I have never lived life in a soft way. I have never prioritized relaxing. I have never been the one to slow down. I’m a tried and true type A, do more, be better babe.
My husband is not. He is a former professional athlete, so he gets shit done and is incredibly high achieving, but he knows how to do less, want less and just chill.
Since we met, I’ve definitely learned to slow down more than I ever have before. And sure, my slow is probably still about 10,000 mph faster than most people. But it’s slower for me, and that’s what matters.
In 2026, I’m trying even harder to live softer. Here’s what that looks like for me:
Start the day with intention. My husband is the cutest human on the planet and likes to start our day with a good 15-20 minutes snuggling. We will chat a little, be silly, but just start the day cuddling together before we face life’s responsibilities. It’s such a huge mood boost and reminds me whatever happens during the day, we’ve got each other to come back to. If you don’t have a partner, try this with a pet!
Resting. I genuinely cannot fathom the idea of sitting around for an entire day unless I am deathly ill. But I am finding time to sit around for a few hours and do nothing. No phone, just a show or a book and sitting around in my sweatpants.
Acting my wage. Ok, I do make good money. But I’m also paid for the quality of work I do and based on a 40 hour work week. I have to travel more often than a lot of folks. Believe me, they get their money’s work out of me. I’m setting boundaries and doing my best to only work overtime when it’s an emergency - and let’s be clear - it is rarely an emergency.
Caring less. Hello, I am a people pleaser. And a lot of people are surprised by that but for me it goes with the whole being the best mentality. I’m working really hard to care less about what other people think; especially people who’s opinions I don’t value or who don’t mean much to me in general. I’m putting my energy into the people and places that do give me meaning - including myself!
Movement. I am a former D1 athlete. Fitness is important to me. But what’s even more important is simple movement and what that does for my mental health. I prioritize at least an hour a day for movement. Whether its lagree, a hot girl walk, peloton - whatever! I move my body and force myself to not work or do anything but be present in that time.
Less phone time. This one is hard. I am attached to my phone either for work or texting or looking things up on Google for literally no important reason. This one will take time, but I’m already using my phone less and being present more. I hope to continue that trend. I don’t owe anyone an immediate response but I do owe myself time off technology.
Write shit down. I bought myself a new planner that has space for goals, daily intentions and forces me to not only put work deadlines but prioritizde myself outside of work. If I see it written down, it feels like I need to do it and check it off the list. It also forces me to be reasonable in what I’m trying to achieve. I can make the HGW happen, but maybe I don’t need to be running a 10K.
Nourishing my body. My husband is an incredible cook (I am so lucky). I also really love to cook and meal plan. We make time to get to the store each week and build out a breakfast/lunch/dinner plan each week. And while we eat out more than I’d like, we also cook together and ensure we have healthy food options in the house (and unhealthy, balance!).
Prioritizing girl time. I’m married now and spend 99% of my time with a man. He’s amazing, I love him, he’s my best friend. But life without girlfriends is unimaginable to me. From weekly dinners to saunas and yaps to walks to weeklong+ girl trips - I prioritize my girls. That will always be a critical priority for my joy.
Dogs. I lost my beloved Nashville about 9 months ago. That has been such an incredible pain and I don’t know if it will ever lessen. But we have two heelers that I’ve become mom to through my husband and spending time with them, loving on them, helps remind me what matters.
If you’re type A (hello first born daughters) like I am, I hope these help inspire you to live life a little softer. I’ll be honest, I’ll never live the softest life, but incorporating micro slow downs is something I can reasonably do while still feeding my type A soul. What a soft life looks like is so personal. I can’t ever imagine getting to 8 hours of doing nothing (even if I’m on a beach, I need stimulation and movement!) but I do enjoy my little slow starts and Sunday afternoon loafs. Hope you can find something that works for you!