In a world saturated with complex health advice and conflicting information, wellness doesn’t have to be complicated. Through my own health journey, I’ve discovered that living well centers around four simple yet profound principles that can transform how we approach our daily lives.
My Personal Journey to Wellness: Finding Balance After Fibroids
When I was battling uterine fibroids, I found myself lost in a maze of conflicting health advice. Every blog post, wellness podcast, and well-meaning friend offered a different solution. Some insisted I could heal entirely through diet, while others pushed for immediate surgical intervention. I felt overwhelmed and, frankly, terrified. Was I not doing enough if I considered surgery? Would changing my diet alone be the miracle cure everyone promised?
The turning point came when I realized wellness isn’t about choosing between conventional medicine and holistic practices — it’s about integrating both. I learned to trust the expertise of medical professionals while also honoring the healing wisdom of whole foods, mindful movement, and holistic practices.
As a single mom with a young daughter watching my every move, making this decision became even more significant. I wanted to model balance, self-trust, and compassionate self-care rather than extremism or fear.
Ultimately, I chose surgery, but I didn’t stop there. I approached my healing as a comprehensive journey, using nutritious foods, gentle movement, and stress-reduction techniques to support my body’s recovery. The results were transformative — not just physically, but emotionally and mentally as well.
This experience taught me that true wellness emerges from a thoughtful, balanced approach guided by these four foundational principles:
Principle #1: Nourishing Intentionally — Feed Your Body and Soul
Eating and drinking well isn’t about perfection — it’s about mindful choices. This means moving beyond restrictive diets and connecting with food as a source of nourishment, pleasure, and healing. It’s about understanding how different foods make you feel, not just how they look on a nutrition label.
What intentional nourishment looks like in practice:
- Listen to your body’s wisdom: Notice how different foods affect your energy, mood, digestion, and sleep
- Prioritize whole, minimally processed foods: Choose ingredients your great-grandmother would recognize
- Stay hydrated: Begin your day with water and maintain hydration with herbal teas and water-rich foods
- Eat with awareness: Slow down, savor flavors, and express gratitude for your meals
- Embrace seasonal eating: Connect with local, seasonal produce for optimal nutrition and environmental benefits
- Find your personal balance: Discover what ratio of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates makes you feel your best
Simple step to start today: Begin a food-mood journal for one week, noting what you eat and how you feel afterward. Look for patterns without judgment — this information is power, not punishment.
Principle #2: Moving Joyfully — Celebrate What Your Body Can Do
Movement isn’t a punishment or a chore — it’s a celebration of what your body can do. Forget punishing workout routines and embrace movement that brings you genuine joy and energy. This could mean dancing in your living room, taking a scenic walk, practicing chair stretching, or playing with your kids in the park.
As a busy single mom, I’ve had to get creative with movement. Some days, it looks like dance parties with my daughter while dinner cooks. Other days, I pop in a walking DVD before she wakes up. The key isn’t perfection — it’s consistency and joy.
Keys to joyful movement:
- Find activities that feel like play: Movement should bring pleasure, not dread
- Mix structured exercise with spontaneous activity: Balance planned workouts with playful, unstructured movement throughout your day
- Honor your body’s changing needs: Some days call for gentle stretching, others for more vigorous activity
- Celebrate what your body can do: Focus on strength, mobility, and energy rather than appearance
- Recognize that rest is also sacred: Recovery days are essential for long-term wellness
- Make it social when possible: Moving with friends or family adds accountability and connection
Simple step to start today: Set a timer for 5 minutes and move your body in any way that feels good — stretch, dance, walk, or play. Just 5 minutes can shift your energy and create a positive association with movement.
Principle #3: Cultivating Self-Compassion — Your Inner Voice Matters
The way we speak to ourselves matters more than most realize. Self-compassion is about treating yourself with the same kindness you’d offer a loved one. It means challenging negative self-talk, acknowledging your efforts, and understanding that perfection is not the goal — growth is.
For me, becoming a mother highlighted how critical this principle truly is. My daughter doesn’t just listen to what I say to her — she watches how I treat myself. When I practice self-compassion, I’m teaching her to do the same.
Self-compassion in everyday life:
- Speak to yourself with kindness: Replace harsh criticism with understanding and encouragement
- Set healthy boundaries: Protect your energy and time as valuable resources
- Practice forgiveness: Release guilt and shame about past choices
- Celebrate small wins: Acknowledge progress, not just perfection
- Recognize your inherent worth: Your value doesn’t depend on productivity or achievement
- Allow yourself to receive: Accept help, compliments, and support without feeling undeserving
Simple step to start today: Place your hand on your heart, take three deep breaths, and speak to yourself as you would to a dear friend facing the same situation you’re in now.
Principle #4: Embracing Curiosity — Stay Open to Life’s Wonders
Wellness extends beyond physical health — it’s about staying open, connected, and wonderstruck by the world around you. Exploring hidden gems means being curious, trying new experiences, and finding joy in learning.
As we age, it’s easy to settle into comfortable routines and lose our sense of wonder. Cultivating curiosity keeps our minds fresh and our spirits young.
How to nurture curiosity daily:
- Ask questions without judgment: Approach new ideas with openness rather than immediate evaluation
- Connect with your local community: Discover hidden gems in your own neighborhood
- Learn something new regularly: Take a class, read outside your usual genres, or explore a hobby
- Appreciate beauty in everyday moments: Notice colors, textures, sounds, and sensations around you
- Stay open to unexpected experiences: Say “yes” to invitations that spark interest
- Engage with different perspectives: Listen to understand rather than to respond
Simple step to start today: Choose an everyday object in your home and examine it with fresh eyes, as if you’re seeing it for the first time. Notice details you typically overlook.
The Bigger Picture: Small Choices, Significant Impact
These principles aren’t rigid rules but gentle guidelines I’ve found helpful. They’re about creating a life that feels nourishing, joyful, kind, and endlessly fascinating. Wellness isn’t a destination — it’s a continuous, evolving journey of discovery.
As a single mother raising a daughter in today’s complex world, I’ve found that modeling these principles creates a foundation of well-being that extends beyond physical health to encompass emotional resilience and mental clarity. The small choices we make each day — the foods we eat, how we move our bodies, the way we speak to ourselves, and our openness to new experiences — shape not just our own well-being but the well-being of those we love.
Remember, small, consistent choices create significant transformations. Your path to optimal living starts with one intentional moment at a time.
What principle resonates most with you today? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
