Holistic Health - 5 Pillars

Holistic wellness isn’t one perfect routine or a strict set of rules. I see it as five pillars that support your overall health and quality of life:

Nutrition • Movement • Sleep/Rest • Community • Mindset

When one pillar is off, you’ll usually feel it. When multiple pillars are supported, you feel more energized, grounded, and like you again.

Nutrition - is the fuel that supports your energy, mood, hormones, digestion, and daily life. If you’re eating mostly processed foods or grabbing what’s convenient, it can leave you feeling sluggish, inflamed, and stuck in cravings.

Shifting toward more whole foods can truly be life-changing (it was for me, and I’ve seen it for so many people). Many people feel lighter, clearer, and more energized — and for some, body composition changes naturally as a result.

This doesn’t need to be all-or-nothing. It’s an adjustment to move away from the Standard American Diet, but with desire + aligned action, it’s absolutely possible.

Try this this week: Add one whole-food upgrade per day (example: protein + fruit at breakfast, or an extra serving of veggies at dinner).

Movement - supports every system in your body — circulation, metabolism, mobility, mood, stress regulation… all of it. The best place to start is simple:

Choose movement you actually enjoy.

Walking and yoga are amazing options — and bonus: they’re free. The only requirement is your willingness to commit with your time, presence, and energy.

When you’re ready, strength training can be a powerful next step. Research shows it supports things like strength, bone health, confidence, and mental wellbeing — and it can help improve insulin sensitivity and support body composition goals over time. It also helps create that “toned” look so many people want.

Strength training doesn’t have to mean a gym. It can be bodyweight, bands, dumbbells, or machines - the key is consistency.

Try this this week: Two 15-minute strength sessions (squats, hinges, pushes, pulls) or a 20-minute walk 3–4 days.

Rest, sleep, and recovery - they’re essential. Sleep is where your body repairs, regulates hormones, integrates learning, and resets your nervous system.

A supportive goal is around 7-9 hours of sleep per night (8 is a great aim). If you can’t hit that every night, that’s okay - do your best to make it a priority most nights. Once you feel the difference of restorative sleep, you naturally start protecting it more.

And a loving reminder: rest is not doom scrolling. Rest is intentional - something that leaves you feeling calmer and more grounded afterward.

Examples:

• Yoga Nidra

• breathwork

• foam rolling

• massage

• meditation

• journaling

• nature time

Try this this week: Create a 20-minute “wind-down” routine (dim lights, no phone, tea, stretch, read, or breathwork).

Community - We aren’t meant to do life alone. Community supports health in ways people often underestimate — emotionally, mentally, and even physically.

Find your community (and ideally, multiple kinds of community):

• invite a friend for a walk

• join a class or workshop

• connect with neighbors

• reach out to loved ones

• practice active listening and real connection

Support is a two-way street: receive it, and give it.

Try this this week: Reach out to one person and plan one connection point (coffee, a walk, a class, a phone call).

Mindset - Your mindset is the inner environment you live in every day.

What are the voices saying in your head? How do you talk to yourself? Is it loving and compassionate… or is your inner critic running the show?

There are many ways to gently rewire old patterns, but two simple ones to start with are:

Gratitude practice: Write or say 10 things you’re grateful for each morning or evening. This trains your brain to notice what’s working and what’s good - and over time, it can shift your baseline.

Catch and reframe negative thoughts: This one is challenging, but life-changing. It takes awareness and practice. When you notice an automatic negative thought, pause and rewrite it.

Example:“I never have enough time.” → “I’ll use my time intentionally and do what I can today.”

Try this this week: Choose one reframe you practice every day.

Bringing it all together

Thinking about wellness as five separate areas can feel overwhelming - but my hope is that it’s also empowering.

Instead of “fixing everything,” you can focus on one pillar at a time. If you already feel strong in one or two areas, celebrate that. Then choose the next pillar you feel most drawn to and take one aligned step.

Small steps compound — and over time, those steps become your new identity.

If you want support building your foundation (without burnout or perfectionism), I’d love to help. Schedule a discovery call or explore my offerings on my website.