This past month, my sanity officially waved the white flag. Between juggling two jobs, two volunteer gigs, Hyrox training, a needy (but adorable) dog, and some kind of social life, I hit my limit.

Finding the energy to power through my days felt impossible. Conflict with people around me spiked by about 300%. Deadlines started slipping. 

It was clear things weren’t sustainable the way they were going. Something had to change.

(Side note: How parents manage to do all this with human offspring is beyond me.)

Here’s what I’ve done to tackle this stress head-on: 

1. Meal Prep

   
   

Earlier this year, I was a meal-prep queen. Having healthy grab-and-go meals ready at all times was a total lifesaver.

But somewhere along the way, that habit slipped. So this past Sunday, I blocked off two hours to roast veggies, prep salads, and whip up overnight oats.

And wow—game changer. I genuinely don’t know why I ever stopped. “Meal prep time” has been added back to the calendar.   

2. Sleep

   
   

Another sneaky bad habit I’ve slipped into is snoozing my alarm. This was eating into my days and preventing me from starting them off productively. 

This week, I’ve been stricter about bedtime and actually getting up with the first alarm. Scheduling early workouts has also helped me lock in a better rhythm.

I’ve also carved out a little nighttime wind-down routine: walking the dog, reading a few pages, and sipping chamomile tea. Small, mindful rituals that make me look forward to slowing down.

3. Dog Time

   
   

Another unexpected source of stress has been dog mom guilt (who knew that this was actually a thing?). Leaving my little dude alone too much was weighing on me more than I realized.

So I’ve been weaving him into my day—bringing him to the gym, working together on patios, and swapping happy hours for coffee walks with friends. It’s lifted a huge mental weight.

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I’m excited about these shifts—but more than that, I’m reminding myself that the real win is in actually making adjustments when things stop working.

And if this routine doesn’t cut it (or slips again), that’s okay. I’ll just rework and try something new.