4 Stress Traps I'm Skipping This Summer and What I'm Doing Instead.

Summer is supposed to feel like a break. A slowdown. A chance to breathe.

But for most moms (myself included), summer often feels like more: More kids at home. More meals to cook. More late nights. More social events (and temptations). And the reality... less time for myself.

In the past, this used to throw me into full-on anxiety mode. If I couldn’t keep my workout schedule, stick to my food plan, or stay productive with work — I felt like I was failing and I would get resentful. I was clinging to my routines for dear life — and when summer kid chaos disrupted them, the guilt and frustration would creep in fast.

I’m still unwinding that perfectionism. But today, I want to share how I’m approaching this summer differently — with flexibility, intention, and zero guilt — and how you can too.

1️⃣ Movement: Letting Go of Workout Perfection

I used to believe if I wasn’t doing my regular workouts — my exact class, my gym session — it didn’t “count.”

Now? I move how I can.

In the summer, I workout with my kids. We go to the beach, play soccer, swim. I even bring a kettlebell or resistance band to the beach (yes, I am that mom), get a tan and a workout at the same time. My kids may cringe, but I get my movement in — and I feel good.

The shift: Movement doesn’t need to be perfect. It needs to be consistent and joyful. If you’re moving your body, you’re winning.

2️⃣ Sleep: Shifting My Schedule (Instead of Fighting It)

I’m naturally an early riser. 6AM yoga has been my thing for years. But summer changes everything: the kids stay up later, and honestly, I want to enjoy that time with them.

This summer, I’m shifting to later bedtimes — and moving my workouts to mid-morning after the kids leave for camp.

And if I’m being completely honest: I’m starting to question whether my early mornings were always healthy — or if they were just one more way I was constantly pushing myself.

With Hashimoto’s, cortisol management is everything. And I’m learning that resting more might actually be better for my hormones than forcing the early grind.

The shift: Challenge your assumptions about what “healthy discipline” looks like. Sometimes softening your routine is what your body truly needs.

3️⃣ Food: Simplifying Summer Meals for Sanity

Summer food chaos is real — and in my house, the kitchen becomes a 24/7 buffet for not just my kids, but every neighborhood kid too.

The mess? It drives me crazy.The constant requests for pizza and fries? Kill me (especially as a nutrition practitioner).But I’ve learned to pick my battles.

This summer, I’m simplifying with batch prep basics:

• Slow cooker shredded chicken

• Beans & rice

• Taco meat

• Easy grab-and-go bowl ingredients

When the kids get home from camp, they can build their own meals — without defaulting to junk food or making my kitchen a war zone.

The shift: Simple prep = less mess, less stress, healthier kids, happier mom.

4️⃣ Summer Socializing and Drinking

Here’s the big one: summer drinking is HUGE.

We are sold this message that summer fun and alcohol are inseparable: beaches, BBQs, lakes, vacations. Booze is baked into it all.

But, as your alcohol free coach, I’m reminding you to question that narrative.

Here is how I stay comfortably alcohol free and not awkward:

• I stock my fridge with alcohol-free drinks I love (so many great adaptogenic & functional options exist now).

• I plan active social time with friends: walks, coffee dates, beach yoga — creating social moments that doesn't center on booze

• Saying No to events that don't suit me: If I’m not into a certain event, I don’t force it. Protecting my peace matters more than proving anything.

The shift: You don’t need alcohol to relax.You need to redefine what relaxation looks like for you.

Why I’m Tying This to My Cycle (and You Should Too)

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned through my alcohol-free journey is how much alcohol dysregulates our hormones — especially for women in perimenopause.

Drinking through summer while your hormones are already fluctuating creates:

• More sleep disruption

• Higher cortisol

• Increased inflammation

• Worsened PMS or perimenopause symptoms

• More blood sugar instability

This is why I now teach women to Stop Drinking with Cycle Syncing.

When you start understanding where you are in your cycle (and in perimenopause), you can finally work with your hormones instead of constantly fighting your body — while removing one of the biggest disruptors: alcohol. This is a on demand course that you can do at your own pace for sober curious women who have tried and failed with willpower, and want to finally take their power back in their health.

Ready to get started? Don’t Wait for Fall.

If you're thinking:

Let me gently challenge that:

👉 Summer is actually the perfect time to start.

• You can practice in real life settings.

• You’ll wake up feeling better for family vacations, beach days, and late nights.

• You can actually feel the difference alcohol-free living makes in your mood, energy, and hormones — faster.

✨ If you're ready to finally stop drinking, balance your hormones, and heal your body with food — check out start your Stop Drinking With Cycle Syncing

The first of it's kind program, a 28-day hormone-informed reset that helps you FINALLY break the habit by tuning in to what your female body ACTUALLY needs. Start your summer feeling better, not worse.

You do not need to lose yourself this summer. You get to soften your routines — with intention — and step into the healthiest version of you. I’m here when you’re ready. 💛