Self-Improvement Habits That Won’t Make You Want to Scream
By Sienna — Spontaneous, playful, a little chaotic. Life's an adventure and I'm dragging you along. ·
Look, if I see one more “5 AM morning routine” video where someone is doing pilates in a sun-drenched loft while sipping matcha, I’m going to lose it. Seriously. My life? It’s currently 11:30 PM, I’m sitting in the front seat of Gerald—my Honda Civic, may he rest in internal combustion peace—and I’m eating a gas station taco while waiting for a wrap call on set. My life is not curated. It is, however, incredibly full.
People keep asking me, “Sienna, how do you stay so, like, you without falling apart?” It’s not about meditation apps or expensive planners. It’s about building self-improvement habits that actually fit into a chaotic, messy, beautiful life. Because if a habit feels like a chore, you won’t do it. If it feels like an adventure? You’ll be obsessed.
The “No-Big-Deal” Habit Stacking
I’m a Type 7 with an 8 wing, which is basically a fancy way of saying I have the attention span of a goldfish with a caffeine addiction. If I try to overhaul my life in one week, I fail. Instead, I use habit stacking. If you’re already doing something, tack something else onto it.
I drink water while my coffee brews. I listen to a historical podcast while I’m driving through LA traffic (which, let’s be real, is basically a permanent state of being). My favorite? I do a “brain dump” in my Notes app while I’m sitting in the makeup chair on set. It clears the mental clutter so I don’t snap at the talent—or Cole, when he inevitably calls to tell me he’s stranded somewhere. It’s not a “journaling practice”; it’s just me keeping my sanity intact.
Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable (On Purpose)
When I moved to Silver Lake at 19 with $800 and a dream, I didn’t have a self-help book. I had panic and a lot of grit. I learned that the best version of me only shows up when I’m slightly terrified.
I practice “Micro-Adventures.” Once a week, I go to a neighborhood I’ve never been to, walk into a random shop, and ask the person working there what their favorite local spot is. Then I go there. It sounds small, but it breaks the cycle of routine-induced numbness. When you force yourself to be a stranger in your own city, you stop being reactive and start being curious. Growth happens when you stop asking “What if this goes wrong?” and start asking “What if this is the start of a great story?”
Treat Your Energy Like a Bank Account
I used to say yes to everything. Parties, extra shifts, last-minute errands for my brother—I was running on empty. Then I realized my energy is currency. I’m not spending it on things that drain me without giving anything back.
I started the “HELL YES” rule. If you ask me to do something, my internal barometer has to hit a “Hell Yes.” If it’s a “maybe,” it’s a “no.” This applies to work projects that aren’t worth the headache, social events that feel like a chore, and even the people you spend your time with. Protect your spark. If you’re constantly pouring from an empty cup, you’re not self-improving, you’re just self-destructing.
The Five-Minute Reset
Sometimes, the wheels fall off. The set goes over, my car makes a weird clunking noise, and I miss my rent deadline by a hair. It’s okay. When I feel the spiral coming, I do the Five-Minute Reset. I put my phone in a different room, set a timer for five minutes, and just stop. No screens, no talking, no production radio. I just breathe.
In our world, we think self-improvement means doing more. Sometimes, the most evolved thing you can do is absolutely nothing. It’s a reset button for your nervous system. By the time the timer goes off, you’re usually grounded enough to tackle whatever mess is waiting for you next.
Curate Your Chaos
Here’s a secret: You don’t need to be organized to be successful. You just need to know where you put your keys (I’m still working on this one, don’t judge). Stop trying to be the person who has a perfectly color-coded life. Be the person who can handle the chaos with a smirk.
Self-improvement is not about reaching a final destination where you’re suddenly perfect, calm, and drinking green juice all day. It’s about becoming more resilient. It’s about knowing that even if the Honda breaks down on the 101, you’ll figure it out. You’ve figured it out before, right?
Life is a wild ride, and I’m definitely not going to slow down just to fit into some mold of what a “productive person” looks like. I’d rather be the girl who knows 47 ways to fix a production disaster and still has time to catch a sunset.
So, what’s one small, non-boring thing you’re going to do for yourself this week? Are you going to take that different route home? Are you going to say no to the thing you’re dreading? Hit me up in the comments or shoot me a DM—I want to hear about your adventures. Let’s make things a little more interesting, yeah?