Simple Health and Wellness Tips for a Balanced Lifestyle

The Wake-Up Call: Recognizing Health Neglect

Several years ago, I hit rock bottom—health-wise. I had spent the better part of a decade living in a constant state of high stress, high-achievement, and health-neglect. 

Daily Struggles: The Symptoms Pile Up

It didn’t take a serious diagnosis to wake me up. It was the everyday symptoms:

• ✅ A daily headache that intensified over time.
• ✅ Back and neck pain that became unbearable.
• ✅ Gastrointestinal issues and emotional outbursts (yes, yelling at Alexa!).
• ✅ A growing realization I wasn’t the giver I wanted to be in relationships.

💡 Already with me and need help in a hurry? Skip ahead to the quick wins checklist ↓

What I Tried First

Initial Escapes

At first, I reached for the usual comforts. I booked more vacations, went out to dinner more often, poured a few extra glasses of wine, indulged in more chocolate, and escaped into more TV binges. There were more spa days, more ladies’ nights out—complete with more of the same wine glasses and cocktails—and, naturally, more shopping. 

I even tried following the advice from a few popular podcast personalities. I won’t name names, but I thought maybe if I could just ‘build a 7-figure online business from some tropical locale’ —then maybe I could be the person that I wanted to be. 

The Aftermath: Left Feeling Worse

This may come as a shock…none of that worked. Or rather, it worked in the moment—briefly numbing the stress or giving me a hit of excitement—but the side effects left me feeling even worse. I was more depleted, less grounded, and no closer to the kind of life I truly wanted.

The Shift: Embracing Timeless Wellness to Build a Healthy Lifestyle

Seeking Help

When nothing else worked, I knew I needed real help. I tried counseling for the first time. To my surprise, the counselor didn’t dive straight into deep emotional work. Instead, she encouraged me to start with a few simple, timeless wellness habits while we began unpacking years of dysfunction.

Secret Sauce? Simple Habits

Everyone’s experience of self-work looks different, but I was amazed at how quickly these basic practices shifted my energy and mood. They didn’t fix everything overnight—but they gave me the strength and clarity I needed to begin the real healing.

These habits weren’t groundbreaking or trendy. In fact, they were surprisingly simple—things our grandparents might have done without thinking. (I guess the good stuff isn’t always groundbreaking, but rather grounded.)  

Getting sunlight in the morning. Exercising 30-60 minutes three times per week. Prioritizing sleep by resisting the temptation to let myself watch a just couple funny Instagram Reels (about as easy as just eating 1-2 french fries). Eating real food. Drinking water. Avoiding opening a news app and starting down the path of doom scrolling. As basic as they sound, these practices grounded me. They reminded me that healing isn’t always about doing more—it’s often about returning to what’s always worked.

Start Small, Build Steady

Try one of these and as it becomes routine, then add on the next thing. It’s hard to change all these over night. I started by working out, then I added healthy food, then sun. You know how the rest goes. Start by making small changes to your daily routine to improve overall health and wellness. Personally I have more lasting success with health regimens when I implement one small piece at a time. When I have the one thing solidly in my practice and routine, I then add another one. 

Focus on adopting a healthier lifestyle rather than trying fad diets or quick fixes.A healthier lifestyle can help you feel more energized and focused throughout the day. Incorporate wellness tips into your daily routine to improve physical and mental health. A well-balanced diet and regular exercise can help you maintain a healthy weight and reduce the risk of chronic diseases. Atomic Habits by James Clear book can help you solidify your understanding of how incremental changes change the trajectory of your life. 

Physical Wellness: Building a Strong Foundation

Stay hydrated

I aim to drink around eight glasses of water each day—not perfectly, but pretty consistently. When I do, I feel clearer and more energized. I keep a water bottle beside me at my desk and Ive replaced wine with sparkling water in the evenings.  The Costco Kirklands pack with lemon, grapefruit, and lime is my current favorite flavor. Hydration salt packs are super popular at the moment – I don’t knock these, but I keep the for use on special days, such as intermittent fasting times, during my cycle, if I have to be outside all day in the Texas sun. 

Fuel Your Energy Fire With a Healthful Diet

I ditched the word “healthy” for “healthful” because I know firsthand how brutal it can be to eat right when life is throwing curveballs and your schedule is delightfully maxed out. When I geared up to tackle this beast, I aimed for wins that would actually stick. 

Cooking at home made a huge difference. I don’t eat perfectly, but I try to make real food the baseline—fresh veggies, lean proteins, whole-ish grains. I notice I sleep better and feel more stable emotionally when I avoid processed stuff.

Immune Booster 

The biggest change was my immune system.  I am around young children often, and I used to catch nearly every cold I encountered.  Nowadays, if I am careful of my diet and mental health, I’ve noticed I can be around sick people without necessarily being doomed to the same fate. 

• Focus on eating a variety of healthy foods, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins.
• A healthy diet can help you lose weight and reduce the risk of chronic diseases like heart disease and diabetes.
• Limit processed foods and added sugars, which can be detrimental to physical health.
• Cook at home using fresh ingredients to ensure you’re getting the nutrients your body needs.

