Grounded Wellness, *, Vienna, WV (2026)

08/30/2026

It’s not sexy, but it’s been essential to so much I’ve learned in life.

We crawl before we walk. We learn letters before words, words before reading, and numbers before equations.

When I first learned volleyball, I was blessed with an outstanding coach who drilled the basics. There would be no fancy plays until we learned to pass and serve. And those skills were continually practiced, even with the simple drill in the video of passing to yourself. If you couldn’t control the pass, you wouldn’t get to the flashier parts of the game.

I remember being distracted by the allure of the advanced skills. The quicks, shoots and slides. I wanted to do the “cool stuff”.

But my volleyball coach's lesson stuck with me:
No matter how the rules change, if you can’t pass and serve, you won’t win the game.

After playing for over 30 years, I’ve seen a lot of rule changes. And at the end of the day, it still comes back to passing and serving.

Health and wellness, I believe, are no different. Life changes. The basics provide the foundation.

Eating mostly (not only) minimally processed foods. Moving our bodies regularly. Getting adequate sleep. Managing stress. Finding meaningful connection with others.

The basics aren’t sexy or flashy. And without a solid foundation, everything else is built on shaky ground. But we live in a world where boring doesn’t always make the cut. Social media shines a light on the advanced plays, the supplements, hacks, protocols and optimization strategies that grab our attention.

And some of those things may have value. Look at the evidence and put on your critical thinking hat to determine whether they’re worth adding to your routine.

If your health routines are starting to feel overly complicated, consider this permission to take a step back.

You don't have to do more.

You might just need to come back to the basics and focus on mastering them.

08/25/2026

We often approach our well-being by focusing on all the things.
Eating well. Exercising regularly. Getting enough sleep. Managing stress. Making time to connect with others.

All of these things matter.

But trying to focus on all of them at once can leave us feeling like we're spinning our wheels, putting in a lot of effort without feeling like we're making much progress.

Sometimes, we just need to find our first domino.

The one thing that, when we do it, makes some of the other things a little easier.
For me, that's sleep. When I don't get adequate sleep, everything else tends to suffer. So getting to bed on time is a priority. And when I don't? I'm prepared to adapt in the other areas rather than expect myself to perform at 100% anyway.

When it comes to eating well, my first domino is meal planning. And for me, meal planning isn't an elaborate process. It's simply writing down what's for dinner each night that week in my planner (yes, I still use an old fashioned planned for some things). From there, I make my grocery list and place the pickup order.

Exercise? Planning again. I subscribe to CrossFit Linchpin (no endorsement, I've been using for a couple of years and love it) and I look at the week's workouts and adapt them as needed based on what else is happening in my life.

You get the idea.

Your first domino might be the same as mine. Or it might be completely different and that's okay.

Your first domino isn't necessarily the most “important” thing. It's the catalyst that helps set the others in motion.

And knowing that gives you something to work with when life inevitably disrupts the plan.

What's your first domino?

08/17/2026

Health routines aren't binary, and treating them as binary can undermine consistency.

We’ve been taught to think about health in binaries.
You eat healthy or you don’t.
You exercise or you don’t.
You have a sleep routine or you don’t.

But health doesn't work that way. There is a lot of space between doing everything “right” and doing nothing at all. And that space in between is where most of real life happens.

There will always be another product, protocol, hack, or recommendation telling us what we should be doing to optimize our health. But a practice doesn't have to be optimal to be beneficial. And beneficial doesn't mean we have to do it perfectly.

Instead of asking, “Am I doing this right?”
Maybe we should be asking:
What evidence supports this?
Does it make sense for my life?
How can I adapt it?
Is the potential benefit worth the cost, effort, or risk?

Critical thinking gives us permission to stop chasing every “should” and start making thoughtful decisions about what actually works for us.

Happy thinking.

08/13/2026

Where you see failure, I see an album of knowledge.
And if we’re willing to open the album, there’s a lot we can learn from it.

Past attempts at losing weight, sticking to an exercise program, eating healthier, making time for sleep, or setting boundaries can feel like a photo album of painful memories. Sometimes it’s easier to keep that book closed.

I know. I’ve done it too. I’ve tried and “failed” at exercise and eating well more times than I’d like to admit. And I’m still working on the whole boundaries thing.
Looking back can be painful, frustrating, even angering.
But it can also unlock a wealth of information.

In coaching, we can look at those experiences differently:
Was the plan actually appropriate for you at that time?
Were your expectations realistic?
What went well?
What got in the way?
What would you change with the benefit of hindsight?

We don't have to judge the experience as a success or failure. We can examine it, learn from it, and use what we learn to make a better decision next time.

Because knowledge alone isn't enough. Knowing what to do is one thing.
Knowing how to apply it to your life and adapt when your life changes is something else entirely.

That’s where knowledge becomes wisdom.

