Five of the Healthiest Things I've Done This Year
Honestly, they're all so simple they are easy to miss!
I’ve been talking a lot about “building capacity” lately, and honestly, I don’t even feel bad about it.
I believe this is the missing piece that so many people skip over in their pursuit of health. We chase programs, trends, and tools that promise results, only to feel disappointed, not because they don’t work, but because we don’t have the capacity to let them work.
Here’s the truth: capacity isn’t flashy or trendy. It’s not sexy or sellable. It’s built through basic, consistent habits that most people overlook. But here’s the good news—it’s free, and it works.
In my own health journey, I’ve realized that when I focus on building capacity, everything else—exercise, nutrition, energy—starts to fall into place. Health becomes enjoyable, flexible, and sustainable. Capacity opens up health to be experienced in a million different variations.
I know we’ve talked a lot about capacity this year, but a good refresh never hurts, so here it is.
Why does capacity matter?
Think of your health like baking a loaf of bread. Every ingredient matters. Even the tiniest one—like yeast—can make or break the outcome.
The same is true for your body. You need all the “ingredients” in place to function at your best. Those ingredients build capacity, which is what ties it all together. Capacity is your energy reserve that powers your workouts, fuels your digestion, and supports your mental clarity.
Without capacity, everything feels harder, because it is. But when you build it, health becomes easier.
So, with summer here and school out of session, let’s refresh the basics. These are the five habits that have made the biggest difference in my own capacity this past year. I encourage you to try one (or all) and see what changes for you.
01: No Sunglasses, More Sunlight
The sun is one of the most powerful tools for recharging your body. It regulates your circadian rhythm, supports weight regulation, and boosts overall health.
Over the past year, my family has been working on light hygiene. We’ve shifted our blue light exposure at night, changed some bulbs to circadian-friendly ones, and prioritized daily sunlight exposure, especially in the morning. Last summer, I even weaned myself off sunglasses (read why I think sunglasses are making you more unhealthy here), which has noticeably improved my sleep, energy, eye health, and skin.
Sunlight is my skincare routine, and I’ve gotten more comments about my skin than ever before with this one shift.
I know common thought leaves you scared of the sun, but it’s actually one of our most beneficial resources (and it’s free).
Try it out: For the next week, expose as much of your skin to the morning sun as possible and take off your glasses or sunglasses if you wear them. Aim for 5-10 minutes and track how you feel.
**Note: You should still be cautious of mid-afternoon sunlight, especially if you haven’t had adequate morning sunlight. Morning sun exposure helps protect against the intense afternoon rays. Stay in the shade and use hats to shade your eyes and face when needed.
02: Increase Strength-Building Activities
You know I love the topic of energy, but a close second is understanding body structure. Body structure is one of the greatest predictors of longevity. It’s the foundation for resilience and health. While energy builds structure, structure also creates more energy - it’s one of your body’s positive feedback loops.
This year, I’ve focused less on cardio and more on strength. I’ve added weighted walks (with this weighted vest) and heavier strength-training workouts, and the results have been felt and seen.
While everyone is starting at a different place, weight loading activities are foundational in maintaining and building healthy structure (including cells) inside your body.
Try it: Add a few strength-building exercises to your week. Start with bodyweight movements, a weighted vest for walks, or a free workout program on YouTube.
03: Posture Repatterning
Your posture directly affects your biological response. In some ways, your posture is one of your greatest senses, communicating directly with your nervous system. Because of this understanding, I’ve started to recognize for myself how my posture is influenced by my mind and life patterns, but it also influences them.
Your posture is communicating to your cells how they should respond.
Unfortunately, modern life is hard on posture—too much sitting, screen time, and stress have created a “posture crisis.”
I don’t mean to be the bearer of bad news, but rather I’m here to tell you, there is so much you can do to help this! You can change the pattern of your posture to help your biology thrive.
Over the last year and a half, I’ve been practicing a method called Bowspring, and it’s completely shifted how I view posture and movement. Better posture has helped me feel more aligned physically and emotionally.
