Unrushed: Less Stress, More Meaning

Brain fog. Decision fatigue. Losing your words mid-sentence. If you've been experiencing any of these and are wondering whether it's just stress, or hormones, or something more, this conversation is for you. Jan Soloy is a Nurse Practitioner in Integrative Medicine and Brain Health Coach who works with adults at midlife and beyond. She brings something that decades of clinical practice alone can't...

I lost my train of thought mid-sentence in a meeting yesterday. And it's been happening more often than I'd like to admit. I know what helps. Breathe. Pause. Let it come back. But sometimes I just panic instead. And that makes it worse. In this episode, I'm talking about the gap between what we know and what we actually do. Between what we teach and what we practice. I share my own pattern (binge-...

In this episode of Unrushed: Less Stress, More Meaning, I explore the concept of "choose your hard" and what it means in everyday decisions, what psychology tells us about why we default to the easier option, and what it looks like when we apply this to the bigger questions. The ones that have been hovering for months. Life will require difficult things from you either way. The question has never...

Have you ever found yourself knowing that something needs to change, but when you sit down to actually work it out, you end up more confused than when you started? In this episode, I talk about noise, the specific kind that accumulates between you and your next clear decision. We talk about where that noise actually comes from, what the research tells us about decision-making under sustained cogni...

Do you handle everything yourself and have been doing so successfully for a very long time? In this episode, I’m sharing a moment that stopped me mid-evening: a lone buffalo, four circling lions, and the unexpected arrival that changed everything. We talk about why capable, accomplished people often stop asking for support, not because there’s no one, but because they’ve been carrying it alone for...

Have you ever made every possible adjustment, and still felt like something wasn't quite right? In this episode, I'm sharing a personal story that started with daily headaches and ended up teaching me one of the most important things I know about alignment. We talk about what alignment actually means (beyond the corporate poster on the wall), why your values are the root system beneath every decis...

Early in my career, I was told to "develop a poker face" and "fake it until you make it." The idea was that to be taken seriously as a leader, I needed never to show uncertainty. But here's what I discovered: the energy required to maintain that performance was exhausting and made me less effective, not more. In this episode, I explore what authenticity actually looks like in leadership. Not the b...

There's so much noise right now; competing opinions, endless frameworks. And somewhere in all that noise, it becomes really hard to hear your own voice. Today, I'm talking about clarity: what it is, why we need it more than ever, and the simple practices that help me cut through the mental fog. In this Episode: Why clarity matters now (and why everyone seems to be talking about it) What clarity ac...

In this first episode of 2026, I'm asking a question: What matters most to you right now? Not what should matter — what actually does. I introduce three pillars that guide my work (Clarity, Authenticity, Alignment) and share what happens when the mountain you're climbing isn't wrong... It's just no longer right. If you're standing at a pivotal moment, questioning your path, or sensing a gap betwee...

As the year comes to a close, many of us feel tired, reflective, and unsure about what comes next. In this gentle year-end reflection episode of Unrushed: Less Stress, More Meaning , I invite you to slow down, breathe, and step out of the noise long enough to reconnect with yourself.  This is about creating space — for perspective, clarity, and presence — and allowing insight to surface naturally....

Have you noticed how quickly your world can shrink when you’re stressed? One minute you feel steady and in control… and the next, one email or unexpected request pulls you into tunnel vision.  Suddenly, all you can see is the problem in front of you — and everything else fades into the background.  In today’s episode of Unrushed: Less Stress, More Meaning , I explore why this happens, what it mean...

Are you on the edge of burnout and wondering whether quitting your job is the only way out? If you’ve found yourself fantasising about resigning just to breathe again — yet you’re torn because you have bills, responsibilities, and a memory of a time when work didn’t feel this draining — this episode is for you.  In today’s conversation, I explore one of the most stressful, emotionally loaded decis...

If you’ve ever watched a true crime documentary, you’ve probably heard investigators talk about “ controlling the narrative .”  In everyday life, we do the same — not to manipulate others, but to make sense of our world.  The problem? Many of the stories high-functioning women tell themselves are harsh, fear-based, or outdated. And these internal narratives quietly fuel chronic stress.  In this so...

