need to dump all structure, and that when we combine the best bits of both you can head into the new year with more confidence, more calm, and a whole lot less food guilt.Your key takeaways:Why Christmas overeating isn’t about willpower but a reflection of your deeper patterns with food.How “food freedom” can coexist with structure and support (it’s not all-or-nothing).The role your nervous system plays in overeating, and how to give it the break it’s craving.Three simple questions to interrupt your usual December patterns and build trust.How to use this month as a learning phase so January feels different for the first time in years.NEXT STEPS:Share this episode with a friendSign up to The Body You’ll Love Living In - and claim your exclusive Mindful Christmas Eating BonusFollow me on Instagram: @lifeeditwithalix 

Every year we swear we’re not going overboard and we’ll focus instead on eating mindfully at Christmas…then suddenly we’re knee-deep in mince pies, food guilt, and that familiar December “sod it” spiral that leaves us bloated and already dreading January. In today’s episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on what’s really going on when Christmas eating feels out of control - and why Christmas isn’t creating the chaos, but magnifying the cracks in your relationship with food and your body.I’m sharing my own past patterns and helping you see why this cycle is so common for busy women. More importantly, I’ll walk you through three simple steps you can start right now to create more mindfulness with food and stop over eating at Christmas time.Here’s what we’ll cover:Why Christmas overeating is not about lack of discipline — but a nervous system responding to months (or years) of restriction.How festive eating becomes a magnified version of your everyday patterns.The real reason “pre-Christmas restriction” always backfires — and how it sets up the binge–guilt cycle.Three simple, practical habits you can begin today to create a calmer, more mindful Christmas.NEXT STEPS:Share this episode with a friendListen to next: Episode 225 - How to Practice Mindfulness (When It Feels Like It’s Not Working Like It Should)  RESOURCES:Sign up to The Body You’ll Love Living In - and claim your exclusive Mindful Christmas Eating Bonus: Instagram: @lifeeditwithalix 

If you’ve ever tried to be more mindful and present, but it sometimes feels like it’s not quite working like it should, this is the episode you NEED! Because today, we’re talking all about how to practice mindfulness in a way that truly helps you create space, calm and find stress relief even when life feels chaotic.For so many women, mindfulness has become another form of self control - a way to stop overthinking, manage emotions or prevent habits like emotional eating. We think that eating mindfully or slowing down will “fix” us.But real mindfulness isn’t about control or perfection, and in this episode, I’ll share how to use mindfulness as a tool for living more intentionally not as another way to manage or suppress yourself. You’ll learn:What mindfulness really is (and isn’t)How to be more mindful and present in daily lifeWhy mindfulness isn’t about self-control or silencing your thoughtsSimple ways to experience mindfulness for stress reliefHow living mindfully helps you stop reacting and start respondingIf you’re ready to find more calm, more awareness, and more freedom from the constant mental noise, this one’s for you. Tune in and discover how to stop trying to “do mindfulness right” — and instead experience what it really means to live mindfully.RESOURCES:Secret (& Free) Limited Podcast: Confident As F**k (Even When You’re Not There Yet)Work with me: www.lifeeditcoaching.comInstagram: @lifeeditwithalix 

What if your drive for self improvement - and how to be more consistent, disciplined and in control - is actually the very thing holding you back? In this episode, I’m breaking down unconscious self-sabotage: the sneaky ways our best intentions can quietly undermine our wellbeing and how these patterns keep you stuck in the same cycle, no matter how hard you try.You’ll learn how to spot when your self-improvement efforts are coming from fear rather than trust, how to build self compassion and stop being so hard on yourself and how to shift into a softer, more sustainable way of growthKey TakeawaysSelf-sabotage often happens beneath awareness - not from laziness, but from fear.The problem isn’t the goal or strategy, it’s how you’re approaching it.How replacing control with curiosity opens up flexibility, trust and freedom…and improves your self worth and self esteemWhy guilt and perfectionism turn small stumbles into “failures,” and how to stop that cycle.Why real self-improvement requires softness and how you can be your best teacherNEXT STEPS:Share this episode with a friendListen to next: Episode 158 - Does Self Sabotage Really Exist?RESOURCES:Secret (& Free) Limited Podcast: Confident As F**k (Even When You’re Not There Yet)Work with me: www.lifeeditcoaching.comInstagram: @lifeeditwithalix 

