3 New Holistic Health Habits I’m Trying (and 1 I’m Giving Up)

You can’t teach new holistic health hacks to an old wellness warrior. Or can you?

Through October, I’ve been feeling unsupported with my typical health routine. Because the seasonal changes… well, I feel them!

I’m a homeschooling Mama to three students and so when fall settles in, my schedule gets crowded! There’s just not as much time for my simple, summer schedule.

As you can imagine, this has left very little room for lengthy yoga sessions, morning journal pages, and fresh from the farmer’s market meals.

However, in trying to get my flow back, I’ve discovered that clearing my head in small bursts throughout the day is what keeps me grounded.

If you’re in a similar place and have been overwhelmed or feeling burnout this fall, you’re going to love this post.

I’m sharing 3 new holistic health habits I’ve been integrating.

Hint: There’s also one holistic routine I’m giving up, even though it’s incredibly supportive and calming to my nervous system. I know, I know. Most health influencers swear by this one and rave about the amazing results. Can you guess what it might be? Read on to find out.

Why is Trying New Holistic Health Practices So Important?

You may think that you have your health routine all dialed in, and you don’t need to mess around with a winning formula.

However, after years of trial and error the one thing I’ve discovered is that healing happens in layers. What has worked to get you to this level is most likely not the thing that gets you to the next.

The goal is to actually heal, right? Not just continue on with a lengthy daily protocol.

When I was in the height of a nasty case of panic I had to pour a lot of time into recovery. I would wake up and meditate, journal and do somatic grounding practices.

My morning routine would last 45 minutes to an hour just to get myself to a baseline to get through the day!

Then I’d go out and do my exposure therapy – which might take up a good portion of the morning. But it’s how I was progressing and it was worth it.

How Change Can Support Your Holistic Health

As I became more confident in myself and my anxiety lessened, my health routine needed to change. The focus wasn’t on just getting myself to baseline anymore. Halleluja!

The layers of the trauma onion began to peel back, and new issues had space to surface. Which meant I was ready for new solutions.

I was able to be more assertive with my nervous system and handle pushing boundaries a little more. Which meant I was able to add in sauna sessions, gym visits, and more social events.

Thankfully, you are the ultimate decider in your health journey and can adjust as needed as well.

If that herbal tincture, therapy session, or meditation app isn’t working for you, let it go. This is your permission slip to say, “Not right now” to anything that’s not currently serving you.

Let’s get into the three holistic lifestyle practices I’ve been trying this fall to keep myself grounded and sane this season.

1. Walk It Off – Fresh Air & Stepping Onto A New Path

As worriers, we are often prone to spending too much time in our heads.

Replaying past events, stressing over things that haven’t even happened yet and being masterful at dissociation.

I know for me that means avoiding the present moment.

For example, spending the whole school day rushing through tasks rather than enjoying the process. I don’t even recognize I’m even checked out until I’m laying in bed that night replaying the day.

Ever do that? That’s right, overthinking pulls us away from enjoying our lived experience. And our lived experience is often way more enjoyable than we give it credit for.

No blame intended there. Our brains are designed to focus on threats as a survival technique.

But we have the option to gently guide our thinking back to the present in each moment. Next time you feel scattered or ungrounded, why not try something so simple you might brush me off here as naive: a 5 minute walk?

You’ll be surprised at how simply feeling fresh air, moving your body, and taking a few steps can bring you back to yourself. And give you enough of a reset that you can approach your next task with more mindfulness.

Check out The Walking Habit: Your First Step to Nervous System Regulation.

It’s chock full of reasons why this incredibly simple practice has genuinely life-changing impact even if it’s only done in super short bursts.

2. The Super Macro: Protein At Every Meal

Just like you, I have been rolling my eyes whenever I see a holistic health coach or dietician repeat the same trendy advice of getting more protein. But I learned something on an anxiety podcast.

Our primal brains are wired to feel safer when we are nourished. It’s a signal to your amygdala that you don’t have to hunt for food, and it lowers your cortisol.

Thankfully, I realized I was eating more for comfort than I was for my holistic hormone balance. Finding that meaningfulness, then trying it for myself, it was really helped me make it a routine.

So, during this busy fall season I’ve been protein-packing our meals to help maintain consistency. And it’s working!

Here’s what I discovered when I started eating protein at every meal: I don’t have the same anxiety (sugar?) spikes that I used to have.

My energy levels support doing other healing practices – like walking. Meal planning and prep is easier. I pick the protein and build the meal around it.

3. Somatic Micro-Practices: 60 Seconds to Ground

Silly to think that 60 seconds is really enough to make a difference, but here I was with only small moments between tasks, and no idea how I was going to stay grounded in my body all day.

That’s when it hit me: what if a few 60-second check-ins throughout the day could actually keep me regulated?

I had to test it.

I pulled out my Somatic Grounding Cards (saved right on my phone for easy access) and drew one at random: Bilateral Tapping. They make it easy enough to understand even when you’re scattered and distracted.

For example, yesterday, when I felt my jaw clench up during a tough creative writing lesson, I took 60 seconds to tap alternating sides of my body. By the time we moved to math, I was back in my body and actually present for my daughter’s breakthrough moment with skip-counting by 6’s.

Fast forward to today, and I’m happy to say that those 60-second micro-practices actually do add up.

I’d even say that 3-4 mini somatic exercises throughout the day work better than forcing myself to find 20 uninterrupted minutes.

Want your own Somatic Starter Kit? Download it for free over here!

Bonus! I’ve Given Up On Daily Yoga Sessions

Through my nervous system regulation work, I’ve discovered that I can’t do all things at all times. I have to let some good things go so I don’t let perfectionism dictate my worth.

In the summer I was driving into town to do hour long yoga sessions at our local studio. I love the people and the practice, but it ends up taking almost two hours of my day.

This means that, even though I love yoga and get great benefit from it, I’ve prioritized other holistic healing lifestyle practices right now. Not forever. Just until it makes sense again.

There is enough stress in women’s lives already without expecting to try every healing modality that could help.

Feeling that sense of, “It’s ok to say no, even if it’s a good opportunity,” is challenging, yet freeing. I believe very strongly that it’s the antidote to overwhelm and overthinking in fact.

What I do instead:

Those 60-second somatic practices I mentioned? They’re my yoga replacement for now.

I also do some simple stretches while my coffee brews (eagle arms in front of the kitchen sink, anyone?). It’s not Instagram-worthy, but it works.

For me, saying no to yoga right now means saying yes to being present when my kids need me. And that feels a lot more like holistic wellness than driving across town to prove I’m ‘doing it right.

Key Takeaways

You can make the most progress in your holistic health journey when you pick a few strategies, give them a spin, and see how they work for you.

If one technique isn’t a good fit or has just run its course, you’re better off finding one that is more fitting for your current situation.

There are so many ways to find your flow, create a supportive routine, and feel your best. I hope this post has given you some new ideas to try in your wellness life.

Is there a main takeaway that was especially impactful for you? Let me know in the comments. I would love to hear from you!

Here at Higher Self Hub, we’re all about helping you flow in a life you love and feeling grounded in your body while doing it.

Want to know more about simplifying Somatic Work?

Reach out here with any questions or comments. I am so grateful for a community of over 800 holistic health warriors coming together to learn how to regulate our nervous system and become more grounded.

If you’re looking for the easy-button to integrate this healing practice and simplify somatic work into your life you’ll love Hope In Your Pocket.

Don’t forget to download your free 7 Day Somatic Gratitude Journal for body-based prompts that help you feel grounded instead of guilty.