A quarter century of publishing — that’s what this edition marks for Experience Life. To celebrate, I’m excited to share 25 of the lessons I’ve gleaned from our team’s 25 years of health and wellness reporting.
1. It’s all intertwined — mindset, stress and sleep, nutrition and healthy eating, fitness and movement, community. Pull one thread and it affects the others. Nothing happens in isolation.
2. Mental health is as important as physical health. “Mind right, body right,” as my Life Time Talks cohost David Freeman often says.
3. Pleasure matters in all aspects of our health and well-being. If we’re not enjoying how we’re moving, eating, and connecting, then what are we doing?
4. Prioritize consistency over intensity. When we commit to showing up, we create habits and behaviors that set us up for long-term success.
5. Of course, intensity has its place. It’s about applying it in the right doses to stimulate the change we’re seeking.
6. The right support system can make all the difference. We need our people.
7. Slowing down and taking breaks is not lazy — it’s essential for our emotional, mental, and physical well-being. (More on this in “How to Curate Your Own Retreat.”)
8. Practice to progress, not to be perfect. Improvements come from moving forward, even when we stumble or have to take a few steps back along the way.
9. Our positive habits and behaviors make us resilient, which helps us cope when life throws curveballs our way (which it inevitably will).
10. Adversity is often an opportunity for personal growth and discovery.
11. Sleep is as important as exercise and good nutrition for optimal health.
12. Understanding our bodies and how they function can change our motivation for how and why we take care of them.
13. Connecting with our why — our intrinsic motivations and values — is more effective than focusing on external rewards, which are often temporary.
14. A healthy relationship with oneself is the basis for healthy relationships with others.
15. Forget all-or-nothing goals; instead, focus on what’s sustainable and realistic.
16. Food is more than fuel for our bodies: It’s pleasure, it’s connection, it’s memory.
17. Strength training and building muscle are nonnegotiable for healthy aging.
18. Being curious and embracing adventure can open the door to new possibilities. (Get inspired to start a new fitness adventure.)
19. Willingness is more powerful than willpower when it comes to making meaningful change. This is one of my favorite lessons from our founding editor, Pilar Gerasimo.
20. The language we use about our bodies, our age, and our eating habits can affect how we experience and engage with them — positively or negatively.
21. Play is not a frivolous indulgence. It’s an opportunity to reconnect with our younger selves and experience real joy.
22. Environmental, societal, and communal health are directly related to individual health.
23. Change happens as we work toward our goals, not when we achieve them.
24. Empowering people with information — so they can take their health into their own hands — is way more effective than “shoulding” people with guilt and shame.
25. Following our dreams keeps us connected to our authenticity, our values, and our passions. This pursuit is a reminder that anything is possible.
Twenty-five years in and there’s still more to learn and share. Cheers to what’s ahead!
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