I’m writing this tired.
It is not the kind of tired that a good night’s sleep can completely fix. It is the kind that comes from coming home after a few days away and immediately trying to catch up on everything at once. The work, the family, the house, and then, layered on top of all of it, the mental list that never fully goes away: Did I get enough protein today? Have I exercised? Did I take all my supplements? Am I drinking enough water? Should I be doing more mobility work? What about strength training?
And somewhere in the middle of running through that list, I stopped and thought: when did taking care of myself become another job?
I’m a health coach. I believe in healthy habits deeply, and I spend a lot of time helping women build them. But lately I’ve been noticing something in the women I work with, and honestly in myself too. We aren’t resisting wellness because we don’t care about our health. We’re exhausted by it.
Somewhere along the way, taking care of ourselves became complicated. We have podcasts telling us what to eat, supplements to research and remember to take, trackers on our wrists measuring our sleep and our steps and our readiness, protein goals to hit, morning routines to perfect, and a constant stream of experts, influencers, and now AI-generated recommendations telling us exactly what we should be doing next. And most of it is good advice. That’s almost the problem.
Years ago, most of us weren’t thinking about our protein intake, blood sugar response, muscle mass, sleep quality, morning sunlight exposure, gut health, or longevity protocols. Now we’re thinking about all of them. On any given day, we might hear that we should eat more protein, increase our fiber, get outside for morning sunlight, walk after meals, strength train several times a week, take movement breaks throughout the day, improve our sleep, manage our stress, stay hydrated, protect our muscle mass as we age, track our habits, meditate, and spend more time in nature.
Individually, every one of those is a reasonable suggestion. Collectively, they can feel like a second full-time job.
The irony is that information meant to improve our wellbeing can become its own source of pressure. Instead of feeling empowered, we feel behind. Instead of celebrating what we’re doing well, we’re focused on the ten things we haven’t gotten to yet. The result is a new kind of clutter. Not the physical kind. The mental kind. A constant stream of advice competes for our attention, convincing us that we’re always one habit away from finally getting it right.
But health was never meant to be a performance. It was meant to support our lives, not consume them.
So what do we do with all of this?
The answer isn’t to throw out all the advice. Just because we’re overwhelmed doesn’t mean protein stops mattering or sleep becomes optional. The goal isn’t to abandon healthy habits. The goal is to stop trying to implement all of them simultaneously.
Wellness overwhelm reminds me of what happens in a room that’s become too cluttered. The solution isn’t to get rid of everything. It’s about stepping back to decide what belongs, what serves you, and what matters most right now. Health works the same way.
What I need in this season of my life may be very different from what you need. One person may need to focus on strength training and protein. Another may need to prioritize sleep and stress management. Someone else may simply need to start taking a daily walk. None of those choices is wrong. The mistake is believing you have to do all of them immediately in order to be healthy. You don’t.
Health is not built through intensity. It’s built through consistency. A simple habit done consistently will almost always outperform an ambitious plan that leaves you overwhelmed and defeated before the second week. You can always add more later. But first you need to create enough space to actually succeed.
Instead of asking what else you should be doing, try asking a different question: what is the one thing I can do consistently right now that will make the biggest difference? That’s usually where real progress begins. Not with the perfect protocol, but with the next right thing.
I’m heading out of the country soon, and in the days before I leave, I’m doing my best to take care of myself without turning that into one more source of pressure. Some days I get it right. Some days I take my supplements, forget to drink enough water, and go to bed later than I should. And I’m reminding myself that that’s ok. That’s just my life right now.
Taking care of yourself should give you energy, clarity, and the capacity to live your life well. If your wellness plan is doing the opposite, it may be time to simplify.
Choose one thing. Do it consistently. Then build from there.
That’s not giving up on your health. That’s how you actually can keep it.
Talk to you next Monday, Meryl
