The Forties Formula

Have you ever gone quiet in a meeting when you knew you had the right answer? Or softened your tone to avoid being "too much"? You were muted — and it wasn't your fault.
This week we're joined by Heather Hansen, global communication specialist, TEDx speaker, author of Unmuted, and PhD candidate in Linguistics. Her viral TEDx talk "2 Billion Voices: How to Speak Bad English Perfectly" has sparked a global conversation about how we judge, silence, and underestimate voices.
We unpack:
Why women learn to mute themselves from childhood — and how "being a good girl" costs us our career
The truth about accent bias: how your voice triggers instant judgments about your competence and warmth
Why "executive presence" is often just code for performing whiteness and maleness
Singapore's unique and complex relationship with English
The language lottery — and why monolingual English speakers don't know they won it
Why connection beats perfection in every conversation00:00 - Who decided what confidence sounds like?03:01 - How early language management begins for women05:15 - Confidence versus socialized behavior in applying for jobs07:34 - Muting in global leadership and cross-cultural challenges15:38 - Race, accent, and bias16:35 - How language and accents influence behavior and opportunities18:23 - The emotional and social implications of accent bias21:15 - Power, status, and language in the workplace23:38 - The necessity of unmuting women’s voices in leadership28:36 - Singapore’s multilingual reality and language policy39:41 - Tips for understanding diverse accents in multicultural environments55:02 - The empowering message: Press unmute and claim your voice
Resources & Links:
Unmuted: How to Unmute Your Voice and Speak Up with Confidence (book)
Heather Hansen - Official Website
Powerfully Likeable by Dr. Kate Mason
Connect with Heather Hansen:
LinkedIn
The Forties Formula Podcast — Real conversations for women thriving in their 40s and beyond. Hosted by Jasmin Dhillon & Amanda Lim
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Struggling with weight loss after 40? Perimenopause weight gain, hormonal shifts, and a slower metabolism after 40 make midlife weight loss feel impossible — but it's not just your metabolism. In this clip from The Forties Formula in Focus, Laura Phillips joins Amanda & Jasmin to break down why weight loss for women over 40 requires a completely different approach — and what actually works.
☕ Buy us a coffee — buymeacoffee.com/thefortiesformula
🎧 Watch the full conversation: https://youtu.be/7tUjPyn8Dz8
Or search for Laura Phillips and The Forties Formula wherever you get your podcasts.
keywords
menopause, health, self-empowerment, boundaries, autoimmune, stress management, weight loss, hormonal health, personal responsibility, wellness key topics Menopause and hormonal health Setting boundaries for self-care The role of personal responsibility in health
Takeaways
- You are responsible for 99% of your health problems.
- Boundaries are essential for self-care and health.
- Menopause amplifies your baseline health, so proactive habits matter.
Chapters
00:00 Understanding Perimenopause and Its Impact
02:48 Self-Worth and Body Image
06:11 Setting Boundaries and Taking Responsibility

Midlife health, perimenopause symptoms, anxiety, sleep issues, burnout and hormone imbalance — why women in their 40s feel “off” even when tests are normal.
In this episode of The Forties Formula, hosts Jasmin Dhillon and Amanda Lim sit down with Dr Olivia Lesslar to unpack why so many women in their 40s feel like something has shifted in their body — yet struggle to get clear answers.
If you’ve experienced lighter sleep, rising anxiety, unpredictable energy, weight changes, or a sense that your body isn’t responding the way it used to, this conversation connects the dots.
Dr Olivia Lesslar is an Australian medical doctor and an expert in psychoneuroimmunology and longevity medicine. Her work focuses on understanding how stress, hormones, the nervous system, and the immune system interact — particularly when symptoms don’t fit neatly into one diagnosis.
Together, we explore:
• Why “normal” test results don’t always reflect how you feel
• The symptoms women dismiss but shouldn’t
• How perimenopause amplifies stress and reduces resilience • Why your body may be trying to protect you, not work against you
• The impact of modern life on an already overloaded system
• GLP-1 medications, wearables, and the confusion around health trends
• Why self-compassion becomes essential in midlife
Chapters
0:00 Introduction — Why women feel “off” in their 40s
2:00 Why women are under-researched
4:30 When tests are “normal” but symptoms aren’t
8:30 Losing connection to your body and identity
13:00 Your body is trying to protect you 16:00 Ancient biology vs modern life
22:00 GLP-1 medications explained
27:30 Wearables and health anxiety
40:00 HRT and perimenopause conversation
44:00 Why women “fall off” in perimenopause
46:45 Self-compassion and the real shift in midlife
About your hosts
Jasmin Dhillon is an Integrated Health Strategist and Health Coach specialising in gut health, hormone balance and nutrition for women in midlife.
Amanda Lim is a Metabolic Health coach passionate about helping women build strength, resilience and confidence in their 40s and beyond.
Thank you to our sponsors
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Tags: perimenopause, midlife health, hormone imbalance, womens health 40s, anxiety in women, burnout, fatigue, sleep issues, gut health, longevity, psychoneuroimmunology, stress, nervous system, GLP1, HRT, fitness trackers, muscle health

