In this episode of Hot Flush Happy Hour, Tori and Kat ease into the new year with a relaxed catch-up before diving into the pressure-packed world of New Year’s resolutions — and why so many of them don’t last.

They chat about going “too big too fast,” making goals from guilt or exhaustion, and the familiar trap of buying a beautiful new journal that never quite gets used. Instead, they explore why small, consistent changes are far more powerful than dramatic overhauls, especially when hormones, energy levels, and real life are all in the mix.

This episode is all about normalising stopping and starting, breaking big goals into doable habits, and shifting the focus from what you want to achieve to how you want to feel and who you’re becoming. Gentle, honest, and encouraging, it’s a reminder that you don’t need a new year — or perfection — to create meaningful change.

In this deeply honest and heartfelt episode of Hot Flush Happy Hour, Tori and Kat sit down with their beautiful friend Tracey to talk about the menopause journey so many women experience — but rarely feel prepared for.

Tracey shares her raw, real story of navigating perimenopause and menopause without a manual: from brain fog, mood swings, joint pain and fatigue, to being misdiagnosed with depression and arthritis before realising hormones were at the heart of it all. Together, the three unpack how menopause affects every woman differently, why so many symptoms go unrecognised, and how the lack of education leaves women feeling isolated, confused, and “like they’re losing the plot.”

They dive into lesser-known but incredibly important topics like menopausal depression and hormone-related joint pain, explore the emotional and identity shifts that come with this stage of life, and offer powerful insight into how partners can better support women through it all (hint: men… pause).

The conversation also touches on intuition, boundaries, reframing symptoms (hello “power surges”), and the idea that menopause isn’t a breakdown — it’s a becoming. Honest, emotional, funny, and validating, this episode is for any woman who’s ever wondered, “What is happening to me?” — and anyone who loves one.

You’re not broken. You’re not alone. You’re becoming.

In this episode of Hot Flush Happy Hour, Tori and Kat explore menopause through the ages — from ancient goddesses and herbal healers to Victorian “hysteria” and now modern times. They uncover how different cultures have understood (and misunderstood) menopause, why so much stigma still lingers, and what we can learn from societies that actually celebrate this life stage. With their usual blend of humour, honesty, and the occasional brain-fog moment, they remind us that women in every era have faced the heat — and come out stronger.