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 give you; she's lived this. In her mid-60s, Jan survived a serious brain injury that required surgery, eleven days in a neuro ICU, and five years of recovery. That journey changed not just her understanding of the brain, but her entire approach to helping others protect and reclaim theirs.

This episode isn't about fear. It's about hope, grace, and the small intentional choices that actually move the needle, because as Jan says, it is never too late.

In this episode:

• How Jan's brain injury in her mid-60s became the foundation of her brain health coaching work
• What clinical practice couldn't teach her , and what recovery did
• The real reason brain fog, decision fatigue, and lost words are so common at midlife
• The biggest myth about ageing and the brain, and why it matters
• The one lifestyle factor that most studies agrees on for long-term brain health
• How chronic stress quietly undermines your ability to think, remember, and concentrate
• Why brain health is not separate from your overall health — it is your health
• The 7 phases of Jan's Golden Clarity Protocol, explained simply and practically

Key quotes by Jan:

• Hope that something can be done now, with the knowledge that things that you do now do make a difference.
• Brain health is health.
• It's never too late.

Jan's resources mentioned In this episode:

• Website: www.jansoloy.com
• Morning Musings Newsletter: sign-up here ->
• Free Brain Health Assessment: download here ->
• Brain Health Awareness - mini course: learn more ->
• The Golden Clarity Protocol: read more ->
• Private Coaching - one-on-one support: learn more ->
• Instagram

Connect with Ronél:

• Free resource: 14 Small Steps Back to Yourself
• Website: ronelpretorius.com
• Instagram: @ronelpretorius.coach
• Pinterest: @ronelpretoriuswellnesscoach

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-watching Netflix when my nervous system is running wild — this week it was Trust Me: The False Prophet, definitely not helping), why knowing isn't the same as doing, and the permission we all need to hear: You're just human.

This one's vulnerable. Honest. And I think a lot of us are standing in that gap, carrying shame about it.

In This Episode:

• The mid-sentence blank moment that happens more often than I want to admit
• My pattern I'm not proud of: what I do when my nervous system is running wild
• The uncomfortable truth about the gap between what I teach and what I actually practice
• Why knowing how things work doesn't mean you can always do them
• The permission we all need: both things can be true at the same time
• What it looks like to notice the pattern without judgment
• Why the simple things we resist might actually be enough

Reflection Questions:

What's the gap between what you know and what you actually do? And what would it feel like to notice that gap without the shame?

Resources and Links:

If this resonates — if you find yourself in that place of knowing something needs to shift, but not quite being able to see through the fog — I have a free resource that might help. It's called 14 Small Steps Back to Yourself: practical tools for high-functioning leaders who hold everything together and are starting to wonder what's missing. Download it here: 14 Small Steps Back to Yourself

Connect with Me:

• Website: ronelpretorius.com
• Instagram: @ronelpretorius.coach
• Pinterest: @ronelpretoriuswellnesscoach
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ronel-pretorius

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 really been whether you'll face difficulty. The question is which difficulty you're willing to face — and whether you're choosing it intentionally or by default.

In this episode:

• Why avoidance is rarely neutral — and what it actually costs
• The psychology of present bias and why immediate comfort often wins
• How "choose your hard" applies beyond small daily decisions
• The difference between productive discomfort and slow, quiet regret
• Why choosing your hard isn't about willpower — it's about clarity

Key Quote:

Avoidance has a price. You just pay it much later.

Reflection question:

What's the hard you've been choosing by default?

And is there a different hard — a more intentional one — that you keep postponing?

Resources and Links:

If this resonates; if you find yourself in that place of knowing something needs to shift, but not quite being able to see through the fog, I have a free resource that might help.

It's called 14 Small Steps Back to Yourself: practical tools for high-functioning leaders who hold everything together and are starting to wonder what's missing. Download it here: 14 Small Steps Back to Yourself

Connect with Me:

• Website: ronelpretorius.com
• Instagram: @ronelpretorius.coach
• Pinterest: @ronelpretoriuswellnesscoach
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ronel-pretorius

Newsletter:

Join my newsletter for bi-weekly reflections on clarity, direction, and what matters most at pivotal moments. Click here to subscribe.

Disclaimer:

The conversations shared on this podcast are meant to inform, inspire, and support — not to diagnose, treat, or replace professional medical or mental health care. Always seek the guidance of a qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding your well-being.

