Log Off: The Wellness Tip We All Need

The Small, Sustainable Steps I'm Taking for My Wellness That You Can Too!

At the end of January, I unsubscribed from my daily updates from The New York Times, The Washington Post, and the Wall Street Journal. If you’re asking if I was paying for these subscriptions, the answer is absolutely NOT; I got them for free through my job. Freeness aside, I realized that the constant influx of updates about what the Trump administration and Elon Musk are doing at every waking moment made me unwell. Like the song from Matchbox Twenty, I was “headed for a breakdown,” but unlike the song, I did know why.

I started my day with what the NYT, Washington Post, and WSJ thought was vital. While I once enjoyed reading the news as part of my daily routine, I realized that my intake from those outlets was not helping my wellness routine. Instead of starting my day in a calm place, reading the news caused me to start my days in a panic. 

So, when a woman from my local community in Boston recommended Vox’s The Logoff, I said yes, please, to a newsletter aimed at keeping us informed about politics without mentally preparing for another Civil War to break out in the U.S. If you’re looking to do the same highly recommend signing up.

Now, back to my point about wellness routines.

I mention The Logoff because it provides an easy way to stay informed about politics in the U.S. and as an example of a small step that I’ve implemented into my wellness routine. 

By wellness routine, I’m referring to the daily actions that we’re taking that support our health and well-being.

If you’re thinking, Tomesha, the world is literally and figuratively on fire; who has time for a wellness routine? My answer is that the world is literally and figuratively on fire, so this is absolutely the right time for a wellness routine.

Whether we want to admit it or not, we will not come out on the other side of these four years, the people we were at the end of 2024. For that reason, as one of my mentors often said, what got us here won’t get us there. Doing the bare minimum to support your wellness might have worked before, but times have changed. While we might have become accustomed to putting ourselves last, it’s imperative in the year of our Lord 2025 that we start prioritizing our wellness more than we have in the past.

Even though people seem to hate the word “balance,” there is a way for you to prioritize your wellness even when time is not on your side. I’ve found balance in maintaining a wellness routine by focusing on what I can do consistently more than what I can do perfectly. By this, I mean I focus on creating a weekly meal plan, but I don’t cook everything I eat. I also focus on getting in my daily movement, which incorporates walking my dog Penny more than exercising in the gym. The point is that, for me, balance has less to do with making all things equal and more to do with prioritization.

Prioritization is an effective wellness routine's key (but often missing) ingredient.

Despite the demands you might be facing, with some prioritization, you can incorporate small steps into your weekly routine to support your wellness without overwhelming you. Whether you’re a physician on the brink of burnout or a patient with too many to-do’s on your list, the following are proven tips for creating a sustainable wellness routine.

Tip 1: Prioritize Planning Your Meals Ahead - Even If You Cook None of Them.

I needed to add that caveat for those who would swipe away when I mentioned meal planning. One of the things that I often talked about when I hosted meal planning classes was to look at your calendar for the meals you don’t actually have to cook for the week. For instance, if you get lunch at your work’s cafeteria or enjoy Friday dinners at your in-law's house, those are still meals you plan to eat. By preparing those meals ahead, you can reduce food waste by not cooking meals you won’t be around for. Planning alleviates the stress of figuring out what to eat at the last minute for those meals you prepare. With the current economy in the U.S., delivery has become increasingly expensive. If you want to say some coins, planning will help you do just that.

Tip 2: Prioritize Moving Your Body - Not Just Exercising.

As someone who enjoys exercise, it can be tempting to only think about it as THE form of movement. However, as the book Deskbound taught me years ago, finding ways to move our bodies has become more critical than ever. Whether that means getting a standing desk or taking an afternoon walk to get some much-needed sun, we can find ways to move our bodies beyond exercise. Conversely, when we exercise, we don’t need to do anything that will burn the most calories. Instead, I often told my clients to find movement they can enjoy doing consistently. Consistency helps your wellness, not just working out for the sake of working out.

Tip 3: Prioritize Making Time for Self-Care - Regularly.

Even though self-care might be seen as something that requires you to spend money, self-care can be anything from reading a book to logging off from news media. The point is to ask yourself what caring for yourself looks like. It will be different for each individual, so I hesitate to share my self-care strategies. However, I will share a few examples. Something that I do that doesn’t cost me money is attending free events in Boston. It feeds my desire to explore different parts of the city solo or with a friend. However, I’m not anti-spending money as I just booked a solo trip to the Dominican Republic. This came partly from my therapist's suggestion that I vacation at least twice a year and a coworker who shared her concerns that I rarely take vacations. If you don’t have a therapist or coworker who feels empowered to tell you you’re overdue for self-care, you must develop the awareness to do it yourself. Whatever it may be, finding the self-care routine that works best for you is essential for your wellness.

Creating a sustainable wellness routine doesn’t need to be complicated. It comes down to prioritizing meal planning, movement, and self-care. I know prioritizing wellness might seem strange when the world is literally and metaphorically on fire. But if you don’t make yourself a priority, who else will?

If you need assistance creating a sustainable wellness routine, ensure you’re subscribed to our EBWH Community newsletter. I have something special that I will be sharing in the coming weeks that will help you do just that!

Talk soon!

x Tomesha

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