Try it out: Check out BowSpring or another posture program and see how it changes your day-to-day experience. Listen to the podcast episode I recorded with the co-founder of Bowspring here.
04: Eating To Meet My Nutrient Needs
There’s so much noise around food—what’s “good” or “bad,” what to eat or avoid. It’s overwhelming. Instead of focusing on trends, I’ve started asking: Is my diet meeting my daily nutrient needs? To find out, I occasionally track my food intake.
I can’t say I’ve historically been a huge fan of tracking. However, I have found my curiosity is heightened when I track for the sole purpose of understanding if I’m meeting my daily needs.
On the podcast earlier this year, we studied the findings from the Minnesota Starvation Experiment. Inside, I pinpointed how many modern-day issues are attributed back to simply not consuming one’s daily nutrient requirements.
It’s so easy to overlook this need and the true purpose of food in the chase of health. But that’s really what food was meant to be — food is meant to provide the nutrients required to complete the daily functions of the cells inside your body. Leaving me to ask you, is your diet meeting your daily nutrient requirements?
Try it out: Track your meals for a few days using the Chronometer app (it tracks your daily nutrient needs, not just calories and macronutrients). Focus on consuming food to hit your daily RDA.
05: Less Noise, More Silence + Space
Over the years, I’ve grown to find safety in noise. I don’t mean just auditory noise, but noise from the influx of information through podcasts, books, and social media. However, I started to realize how draining and overwhelming this noise was. I started to see information overload for what it was - not just some fancy term, but how it acts on my biology.
Everything we take in, even the information we absorb and consume, takes energy to process and digest. The question is, do you have the energy to process it, and is it worth the energy it’s taking?
Personally, I found my body battery was becoming depleted daily, and it wasn’t from physical exhaustion but mental exhaustion. I was attempting to consume more than I had the energy for, and the overflow was creating congestion, lethargy, and emotional instability.
Over the past year, I’ve learned to get acquainted with silence to combat this. For me, this has meant walking without headphones, reading more fiction, and taking regular social media breaks. The result? More clarity, creativity, and energy.
I’m not saying all noise is bad, but I’m asking, are you consuming too much?
Try it out: Take a week to reduce your information intake. Walk without distractions or take a social media break—you’ll be amazed at the mental space it creates.
Honorable Mention: More Intimacy
Intimacy is code for having more of the three-letter word I would get flagged for writing.
Yes, I know there is a lot of controversy, trauma, and big feelings around this topic, but I’ve realized since releasing The Sex Talk a few summers ago, how important the information is (and how you want more of it).
The Summer Sex Talk 2.0 is coming soon. Inside, I’ll share a lot more about how I increased my desire and how it has drastically changed me. While I won’t get into too much in this post, get excited because I have a lot of good information to share. For now, let me ask you, when’s the last time you made space for this important part of life?
Boost Your Body Battery
These habits have been game-changers for me. While health is personal, and what works for me might not work for you, these foundational shifts are a great starting point to experiment with and see how your body responds.
If you don’t know your current capacity level or body battery, I put together a quiz to help you understand how charged your body battery is. Take the quiz and then discover personalized tips to boost your energy.
Want to boost your capacity?
If you’re interested in learning more about boosting your body battery and building capacity to shift your body, become a paid subscriber. Every Sunday this summer, I am sharing a lesson that builds on this topic.
When you subscribe, you’ll get immediate access to the lessons that have already been released:
Lesson 01: The Way You Approach Health Determines if You’ll Achieve It
Coming Sunday: Lesson 04: Reframe Your View of Food To Change What Your Body Does With It
What is one thing that has changed your health the most this year?
I’d love to know what would be on your list? What is one thing that has changed your health the most this year? Leave a comment below!
Remember, health is not a destination, it’s an action. Focus on one thing that will help resource and support your body, and take action. Do it and pay attention to how you feel!
Small changes have big rewards!
I can’t wait to hear what’s on your list.
Where can I find the quiz you mentioned?
The one thing that has changed my health the most this year is taking things less personally! And I stopped saying “yes” to everything which has really helped create more bandwidth for the things that matter most in life