It's late on a Tuesday evening in November. You're still at your laptop, shoulders up near your ears, and that voice in your head is saying, "Just get through this. It'll calm down after year-end." But here's the truth: "getting through it" isn't a strategy—it's survival mode dressed up as productivity. In this episode of Unrushed: Less Stress, More Meaning , I'm naming what's really happening dur...

What if slowing down isn’t risky, but the very thing that keeps you strong? In this episode of Unrushed: Less Stress, More Meaning , I challenge the myth that constant motion equals success and invite you to see rest as a performance strategy, not a luxury . Drawing on neuroscience, psychology, and my own six-day hiking experience through the Maluti Mountains, I explore how intentional pauses, rec...

Have you ever caught yourself asking, “Can I really afford this time for myself?” —and immediately felt the pull back toward your to-do list?  In this episode of Unrushed: Less Stress, More Meaning, I explore the tension between productivity and presence, and how the smallest daily rituals can restore calm, focus, and a sense of control in a world that constantly demands more. Drawing inspiration...

Sometimes, it’s not the big things that trip us up; it’s the basics we forget to respect. In this episode of Unrushed: Less Stress, More Meaning , I share a simple yet powerful lesson inspired by a hiking mishap (and a few blisters) and the timeless wisdom of legendary basketball Coach John Wooden. Through stories of socks, sports, and self-awareness, I explore how mastering the fundamentals (whet...

In this episode of Unrushed: Less Stress, More Meaning , I take inspiration from the most unlikely of teachers — a donkey named Josef. Far from being stubborn or slow, Josef reveals surprising lessons about resilience, protection, connection and the quiet strength of boundaries. Through his role as protector of a cattle herd, Josef shows us: Why protecting others, as well as your time and energy,...

Mindful productivity isn’t about doing less; it’s about doing what matters with presence.  For high-functioning women, this distinction is everything. Too often, productivity is mistaken for busyness, leading to frantic multitasking, blurred boundaries, and exhaustion.  In this episode of Unrushed: Less Stress, More Meaning, I explore how mindful productivity can help you perform at a high level w...

Ever find yourself eating, typing, and planning all at once — without really tasting your food or noticing where you are? That was me the other morning, until a poem by Mary Oliver, a cappuccino, and some unexpected wisdom from a coffee shop manager reminded me of the power of pausing. In this episode of Unrushed: Less Stress, More Meaning, I share how one ordinary morning became a turning point i...

What if one small change could transform how you show up in every part of your life?  That’s the power of keystone habits — those foundational practices that create ripple effects far beyond the habit itself. In this episode of Unrushed: Less Stress, More Meaning , I’ll walk you through: What keystone habits actually are (and why they matter more than another checklist) Why choosing one strategic...

Meditative living isn’t about sitting cross-legged for hours—it’s about finding presence in the middle of your already busy life. In this episode, I explore how high-functioning women can bring more calm, intention, and meaning into their days—without adding another task to the to-do list. We’ll cover: Why the usual fixes (like boundaries or exercise) don’t always solve that “off” feeling What med...

In this episode of Unrushed: Less Stress, More Meaning, host Ronél shares her personal story of experiencing burnout and what led to her realisation that a significant change was needed in her life.  She describes the physical and emotional symptoms she faced, how she sought help from a therapist and a coach, and the ongoing strategies she uses to maintain a healthier work-life balance.  Ronél emp...

You’re the one everyone calls when things fall apart.  The problem-solver. The dependable one. The “strong” one.  But here’s the thing — just because you can handle it all, doesn’t mean you’re okay. In this episode of Unrushed: Less Stress, More Meaning , I’m talking to every high-functioning woman who’s been quietly running on empty.  We’ll explore: The hidden cost of being the "go-to" person,  W...

In this episode of ' Unrushed, Less Stress, More Meaning, ' Ronél welcomes Sleep and Recovery Coach Bridgette Smith.  They delve into the intricacies of sleep, exploring its impact on overall health and well-being.  Bridgette shares her personal journey of overcoming poor sleep and offers practical advice for improving sleep quality.  Key points include: The importance of sleep hygiene,  The impac...