How I’m Building a Wellness Routine That I Can Actually Maintain

I have started enough wellness routines in my life to know exactly how this usually goes.

I decide I’m going to get my life together.

Suddenly, I’m going to drink all the water, work out five days a week, eat perfectly, take every vitamin I own, get eight hours of sleep, keep my house immaculate, meal prep on Sundays, hit my step goal, journal, stretch, and somehow become the kind of woman who wakes up refreshed before her alarm.

For approximately three business days.

Then real life happens.

I’m tired. Work was long. I don’t feel like cooking. Something throws off my schedule. I miss one workout, then another, and before I know it, the beautiful new routine I created has disappeared.

So lately, I’ve been approaching wellness differently.

I’m not trying to create the perfect wellness routine anymore.

I’m trying to create one that I can actually maintain.

And surprisingly, that has required me to do less, not more.

When You Don’t See Yourself as the “Wellness Girl”

There’s another part of this conversation that I don’t think we talk about enough.

It can feel incredibly frustrating when you don’t see yourself represented as the standard of what “wellness” supposedly looks like.

You know the image.

She wakes up early. Her matching workout set is somehow never covered in lint. She makes beautiful breakfasts. She goes to Pilates. Her apartment is spotless. Her skin is glowing. Her water bottle is always full. Everything in her refrigerator is green.

And listen—I love that for her.

But sometimes looking at wellness content can make wellness itself feel like this unattainable level of girl next door that you could never quite become.

Especially when you’re looking at your own life and it doesn’t look anything like that.

Maybe you’re in a larger body.

Maybe you’re starting from a place where exercise is difficult.

Maybe your refrigerator isn’t perfectly organized.

Maybe you work full-time.

Maybe you’re exhausted.

Maybe money is tight.

Maybe you’ve started and stopped so many times that you don’t completely trust yourself to stick with it anymore.

That doesn’t mean wellness isn’t for you.

I’m starting to reject the idea that I have to look like wellness before I’m allowed to pursue it.

I don’t need to wait until I’ve lost the weight.

I don’t need the matching workout set.

I don’t need the perfect morning routine.

I don’t need to become somebody else first.

I can take care of the woman I am right now.

And so can you.

I Stopped Trying to Change Everything at Once

I think one of my biggest mistakes in the past was treating wellness like a complete life renovation.

If I wanted to lose weight, suddenly everything needed to change.

If I wanted to exercise more, apparently I needed an entirely new morning routine too.

If I had a week where I wasn’t taking the best care of myself, my solution was always some massive Monday reset.

New groceries.

New schedule.

New goals.

New me.

The problem is that it’s really easy to follow an elaborate routine when you’re motivated.

The real test is whether that routine still works when you’re not.

So instead of asking myself, “What would the healthiest possible version of my life look like?”

I’ve started asking:

“What could I realistically continue doing even during a difficult week?”

That question has completely changed the way I think about wellness.

Walking Became My Starting Point

If you’ve been around here for a while, you will probably hear me talk about walking a lot.

And that’s because I’ve genuinely started to love it.

For a long time, I think I had this idea that exercise needed to be intense for it to really “count.”

If I wasn’t dripping in sweat or doing some elaborate workout program, was I even exercising?

Turns out, movement doesn’t have to feel like punishment to be valuable.

Walking is accessible to me. I enjoy it. I can fit it into my day. I don’t need a complicated routine or a ton of equipment.

And maybe most importantly, I’m willing to do it again tomorrow.

That’s becoming one of my biggest rules for wellness:

The “best” habit isn’t necessarily the most impressive one. It’s the one you’re willing and able to repeat. – Unknown

One thing that has made my walks even more enjoyable is having a good pair of comfortable walking shoes. These walking shoes are a great option if you’re looking for something supportive for everyday walks. I love this pair because when my feet are comfortable, I’m much more likely to actually get out there and walk instead of finding an excuse not to.

If your thing is Pilates, amazing.

If it’s dancing in your living room, amazing.

If it’s strength training, swimming, cycling, yoga, or walking around your neighborhood while listening to a ridiculous podcast—also amazing.

Finding movement you actually like makes consistency so much easier.

I’m Building a Minimum Version of My Routine

This has been one of the biggest mindset changes for me.

Instead of having only two options—

Perfect wellness day or I did absolutely nothing—

I’m creating a minimum version.

On a high-energy day, maybe I take a longer walk, prepare a balanced meal, get everything done around the house, do my full skincare routine, and get to bed at a reasonable time.

Wonderful.

But what happens on the day when I’m exhausted?

That’s where the minimum routine comes in.

Maybe that day looks like:

• Take a short walk or get some kind of movement.
• Drink some water.
• Eat something that actually nourishes me.
• Take the medications or supplements that are part of my established routine.
• Do the basic things I need to do to take care of myself.
• Go to bed.

That’s it.

Not glamorous.

Probably not going viral on TikTok.

But those days matter too.

I’m learning that maintaining a habit at 30% is often better than repeatedly attempting 100% and ending up at zero.

I’m Trying to Make Healthy Choices Easier, Not Harder

I’ve also realized how much environment matters.

