Tired, Burned Out, Unmotivated? These 4 Daily Practices Change Everything

Aug 13

Ever feel like no matter how hard you try, you’re always exhausted, scattered, or stuck in a rut? You’re not alone—and it’s not because you’re lazy or unmotivated. In this post, we’re breaking down the four daily practices I call MEDS—small, essential habits that can completely transform how you feel, function, and show up in your life.

Whether you’re in a season of burnout, low energy, or just craving more consistency, these are the building blocks that help you reclaim your vitality and your confidence.

We’ll walk through:
✻ Why sleep is actually the first domino in feeling better—and how to make it work for you
✻ The science behind movement, nutrition, and mindset in boosting energy and mood
✻ Real talk about why the basics are so easy to skip (and why you keep sabotaging them)
✻ Small, sustainable ways to start—without an all-or-nothing approach

If you’ve been tired, burned out, or unmotivated… This is your invitation to come home to the practices that will change everything. 🖤

A few years back, I heard Jay Shetty share on his podcast On Purpose about this idea about taking our daily “MEDS.” M-E-D-S. He broke down this acronym, and it’s stuck with me ever since.

It’s the basics, y’all. The unsexy things we know that we should prioritize if we want to feel and function at our best. But often fall by the wayside when life gets really full.

Let me break down what each letter stands for:

🧠 M for Mental hygiene
👟 E for Exercise
🥑 D for Diet
💤 S for Sleep

I love this framework because it’s simple. It’s a reminder that when you feel like you’re falling apart, sometimes you just need to come back to the basics: Move your body, fuel it well, rest it deeply, and tend to your mind.

But here’s what I’ve realized—especially when you’re already exhausted, depleted, or burned out: This order can feel backwards.

If you’re running on four hours of sleep, the last thing you feel capable of is a morning workout or a big mindset reset.

It’s like standing at the bottom of a mountain, staring up at everything you should be doing, and feeling paralyzed before you even start.

I don’t want that for you. And I don’t think you need to climb the whole mountain in one day.

So what if we flipped this whole thing upside down?

What if we started with the one thing that makes everything else feel easier?

Sleep.

Because when you’re rested, you have the capacity to eat well. When you’re rested and fed, you have the energy to move your body. And when you’ve cared for those basics, it’s so much easier to care for your mind.

That’s what I want to unpack today: how to embody taking our daily MEDS so you can create sustainable rhythms that support your energy, your mood, and your sense of wholeness.

Let’s walk through each part, starting in reverse, with what I believe is the real foundation: Sleep.

SLEEP — THE FOUNDATION

Let’s start with what most of us overlook because it feels too simple: sleep.

Friend, if you’re exhausted, nothing else is going to stick. It’s like trying to plant seeds in dry, cracked soil.

You know those days when you’ve barely slept?

Everything feels harder.
You’re more irritable.
You crave sugar and caffeine.
You don’t have the energy to think about moving your body or prepping a nourishing meal.

There’s research showing that sleep deprivation increases your stress hormone cortisol, which makes your body feel like it’s in survival mode. One study even found that just one night of poor sleep can lower your mental resilience the next day. Over time, chronic sleep deprivation has been linked to anxiety, depression, and impaired cognitive function.

Sleep is the foundation, ya’ll. We have to start here. That’s why I’m flipping this thing on its head.

And for me, I take my evening routine very seriously:

I put my phone away early
I tidy up my spaces so they are reset in the morning
I take a melatonin CBD gummy about an hour before bed.
I read a fiction book instead of scrolling.
My husband and I go to bed at the same time every night.

And that rhythm, that consistency— it matters more than I ever realized. If you’re feeling tired, burnt out, or lacking motivation… this is where you start. Prioritize rest.

DIET — WHAT SUSTAINS YOU

Okay so once you’ve rested, you now have the bandwidth to think about how you’re fueling your body.

And here’s why this matters: What you eat isn’t just calories—it’s information. It tells your body how to function, how to feel, how to show up. It’s what sustains you thru the day. Balanced nutrition can stabilize your mood and energy in ways that are profound.

Did you know that about 90% of your serotonin—which are the feel-good neurotransmitters—is produced in your gut? When your gut is inflamed or imbalanced, it can impact everything from your mood to your immunity.

But let’s not over complicate this. Eating well looks like:

Choosing protein and fiber so you’re satiated
Adding actual, real fruits and vegetables to support your gut health and micro-biome
Staying hydrated so your brain functions clearly
And being cognizant of excess sugar, caffeine, saturated fats, and processing in your foods.

EXERCISE — WHAT GIVES YOU ENERGY

Okay. Next is movement. I know this might feel and seem counterintuitive, but movement is what gives you energy.

Exercise is so often positioned as punishment or obligation or the thing you do for external, superficial results. But when you’re rested and nourished, it can become something totally different: A way to generate energy, not just expend it.

You don’t have to be an athlete.
You don’t have to crush intense workouts every day.
What matters is that you move your body in a way that feels good to you.

There’s so much research out there that shows exercise boosts endorphins— which are your body’s natural mood elevators.
It also improves sleep quality, which creates this beautiful feedback loop:

Better sleep → More energy → More movement → Even better sleep.

I’ve found that the simplest movement can be the most transformative.

A walk outside.
Some gentle yoga.
A 20-minute Peloton class on my stationary bike.

If you’re exhausted, this is the step that might feel the hardest.
But once you’re sleeping well and fueling your body, movement becomes something you look forward to—because it actually gives you life.