Ever thought, “I know what I need to do. I just need to figure out how to actually do it”?
We should chat. https://www.groundedwellness.coach/contact

08/03/2026

Your Capacity IQ may be one of your biggest allies when it comes to lifelong health practices.

What are you physically, mentally, and emotionally capable of right now?
Much like emotional IQ or fitness IQ, I think Capacity IQ is something we can develop.

Capacity IQ isn't just recognizing our capacity. It's learning to honor it.
That doesn't mean we never redline. We will.

Just like in a workout, sometimes we push a little harder than we should. We're totally gassed, and we feel the impact for days afterward.

That's part of learning.

We test our limits. We learn what it costs. We learn how much pushing is productive and when pushing starts working against us.

The goal isn't to never operate at our limit.
The goal is to recognize when we're there and make intentional choices about what happens next.

Sometimes working at or slightly beyond our capacity is necessary for a season of life. It just shouldn't become our way of life.

When something is demanding most of your capacity, it's worth asking:
Where can I scale back?
How can I adapt?
When do I need to recover?

And let's keep it real. Sometimes we have to flirt with that redline longer than we'd like. If that's the season you're in, where can you intentionally schedule recovery?

My son's senior year of basketball is coming up, and I've learned from previous seasons that it is BUSY. And, I'm not missing a game unless I absolutely have to.
That means later nights, less sleep, juggling a busy work schedule, missed workouts, and protein bars for meals on the go.

Is it ideal?
No.
Is it worth it for four months?
Absolutely.
So how do I adapt?

I go into the season knowing my sleep will be disrupted. Some days, I will choose more sleep over a workout. My workouts will be less frequent, and the intensity may be lower. One of my meals might be a protein shake or bar and a piece of fruit. I'll rely more on prepped meals and probably order out more often. Those are trade-offs for this season, not sacrifices for my health.

Being at my son's games is a priority.
That doesn't mean I abandon my health practices.
I adapt them to fit the season.

Because sometimes healthy doesn't look like doing more.

Sometimes healthy looks like knowing what matters most, adjusting your expectations, and making your health practices fit the life you're actually living.

How's your Capacity IQ?
What does your current capacity allow and how are you adapting your health practices accordingly?

07/27/2026

Delayed gratification vs. delayed discomfort.

After more than a decade of coaching people around health and wellness, I've come to believe that many of our daily decisions aren't about willpower. They're about deciding whether to face a little discomfort now or a bigger one later.

The second piece of cake tastes good now.
Hitting snooze feels good now.
Saying yes when you really want to say no feels good now.

None of those choices are inherently wrong. But they're often followed by a different kind of discomfort.

With food, the comfort, celebration, or distraction is immediate. Later, we may feel physically uncomfortable or disappointed that we acted on impulse instead of intention.

I recently started getting back into my 5:15 a.m. workout routine. Every morning the same thought shows up: Just hit snooze. You can work out after work.
Then I remind myself how much better my day goes when I exercise first. The conversation still happens most mornings, but I'm getting better at choosing the short-term discomfort because it serves me well in the long run.

The same thing happens with boundaries. If you're someone who tends to people-please, saying yes often feels easier than saying no. Until later, when you're wondering how you're going to fit it in, or how you're going to back out.

As you probably know by now, I'm not a black-and-white thinker. Sometimes the second piece of cake is absolutely worth it. Sometimes sleep is what your body needs. Sometimes saying yes is the right choice.

The goal isn't to always choose the hard thing.

It's to pause long enough to ask:

Am I making this choice because it's what I truly want, or because I'm simply delaying the discomfort?

07/21/2026

Health principles are often universal. How we apply them should be personal.

We often search for the best diet, best workout, or the best morning routine. But health isn't one-size-fits-all. The same strategy that energizes one person may leave another frustrated or exhausted.

Forcing ourselves to follow a plan that works against us instead of with us often creates more stress than progress.

Running energizes some people. Others dread every mile. Some thrive eating three meals a day, while others feel better with smaller, more frequent meals. You can build a healthy diet without ever liking broccoli, and be physically fit without ever running.

Recommended wellness routines are like recipes. They're a starting point, not a rulebook. Sometimes I follow them exactly. More often, I adjust them to fit my tastes and what's in my kitchen. The same holds true for health.

Evidence gives us a foundation.

Wisdom comes from learning how to apply it to our own lives.

Combine good evidence with what you learn about your own body, preferences, and life. Health advice should give us direction, not dictate every decision. The point isn't to find the plan that works for everyone or copy someone else's routine. It's to understand the principles, pay attention to your own experience, and build an approach that's grounded in evidence, sustainable, and adaptable as your life changes.

What’s one piece of health advice you’ve adapted to better fit your life?

07/13/2026

Balance: endlessly sought, rarely defined and ever-changing.

