So here’s the deal: the importance of wellness for your mental and physical health hit me like a ton of bricks… but not in the “I read a motivational book and suddenly changed my life” way. More like the “I got winded carrying groceries up one flight of stairs and realized maybe eating cold pizza at midnight four times a week wasn’t self-care” kind of way.

You ever get that moment where your brain’s like, Hey buddy, maybe don’t live like a raccoon digging through leftovers all the time? Yeah. That was me.

And I’ll be real—I’m not one of those people who wakes up at 5 a.m., drinks celery juice, and does yoga on a cliffside. I’m the person who once bought a yoga mat and then used it as a drying rack for my jeans. But the older I get, the more I realize that “wellness” isn’t this Pinterest-perfect vibe—it’s just… keeping yourself alive and maybe a little happy in the process.

When My Body and Brain Mutinied

Back in college, I thought I was invincible. Pulling all-nighters, slamming energy drinks like they were water, eating those suspicious cafeteria hot dogs. (I should’ve been concerned that they snapped when you bit into them.) But when I hit my late 20s, my body was like, Nope. We’re done. Sit down.

I was constantly anxious—like, heart-racing, can’t-focus, “Did I leave the stove on?” type anxious—and also tired. All. The. Time. That’s when it smacked me in the face: your mental and physical health are not two separate things. They’re like roommates sharing the same messy apartment. If one starts throwing socks everywhere, the other one’s tripping over them.

What “Wellness” Actually Means (Spoiler: It’s Not Just Smoothies)

I used to think wellness meant fancy green juices or spa retreats. You know, the stuff influencers post about while wearing $200 matching workout sets. And sure, that’s one version. But the reality?

Wellness is:

  • Drinking water before you feel like a desert cactus.
  • Actually going outside and letting the sun smack you in the face (sunscreen, though, unless you like looking like beef jerky at 50).
  • Talking to a friend instead of spiraling in your head for three hours.
  • Sleeping. Seriously—sleep is like magic. Underrated, life-changing magic.

It’s boring stuff, honestly. But it matters more than all the wellness gadgets Instagram is trying to sell us.

The Mental Part: Brains are Weird

You ever notice how your brain will randomly decide to hate you at 2 a.m.? Mine does. Like, Hey, remember that embarrassing thing you said in 6th grade? Let’s think about it for the next three hours.

Wellness for mental health, at least for me, looks like:

  • Therapy (yes, even though my mom thinks therapy is “just paying someone to listen to you complain”—hi mom, love you).
  • Journaling, even if some entries are just “??? tired. why do i exist???”
  • Cutting back on doomscrolling. Honestly, Twitter alone shaved years off my life expectancy.
  • Saying no when I want to. Hardest one, not gonna lie.

The wild thing is, when I take care of my brain, my body follows. Like, I sleep better. I don’t crave as much junk. I stop clenching my jaw like I’m trying to crack walnuts with my teeth. It’s all connected.

The Physical Part: Bodies are Annoying (But Worth It)

Here’s something embarrassing: I once got sore from… wait for it… brushing my teeth too aggressively. Like, shoulder pain for three days. That was my sign I needed to actually move my body more.

I’m not saying you need to run marathons or bench press cars. But little stuff adds up:

  • Walking around the block. (Bonus: you get to judge people’s landscaping choices.)
  • Stretching in the morning. Even if it’s just that weird half-yawn, half-reach thing.
  • Dancing in your kitchen while making pasta. Yes, that counts as cardio.
  • Eating food that has… color. Like, actual vegetables. Not just beige fried things (even though beige fried things taste like happiness).

When I started treating exercise less like punishment and more like “moving so my body doesn’t revolt,” it stuck.

The Hard Part: Actually Doing It

Here’s the thing no one tells you: wellness is kinda boring and repetitive. Like, no one cheers when you drink a glass of water. You don’t get a gold star for going to bed on time. But over time, those small choices start stacking up like Jenga blocks. And instead of toppling over, your life feels a little sturdier.

Some days I nail it—I’ll meal prep, stretch, journal, all that good stuff. Other days? I eat Pop-Tarts for dinner and binge-watch shows I don’t even like. But that’s fine. Wellness isn’t all-or-nothing. It’s messy. Like me.

Things That Weirdly Helped Me

  • Group classes. Even though I swore I’d hate them, they made me feel less like a lonely weirdo.
  • Buying cute water bottles. I don’t know why, but if it’s aesthetically pleasing, I’ll drink more.
  • Blocking TikTok after 11 p.m. Saved me from hours of watching people make mini pancakes.
  • Reminding myself I don’t need to “earn rest.” Huge. Still working on it.

Final Ramble about importance of wellness for your mental and physical health

So yeah. The importance of wellness for your mental and physical health? It’s not a trendy hashtag—it’s literally survival. It’s about showing up for yourself in small, unglamorous ways. Drinking water. Calling a friend. Moving your body. Giving your brain a break.

And if you’re like me—messy, inconsistent, maybe still figuring it out—that’s okay. Wellness isn’t about perfection. It’s about trying, failing, and trying again tomorrow.

Now excuse me while I go stretch for the first time in… well, let’s not count.

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