Ten Take-Aways from a Student in the Wellness World

In my family, when I was growing up, and still to this day, it mattered where you went to school. A person’s educational background said a lot about her; in fact, in many ways it defined her. As I came of age, this was an important part of my family’s narrative. Even though we have a blended family, complete with steps and halves, the emphasis on education was a common thread for all of us. So for me, that story unfolded in boarding school, then at an elite all women’s college, and then from there, I went on to earn my master’s degree at one of the nation’s top universities. I studied and studied and studied. Being a learner is in my blood.

I say this because almost a decade after I completed my graduate work, I decided to enroll at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, a school dedicated to nutrition and overall well-being. I’m only seven months into the program, but my education at IIN is already applicable and meaningful in a myriad of ways. In comparison to my earlier years grappling with subjects like literature and history, my coursework today feels more like heart work than head work. So far, here are some of my take-aways and reflections, beyond the nutritional science and dietary theories.

1. Everything is individual. What works for you might not work for anyone else, and that’s okay. For this reason, it’s really important not to push rhythms and routines onto someone else.

2. Shame buffets the edges of the wellness world, and sometimes unfortunately, that negativity or insecurity creeps in. There is something about food and wellness that acts as a trigger for a lot of people. Resistance comes in so many different forms, and for me, I’ve had to really let people hold space for their own resistance and learn not to take on their pushback.

3. Everyone has time for self-care. Everyone. This is a hard one for me because I did not grow up in a household that valued or modeled self-care. A strong message in our house was that if you thought about yourself, you were self-absorbed and egocentric — character traits to be ashamed of. So, I really didn’t even know what self-care was until it became a trendy term. I understand now, though, that making yourself a priority changes your life at the cellular level.

4. Variety is essential. Trying new things, being playful in the kitchen and with exercise, and in other areas of your life, too, makes a wellness journey more enjoyable and more meaningful.

5. The more connected we feel to the earth, the more aligned we feel in our lives. One way to think about this idea — eating seasonally cultivates inner peace.

6. Balance is the queen. Eat dessert. (I do. every. single. day.) Drink wine. Rest. Everything is temporary. Because of #6, anything extreme makes me nervous, and I find myself very wary of labels.

7. Movement matters but what you choose to put into your body matters more.

8. Listen. Listen to everything. And listen without judgement. Listen to yourself, people, and the natural world. Just like balance, intuition is paramount.

9. You are the expert on your body. For me, I’m not really sure I was even in my body until after I had my second child, so this one is extremely important and personal.

10. You don’t need a fancy degree, but you do need a learner’s mindset. It is not lost on me that my own education, that one my parents championed, afforded me tremendous benefits. Whether earning my masters degree, or ten years later, studying health and wellness, coming to the table with a beginner’s enthusiasm enhances the education. My education at IIN has already given me metacognitive tools and encouraged me to look inside myself, whereas my traditional schooling emphasized looking outside of myself — to the professor, to the books, to the facts, to the histories. There is space for both methodologies. Embracing and emboldening an open mindset creates connectivity, in all matters.

I haven’t finished the year-long program yet, but when I do, I hope to come back to this piece, and to you, and reflect even more thoughtfully on what I’ve discovered.