Balance is a word we use constantly in health, wellness, and work. We say we want "more balance," but how often do we stop to define what that actually means?

I used to convince myself that it was something I’d simply feel. I’d know it when I had it. There is some truth to that, and when we take time to define what balance looks like for us, we can start making intentional shifts instead of waiting to stumble into it.

I have also come to realize that balance is not a static state, but an ever-changing one. Much like physically balancing on a beam, it requires continuous, small adjustments to keep from falling.

One of the biggest misconceptions is that balance means everything receives equal time and energy. It rarely does. Balance isn't about equal distribution. It's about giving the right things your attention at the right time.

Maybe balance isn't something we achieve once and hold onto forever. Maybe it's a skill we practice through hundreds of small adjustments.

So the next time you find yourself saying, “I just need more balance”, think about what that really means to you right now. Not what you want in the “ideal” world, but the real world you’re living in right now. We don't practice balance in perfect circumstances. We practice it in the middle of deadlines, family responsibilities, unexpected setbacks, vacations, illness, and ordinary Tuesdays.

What small adjustment could you make today? Those adjustments might look like setting a boundary, asking for help, saying no, saying yes, or simply shifting your mindset. Remember, it's okay to be wobbly, sometimes, those small adjustments are exactly what keep us from falling.

07/08/2026

Mastering mental imagery beyond the outcome.

In the past decade of coaching, one thing I've heard repeatedly is, "I've tried everything and nothing works," or, "I fail every time."

People often come with a clear image of what they want to be doing: exercising more, managing stress better, improving their sleep, or eating healthier. Sometimes the first step is getting more clarity on what that actually looks like in their life. How is it different from what they're doing now? Creating that mental image of who they want to become can be an incredibly powerful first step.

This type of mental imagery focuses on the outcome. Like an athlete imagining themselves executing a routine or visualizing the mechanics of a swing, serve, or shot, they're rehearsing success before it happens.

For the most effective use of imagery, though, it doesn't stop there.

Coping imagery holds an equally important seat at the table.
How will I respond when things don't go as planned? What will I do when I miss a workout, forget my lunch, have a poor night's sleep, or fall short of the routine I've been working to build?

This is where we often come up short. We stop at the outcome, so anything less is framed as failure.

Imagining how you'll respond when things go wrong prepares you to be more resilient. A misstep is no longer a failure, it's something you've already prepared yourself to handle.

It brings to mind a word I've used often: adaptation.

When you think about changes you're working on for your health and well-being, don't stop at the new identity you're creating for yourself. Imagine the situations you've probably already experienced.

You forgot your lunch and ended up going out with coworkers. You had the appetizer, burger, and fries. You feel a little guilt, but you've already decided your next step. You'll have a balanced dinner with plenty of vegetables and move on.

That detours from what is often called the "What the Hell Effect," where we bury ourselves in shame and convince ourselves we've already blown it, so we might as well have pizza and ice cream for dinner too.

Leaning into coping imagery prepares us to adapt when life inevitably gets in the way. We keep the outcome as our North Star, but we also rehearse how we'll respond when things don't go according to plan.

Because let's be real... how often does life unfold exactly as we imagined?

07/03/2026

When we think of kindness, we often think about extending it to others.
The other side of kindness is accepting it.
For some of us, that's not nearly as easy as it sounds.

My husband and I participated in the Jan Dils Freedom 5K this past weekend. It's a wonderful event that raises money to support veterans, and I'm proud to have participated for the last three years.

As someone who doesn't enjoy running at all, I often think, "Maybe I'll just donate this year." Yet somehow, I always end up running/walking.
When my husband said he'd run it with me, I assumed we'd start together and then he'd take off. He runs a much faster pace than I do, even when I’ve been training and he hasn't run in months.

He had other plans.
He stayed beside me the entire race.
When I grumbled and told him to go run his own race, he just smiled.
When I walked, he walked.
It's surprisingly difficult to argue with someone when you're trying to conserve enough energy to keep running.

The truth is, I don't mind running at my own pace. It used to bother me and now I’m grateful to be able to run, regardless of pace.
What bothers me is believing I'm slowing someone else down.
Ironically, I'd gladly slow my pace for someone else without thinking twice.

He didn't care about his finish time.
He cared about finishing with me.
As I reflected afterward, I realized this race wasn't just another reminder that kindness matters.

It reminded me that accepting kindness can be just as important as offering it.
Sometimes the most generous thing we can do is let someone walk or run beside us.

This Independence Day weekend, I'm grateful for those who serve our country, for events that support our veterans, and for the people in our lives who quietly remind us that we don't have to do everything alone.
Be kind to others.
Be kind to yourself.
And don't forget to let others be kind to you.

Grounded Wellness

08/30/2026

08/25/2026

08/17/2026

08/13/2026

08/03/2026

07/27/2026

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07/03/2026

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