MENTAL HYGIENE — THE CHERRY ON TOP

Okay okay. The cherry on top. Finally, let’s talk about tending to your mind.

Mental hygiene is the piece that ties everything together. And it’s also the piece that feels impossible when you’re running on empty.

But when you’re rested, nourished, and moving your body, you have the clarity and capacity to think about what you’re thinking about.

For me, mental hygiene looks like:

Writing in my Win the Morning Journal
Reading something that expands my perspective or helps me grow in an area I feel weak
Speaking affirmations over myself instead of defaulting to my inner negative narrative
Practicing gratitude, even when it feels like there’s nothing big to celebrate

And the science here backs up everything I’m teaching you.

Studies show that gratitude practices can rewire your brain for more optimism and resilience. Journaling can help process emotions and reduce anxiety. Positive self-talk can literally shift your neural pathways over time. Again. It’s these simple things that have the most impact.

And you don’t have to do all of this perfectly.
You don’t have to have some elaborate mental health ritual.

But I can promise you that when you start to care for your body, caring for your mind becomes a natural next step.

Why the Basics Are So Easy to Skip

I know some of you are thinking— “Okay Brittany, I hear you. I know I should sleep more, eat better, move my body, and take care of my mind…but if it’s that simple, why don’t I actually do it?”

Let’s talk about that.

First, these habits are not glamorous.
Nobody claps when you get 8 hours of sleep. No one sees you in your kitchen prepping a nourishing meal or stretching before bed. It’s invisible work—and sometimes, our ego craves the shiny, loud stuff that gets validation.
Second, the basics require consistency, not intensity.
It feels easier to sign up for a 30-day extreme challenge, go all in, and then burn out, than it does to just show up imperfectly for 6 months in a row. But it’s the small, unsexy actions repeated over time that actually change your life.
Third, these habits don’t deliver instant dopamine.
Scrolling your phone, buying something new, or skipping a workout feels good right now. But sustainable wellness asks you to trust that you’re making deposits in your well-being bank before you see the payoff. That can feel frustrating—but it’s also why it works.
And lastly, these practices can feel too small to matter.
We want the big breakthrough. The dramatic overhaul. But ironically, it’s the smallest habits—sleeping, fueling, moving, caring for your mind—that are the most powerful over time.

I’ve been there—believing that if I wasn’t doing something impressive or extreme, it didn’t count. But your body and your spirit are not impressed by flashy moves. They respond to steady care. That’s what builds real health and real self-trust.

How to Start Without All-or-Nothing Pressure

Let’s talk about how to actually begin— without perfectionism, without pressure, and without making it another thing to measure your worth.

Here’s the truth: You don’t have to do it all. You don’t have to overhaul your life overnight. You just have to pick one small thing you can commit to this week.

Here are a few ideas:

For Sleep:
Maybe you go to bed 15 minutes earlier tonight. Or you move your phone across the room so you’re not scrolling until midnight.
For Eating Well:
You don’t have to start the latest diet trend. You could simply add one nourishing meal or snack each day—something that helps you feel energized and fueled. It could even be as simple as making sure you hit your daily water goals. Start small and build on there.
For Movement:
What would it look like to move your body for just 10 minutes? A walk around the block. A stretch session. 10 minutes of core work. That counts. For me, starting is always the toughest part, but I never regret moving my body once I’m finished. So give yourself 10 minutes and see if the momentum builds from there. It feels good to feel good and so I always remember the after feeling and not the before moments when I’m lacking motivation.
For Your Mind:
Maybe you read one page of a book in an area you’d like to grow or perhaps are struggling in. Maybe you open up a journal and just write about how you feel. Maybe you close your eyes and take three deep breaths + think of what you’re grateful for before you start your day.

That’s it. The only rule is:
Show up in a way that feels doable right now and then let it grow over time.

I think we see consistency all wrong. We’ve made it believe that it means you do the same thing every day. That’s not true.
It means you keep coming back to yourself. To your goals. To those choices that help you feel your best.
It means you trust that these tiny actions are moving you forward, even when they don’t look impressive from the outside.

Because they are. Every step you take in the direction of your best self is adding up. One step today. Ten steps tomorrow. Three the next day. Zero the day after. Maybe two more after that. It’s all moving you forward, right? That’s what consistency looks like. And these practices (your daily MEDS) are how you get your energy back, your motivation back, your life back— one small choice at a time.

Before we wrap up, here’s what I hope you take away today:

It’s easy to over complicate wellness—to think you need the newest program, the perfect routine, the flawless plan to finally feel good. But most of the time, it’s coming back to what you already know. It’s coming back to the basics. And that’s why I want you to think of this idea of taking your daily MEDS—

MENTAL HYGIENE
EXERCISE
DIET
SLEEP

And if you’re just getting started, I highly suggest starting with sleep and working your way up from there. One healthy choice at a time. These are not glamorous habits, but they’re the ones that will quietly change your entire experience of your life.

If you’re listening and thinking, “I don’t even know where to start,” let this be your permission slip to start small. One habit. One day. One choice at a time. Because you don’t have to flip your life upside down to move forward. You just have to be willing to keep showing up for the things that help you feel your best—even when it’s inconvenient, even when no one else sees it.

This is how you build a strong foundation. This is how you create real, sustainable change.

I’m proud of you for caring enough about yourself to tune in, to learn, and to try something new.

If this episode resonated, share it with a friend who’s ready to reclaim her energy, too. And if you have a moment, leaving a review helps us reach more women who are ready to build a life they don’t need to escape from.

Alright friends, until next week keep taking care of you so you can get out there and love and serve from that overflow. 🖤

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