• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Pug Partners
  • contact/pr
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Bloglovin
    • Facebook
    • Goodreads
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • Threads
    • TikTok

Runs With Pugs

ok, the pugs don't run, but we do

  • Race Recaps & Running Adventures
  • Travel
  • Recipes
  • Link Ups
  • instagram Landing Page

The Latest

Finding My Center: Why Mental Wellness Is More Than A Spa Day

Beyond the Brunch: 5 Ways To Actually Recharge This Mother’s Day (Running Edition)

Race Report: The Spud Run 10K (4.25.26)

You are here: Home / Uncategorized / Finding My Center: Why Mental Wellness Is More Than A Spa Day

Finding My Center: Why Mental Wellness Is More Than A Spa Day

May 12, 2026      Leave a Comment

In a world that demands 100% of our attention 100% of the time, the definition of mental wellness has shifted, at least for me. It is no longer a luxury reserved for spa days or retreats; it is the vital, daily practice of reclaiming your own mental real estate. When we are constantly bombarded by notifications and expectations, finding wellness means learning how to sit in the quiet. Here is what mental wellness means to me in the context of our modern, busy lives.

Silence the Digital Noise

The doom scroll is perhaps the most efficient way to drain your mental battery without even realizing it. We think we’re relaxing when we pick up our phones, but we are actually bombarding our brains with a filtered, high-stress reality that isn’t ours. True wellness right now means setting a digital curfew, deciding when the world gets to talk to you and when it doesn’t. It’s about putting the phone down and realizing that the most important updates aren’t on an app; they are in the room with you.

Reclaim Your Identity Through Hobbies

It is so easy to let our identities get swallowed up by our roles, being a parent, a professional, a partner, or a caregiver. Wellness is the act of remembering who you are when no one is watching or wanting something from you. Investing in a hobby, whether it’s running, gardening, reading, or painting, is an investment in your own durability. It provides a sense of accomplishment and leisure that is often missing from adult life, proving that you are more than just the sum of your responsibilities.

Movement As A Mental Reset

For many of us, movement is the most direct path to mental clarity. It’s a great way to use calories and hit training goals, but it’s also about burning off the day’s cortisol. Physicality allows the brain to shift from on to off. Any movement counts: a twenty-minute walk in the fresh air, a long, meditative trail run, a swim, a bike ride, or anything that suits your fancy. The rhythm of movement provides a sanctuary where you can process your thoughts without interruption.

The Power Of No

We often think of wellness as adding something to our lives: a new supplement, a new habit, a new routine. But right now, wellness is often about what you remove. It’s the power of the intentional no. It’s deciding that your energy is a finite resource and choosing not to spend it on things that don’t serve your peace. Setting a boundary isn’t an act of aggression; it’s an act of self-preservation that allows you to be more present for the things that actually matter.

What does mental wellness look like to you right now?

Link Up With Tuesday Topics

Welcome back to Tuesday Topics, as Jenny, from Runners Fly joins Jenn at Runs With Pugs to co-host this link-up! Please join us every week for a new topic! Write on our weekly prompt or choose your own topic! Make sure to add your post to the link up, link back to your hosts, and comment on the other shared posts!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

CommentLuv badgeShow more posts

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Well, Hello There

bio
Welcome to Runs With Pugs. My name is Jenn and this is the story of my love affair with running and finding myself through fitness. From C25K to marathon, from triathlon to SUP, from broken leg to the recovery journey... I'm sharing it all. I'm a wife and mother of one, living in NE Florida, in love with travel, adventure, and food. Oh. We have a grumble of pugs, too. Thank you for joining us! We're glad to have you along for the ride!

Let’s Connect!

Follow on Bloglovin


Partners

Pugs Run 50 States

Search Posts

Recent Posts

  • Finding My Center: Why Mental Wellness Is More Than A Spa Day
  • Beyond the Brunch: 5 Ways To Actually Recharge This Mother’s Day (Running Edition)
  • Race Report: The Spud Run 10K (4.25.26)
  • Dear Running: A Mother’s Day Love Letter to the Miles
  • The Race Day Meltdown: Why It Fell Apart + How To Get Back Up

Currently Reading

Jennifer's books

The Other Mrs.
The Skylark's Secret
Holly
Queen of Shadows
Archer's Voice
Heir of Fire
The Assassin's Blade
Lore Olympus: Volume One
By Any Other Name
Out There Screaming
Crown of Midnight
Throne of Glass
How to Kill Men and Get Away with It
Verity
Wrong Place Wrong Time
A Fever in the Heartland: The Ku Klux Klan's Plot to Take Over America, and the Woman Who Stopped Them
Sisters in Law: How Sandra Day O'Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg Went to the Supreme Court and Changed the World
The Girl in the Leaves
The Pale-Faced Lie
Yellowface


Jennifer PugRunner's favorite books »

Archives

Footer

disclaimer

I am not a doctor or medical professional, nor do I play one on the internet. This blog reflects my personal experiences on my own fitness and running journey, and the processes that work for me. Before you begin any exercise regiment, please consult your physician.
Team Bears Bocce Battlestar Galactica made it to t Team Bears Bocce Battlestar Galactica made it to the third round of the 2nd Annual Bocce Fest, benefitting @stronglikesteve!

