Do you ever feel like there’s so much health and wellness information out there that it’s almost impossible to know where to begin? Trust me, you are not alone! Today, I want to take a step back from all the noise and talk about something simple—but powerful: getting back to the basics and why you don’t always need another supplement, strict protocol, or fancy morning routine to move the needle or make a difference in how you feel.
Instead, what if the most impactful thing you could do was simply to pause—and check in on your foundation?
Think of your wellbeing like a table. Before it can hold anything on top—new habits, new goals, or even healing itself—it needs strong, steady legs to stand on. If even one of those legs is shaky or missing, the whole table becomes unstable and could easily collapse.
The same is true for your health. If you’re currently struggling with something; whether it’s physical symptoms, mental burnout, or just feeling off—I encourage you to take inventory of what things you’re doing everyday to ensure your table is secure.
Let’s take a look at where you’re at right now!
Some questions to start thinking about before we get started:
- Are you sleeping well at night (at least 7 hours/day- more if you’re a woman)?
- Eating three balanced meals each day (including enough fiber & protein)?
- Having a bowel movement 1–2 times daily?
- Practicing stress management techniques and/or taking care of your mental health?
- Moving your body for at least 30 minutes a day?
- Hydrating on a cellular level?
- Seeing the sun first thing in the morning?
If your answer to some of these is “no” (which is true for many of us!), then it’s time to revisit your foundation. Because truly—nothing else matters until we get these basics in place. You know the saying “you can’t pour from an empty cup”? The empty cup = not having a solid foundation, the solid foundation comes from daily habits that give your body what it needs to function properly and not just live but THRIVE!
Building the Foundation: Maslow’s Hierarchy & the 8 Pillars of Physical Wellness
In nursing school, I learned about a concept called Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs—a pyramid where the base includes our most fundamental physiological needs, and only after these are met can we move toward higher-level growth and self-actualization aka thriving in life, feeling fulfilled, etc.
Inspired by this, I developed my own model (there are tons out there, this is one that I think is all encompassing): The 8 Pillars of Physical Wellness. These are the core areas to master before diving into any other aspect of healing. Remember that everything has a downstream effect. For instance- you might feel tired all day everyday, but it could be due to dehydration or imbalanced blood sugars – which could be fixed by proper hydration and eating to fuel your body. Mainstream media would tell you to buy another pill for your blood sugar, and try the latest electrolyte packet- but I’m here to tell you to save your money and saddle up because we can fix a good chunk of this right at home with some good ole discipline and kitchen medicine.
Over the coming weeks, I’ll share a deeper look at each of these pillars and why they matter so much for your everyday life.