I don’t imagine my dream life as something dramatic or picture-perfect. Instead, it’s quieter than that. It’s built through intentional life habits for mental health and wellness—habits that slowly shape a calmer mind, a stronger body, and a home filled with steady values.
This is the life I want to build, one day at a time. And if you’re here, maybe you’re building something similar too. Join me on my journey as I describe the life that I am working to create for this New Year.
If you wish to incorporate these goals into your own life you can find my 2026 New Year’s Goals Checklist below!
Choosing Mental Health Through Daily Intentional Habits
At the end of each night, when the house is finally quiet and the boys are in bed, I will sit with my journal. This habit isn’t about productivity or self-improvement —it’s about presence. A way to wind down from a busy day. Writing about my day helps me process the day’s events and emotions, release stress, and acknowledge myself and my needs honestly. I do this by letting the words flow onto the page as it comes to mind. Focusing on writing continuously and not getting stuck on a single thought.
In addition to journaling, I will make time every day to read for at least 30 minutes. Reading slows my thoughts. It reminds me that growth doesn’t have to be rushed, and that I can take just a little time every night to learn something new. If you too want to start journaling this year join me by getting my favorite journal here. I’ll also spend a few days a week working on a creative activity. My favorites include knitting, drawing, coloring, or working with silver clay to make my one of a kind silver necklaces. I do this because creating something with my hands grounds me to the here and now. As I become deeply focused on my craft my mind enters a peaceful state.
To support my mental health further, I want to try my best to limit mindless social media scrolling to one hour per day, take my medication every morning, and prioritize eight hours of sleep each night. These intentional life habits create a foundation that allows me to show up fully for myself and my family.
Daily Health and Fitness Habits That Honor My Body
My body has served me through two pregnancies, busy days with the kids, long workdays, and years of responsibility. Because of that, I treat it with care instead of criticism.
Each day, I focus on these goals. Eat three healthy meals with balanced nutrition. Avoiding excess added sugar, saturated fat, and sodium. Drinking 100 ounces of water. Consuming 2,000 calories or more with 130 grams of protein
Movement is gentle and progressive. In the last few months I have begun to do mobility work daily to help ease my hip, back, and shoulder pain left over from my pregnancies and busy work days. I am committing to exercising at least once per day—starting small and increasing as the year goes on. For the first quarter of this year I have decided to do a single exercise each day. This approach keeps fitness sustainable, not overwhelming as I build this life long habit.
These wellness routines aren’t about perfection. They’re about consistency and respect for my body.
Personal Care as a Form of Self-Respect
Personal & self care, are intentional life habits, and are never rushed. Morning and night, I will follow a full skincare routine that reminds me I’m worthy of time and attention. I will also care for my oral health daily and do my hair care routine twice a week, with coconut oil scalp treatments and gentle washes.
Even showering and applying body butter becomes a grounding ritual—an opportunity to reconnect with myself as I focus on self care and let my worries fall to the wayside.
These personal care habits reinforce the belief that caring for my body is not optional; it’s essential. This is something that many of us transgender people forget. We spend so much time trying to change things about our body we can forget to care for it. Because of this I wish to learn to love my body this year and every year to come.
Building a Love for Learning in Young Children
For me, building a love for learning in my children isn’t about structure or pressure—it’s about creating simple, consistent moments where curiosity, creativity, and connection can naturally grow. This means that in the evenings, no matter how busy or exhausting the day has been, I will read to my children. It’s one of the simplest ways we can stay connected, a quiet pause that tells them they are safe, seen, and loved. Stories become our bridge at the end of the day. A way to slow down and relax before bed.
For this new year I also plan for us to sit down together for creative time, twice a week. Sometimes it’s drawing or coloring, sometimes just playing with play dough, or doing arts and crafts. These moments aren’t about the outcome—they’re about being together, about letting imagination lead, and about showing them that creativity has a place in everyday life.
Three times a week, we practice learning activities. Nothing intense or pressured—just gentle opportunities to sit down and explore, ask questions, and build confidence in their abilities. We might work on spelling, adding and subtracting, writing, or learning to do chores around the house. I want my boys to be responsible and capable as they grow into young men. I encourage this by giving them time to learn. To help with this, screen time is limited to one hour a day, making room for play, conversation, and boredom—the kind that invites creativity and problem solving. I choose to do this so they too can build intentional life habits.
Parenting With Intention in the Everyday Moments
Alongside caring for my mental health and my body, I’m also learning how to parent with intention. Not in a rigid, perfect way—but in a way that feels more present, and rooted in connection.
As I become more mindful about what we eat. I am working to reduce the amount of processed food my boys consume. It’s easy to pull the frozen food out of the fridge, and throw it in the microwave or oven. However, knowing that food choices affect not just their bodies and brain, but their moods and energy too, I am choosing to reduce these processed foods with my kids.
And in the middle of all of this, I’m potty training my two boys. It’s a lesson in patience for both of us, filled with setbacks, small wins, and reminders that growth rarely happens in a straight line. Sometimes they’re ready and willing and sometimes it’s a struggle just to get them to sit down. But with patience and empathy we work on it so that someday soon they will be able to do it by themselves.
These parenting habits may look ordinary from the outside, but together they shape a home that feels intentional, grounded, and kind—one where we’re all learning as we go.
Raising Boys Through Example, Not Perfection
Perhaps the most important reason I pursue intentional life habits for mental health and wellness is my boys. I want them to learn strength without aggression, resilience without hardness, and discipline without fear.
The qualities I work to model daily include being:
- Strong and resilient
- Disciplined and reliable
- Respectful and responsible
- Honest and courageous
- Confident, empathetic, and patient
I know they’re watching how I handle stress, setbacks, and self-care. They’re learning not from what I say, but from how I live.
Progress Over Perfection in an Intentional Life
Some nights, the journal stays closed. Some days, workouts don’t happen or meals aren’t ideal. And that’s okay. An intentional life isn’t built through flawless execution—it’s built by returning to your values, again and again.
If you’re reading this and feeling like you’re craving stability, peace, and purpose, know this: you’re not behind. You’re building something meaningful, and meaningful things take time.
We’re not trying to become someone new. We’re learning how to care for who we are.
Comment any question you may have for me below!
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