Have you spent years thinking you're "too emotional," "too lazy," or "just anxious"… only to wonder if it might actually be ADHD?
You're not alone. ADHD in women is massively underdiagnosed — especially for women over 40 who've spent decades masking their symptoms just to keep up. In this episode, clinical psychologist Dr. Emma Waddington breaks down WHY women's ADHD looks so different, how it gets mistaken for anxiety and depression, and what the connection between ADHD and perimenopause really looks like.
If your mind feels like a popcorn machine, if you swing between "meerkat mode" and "sloth mode," or if you've ever whispered "what's wrong with me?" — this conversation will change how you see yourself. If you’ve ever thought, “How can I be this exhausted and still feel like I’m not doing enough?” – this one is for you.
Watch the full episode here: ADHD in Women: Burnout, Perfectionism & the Invisible Struggle https://youtu.be/yFbUU50KDRk
CHAPTERS
0:00 — Why girls learn to hide their ADHD
0:41 — How hyperactivity goes INTERNAL in women
1:21 — The social & emotional toll on teenage girls
1:54 — Perfectionism, piles & rigid coping strategies
2:27 — Why women get diagnosed in their 30s & 40s
3:00 — "What's wrong with me?" — Self-criticism & burnout
6:00 — Is it modern-day overwhelm?
7:08 — The neuroaffirmative approach
9:04 — The ADHD energy crash cycle
🔑 KEY TAKEAWAYS
✅ ADHD in women often looks like anxiety, depression, or burnout — not the "hyperactive boy" stereotype
✅ Masking starts in girlhood and leads to decades of self-blame
✅ Perimenopause can unmask or intensify ADHD symptoms
✅ Your brain isn't broken — it's wired for interest, novelty & challenge
✅ Recognizing the "meerkat and sloth" cycle is the first step to managing your energy
📌 WHO THIS IS FOR
→ Women who suspect they might have undiagnosed ADHD
→ Mums juggling everything and wondering why it feels so much harder for them
→ Women in perimenopause experiencing brain fog, emotional dysregulation, or burnout
→ Anyone who wants to understand the female ADHD experience
📩 Have a story or topic suggestion? DM us on Instagram — we love hearing from you.
☕ If you enjoy these conversations and want to support the show, you can buy us a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/thefortiesformula
Dr Emma Waddington is a clinical psychologist with a special interest in ADHD and neurodivergence in women. She supports women who’ve spent years feeling “too much” or “not enough” to finally understand their brains, reduce burnout and build lives that work with – not against – their wiring. https://www.instagram.com/dremmawaddington_/
Amanda Lim is a Metabolic Health Coach who helps women move from burnout and survival mode into strength, energy and confidence through training, nutrition and lifestyle.
Jasmin Dhillon is an Integrated Health Strategist focused on simplifying health for busy women. She blends nutrition, lifestyle and mindset so you can actually implement change in real life – not just on paper.
Stay Connected https://www.instagram.com/thefortiesformula
#ADHDinWomen #ADHDWomen #ADHDandPerimenopause #UndiagnosedADHD #WomenOver40 #ADHDBurnout #ADHDMasking #EmotionalDysregulation #MentalHealthForWomen #NeurodivergentWomen #TheFortiesFormula #WomensHealth #ADHDAdult #AttentionRegulation #MidlifeWomen

What really happens to a woman’s body, mind, and identity in her 40s?
The answers are rarely discussed openly.
Hosted by Jasmin Dhillon, an Integrated Health Strategist specialising in gut health, hormones and midlife wellbeing, and Amanda Lim, director of Lift Clinic and a leading expert in female strength and metabolism, The Forties Formula explores the real shifts women experience in midlife.
From metabolic health and muscle loss to career transitions, relationships, and redefining purpose, this podcast brings together leading experts, doctors, entrepreneurs and thought leaders to unpack the science and the lived experience of women navigating their 40s and beyond.
Each episode delivers practical insights on health, longevity, mindset and lifestyle so women can better understand their bodies and make informed decisions about how they live, work and age.
If you’re a woman in your late 30s, 40s or 50s wondering why things feel different — and what to do about it — this podcast is for you.
🎧 Search for The Forties Formula wherever you get your podcasts and follow the show so you never miss a new episode.