I Tried Living Intentionally For a Week - Here's What Changed

I needed a reset.

In December 2025, I quit my 9-5. It was an easy decision energetically, but it upended my life. I was so burnt out from the chaos of two working parents with two small kids and too many activities and no time to clean the house or make nutritious food for my family for years. The house felt neglected and there was so much to do to get back on track.

On top of that, I had been creating a program for myself and others like me surrounding building my dream life: honing in on my core values, getting really clear on what in my life was misaligned with those values, and trying to manifest the dream I had in mind for my family (if you want to check out how I did that, here's the link.)

I was actively trying to manifest my dream life while simultaneously feeling consistent stress and overwhelm. It was hard to know where to start and sometimes that caused decision paralysis. I decided it was time for a reset and a change.

What "intentional living" meant for me

I knew that my life could not be changed in a day. I also knew that I have a tendency to create schedules, to-do lists, and systems on day 1 and abandon those by day 10. I just wanted to feel like I was making small accumulative changes within my home and family life that would ultimately lead me to the dream.

That's where intention came in for me. There was obviously too much to do all at once, so I had to be very intentional with my time. This is still a work in progress for me. But I committed to just one week of intentional living, where I would prioritize the items that truly make a difference in building the life I want to create and rid myself of the noise and chaos that didn't matter.

How I approached the week

I didn’t create a strict routine or try to follow a rigid plan. If anything, I did the opposite.

I focused on one small intention each day—things like:

• paying attention to how I was spending my time

• clearing one small space

• putting my phone down more often

• being fully present in one moment

Nothing big. Nothing overwhelming. Just enough to create a little space in my day.

What my week actually looked like

Slowing down felt more uncomfortable than I'd imagined it would at first. I spent time worrying about the things that didn't get done, and I kept picking up my phone. That might have been the most difficult piece - realizing how much free time we actually have when we don't reach for the phone all day. I was so used to filling every moment.

And despite the overwhelm that it caused me, my brain was looking for more to stress about.

Somewhere around the middle of the week, something started to shift.

I made my coffee and actually sat down to drink it—without multitasking.
I stepped outside for a few minutes just to breathe.
I noticed my kids in a different way—less distracted, more present.

Nothing about my life had drastically changed. But it felt quieter. Softer.

By the end of the week, I realized something important: my days weren’t necessarily less busy—they just felt less chaotic. I wasn’t rushing through everything the same way. I wasn’t trying to do it all at once. I was just there. With my family in the thick of it. That alone made such a difference. It wasn’t a dramatic transformation, but it was enough.

I felt calmer.
I felt more present with my kids.
I felt less pressure to be constantly productive.

And for the first time in a while, my days felt like something I was experiencing—not just getting through (this was huge for me).

What I learned (and what I'd do differently)

The only thing I would have done differently is start sooner. I felt amazing after this first week of intentional living, and just wished I had been doing it longer. The peace and calm it afforded me was worth everything.

I learned that I didn't need to create an entire system to start feeling better. I could start very small, and those small changes would still benefit me. It didn't have to happen all at once.

I learned that all it takes is adding a little more intention into the moments you already do have.

And slowing down, even just a little, can change the way your entire day feels.

You can start living intentionally, too.

If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed, disconnected, or just a little “off,” you’re not alone; and you don’t need to wait for the perfect time to reset your life.

You can start small.
You can start where you are.
You can start with one simple shift.

After going through this myself, I turned what I did into a simple, step-by-step guide. It’s called A Week of Intentional Living, and it walks you through the same kind of gentle reset—one day at a time. Nothing overwhelming or unrealistic (because creating all that would be just as stressful as the chaos you're trying to eliminate). Just small, doable shifts to help you feel more calm, present, and in control again.

If that’s something you’ve been craving, you can start here. I hope it works wonders for you like it did for me.