Mental Health and Self-Care

Prioritize Mental Health

One of the best decisions we made was to invest in counseling, even if it meant cutting back on extras like dining out. That choice paid off in ways no price tag ever could.  

If therapy isn’t in the budget right now, don’t give up. YouTube has helpful voices like Dr. John Deloney, Dr. Henry Cloud, Kris Reece (faith-based), and Therapy in a Nutshell. For deeper struggles, consider support groups like AA, Al-Anon, Gamblers Anonymous, or Re-Generation.

What truly amazed me about the wellness journey was the enormous impact that simple, timeless physical wellness practices had on my mental health.  Even more surprising? The size of the impact a healthy mind made on my body. Gaining some ground on cleaning up my mental health helped me to feel like I was flourishing physically. My hope is that you get to feel that shift too–you’ve got this.

Take Time for Yourself

Quiet alone time has become sacred to me. A walk, reading, a solo coffee—all help me recharge and let my brain slow down. And often, those are the moments where clarity shows up.

Look for Moments of Delight

Trying to be happy all the time seemed a bit ambitious, a little out of reach for me. But staying alert to any little sparks of delight throughout the day? That’s made a noticeable difference. It’s amazing how many good moments can quietly add up during a day. 

Relationships and Social Connections

Nurture Relationships

We’re not meant to live life alone!

 I’ve tried to be more intentional with check-ins, shared activities, even just sending a quick text to a friend. Practically, what this means is I pick a time when I am stuck somewhere (not driving) and have allocated that time as text / call time.  It’s now a habit when I am in that space, I reach for my phone and think about who I want to call or text that day.  We may not always connect, but something is gained by showing up—it goes a long way.

Also, I try to attend regularly at specific fitness classes.  When you go to the same ones consistently, you start to have familiar and friendly acquaintances.  For me, a handful of acquaintances have turned into friends. 

Lifestyle Habits

Get Sunlight

Morning sunlight is a powerful tool. It boosts vitamin D, helps regulate sleep through melatonin, and lifts your mood with serotonin.  In seasons of life that were less hectic, I would take a 15-minute walk most mornings. To keep it simple, I skip sunglasses for the first 20-30 minutes of my morning commute and crack the car windows for fresh air and sunlight. 

Get Moving

If exercise is new to you, I personally wouldn’t go all in right away. A brisk walk, a few yoga poses—whatever you can to get started. I’m happy to report that I have now been a regular exerciser for a couple years, so I aim for at least 30 minutes 3-4 times per week, but even 10 minutes will start the day off in the right direction if 10 minutes is what you have. 

Get Fresh Air

Nature soothes. Whether it’s gardening (which these days is me just watering a handful of plants), walking, watching your kids’ sports games or practice or just sitting outside on a patio, breathing in fresh air is such a lovely reset. I’ve made it a habit to schedule something outside some most evenings for at least 10 minutes. 

Intermittent Fasting

This one was a personal game-changer. I had heard (and been absolutely fascinated) by people who would do a 18:6 eating window (18 hours NOT eating and 6 eating).  How nice to save the time of meal planning and preparation!  I wondered how in the world they could do such a thing.  When I tried to emulate them, I was just so, so hungry! That is, until I discovered Fast Like a Girl by Dr. Mindy Pelz. Following the advice in the book, I was able to identify that my problem wasn’t trying not to eat, but rather the low quality of nutrition I was eating at eating times. (Any other sugar lovers out there?!) Now I feel more focused, more energized, and less chained to constant snacking.

Reduce the news

Remember when the COVID pandemic started, and we were all glued to the news to figure out what in the world was going on? I started to notice a correlation between the time I spent on the news and my anxiety level.  After several weeks spun up in knots, I realized I had to cut back on the news.  Too often articles were highly politicized and divisive.  No matter where you land politically, it can’t be healthy to linger in a state of outrage.  I tried to get rid of the news app altogether.  While Apple News is a pre-installed app and can’t be removed, I was able to bury it in a folder with other default apps that came with the phone. It’s not easily accessible and I rarely remember it.  I also took news off the widgets section to reduce the temptation to click.  Don’t worry, I still get plenty of news.  Just not constant, unrelenting, never-ending news. 

Growth and Gratitude

Try something new

Whether it’s a new class, a creative hobby, or a personal challenge—growth is energizing. I love using platforms like Udemy for learning.  I love seeing the progress to goal when I finish a lesson for a course I bought. Friends of mine seem to enjoy sport lessons and classes.  Bonus points if while you are doing this you step out of your comfort zone and meet some new people. . 

Practice Gratitude

Each night, I reflect on 1-3 things I’m grateful for. Some days it’s big. Some days it’s tiny. But this habit has shifted my focus from what’s missing to what’s meaningful.

Conclusion

You don’t have to change everything at once. Pick one thing. Let it become part of your life. Then try another. Healing and health aren’t about hustle—they’re about figuring out what works. And then adding on incremental positive habits once you’ve mastered the ones before it. Let us know your simple health hacks in the comments.