I can have the greatest intentions in the world, but if every healthy choice requires fifteen steps, I’m probably not going to make that choice consistently.

So now I’m asking:

How can I make taking care of myself easier?

That might mean keeping my walking shoes somewhere I can see them.

Having easy foods available for days when I don’t want to cook.

Keeping water nearby.

Putting things I use every day where they’re actually convenient.

Scheduling appointments instead of repeatedly telling myself I’ll eventually make them.

Removing little bits of friction wherever I can.

Hydration is a perfect example. If water isn’t near me, apparently I can forget that water exists for several hours. Having a bottle that I actually like carrying around makes a surprisingly big difference. This waterbottle is one I really like. I can’t go a day without having some kind of water bottle beside me, because having it within reach makes drinking throughout the day so much easier.

I used to think discipline meant constantly forcing yourself to do things.

Now I think part of discipline is being smart enough to create an environment where the things you want to do are easier to actually accomplish.

I’m Learning That Food Doesn’t Have to Be Perfect Either

Food has probably been one of the easiest areas for me to fall into all-or-nothing thinking.

One indulgent meal can somehow turn into:

“Well, today is ruined anyway.”

Which, when you actually think about it, makes absolutely no sense.

If you dropped your phone once, you wouldn’t say, “Well, I already dropped it, so I might as well throw it down the stairs.”

But somehow we do this with food all the time.

I’m trying to get away from labeling entire days as “good” or “bad” based on what I ate.

Instead, I’m thinking more about what I can add.

Can I add some protein?

Can I add fruit or vegetables?

Have I had enough water?

Can I make this meal a little more satisfying?

And can I enjoy something simply because I like it without turning it into a moral crisis?

I’m still working on this one.

But I think that’s the point.

Wellness isn’t something you graduate from.

I’m Paying Attention to How My Habits Make Me Feel

The internet gives us an endless list of things we’re supposedly required to do for our health.

Wake up early.

Cold plunge.

Take this supplement.

Don’t eat that.

Drink this.

Get 10,000 steps.

Journal.

Meditate.

Stretch.

Do Pilates.

Lift weights.

Get sunlight before 8:07 a.m. or apparently the entire day is lost.

It’s a lot.

So I’m becoming more interested in paying attention to my actual life.

Do I feel better when I walk regularly?

Do I have more energy when I’m eating consistently?

How does my sleep affect my mood?

Which routines genuinely make my days easier?

Which things am I only doing because someone online convinced me that I should?

Not every wellness trend needs to become part of my life.

And I’m okay with that.

I’m Tracking Progress Without Demanding Perfection

I actually like tracking things.

There’s something satisfying about checking off a habit or seeing that I’ve been consistent.

But I’m also learning that tracking should give me information—not ammunition to use against myself.

If I planned to walk five days and walked three, that’s information.

Why did I miss the other two?

Was the goal unrealistic?

Was I exhausted?

Did something happen?

Do I need to adjust when I’m doing it?

That’s much more useful than:

“See? You can never stick to anything.”

If you like physically checking things off as much as I do, a simple wellness planner or habit tracker can be incredibly satisfying. This habit tracker is a cute option. I love this one because it gives you somewhere to keep everything together without turning wellness into another complicated project.

The goal isn’t to have a flawless tracker.

The goal is to learn what helps you take better care of yourself.

I’m Making Room for Wellness That Has Nothing to Do With My Body

This may be the part I’m thinking about the most lately.

Wellness isn’t just food and exercise.

It’s also laughing.

Getting outside.

Having something to look forward to.

Taking care of your finances.

Going to your appointments.

Having boundaries.

Getting enough sleep.

Spending time with people you love.

Doing something simply because it’s fun.

Having a home that feels comfortable to you.

Learning something new.

Resting without feeling like you need to earn it first.

I don’t want my pursuit of wellness to become another full-time job where I’m constantly evaluating everything that’s “wrong” with me.

I want taking care of myself to help me live my life, not become my life.

My New Rule: Build a Routine for Your Real Life

If you’re trying to build your own wellness routine right now, I don’t think you need to start with a 5 a.m. alarm, a new workout wardrobe, twelve supplements, and an entirely new personality.

Start with your actual life.

What is one form of movement you enjoy?

What is one thing that would make eating well easier?

What habit consistently makes you feel better?

What are you neglecting because you’re overwhelmed?

And what’s something you could continue doing even on a difficult week?

Start there.

You can always build on it.

That’s what I’m doing.

I’m still figuring out what my healthiest life looks like. I’m still going to have days when I don’t do everything I planned. I’m still going to order food sometimes. I’m still going to miss workouts. I’m still going to stay up later than I should.

But I’m starting to realize that maybe maintaining a wellness routine isn’t about becoming someone who never gets off track.

Maybe it’s about becoming someone who knows how to come back without starting over.

And that’s the kind of wellness I’m interested in building.

If you’re new here and want to know a little more about me, my nursing background, and why I created this blog, you can read more about me here →.

And if you want to see more, please click the YouTube icon on the right to see my videos on topics like this and more. ♡

I’m really glad you’re here.