This is always such a great community event, centered around an incredibly inclusive event and with proceeds going to provide awareness, community outreach, education, advocacy and funding for organizations and individuals caring for adults with intellectual and developmental differences.

Founder @steph_sanalila does such a wonderful job with this event, making a fun environment for players, creating volunteer opportunities for local students and honoring the memory of her brother.

Visit https://www.stronglikestevefoundation.org/about for more info on how you can help!

#boccefest #bearsboccebattlestargalactica #worldgolfvillage #worldgolfliving #bocce #stronglikesteve #bethechange #makeadifference
The pug side eye side eye. @lunanleonidas #pug The pug side eye side eye.

@lunanleonidas

 #pug #sweetlunapug

 #pugpuppy #puglife #pugsandkisses #pugbaby #pugsofinstagram #pugstagram #grumbleinc #grumble #pugstagram #pugworld #carlino #thetomcoteshow #dogstagram #petstagram #pugoftheday #pugsdaily #pugstyle #904dogs #keelysafternoontea #pugfeaturedaily #pugclub #dailybarker #woofpackbros #woofpackbros4life #woofpackhotties #woofpackkitties #woofpackfamily #dogsconnectingtheworld
Drinking in that sunshine for sure! It was a bea Drinking in that sunshine for sure! 

It was a beautiful morning that turned quickly into a beautiful day. Sundays are hard because they are immediately  followed by Mondays, and Mondays are hard.

Lots to catch up on this week! April is chock full of holidays, birthdays, days off, and events, so let’s get to it!

#Running #streakingwiththecoolkids
About this morning… I was up and out early to dri About this morning…

I was up and out early to drive to Flagler Beach for the #Missionpossible5k.

It was a small, well organized event, with an easy-to-follow course (the last mile was almost exclusively an ocean view), with great shirts and swag.

I was really pleased with my performance, and even more pleased with this beach sunrise. I’ll share more on the #RunnersRundown on Wednesday, so stay tuned!

Where did you run or race this weekend?

#Running #streakingwiththecoolkids
Oh, hello long sleeves. I’m here for it. So good Oh, hello long sleeves. I’m here for it.

So good to stretch the legs today. I was super sore after a @runsmartofficial cross training session last night, and needed to just get out there and let the fresh air work its magic.

What are you up to today? I really need to take a moment with my calendar and get some plans locked into place. 

#running #streakingwiththecoolkids
He’s gonna get it, one of these days. 🍌 @lunanle He’s gonna get it, one of these days. 🍌 

@lunanleonidas 

 #pug #sweetlunapug

 #pugpuppy #puglife #pugsandkisses #pugbaby #pugsofinstagram #pugstagram #grumbleinc #grumble #pugstagram #pugworld #carlino #thetomcoteshow #dogstagram #petstagram #pugoftheday #pugsdaily #pugstyle #904dogs #keelysafternoontea #pugfeaturedaily #pugclub #dailybarker #woofpackbros #woofpackbros4life #woofpackhotties #woofpackkitties #woofpackfamily #dogsconnectingtheworld #cheesetax
Check out those blue skies! I got to sleep in AND Check out those blue skies!

I got to sleep in AND take advantage of some cooler temps. It really didn’t warm up until my last mile and that was just fine.

I feel like this month and next are really just flying by. So much is going on, and I want so badly to enjoy it all, including the crisp, sunny days where we find them!

#Running #streakingwiththecoolkids
Kind of a meh day. I got in some walking miles and Kind of a meh day. I got in some walking miles and some balance and strength work through @runsmartofficial.

Tomorrow will be cooler and more productive for sure!

#running #streakingwiththecoolkids
Happy Monday! I don’t know about you all, but you Happy Monday!

I don’t know about you all, but your girl is TIRED. It is so hard to roll out of bed some mornings. Ugh. 

I managed (finally) and banked six miles in some gross humidity. And now it’s time for some self care and then back to work.

Also. We have somehow acquired a pecan tree? Any tips on the growth and care of this would be greatly appreciated!

#Running #streakingwiththecoolkids
Sunday fun day! Just a short walk to start the da Sunday fun day!

Just a short walk to start the day and work out some stiffness. Some days, my ankle just doesn’t want to cooperate 🫤

I have been making graphics and content all day for a client, and now I’m about to do hair and makeup for a little event. Wheee! 

This week is going to be BUSY! There’s a lot of changes to the regular routines (nails, a digital learning day, after school and weekend programming) and I have a race on Saturday and bocce ball on Sunday! 

Who else is ready to dive in?!

#Running #streakingwiththecoolkids

Copyright © 2026 · Wordpress Theme by Hello Yay!