Fitness routines tend to hold when daily life is predictable. When schedules are stable and demands are contained, repetition does most of the work. Behaviors that once required effort become automatic, supported by timing, cues, and environment rather than constant decision-making. Many people experience this period as discipline or motivation,
About a year ago, I earned certifications in personal training, wellness, and nutrition from the National Academy of Sports Medicine. The goal wasn’t to chase a new career but rather to learn more about fitness as it had become one of the most stable parts of my life. After
Today is my first day back in my master’s of psychology program after taking a few months off. When my grandfather’s health started to decline earlier this year, school stopped being my main focus. He passed in June, and since then life has moved quickly. 2025 has been
Most fitness advice starts with what to do in a concrete plan. Run this far. Lift that much. Eat this way. Rest that often. However, your overall feeling of safety is a quieter factor that often decides whether any of it sticks. Not physical safety in the sense of padded
Everyone hits a wall sometimes. You feel tired, unmotivated, foggy, or stuck. You’re human! Thankfully, there are ways to fight it. Here’s what current psychological research says you can do to start moving forward. 1. Start With Small, Structured Actions When you feel off, your brain is often
In my teens and 20s, fitness was all about one thing: more. More weight on the bar. More proof that I was strong. Then, in my mid-20s, my focus shifted to losing weight, where I became obsessed with calorie counting, step counts, and seeing the graph on MyFitnessPal have a
A few years ago, I downloaded a Couch to 5K app because I was tired of feeling stuck. I wasn’t a runner, and the thought of it sounded plain awful. I just knew I needed something different, and something that could help me build momentum again. Before I started
Some seasons don’t come with warning signs or a heads-up. There’s no warm-up. No registration process. No exciting colorful countdown on your phone. No chance to plan your meals or prep your bag. Just the sudden weight of something you would have a tough time handling, even if
They say never miss a Monday. Last week, I missed mine. I missed the newsletter I committed to writing every week. If you know me, you know that stuff eats at me. I want to be consistent. I want to be reliable. I want to be someone who shows up.
This weekend, I’m competing in my first hybrid race - Spartan's DEKA Fit. It’s certainly feeling different than any race I’ve done before. After four marathons in three years, I’ve shifted my focus this year to strength, power, and full-body conditioning. DEKA Fit is
I stepped on the scale for the first time in a while last week. I had no idea what number was going to pop up, but what's most important is that I didn’t expect the reaction I had. That number sent me spiraling. Not because it defined
Have you ever felt like your finances are in a great spot, only to immediately have expensive car troubles pop up? Lately, that's felt like a metaphor for life where I've been in a steady rotation of dealing with a problem that feels overwhelming, persevering through