Simple Wellness Journey Tips for Introvert Women (How To)

Let’s go on a journey – a wellness journey. Everyone’s personal wellness journey will look different but it’s important that you have one. Thinking about all the levels of holistic wellness may feel daunting but fret not, Wallflower. 

I’ll break down the different areas of wellness and give some examples of simple activities you can incorporate into your life for each one. Plus, introvert wellness tips along the way. Let’s get started!

But for the first thing … what is a wellness journey?

What is a Wellness Journey?

A wellness journey is a process of incorporating changes and activities in your life that will move you toward holistic wellness. Holistic wellness simply means focusing on the different areas of wellness that impact your overall health and well-being. 

As a public health expert, I’ve seen firsthand how strongly the different wellness areas are interrelated. So it’s important to make sure you’re focusing on different areas rather than just one, with the ultimate goal of reaching a state of holistic health. 

In fact, according to the 2023 Charles Schwab Modern Wealth Survey, 40% of Americans valued well-being over money. Survey takers mentioned things like experiences, healthy relationships, work-life balance, and good health as part of how they defined being wealthy.

These are all things included in the 8 areas of well-being. And factors we’ll include in these simple wellness journey activities.

Sound like a lot? It kinda is. But remember we’re doing this the easy way so stay with me. We’ll break down each area of wellness with simple tips so you don’t feel overwhelmed. But first, let’s go ahead and list those areas of wellness so you know what to expect.

What are the 8 Areas of Wellness?

The 8 areas of wellness are financial, spiritual, physical, emotional and mental, intellectual, occupational, social, and environmental. Each wellness area impacts a different facet of your life and overall well-being.

Simple Wellness Journey Tips for 8 Areas of Wellness

Financial Wellness

Financial wellness is not about being rich! Let’s dispel that first. It’s really about enjoying your life with the knowledge and skills to understand and effectively manage your money. 

Here’s some activities to make sure you’re staying on top of your financial wellness.

• Create and follow a budget. If you’re like me, you’re ready to break out the spreadsheet. But try to keep it simple at first by writing down your income and expenses. Make sure the expenses don’t outweigh the income. Your budget can become more sophisticated as you learn more.
• Set aside an emergency fund. Save a portion of your income in an emergency fund. An emergency fund prepares you for financial challenges that arise. Bonus points if you can automate this.
• Prepare for your future self. Identify and execute strategies to save for your future self. Old age and retirement come for us all but a surprisingly small amount of people prepare for it.
• Attack debt like it stole something from you! Truly, debt has stolen something from you – your income and financial flexibility. Paying it off will make all other financial goals that much easier.
• Give what you can. Giving helps others and makes you feel good. Now, this is the only one that doesn’t necessarily have to involve money. If money is tight right now and you really don’t have much to give, I get it. You can give your time or talent by volunteering instead.

These activities have made a huge difference in my financial wellness so give them a try. That said, I am not a financial expert. However, here’s a few podcasts/blogs that have been very helpful to me on my financial wellness journey.

1. Rich and Regular
2. Journey to Launch
3. Money with Katie

Spiritual Wellness

Spiritual wellness means living so your actions align with your values and beliefs. Additionally, it means finding inner peace by recognizing your purpose and a sense of meaning in your life. Here are some example activities to move you along the spiritual part of your holistic wellness journey.  

• Do a time audit. I’m not talking about the popular productivity hack. I mean periodically review the activities you spend your time on for alignment with your values and beliefs. It might be easier to do this if you write down your values and beliefs. Then ask yourself if the ways you spend most of your time fit with what you wrote.
• Prioritize faith. Practice your faith by attending your local assembly or a small group of likewise believers. Attending church regularly helps me stay connected to a community and grow my faith.
• Prayer and meditation. Praying for yourself and others will keep you grounded and hopeful. Meditating on the truths of your beliefs leads to recognizing purpose and meaning in your life. A prayer journal is a great place to start.
• Learn more. Learning more about your beliefs deepens your connection to them. Deepening your connection to your beliefs, and acting on those beliefs leads to the inner peace I mentioned. Try books or podcasts for easy ways to deepen your understanding.
• Share with someone. And of course, once you’ve learned more, it’s only natural to share it with others. Volunteering is another way of sharing with others. These are both opportunities to up your inner peace.

As a Christian, I routinely do all these things. They are woven into my daily life.

Physical Wellness

Physical wellness is all about adopting healthy habits to keep your body in good condition, and giving it what it needs for optimal physical health and energy. Additionally, it means recognizing and minimizing habits that are harmful to your body. Ideally, you want your body to function well for the things you want to do, not be a barrier to the things you want to do.

• Get moving. The most significant contributors to your physical wellness are exercise and diet. You’ve got to keep your body moving if you want it to be healthy. The CDC recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity per week. That sounds like a lot. Especially if the most daily exercise you get is walking to the refrigerator.
  
  But don’t worry, you can do this! Just start small and build up your time from there. Do it in smaller chunks of time, spread out over a few days each week. And look for things you enjoy doing. All kinds of things count as physical activity so have some fun with it.
• Make healthy eating choices. I know, I know. Easier said than done. As a cupcake lover, I understand. However, the other biggest contributor to a healthy lifestyle is what you eat. Focus on including healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains in your diet when possible. And minimize salt, sugar, and fat.
  
  Don’t try a massive diet overhaul. That’s likely to be unsuccessful. Instead, make small changes until they become your norm over time. For example, try swapping white bread for whole grain bread and challenging yourself to swap one sweet drink a day for water.
• Keep up with recommended screenings and exams. Most insurance will cover one wellness exam per year at no cost to you. Use it! I know a lot of people don’t like going to the doctor but pretty much anyone can manage to go at least once per year. Consistently going for an annual physical is a great way to maintain a healthy body and prevent any potential problems early.
  
  Moreover, it’s important to keep up with recommended screenings based on your age group. That includes women’s health screenings and dental screenings too. Screening is one of the best ways to prevent disease.
• Sexual health is part of physical wellness. Practicing healthy sexual behaviors is key so be sure to talk with your doctor about any questions you may have. Also, don’t hesitate to ask for an STI (sexually transmitted infections) screening if you want one.
  
  Additionally, please do remember that sexual health is not just about preventing disease. It’s part of your overall well-being. Sexual health means having a positive physical, mental, emotional, and social approach to your sexuality.

Emotional and Mental Wellness

The keys to emotional and mental wellness are understanding your emotions, prioritizing your mental health, and being kind to yourself throughout the process. Especially as introverts. We experience a wide range of emotions and our heads can be a whirlwind of thoughts. Give these activities a try to make sure that you’re including your emotional and mental health in your wellness plan.

• Practice mindfulness. Admittedly, mindfulness can sound a little woo-woo to some people. But if you think about it, it’s really just being present where you are and in what you’re doing. Our minds can get pulled in many different directions and being mindful just means that you’re focusing on what’s happening right now.
• Start journaling. Journaling is a great opportunity to process your thoughts and emotions. If you’re new to journaling it doesn’t have to be complicated. I have some simple journal prompts that you can try to get started.
• Get therapy or counseling. Don’t shy away from getting help or support for your mental well-being if you need it. There is no shame in taking care of yourself. I’ve tried counseling during some challenging times and it was one of the best decisions I could have made.
• Establish clear boundaries. Clear boundaries and expectations are two things that make relationships successful. So take the time to be clear about what you both expect from the relationship with those you care about. And what boundaries you need to continue having a healthy relationship. This is fundamental for all kinds of relationships, not just romantic ones.
• Say “no.” This is for my people-pleasers. Learn to say no when you need to without feeling guilty about it.

Intellectual Wellness

Intellectual wellness means never stop growing and never stop learning. Always be on the lookout for ways to continue challenging and expanding your mind. Here are a few ways you can do that.

• Keep reading. Read books, blog posts, or articles about topics that you enjoy and topics that are new to you. Try audiobooks, podcasts, or YouTube videos if reading isn’t your thing.
• Learn something new. Prioritize your personal development by learning a new skill or a new hobby. These have the added benefit of mental and social wellness as well.
• Experience different cultures. The world is filled with a diverse population. Try attending events festivals and museums that allow you to learn more about other people and ways of living.
• Meet new people. Our thinking is limited when we only spend time with people who are just like us. Invite other perspectives and experiences by talking with different types of people. You can try meeting other people through online groups, social media, or community forums.

Occupational Wellness

Occupational wellness is the personal fulfillment received from performing your work with joy and to the best of your ability. Work-life balance harmony is key for occupational wellness. Include these things in the occupational portion of your wellness journey. 

• Set goals and plan. Set career goals for yourself and create a plan to achieve them. Make them realistic and include a timeline. This isn’t to add pressure but to give you something to work toward. And remember, long-term success is more likely when your career goals are for your personal journey. Meaning don’t try to make them fit anybody else’s. If you don’t want to be a CEO, don’t make that your goal!
• Seek work-life harmony. Work-life harmony acknowledges that work-life balance is not always achievable or realistic. Focusing on harmony instead means giving attention and energy to what needs it at the time. This changes in different seasons of life.
• Take breaks. Burnout is real. So remember to take breaks however small throughout your work day. It can be as simple as taking a few minutes to close your eyes for a brain break or taking a short walk. Especially now when many of us are staring at screens so much, it’s good to take your eyes off every now and then.
• Create healthy co-worker relationships. This doesn’t mean that you have to share all your personal information with them. But it’s helpful to have a cordial relationship with those you spend a good portion of time around. It can be as simple as just looking for shared interests that you can talk to each other about.
• Adapt your work to your personal learning style. Your learning style is how you best take in and understand information. Adapting your work to this style will make it easier to be productive. For example, if you are an auditory learner but your job requires you to read a lot, look for an app that can read the text for you by converting text to speech.

Social (and Community) Wellness

Building and maintaining healthy, trusting, and respectful relationships is the basis of social wellness. Even for introverts who prefer to limit their amount of social engagement. Weave these activities into the social part of your wellness journey.

• Balance social and personal time. Be sure you’re having social time but also that you’re balancing that with the right amount of personal time. Introverts need time to recharge so we can continue to be social.
• Engage with others in your community. I know this can seem daunting from an introvert perspective but just try to take it one little bit at a time. Try meeting one new neighbor and go from there.
• Respect others and embrace diversity. Respect is the cornerstone of any healthy relationship. If you expect to be respected by others then you should start by respecting them. Respect is an important part of embracing diversity and being able to interact with people who are different than yourself. 
  
  After all, diversity is what makes life and people more interesting. Not sure how to get started? Find one person that you know or work with, or just happen to meet somewhere, and ask them something about themselves. Don’t make it weird. Keep the conversation light and casual.
• Strengthen your communication skills. Good communication is another crucial part of maintaining healthy social relationships. Focus on active listening. This is the most important part of good communication. You’d be surprised how much is lost in communication between people just because they’re not really listening to each other.
• Find your people. Having a support system is definitely important for social wellness. Make sure you’re building a network of family and friends around yourself. People who can support you in times of need or just be there when you want someone to laugh with.

Environmental Wellness

Environmental wellness means taking on the responsibility of maintaining the quality of our natural environment and resources. No, I’m not an environmental activist. However, I do appreciate that the natural resources we use and enjoy are limited. 

It’s all our responsibility to make sure we continue having access to those resources. My suggestion here would be to try small things you can contribute to maintaining our environment.

• Use eco-friendly products. Eco-friendly is definitely on trend which should make it easier to find products that qualify. This includes anything from food to beauty products to clothes.
• Spend time in nature. Nothing helps you appreciate our environment like spending time enjoying the beauty of nature. You don’t have to go camping or climb Mount Everest (unless that’s your thing, more power to ya!). If you’re not outdoorsy, try something small like a walk or visiting a local park.
• Reduce waste. Reduce waste by reusing items you can and recycling items that are appropriate. 1 tip for reducing food waste is to prepare and serve reasonable portion sizes. That way you end up throwing out fewer leftovers. Plus, smaller portion sizes might help achieve some of your physical wellness goals. 
• Be litter-free. Commit to being litter free by throwing away your trash. It sounds simple but a lot of people don’t do it, particularly in public spaces. you can also encourage those around you like your friends or your family to do the same.
• Create a peaceful home and work environment. This last one speaks more to your personal environment. It’s important to create a space in your home and in your work that is peaceful and serene, as much as possible anyway. This can help to reduce stress levels, increase focus, and bring more joy into your life. Decluttering and keeping things organized are simple ways to go about it.

Wellness Journey for Introvert Women Made Simple

I know this seems like a lot! Here’s a few tips on making it simple.

Tip #1: Break It Up. Group different wellness journey goals together and spread them throughout the year. You can have as many goals as you can manage in whatever timeframe makes sense. For instance, you can set two goals per month or 4 goals per quarter. It’s up to you. Just remember to make realistic and manageable goals.

Here’s an example of how this might look:

1. 1 financial wellness goal + 1 physical wellness goal to start in August.
2. Create a monthly budget and drink at least 1 glass of water per day.
3. At the end of August, see how you did.

Tip #2: Remember, it’s about balance, not perfection. You don’t have to do everything all at once. Pick what’s most important to you and makes sense for your life. Start there and add new goals when you can. And give yourself grace! Change is never easy.

Tip #3: Small changes = big progress. Repeat this to yourself when you feel discouraged.

Your Wellness Journey Can Be Simple

Holistic wellness is important and should be a priority for you. The benefit is a healthier, happier, and more enjoyable life as the best version of yourself. However, that doesn’t mean it has to be complicated. Decide to get started on your own wellness journey and use this guide to make it the best (and simplest) wellness journey you can imagine.