When I think about prioritizing well-being, I don’t picture spa days or big lifestyle overhauls — I picture small, consistent actions that add up over time. Well-being doesn’t have to look the same for everyone. For some, it’s a daily run. For others, it’s ten quiet minutes with a cup of tea before the household wakes up. Your life stage, health, personality, and resources all shape what’s realistic and restorative for you.

I’m probably not the best person to ask about prioritizing well-being because that’s all I do. Although, I prioritize my well-being, it wasn’t always that way. I’ve had to develop the habits over years— like seven years. I started with the habit of working out. Then the next year it was nutrition, the next year it was sleeping, and so on.

Consistency

I had to learn that the “extreme” mentality in American culture is just not conducive to consistency. Consistency is boring. How many times do you hear people say, “I work hard so I can play hard”? That sounds like fun — a reward for giving everything you can in a week! But do we really give ourselves that reward? And if we do, is it truly in our best interest (e.g., our physical or mental health), or is it pizza and an adult beverage on the weekend?

You know what doesn’t sound like fun? Having a daily alarm go off at 4 a.m. to go to the gym at 5 a.m., or preparing lunches the night before to make the next day easier. But consistently getting to the gym or preparing in advance pays off in the form of less stress and better health (lower resting heart rate, improved mobility, etc.). I also know I can’t do it all on my own. I ask for help. Another set of hands making a lunch or filling a water bottle can be a game-changer.

The Superwoman Trap

The truth is, many women fall into the “superwoman” trap — believing we have to do it all, all the time, and never ask for help. This mindset leaves little room for rest, personal care, or the grace to fall short, and it can make self-care feel selfish. In reality, self-care is taking care of your health and doing basic things like taking a break for lunch or sleeping.

There’s a common saying in gym communities that one hour is 4% of your day. I know plenty of women who say they can’t carve out an hour for themselves — between commute time, work commitments, and kids’ activities, there’s little margin. I once attended a conference and the theme at our table was “there’s never enough time.” We were challenged to flip our thinking – how can you start believing the opposite?  One woman reframed it as, “I have 30 minutes in a day.” I take it further: if 30 minutes feels impossible, you have 15 minutes in a day for yourself.

Well-being can be meditation, prayer, reading, or a breathing exercise. Imagine if you gave yourself a mental break for 15 minutes a day. What’s the best thing that could happen?

Build Small Habits

My gym recently ran a program to build small habits over one month for five of the seven days in a week:

  • Week 1: Choose one nutrition goal.
  • Week 2: Go outside for 10 minutes.
  • Week 3: Select a recovery habit.
  • Week 4: Practice gratitude.

Participants were also asked to work out three days a week. If you were told to do all of that in one week, you’d probably fail — and that’s demotivating.

So, what small acts could fit into your life?

  • Nutrition: Eat one serving of vegetables each day (hello, side salad at lunch!).
  • Get outside: Water plants by hand, walk your block while listening to music or a podcast, or take a stroll with your family.
  • Recovery: Put your phone down 30 minutes before bed, stretch for 10 minutes, or get one more hour of sleep (Netflix will still be there tomorrow).
  • Gratitude: Name three things you’re grateful for before bed or when you wake up.
Accountability

Accountability doesn’t have to feel like a chore. Find a buddy who will check in on you. Set a phone reminder with a kind message to yourself. Track how you feel rather than just what you did. And remember — this is about progress, not perfection.

Prioritizing your well-being will take effort. You’ll have to think about your day and when you can give yourself 15–30 minutes. But every time you follow through, you’re making a commitment to showing up better for yourself and for the people in your life. And the beautiful part? No one is grading you. If all you have to give is 75% one week, then you’ve given 100% of what you had.

So, here’s my challenge: Before today ends, pick one 15-minute act of well-being — and treat it like the most important meeting on your calendar. You’re worth showing up for.