How to Integrate Holistic Health Practices into Your Daily Routine (No Perfection Required!)
The typical holistic health influencer spends about 3 hours every day on their wellness routine.
3. Whole. Hours.
That's not a real fact, but you didn’t doubt it.
“Wellness influencers” have a specific air about them, an air that’s fair to assume they spend half their day doing their routine.
Wake up. Meditate. Gua sha your face. Drink a gallon of water. Journal for 30 minutes. Make your breakfast from scratch for an hour. Repeat affirmations in the mirror for another hour…
Once they’re through with your routine, it’s 3 pm and they can finally start their day. Excuse me, whattt? It’s like they spend all day refining their health.
But what if you’re a busy parent who doesn’t have all day? Let alone 5 minutes?
What if you have school to go to? Or you work a 9-5?
What if you’re like me and want to focus on health AND live your life?
Trying to do all these wellness practices for good health in one day is overwhelming. It’s impossible. The improvements you make to your health are endless. And just like holistic health, it’s about the long game.
So let’s get cozy here for a little bit and dive into a few accessible holistic health practices.
Here are 3 practical, easy-to-fit-into-your-schedule holistic practices 𑁋 and, no they won’t take you 3 hours.
#1: Mindful Breathing Is Key
With my yogic background, you may have expected this one from me. But mindful breathing is essential.
I mean, you knew breathing was essential. But intentionally breathing is a game-changer for overall health.
When you bring intentionality to your breath, you start to tune into a whole other layer of your body. You start to notice that longer inhales and exhales yield a calmer heart rate and a calmer mind. Short, quick breaths tend to stimulate a faster heartbeat and faster thoughts.
Breathing techniques are a superpower when wielded correctly. Just like in a challenging yoga pose, the breath will guide you through with more grace.
The best thing about breathing is that you’re already doing it. All day.
What’s different here is bringing awareness to that breathing. Mindful breathing can happen anywhere doing anything.
Wash the dishes while mindfully breathing
Track your breath as you go on a neighborhood walk
Tune in to your body when your child is moving through big emotions
Mindful breathing (get ready for this, it’s a long list)...
Brings you into the present moment
Lowers cortisol levels (reducing stress)
Improves immune system responses
Enhances respiratory function
Improves mental health and cognition
Supports better sleep
Improves emotional regulation
And the benefits go beyond the physical. There are energetic improvements too that you can’t always perceive!
Check out these studies on Pubmed. And see what I mean!
Mindful breathing is a great accessible health hack.
#2: Get Outside
Fresh air, natural sunlight, connecting to nature—nothing can replace these.
10-15 minutes a day outside in the sun boosts vitamin D levels, promoting a good mood and regulating your circadian rhythm.
This doesn’t mean the sun has to be shining or it has to be “nice” out. Your body will still soak up the sun when it’s cloudy or “not nice” out.
Getting outside is as easy as walking out to your yard or onto your deck shortly after waking up. This is going to set the tone for the day and tell your body what time of day it is.
It’s all too easy to spend time indoors these days, so prioritizing time outside is essential. The average person spends about 90% of their time indoors. That’s crazy. Go beyond average and spend time outside.
I love taking daily walks outside so I can get some movement in and also expose myself to the natural elements.
Dr. Zach Bush always talks about “breathing your biome.” I love this concept because it combines our two points thus far: breathing and being outside.
He speaks about diversifying the environments you’re breathing in. “Trust your macro ecosystem in the natural world – the woods, the mountains, the waterfalls, the jungles, the oceans – to deliver through your breath, touch, and ingestion of diverse micro-ecosystems, a strengthening of your immune system and overall landscape of your health.”
To sum that all up…Get outside and breathe your environment, it’s good for you!
Maybe you don’t have time every day to drive anywhere “new” to breathe in. But once a week? Now that’s doable.
10-15 minutes a day to reset your body outside is as easy as stepping outside your door.
Health hack #2 is almost as easy as breathing!
#3: Check Your Nutrition
This is a loaded one I could write about forever, but I’ll give it my best shot.
A balanced diet is essential for holistic health. Good nutrition fuels your body and mind. It helps you manage stress, stay energized, and feel your best.
Here are some basic principles:
Get enough protein (aim for about 1g per pound of body weight)
Hydrate well (half your body weight in ounces of water)
Focus on whole, nutrient-dense foods over processed snacks
Balance your carbs to maintain steady blood sugar levels
Opt for healthy fats like avocado, olive oil, organic (raw is better) butter
Limit refined sugar and choose natural sweeteners like honey or coconut sugar
Focus on home-cooked meals to avoid hidden sugars and preservatives
Eating a whole foods diet is key to long-term wellness. It may seem like a small step, but making these conscious food choices can lead to big improvements in energy, mental clarity, and emotional well-being.
The first step to finding long-lasting health is in the kitchen. When you start nurturing your body with real food, you’ll begin to feel the difference in your energy levels, mood, and overall vitality.
For deeper insights into optimal nutrition and individual needs, check out books like Nutrition and Physical Degeneration by Weston A. Price or How to Eat Move and Be Healthy by Paul Chek.
Bringing It All Together: Small, Sustainable Holistic Practices
The beauty of holistic health is that it doesn’t require perfection or hours of daily practice. It’s about integrating small, sustainable changes into your routine that compound over time.
Holistic health is not about achieving some ideal, picture-perfect lifestyle—it’s about making intentional choices that support your well-being in a manageable, meaningful way.
As a holistic health copywriter and health coach, I know how overwhelming it can feel when you’re constantly bombarded with wellness tips that require hours of commitment.
But remember: wellness is a long-term marathon, not a sprint.
Start by embracing these small, manageable practices. Whether it’s taking a 10-minute walk outside, breathing mindfully while washing dishes, or cooking a nourishing meal from scratch, each of these practices contributes to your well-being.
And the best part? They don’t require hours of time or any kind of perfection.
If you’re ready to make small changes that support your health and feel more aligned with your values, start with one of these practices today. You don’t need to do everything perfectly. You just need to do something.
