Feeling Overwhelmed by Health Trends? Me Too!! Here’s How to Simplify Your Wellness Journey

Even as a physician, I sometimes get overwhelmed with all the information out there and I suffer from the personality type that feels like I have to do it all and do it just right.  That is kind of stressful and as we know from reading my other blogs, the stress doesn’t line up with self care and mindfulness.  

From mushroom coffee (sounds gross) to cold plunges and the latest adaptogen blends, it can feel like you need a second job just to keep up with all the “next big things” in wellness.  At Rooted Health, we want to help you reconnect with what works for you. So, if you are feeling overwhelmed (even if I am the source with all of my blogs…sorry about that), let me help you ground yourself and move forward with clarity based on your personal needs. 

1.  Start With Your Why: 

Before jumping on board with any new trend, ask yourself what your goal is.  Make a literal list of areas in your life that you want to improve upon and ask yourself if this is helping you achieve that goal or is it just adding another thing to the list.  

2.  Master the Foundations First:

Focus on the basics just as you would if you were training for a marathon.  You wouldn’t jump straight in to running 13 miles without first training.  Focus on:

• Sleep (quality and consistency)

• Whole, nourishing foods

• Movement (even gentle walks count)

• Hydration

• Stress management 

When these things are solid, the rest becomes optional and is actually optimized because you have a healthier starting point. 

3.  Try One Health Trend at a Time:

You don’t need to be like me and attempt to overhaul your entire lifestyle overnight and then feel like a failure because..well, you failed an impossible task. Just start with one ‘trend’.  Give it a few weeks, journal about it, and notice if you feel anything.  

4.  Your Body > the Hype:

This one is sometimes the most difficult to tease out.  Sometimes trends are hard and we just need to stick with them to see the benefit (like cutting down on sugar intake), but sometimes they just aren’t right for our body.  The best routine is the one that makes you feel vibrant and grounded.  

5.  Say No Without Guilt:

It’s Ok to skip a health trend (or five).  Truth be told, I believe in all the things I have blogged about but I don’t do all the things I have blogged about because that would be more stressful for me to try to do.  I have slowly learned that it is ok for me to say ‘no’ while knowing that I might just be missing out on something beneficial but I figure I will get there one day.  I’ve learned to go slow while choosing what supports my lifestyle and letting the rest go.  

Bottom Line:

The wellness world is full of shiny new ideas — but you don’t need to chase them all down to be healthy (although a nice run would make you healthier …unless you fall…).  When in doubt, simplify.  Root into your goals, listen to your body, and build your own version of health — trend or no trend. 

Rooted Health Tips:

1. Prioritize self care - you can’t overdose on this one

2. Choose one change from each blog that speaks to you and make this your step in a positive direction for your health - don’t put a timeline on it, crawl, walk, run.  

3. Partner with your physician (hopefully me) - together we can look at all the factors that may aid in your decision like personal history, family history, social history, top goals, financial constraints, time constraints, medication interactions… After all, this is why I created Rooted Health - I want to be able to help you devise the best plan with the highest potential for success.