Ever find yourself staring at your pet thinking, “What do we even do for enrichment again?” Same. Today we’re walking through how to build your pet’s Enrichment Menu: a simple, sanity-saving list of activities you already know help you and your pet.

We’ll chat through how to brain-dump everything you’ve ever tried, how to remember what actually worked, and how to sort it all out so Future You (the tired, overwhelmed, “I can’t handle one more thing” version) can grab the right option without thinking. Whether you’re prepping for a big life change or just trying to survive a Tuesday, your enrichment menu can make meeting your pet’s needs feel doable, even when you’re oh so tired.

TLDL (too long, didn’t listen): 3 Key Takeaways

1️⃣ Your brain isn’t broken – When life gets messy, it’s normal to forget all the good things you’ve done with your pet. Reduce your cognitive load and create a reference menu.

2️⃣ The magic is in knowing the outcome, not just the activity – Not all activities are enrichment, but most activities are effort. Tracking how each activity affects your pet helps you choose what they need right now.

3️⃣ Categorizing by effort + effectiveness = stress-saving clarity – Sorting activities into four buckets makes it easy to grab a high-effect, low-effort option when you’re exhausted, or proactively plan ahead when a big life change is coming.

For the full episode show notes, including the resources mentioned in this episode, go here.

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