Good morning.

This year taught me that tiny tweaks can actually shift how I move through the day — and how many habits I’ve been doing on autopilot. Like, do I actually need to rinse my dishes before I load the dishwasher, or is a quick scrape into the garbage and a prayer enough?

With cold and flu season in full swing, I'm leaning on this grocery list of foods that help fight back — and are apparently better than some supplements — to keep me healthy. As far as my sleep routine goes, the "10-3-2-1-0" countdown promised to put us to sleep faster. Honestly, I don't know if it worked or if I just tired myself out. But I'm calling it a win — and setting my alarms for 2026.

If those hacks haven't changed your life yet, the most efficient way to have a meltdown will. Spoiler: Shower crying has competition. The point is, we can all be humbled by basic everyday tasks. So we pulled together our favorite cheat codes to save you even more time and stress in 2026 (because apparently winging it isn’t a strategy).

— Mallory Simon / Writer / New York, NY