Patty Mayeux Blog

I am choosing upgrades as a theme for 2026. Sounds good, right? I don’t mean the ones that come with a cost attached, I’m talking about self-doled upgrades. Like adding a few exercises to my morning routine and pre-mixing ingredients for morning smoothies, walking more and taking the right kinds of supplements to well, supplement veggie-forward meals. Even my downtime has upgraded from binging to reading and pen and paper puzzling instead of electronic games (see Lower Tech January). And if you haven’t tried five minutes of slow breathing (the goal is six breaths per minute instead of the average 12), I recommend it for a quick way to slow your internal roll. This year, I am adopting this simplified version of “Treat Yoself.” Not just a day of treats or treatments, but a lifestyle that honors the future me who will be grateful when my body continues to do what I ask with nary a complaint. No botox or cosmetic anything other than cleansing and creaming, flossing and brushing for a beefed-up routine morning and night. Where are you on the luxury spectrum? What small thing could you do to implement a personal upgrade? Your future self will thank you for it.