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 cognitive load, and three practical ways to begin quieting it.

In This Episode:

• Three sources of internal noise that high-functioning professionals carry, and why they often sound like your own voice
• What neuroscience tells us about the prefrontal cortex under load, and why we often can't tell when our decision-making is compromised
• Why we may have been asking the wrong question: not "why can't I figure this out?" but "have I created the conditions for clarity?"
• Three anchors for quieting the noise: a daily anchor, a noise audit, and strategic patience
• The difference between sitting with a question and hiding from it

Key Quote:

"Clarity isn't a lightning bolt. It's the result of creating the conditions for insight to find you."

Reflection Question:

What's the question you've been trying to think your way through, and not quite getting there?

Resources and Links:

If this resonates, I have a free resource that might help: Download it here: 14 Small Steps Back to Yourself

Also worth listening to — the three episodes that set the foundation for this conversation:

→ Episode 21: On Clarity (And Why We Need It Now More Than Ever)

→ Episode 22: Authentic Leadership: Why “Fake It Until You Make It” Doesn’t Build Trust

→ Episode 23: When Everything Feels Off (A Conversation About Alignment)

Connect with Me:

• Website: ronelpretorius.com
• Instagram: @ronelpretorius.coach
• Pinterest: @ronelpretoriuswellnesscoach
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ronel-pretorius

Newsletter:

Join my newsletter for bi-weekly reflections on clarity, direction, and what matters most at pivotal moments. Click here to subscribe.

Disclaimer:

The conversations shared on this podcast are meant to inform, inspire, and support — not to diagnose, treat, or replace professional medical or mental health care. Always seek the guidance of a qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding your well-being.

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 so long they’ve forgotten what backup feels like.

And we sit with the question that I think is worth asking more often: Who is your power move?

In This Episode:

• Why high-functioning leaders are often the last to ask for support
• When independence is no longer a strength
• Why clarity, authenticity, and alignment are harder to sustain when you’re navigating everything alone
• What “support” actually looks like at pivotal moments
• The question worth sitting with: who stands with you?

Key Quote:

“Strength isn’t about standing alone. It’s about knowing who stands with you.”

Reflection Question:

Who is your power move?

When the pressure increases, when the stakes get higher, when you’re standing alone on the plain, and something shifts on the horizon, who enters the stage?

Resources and Links:

Ready to explore what it looks like to have a thinking partner in your corner? Book a free Clarity Call — a 30-minute conversation where we slow down and look honestly at what’s happening beneath the surface.

The three episodes mentioned:

→ Episode 21: On Clarity (And Why We Need It Now More Than Ever)

→ Episode 22: Authentic Leadership: Why “Fake It Until You Make It” Doesn’t Build Trust

→ Episode 23: When Everything Feels Off (A Conversation About Alignment)

Connect with Me:

• Website: ronelpretorius.com
• Instagram: @ronelpretorius.coach
• Pinterest: @ronelpretoriuswellnesscoach
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ronel-pretorius

Newsletter:

Join my newsletter for bi-weekly reflections on clarity, direction, and what matters most at pivotal moments. Click here to subscribe.

Disclaimer:

The conversations shared on this podcast are meant to inform, inspire, and support — not to diagnose, treat, or replace professional medical or mental health care. Always seek the guidance of a qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding your well-being.

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 decision you make, and what it looks like to live with integrity.

And then we get into the question I'm asked most often: What do I do if I can't change my environment right now?

That's where this episode earns its keep.

In this episode:

• Why your body often signals misalignment long before your mind catches up
• Values as your north star for decision-making — not just career choices, but the smaller ones too
• What cognitive dissonance looks like for high-functioning leaders living with it quietly, every day
• Strategic Calm as an intentional choice — and what that means practically
• How to live with integrity even within an environment that doesn't fully support your values

Key Quote:

"Alignment is not only about your external circumstances. It's also — perhaps more fundamentally — about how you relate to yourself within those circumstances."

Reflection Question:

Where are you compensating?

