Wellness is defined differently depending on who you speak to.

For me, wellness is actively aligning your daily choices with a sustainable and healthy lifestyle that feels fulfilling and enriching physically, emotionally, and mentally.

Sounds like a lot.. because it is. #justbeinghonest

Every day, I work toward viewing this as an opportunity to empower myself and cultivate a life I’m proud to call my own. Making this perspective shift has helped in making this a goal I’m excited to pursue daily. If I hadn’t, this would feel like an endless to-do list of things I have to do versus things I want to do.

The saying goes that discipline is freedom, and I agree. When we have discipline, we open the door to living a life we’re excited to wake up to every morning. Routines and habits are the root of this, especially in wellness, and it’s because of them that we can automate certain other areas of our life. Once we find our groove in how we show up for ourselves and our well-being, we can focus deeper on our hobbies, life goals, and relationships aka the things that spark joy and fill our hearts.

Below, I want to touch on three things to consider when starting a wellness journey so you can let go of that overwhelming feeling and start shifting into empowerment. There is no greater feeling than feeling in control of your health and happiness and before you begin, these are the areas I believe should be taken into consideration.

The season of life you’re in

Starting a wellness journey in your 20’s is going to look different than starting in your 30’s. It’s also going to look different if you have children versus not. Or whether you have a work-from-home job versus something outside the house.

These are just a few examples but all impact the time commitment, focus, and funds you can give to wellness.

Understanding the season of life you’re in will help you take into account how much energy, time, and resources you have. From my personal experience, there is no way I could have devoted the amount of time and energy into exercise outside the home (I love barre classes) during the newborn phases of my children versus now; My energy was simply non-existent and that’s okay.

Pay attention to the pockets of the day that you can devote some time to movement as well as how consistent you can be. Control what you can and let go of what you cannot while giving yourself grace during the start of a lifestyle shift.

Start small. Start smart. And work yourself into routines that fit your current lifestyle so they are sustainable and truly bring you joy. I go deeper into exactly where to start in this post.

Your “why”

You’re going to have to do some digging for this one but it will really make a difference on how you approach your wellness journey and how long you stay in it.

Anything superficial, in my opinion, cannot be your main why because it won’t be enough to sustain you when you’re tired, don’t want to, or simply over it.

After my second baby, health was not a priority for me. I gave birth during the pandemic and my oldest wasn’t even two yet so all our focus was on them and their well-being.

Without a doubt, there was a disconnect between how I wanted to show up for myself and my children versus my capability because of my lack of energy. Quickly I realized something had to change and taking care of myself was the start. To this day, my “why” is very future focused. In giving myself space for movement and creating better choices around food and how I spend my time, I knew I was creating a stronger, healthier, and happier “me” that could be more present and feel good in my body – now and as I get older.

The people you surround yourself with

Surrounding yourself with like-minded people who are equally as excited – if not more – about wellness will be a game-changer in your journey. Like I mentioned above, I really enjoy barre so routinely going to classes has naturally started friendships with other women who regularly do barre as well.

Getting honest about who you follow online and how they make you feel will also make a big difference in your wellness journey. I deleted or muted people who I felt didn’t do anything for me but bring up negative thoughts about myself. I now enjoy following people online who are further along in their wellness journey than me and have a similar lifestyle because they give me so much inspiration from watching them figure out effective ways to incorporate a healthier lifestyle when life is busy and energy is low.

Your partner and close friends are also great for accountability and can add a lot of fun when starting a wellness journey.

Let me know if any of these resonated with you and what mindset shifts have helped you in your wellness journey? I would love to hear your tips in the comments below.