The Real Work: Rewiring Your Body and Brain (Without Burning Out or Pretending to Be a Wellness Monk)

We’ve talked before about the five pillars of wellness: body, mind, mood, social, and purpose. While I support clients across all five, the work I focus on most is helping people get their body and mind on speaking terms again. Because when those two connect, things shift—quietly, and sustainably.

Before we dive in, let me say this clearly:

I’m not the paragon of health. I eat fast food. I drink beer. My love handles? That’s my “survival layer.” Sometimes the coffee doesn’t hit and I need a nap. Other times, it’s a full bag of chips, some ice cream, and three hours of video games because... well, life.

This isn’t a confession. It’s the reality most of us live in. Health isn’t about perfection—it’s about balance. It's about the stuff you do most of the time, not the things you do when you're feeling motivated, prepped, and in peak performance mode. Which brings us to the central idea of this post:

Your body takes the shape of what it does most frequently, not most intensely. And the same is true for your thoughts.

Let’s break that down.

1. BODY: You become how you move (not how hard you train)

The world loves to glorify intensity—beast mode workouts, no pain no gain, burn it to earn it. But your body isn’t impressed by your once-a-week, all-out workout. It adapts to what you do most of the time.

• Sit all day? Your hips will tighten to support sitting.

• Walk a lot? Your feet will strengthen.

• Constantly slump over a screen? Your upper back will shape to match.

  
  

What you can do today:

• Sit on the floor when you scroll. Getting up again is sneaky strength training.

• Swap out one seated activity with standing or pacing—like calls or podcasts.

• Do 5 bodyweight squats every time you pee. (I’m not kidding.)

  
  

Consistency over heroics. Frequency over fire.

2. MIND: You become what you rehearse (even if it's 'I'm a disaster')

Let me be real: I’ve spiraled into negative self-talk while holding a protein shake. I’ve eaten a “perfect” meal and still felt like a mess mentally. Why? Because mental wellness isn’t just about “positive vibes.” It’s about which thoughts you rehearse.

Your brain is a pattern machine. It doesn’t care if the pattern is “I always screw up” or “I can handle hard things”—it just repeats what it hears the most.

What you can do today:

• Notice the greatest hits on your internal soundtrack. Do they help you move forward, or hold you back?

• Practice distance. Say, “I’m having the thought that…” instead of “I am…” (Ex: “I’m having the thought that I failed.” Totally different energy.)

• Don’t wait for motivation. Create small proof you’re the kind of person who tries again.

  
  

Thoughts don’t need to be perfect to be powerful. They just need to nudge you in the right direction.

This isn’t about being good. It’s about being honest.

Health doesn’t live in a spreadsheet or a smoothie recipe. It lives in the choices you make most often, and how you respond when you veer off track (because you will veer off track).

I don’t coach people toward idealized health. I coach them toward functional, real-life wellness. That means getting strong enough to live your life fully—and flexible enough to eat the chips, take the nap, and still show up tomorrow.

If that resonates, welcome. You’re exactly where you’re supposed to be.