Opt to Thrive…for Midlife Women
Opt to Thrive is a health and wellness podcast designed to support, educate, inspire, empower and motivate midlife women to live their healthiest, happiest most fulfilled lives. Motivated by her own life experiences and challenging midlife transition, Dr Corina Sims created Opt to Thrive.
Dr Sims is a rural GP Obstetrician and Menopause Specialist who has a passion for connecting with and empowering other women to be the best version of themselves. Disappointed with the vast amount of contradictory information targeted at menopausal women, Dr Sims also recognised the gap in medicine that has been identified around the globe in managing women going through it. Dr Dims strives to bring evidence based information to those who are searching for answers.
Listen in every week where on one week you’ll find either a short and sweet episode designed to uplift, inspire and give helpful tips to manage your mind and a longer episode the next created to educate and inform.
Opt to Thrive…for Midlife Women
Manage Your Mind Mindful Moment: Feeling Better vs Letting Yourself Feel
In this short Mindful Moment episode, I’m sharing a story from a recent family dinner — where a simple conversation question led to a much deeper reflection on emotions, thoughts, grief, and what it really means to “feel our feelings.”
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned in life is that our feelings are created by our thoughts — but as I discovered while talking with my son, that idea can sometimes be misunderstood.
There are emotions we are meant to feel — grief, sadness, heartbreak, disappointment — especially in times of loss. Those feelings are not problems to be solved or avoided. They are part of being human, and they need space to be processed.
But there is also another kind of suffering — the unnecessary pain created by unhelpful or untrue thoughts, rumination, self-criticism, and the stories our brains tell when they run on autopilot.
In this episode, I reflect on:
• the difference between necessary emotional pain and unnecessary suffering
• why resisting uncomfortable feelings often makes them stronger
• how grief and sadness need to be allowed — sometimes only a little at a time
• the seductive pull of “wallowing” days and familiar sad music
• how confirmation bias can spiral a bad day into overwhelm
• why acceptance can ease suffering — even when circumstances can’t change
• gentle ways to get curious about the thoughts underneath emotional discomfort
And I share a few simple questions you can ask yourself when a dark-cloud day appears:
• What am I feeling — and can I allow it instead of fighting it?
• What thought might be contributing to this feeling?
• Is that thought true… and is it helpful?
• Is there a kinder, more compassionate thought available to me right now?
Some days we can shift perspective.
Some days we simply sit with the feeling and let it soften with time.
Both are okay. 💛
If you’ve ever had one of those heavy days where nothing is “wrong,” but your mood just feels flat, tender, or heavy — this episode is for you.
Let’s Stay Connected:
- Get your free Midlife Health & Body Reset Guide: Here
- Find out more about the Midlife Reset Program: Here
- Join the Opt to Thrive mailing list: Here
- Follow Dr. Corina on Instagram: @drcorinasimsopttothrive
- Connect on Facebook: Opt to Thrive (Dr Corina Sims)
- Opt to Thrive official website
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