Resources and Links:

If this episode resonated, my free resource — 14 Small Steps Back to Yourself — offers fourteen practical tools for high-functioning professionals who hold everything together and are starting to wonder what's missing. It's a starting point, not a fix. A pause. Download it here: 14 Small Steps Back to Yourself

Ready to explore what alignment looks like for you specifically? Book a free Clarity Call — a 30-minute conversation where we slow down and look honestly at what's happening beneath the surface: Book your Call

While this podcast is primarily designed with high-functioning women in mind, everyone navigating these questions is welcome here.

Connect with Me:

• Website: ronelpretorius.com
• Instagram: @ronelpretorius.coach
• Pinterest: @ronelpretoriuswellnesscoach
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ronel-pretorius

Newsletter:

Join my newsletter for bi-weekly reflections on clarity, direction, and what matters most at pivotal moments. Click here to subscribe.

DISCLAIMER:

The conversations shared on this podcast are meant to inform, inspire, and support — not to diagnose, treat, or replace professional medical or mental health care. Always seek the guidance of a qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding your well-being.

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 buzzword version, but the strategic kind that reduces stress, builds trust, and makes high performance sustainable.

We'll talk about:

• Why "impression management" drains your energy and disconnects you from your judgment
• The relationship between authenticity and presence (the killer combo for leadership impact)
• How to practice discernment, not just disclosure
• The practical framework for building authentic leadership: clarity on values, boundaries that protect, and noticing when you're performing

If you've ever felt exhausted by keeping up appearances or wondered whether you can be both authentic and successful, this episode is for you.

• The well-intentioned "poker face" advice that didn't work for me
• What authenticity actually means (and what it doesn't)
• The hidden cost of performance and impression management
• Why authenticity isn't about oversharing—it's about alignment
• The connection between presence and authenticity
• How people can sense when you're real (and why that matters for trust)
• Three practical steps to build and tap into your authenticity
• Why authenticity is a power move, not a luxury

"When you stop trying to be a version of yourself that isn't real, you get your energy back. You get to be present in your own life. And in your leadership."

"Authenticity isn't a luxury. It's a power move."

Reflection Questions:

Where in your life or leadership are you still performing?

Where could being more authentic actually give you more power, not less?

Connect with Me:

• Website: ronelpretorius.com
• Instagram: @ronelpretorius.coach
• Pinterest: @ronelpretoriuswellnesscoach
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ronel-pretorius

Newsletter:

Join my newsletter for bi-weekly reflections on clarity, direction, and what matters most at pivotal moments. Click here to subscribe.

Full Transcript: https://www.ronelpretorius.com/podcast/episode-22-authentic-leadership

DISCLAIMER:

The conversations shared on this podcast are meant to inform, inspire, and support — not to diagnose, treat, or replace professional medical or mental health care. Always seek the guidance of a qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding your health or well-being.

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 actually is—and what it isn't
• Why clarity doesn't happen overnight (and what comes before the breakthrough moment)
• The tools in my toolbox: from journaling (which I confess I don't love) to moving my desk to face the window
• Why the voice inside your head must also be quiet if you want to discern what's true for you
• How clarity is the foundation of Strategic Calm

Key Quote:

"Clarity isn't a lightning bolt. It's the result of creating the conditions for insight to find you."

My Clarity Tools (Mentioned in This Episode):

• Meditation, prayer, and quiet time
• Sleep, nutrition, and movement
• Yoga and Pilates (for perspective, not just fitness)
• Hiking in nature (no phone, physical challenges, space to think)
• Journaling (pen and paper or app—even when I don't feel like it)
• Nature from my desk (I moved my desk to face the window)
• Deep breathing (even 10 minutes a day)
• Stepping away from screens intentionally
• Talking with someone I trust (friend, family, or coach)

Reflection Questions:

What gives you clarity?

What's the thing that helps you cut through the noise and hear your own voice again?

Connect with Me:

If you're sensing a gap between your success and what you value, or if you're at a pivotal moment yourself, I'd love to hear from you.

• Website: ronelpretorius.com
• Instagram: @ronelpretorius.coach
• Pinterest: @ronelpretoriuswellnesscoach
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ronel-pretorius

Newsletter: Join the Unrushed community for bi-weekly reflections on clarity, direction, and what matters most at pivotal moments. Click here to subscribe.

DISCLAIMER:

The conversations shared on this podcast are meant to inform, inspire, and support — not to diagnose, treat, or replace professional medical or mental health care. Always seek the guidance of a qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding your health or well-being.