How many times have you told yourself you just need more consistency and willpower — with workouts, food, or anything else that’s meant to make you feel better? And how many times has that worked… until life got messy, motivation dropped, and you landed back at square one again? In this episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on why you’re not failing at how to stay consistent — you’re just building it on the wrong foundation. I’ll show you how to start building consistency that lasts and how to create a consistency mindset.What we’ll talk about:Why willpower doesn’t work for long - great for starting, not for sustaining.Why true consistency isn’t about control; it’s about connection.And that you don’t need to push harder — you need to build systems and environments that fit your life.NEXT STEPS:Share this episode with a friendListen to next: Ep 209: “Why Allowing Yourself to Be Inconsistent Could Be the Best Thing You Do This Week”RESOURCES:Secret (& Free) Limited Podcast: Confident As F**k (Even When You’re Not There Yet)Work with me: www.lifeeditcoaching.comInstagram: @lifeeditwithalix 

That “screw it, I’ll start again Monday” moment isn’t a failure - it’s a pattern that has supported you when life feels out of balance. In this episode, we unpack the spiral, why it shows up when life gets busy, and how to create the nervous system regulation to stay consistent, get back on track after losing momentum - and most importantly rebuild self trust.Here’s what we’ll cover:Why the spiral is simply a pattern.How nervous-system regulation (your “window of tolerance”) shapes choices.Early warning signs you’re nearing the spiral (and what to do first).A simple in-the-moment reset: pause, step away, and feel what’s true.How to plan for low-motivation days so you stop “starting over Monday.”✨ Ready to stop the all-or-nothing spiral and build consistency that actually sticks? Join me inside The Body You’ll Love Living In and get my launch bonuses, including the Somatic Soundbites to use in the moment you’re about to spiral. Learn more at lifeeditcoaching.comNEXT STEPS:Share this episode with a friendListen to next: Episode 212 - The Real Reason Your Motivation Keeps Disappearing (and what to do about it)RESOURCES:Secret (& Free) Limited Podcast: Confident As F**k (Even When You’re Not There Yet)Work with me: www.lifeeditcoaching.comInstagram: @lifeeditwithalix 

Do you feel like your sugar habit has a hold over you? Does it feel like a sugar detox challenge is the only answer? An in spite of your best intentions are you always left with the question “why do I crave sugar so much?”Then this is the episode for you. Because we’ll be dismantling a couple of myths around “sugar addiction”, addressing the reasons that you can’t seem to help sneaking your kids leftover chocolate (even though it’s not that nice) and showing you how to build a healthier relationship with the sweet stuff, which isn’t about having to constantly control your sugar intake through restriction, guilt or control. What we’ll cover in this episode:Why you’re not addicted to sugar (and why the “sugar is as addictive as cocaine” headline is misleading).The hidden needs sugar is really satisfying (comfort, reward, relief from stress or boredom).Three key questions to ask yourself when cravings strike.Why restriction and detoxing never solve the root issue.How to start building trust with yourself instead of fighting with food.🎧 If you’ve ever felt powerless around sugar, this episode will help you flip the script and create a relationship that feels calm, balanced, and free.Want to break free from the cycle of sugar spirals, guilt, and all-or-nothing eating? Join me inside The Body You’ll Love Living In and get access to my Pattern Interrupt Kit (a launch bonus available right now). Head to lifeeditcoaching.com to find out more.NEXT STEPS:Share this episode with a friendListen to next: Episode 187 - Emotional Eating vs Diets vs YouRESOURCES:Secret (& Free) Limited Podcast: Confident As F**k (Even When You’re Not There Yet)Work with me: www.lifeeditcoaching.comInstagram: @lifeeditwithalix 

You know how it can feel like a less stressful week lies just the other side of better time management or more productivity hacks to stop wasting time? That all you need to do is get more done and be more focused so you can keep spinning all the plates?Well what if that’s nothing more than a sticking plaster - it makes you feel accomplished in the moment, but doesn’t actually reduce burnout or stress in the ways you need it to?In this episode I’m pulling back the curtain on why searching for the next “time management technique” is a red herring. And instead, we’ll dive into the part we’re not talking about.Because yes, the to-do list is overflowing and there’s plenty of stuff in our lives that HAS to be done, but the real pressure? It’s coming from somewhere else. And when you learn how to spot that, everything starts to feel lighter.We’ll dive into:✨ Why productivity hacks and daily planners (my personal drug of choice) aren’t the real solution✨ The sneaky ways comparison to an old version of yourself keeps you stuck and feeling like you’re failing before you’ve even begun✨ How small shifts in the way you approach everyday tasks (yes, even replying to emails) can free up more space and calm than you thinkIf you’ve ever thought “slowing down sounds lovely, but it’s just not possible for me,” this one’s for you.NEXT STEPS:Share this episode with a friendRESOURCES:Secret (& Free) Limited Podcast: Confident As F**k (Even When You’re Not There Yet)Work with me: www.lifeeditcoaching.comInstagram: @lifeeditwithalix