Many women struggle with assertiveness — not because they lack confidence, but because speaking up has never felt fully safe.

In this episode, we talk about women’s assertiveness in a calm, realistic way.
Not as something you need to force, fix, or perform — but as a skill that grows when your body and nervous system feel supported.

You’ll hear:

• what assertiveness really is (and what it is not)

• quiet signs your assertiveness may be too low

• how early experiences can shape the way you speak up

• why low assertiveness is often a form of self-protection

• five gentle, practical steps to build assertiveness without pressure

This conversation is for women who:

• explain too much

• say yes when they mean no

• stay quiet and feel frustrated later

• want to be heard and respected without becoming hard or aggressive

Assertiveness doesn’t have to be loud.
It can be calm, grounded, and sustainable.

This episode is part of Thrive at 40+, a podcast about slow wellness, nervous system safety, and habits that work in real life — without extremes or burnout.

You can find more reflections on Instagram @thriveat40plus and on the website havuwellness.com

Winter is often seen as a pause button for outdoor movement. Cold, darkness, snow, and icy streets make many runners stop and wait for spring. But winter doesn’t remove the need for movement — it simply changes its rhythm.

In this episode of Thrive at 40+, Anastasia talks about winter running from a slow-wellness perspective. Living in Finland, where winter is long and very real, she shares why cold weather doesn’t have to end an outdoor running habit — and how adapting expectations makes winter running calm, supportive, and sustainable.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

• why winter feels like a natural “stop signal” for running

• the mental and emotional benefits of running outdoors in winter

• how winter running supports mood and steadiness during darker months

• why slowing down and shortening runs is not failure but cooperation

• how to continue running through winter without pressure or performance goals

This episode is not about pushing yourself into the cold.
It’s about staying in relationship with movement — even when conditions are not ideal.

If you run, and winter has made you hesitate, this conversation offers a gentler way forward.

Follow Anastasia on Instagram → @thriveat40plus
Purchase high-quality vitamin patches in EU → havuwellness.com

Every January, millions of people set new goals with genuine hope — to eat better, move more, feel healthier, or finally become more disciplined. And yet, many of these plans quietly fall apart within weeks.

In this episode of Thrive at 40+, Anastasia explores a less talked-about reason why New Year goals fail: ego.

Not ego as arrogance — but ego as the inner voice that wants control, certainty, and a clean identity shift. This episode explains how ego-driven resolutions often ignore the body’s capacity, trigger nervous system resistance, and turn normal human moments into “failure.”

You’ll learn:

• why strict New Year resolutions feel motivating at first but collapse quickly

• how ego creates all-or-nothing thinking around health and discipline

• why self-sabotage is often a form of self-protection

• how to build goals that work with your body instead of against it

• a calmer, more sustainable way to approach January intentions

This episode is not about fixing yourself.
It’s about understanding what really happens when motivation fades — and why that doesn’t mean anything is wrong with you.

If you’ve ever felt disappointed by past resolutions, this conversation will bring clarity, relief, and a more humane way forward.

Follow Anastasia on Instagram → @thriveat40plus
Explore more slow-wellness ideas → havuwellness.com