Why Your Well-being is Non-Negotiable: The 4 Pillars of Wellness
Feb 02, 2024Read time: 2 mins
In this week’s dose, I share my framework for living a fulfilling, happy, & healthy life: The Four Pillars of Wellness.
🗣️ Quote of the Week:
"To keep the body in good health is a duty... otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear." – Buddha
It's all interconnected. It's on us to start treating our health like it's the most valuable asset we'll ever own.
🧘♂️ The Four Pillars of Wellness
Over the next four weeks, I’m sharing my four-part framework for living a life FULL of purpose, passion, peace, and great health (not too much to ask, eh?).
These four form the foundation for doing more of what you want, having more success, deepening your relationships, and so much more.
The Four Pillars Of Wellness:
Week 1: Physical
Week 2: Mental
Week 3: Emotional
Week 4: Spiritual
Let's face it...
Sometimes, in the pursuit of success, we lose touch with our well-being.
We slam coffee all day, eat like crap, skip workouts, work late, and take the edge off with a drink.
We stare at our phones while we’re on the toilet, hanging with friends, on dates with our partner, and in bed before we go to sleep.
We chase after money, status, new cars, and new titles only to GET THEM and have the shine wear off in 2 weeks.
We put ourselves in massive amounts of debt to feel like we’ve “made it”, and stay in jobs we hate and relationships that hold us back.
And we never allow ourselves to follow our PASSIONS because we have an unattended FEAR of failure…
No wonder so many people are stuck, lost, and unhappy.
Enough is enough.
I got sick of playing this game over and over every year, and if you’re subscribed to my newsletter, I know there’s part of you that is too.
It’s time we snap out of this way of living and TUNE IN to how life is calling us forward.
To finally listen to the part of us that has been trying to get us to listen for years.
To me, this takes a well-rounded approach.
It’s not just about mindset, feeling your feelings, getting in shape, clarifying your vision, or reading more books…
It’s about everything.
It’s about how you view your life, what you believe is possible, how you treat yourself, who you HELP, what you’re committed to, and so much more.
So this week, I’m sharing my first pillar - physical health.
This is deeper than a high-level outline, but I want to remind you that there is infinite depth in each of these pillars.
Being intentional with every one of these pillars will change your life.
Let’s dive in.
Pillar 1: Physical
- Focus: Nutrition, Hydration, Exercise, Sleep, Breathing
- Actions: Tailored workout plans, nutrition guides, sleep hygiene + routine, conscious nasal breathing
- Goal: Be physically fit enough to do any activity on a whim, have tons of energy, and optimize health (all bloodwork within healthy to optimal range)
Your body is like an instrument, and if you want to feel and perform at your best, tuning your physical self is essential—there's no way around it.
Think of yourself as a high-level athlete and treat your body accordingly.
Relying on mainstream health advice and marketing for "health food" products will put you with the 88% of Americans who are metabolically unhealthy.
My vision is for everyone to master the fundamentals of good health, to experience how GOOD they can feel every day.
Clean eating, regular movement, sleep, repeat.
Simple.
Even small, simple adjustments in these areas can skyrocket your energy levels.
My Playbook:
Get 60 minutes of movement every day
- Follow an exercise PLAN (here’s what I’m following now)
- Have fun (try something mentally stimulating, like jiu-jitsu)
- My weekly target is 4 days BJJ, 4 days strength training
Eat single-ingredient foods + protein
- I build my plate around protein at every meal and hit 200g every single day.
- Whenever it’s time to eat, I always think about protein first and go from there.
- Follow the 5-Ingredient Rule → Eat meals with 5 ingredients or less.
Get 7+ hours of sleep
- Stick to the same bedtime 7 days a week (this was hard at first, but made a HUGE difference)
- Our body runs on a 24-hour cycle (circadian rhythm) and thrives on consistency
- Staying up late on weekends was fun until I realized I prefer getting up early, working out, and having a full + energized day. I then learned how much better I feel when my sleep patterns are consistent and my sleep hygiene improves.
Drink a glass of water with a pinch of salt upon waking
- I am to drink half my body weight in ounces every day (190lbs = 95 ounces)
Limit external stimulation
- Turn off screens, sounds, and overhead lights 60 min before bed
- Honor your circadian rhythm. Our bodies WANT to get great sleep, it’s just the crap we do that gets in the way of that.
- Pick up a book, do a quick journal, or meditate
Cut out alcohol
- It kills deep, restorative sleep. It’s a depressant. It’s a mind suppressor, not a mind expander.
- Alcohol was holding me back and the ONLY reason I became aware of it limiting me is because I stopped for 90 days and realized how much better I felt without it.
- You don’t need it.
These are the things that work BEST. The special ingredient is consistency.
Not the expensive green powders, cold plunges (though I do love them), mushroom coffee, or fad diets.
What most people miss is the consistency over a long enough period to sustain results.
It’s about setting an intention and trying your best to hit it every day knowing that there will be days you miss (I had pizza 3x and In-n-Out last week).
Resources:
Books: Metabolical, Why We Get Sick, Genius Foods, Outlive, Comfort Crisis, Why We Sleep, Breath
Tech: WHOOP
WHOOP is a fitness wearable that’s by far my favorite.
It has a built-in "coach" that’s incredible. It’s helped me quit drinking, stay disciplined, sleep through the night, cut my caffeine down by 80%, and push my workouts.
I love it so much that I buy one for all my 1:1 clients.
Next week, I cover my playbook for Pillar 2: Mental.
Whenever you're ready, here's how I can help:
