What is an Intentional Wellness Lifestyle?
As with most websites, approximately 99% of the links on this site are affiliate links, which means we may receive a small commission (at no extra cost to you) if you make a purchase through a link. If you want to know more about that, please read our disclosure and how we make money. ❤︎
Alright, let’s cut to the chase. We’ve all heard about minimalism, slow living, finding your purpose, and creating your ‘dream’ life. It’s all part of this idea of living an intentional lifestyle, and it’s become quite the buzz lately!
The definitions I found for an intentional lifestyle are:
being aware of one’s fundamental beliefs, and willingly making an effort to reflect these beliefs in one’s behavior,
and taking actions and making decisions that are important to you and true to who you are.
Intentional Living is all about things like:
- Mindful decision making: basically just trying not to make terrible life choices while you’re half-asleep. It’s all about being aware of your decisions and making sure they actually match up with what you want in life. No more impulse-buying 17 tubs of ice cream just because they’re on sale (unless that’s really what you want, of course).
- Simplifying your life: getting rid of all the junk that’s been cluttering up your house since 1997. You know, those old clothes you never wear, the boxes of “important” stuff you haven’t opened since you moved five years ago, and that random collection of decorative spoons your great-aunt Mildred gave you. The less stuff you have, the less stuff you have to worry about!
- Prioritizing self-care: taking care of yourself so you don’t turn into a sad, burnt-out potato. This means doing things like going for walks, reading a book, or taking a bubble bath when you’re feeling stressed or overwhelmed. And no, watching Netflix for 6 hours straight doesn’t count as self-care (but we won’t judge if you do it anyway).
- Building meaningful relationships: surrounding yourself with people who actually make your life better. That means cutting ties with toxic friends, investing time in people who support and uplift you, and generally just not putting up with anyone’s nonsense. Life’s too short to hang out with people who make you miserable!
- Pursuing your passions: doing the stuff that makes you happy and fulfilled, instead of just doing what society thinks you “should” be doing. Whether it’s painting, playing video games, or breeding llamas, you deserve to do what makes you happy (as long as it’s legal, of course).
- Mindful consumption: not just inhaling every piece of junk food or reality TV show that crosses your path. It’s about being aware of what you’re consuming – whether it’s food, media, or material goods – and making sure it aligns with your values and goals. So maybe skip that extra slice of pizza and read a book instead (or eat the pizza while you’re reading the book – you don’t have to give up everything!).
- Mindful use of technology: basically just trying not to let your phone turn you into a zombie. This means being aware of how much time you spend on social media, taking breaks from screens when you need to, and generally not letting technology run your life. Unless you’re using it to order pizza, in which case, carry on.
Really, it just comes down to this – living life with intention aka ‘a thing intended; an aim or plan.’
Living intentionally could be journaling about things that come up in your life instead of going through the motions and suppressing everything, taking moments throughout the day to step back from the constant stream of social media, work, and daily life stressors and taking a moment to just be present in the here and now, being grateful for all the good things in your life, regulating your nervous system, and working on improving your beliefs and mindset – so you can create the life you want to live!
What about an Intentional Wellness Lifestyle?
how is it different?
To be honest, it’s pretty similar to those other lifestyle trends, just with a wellness twist!
It’s all about taking control of your health and wellbeing by making smart choices. That means improving your diet, drinking more water (and cutting back on that coffee and soda addiction), getting off the couch and moving your body, popping some supplements, reducing stress levels, and catching some quality Z’s.
But intentional wellness is more than just making random healthy choices. It’s about being conscious of what we’re doing to our bodies, and making choices that promote wellness in all aspects of our lives.
Sure, there are some similarities to what you might have heard about intentional living, but our focus is on taking care of our health and well-being. That means we’re honing in on things like:
- Feeding your face: Okay, hear me out. If you’re going to live your best life, you gotta make sure you’re eating good stuff. That means ditching the junk food (at least 90% of the time) and filling up on nutrient-packed whole foods that make your body happy. Think fruits, meats, and other stuff that didn’t come out of a vending machine.
- Get moving: Yes, I know, exercise can be a drag. But when you find something you actually enjoy doing, it’s not so bad! Whether you’re into yoga, lifting weights, hiking, or just going for a stroll, getting your body moving helps you feel good inside and out.
- Get your mind right: Mental health is just as important as physical health, y’all. Take some time to meditate, write in your journal, or just sit quietly and clear your head. And don’t forget to be kind to yourself, because you deserve it!
- Treat yo’self: Self-care is the name of the game, my friends. Whether you’re taking a relaxing bath, reading a book, or just vegging out on the couch, make sure you’re doing things that make you happy and help you unwind. Because you deserve to be pampered like the queen (or king) you are.
- Get your beauty sleep: Yeah, I said it. You need your beauty sleep! Actually it’s almost as important as all that healthy food! Make sure you’re getting enough shut-eye to keep your body and mind in tip-top shape. And don’t forget to take some time to relax and recharge, too.
- Put down the phone: I love technology as much as the next person, but sometimes you just gotta step away from the screens. Head outdoors, get cozy with a good book, or work on a hobby. Set some boundaries around your tech use and take a break every now and then. Trust me, your mind (and eyes) will thank you.
- Hang with your peeps: Friends are the family you choose, so make sure you’re surrounding yourself with people who lift you up and make you feel good. And don’t forget to have some fun together! Whether you’re going out or just chilling at home, spending time with your squad is good for the soul.
- Get your zen on: You don’t have to be a hippie to appreciate the benefits of holistic healing. Explore practices like acupuncture, massage, and essential oils to help support your physical and mental well-being. Hey, if it’s been around for centuries, it must be doing something right!”
Living an intentional wellness lifestyle is starting your day with a plan.
Being alert and aware enough to do the things that are going to benefit your health instead of walking around like a zombie without a sense of direction or meaning.
Breaking the cycle of zoning out with work or stress, scrolling instagram or binge watching all 18 episodes of that new season.
It’s saying “no more” to simply going through the motions or following the expectations of others, waking up to the way you’ve been living your life, and starting a daily routine of all those seemingly unimportant things that actually make a world of difference.
The good thing is:
Living intentionally can be done by anyone
You can start at any age, any size, any phase of your life.
You don’t have to be rich, healthy, skinny, a certain age or race, college educated, live in a certain area, buy expensive courses or tools, go LIVE on Instagram, or even take the perfect selfie . . .
all you have to do is make a choice.
A choice to be intentional with what you are doing and who you are being.
With Intentional Living, There’s no such thing as failure
because it’s a lifelong process.
Maybe you set out to drink more water, but life got in the way and you totally forgot. Don’t sweat it, friend! That doesn’t mean you should give up on your hydration dreams. Go chug a glass of H2O right now, and keep doing it throughout the day, tomorrow, and the day after that. You got this!
Just keep setting intentions and being mindful about your daily habits. and every day you choose to try again, to do better. Even if you slip up, don’t beat yourself up about it. Every day is a clean slate, a new opportunity to try again, to be a little kinder to yourself, to get moving for just ten minutes, or to shift your perspective on whatever life throws your way.
Because when it comes to an intentional wellness lifestyle, it’s not about doing one big thing and calling it a day. Nope, it’s all about the small things you do every day. The things that seem so insignificant that they couldn’t possibly make a difference – they add up and make a huge difference in the long run!
Living an Intentional Wellness Lifestyle is not complicated
it just takes daily commitment to the process.
Acknowledging the days that don’t go as you had expected and recommitting to the plan.
So keep doing those little things, day in and day out, and before you know it, you’ll see massive changes in your life!
what’s one small action you can commit to right now?
More water? Getting those Z’s? Moving your body every day?
Pick one thing and challenge yourself to do it every day for the next 30 days.
If you’d like to add essential oils into your wellness plan, check out our starter kits, or get with me and I’ll help you create a personalized plan to work toward your wellness goals.
