Good morning and welcome to first edition of The Well Path Newsletter!

As a reminder, On the Brookeshelf is now The Well Path Newsletter. In case you missed it, you can read more about the change here.

Today we’re talking about the extent to which the stuff of our mind (our thoughts and emotions) impacts our physical bodies.

Let’s get into it.

💡Mindset over matter

What if I told you that 90% of your success at achieving your fitness goals has nothing to do with training your body?

There is a wealth of research out there demonstrating the mind-body connection: how we store trapped emotions in our bodies, the impact of stress on our digestive system, the power of positive thinking in recovering from surgeries and even chronic illness…

But rather than pointing to data sets, let me tell you a personal story.

At 23, I was struggling. Years of unchecked disordered eating had started to manifest as a vicious cycle of under-eating and binge-eating. I gained 30 pounds and essentially stopped exercising. I lacked self-confidence and direction. On the outside, I was thriving in ways: I had graduated at the top of my class at Columbia and moved to Taiwan for a prestigious Fulbright Scholarship. But on the inside, I was utterly lost. I had no idea who I was, or what I wanted.

Thankfully, hitting my lowest point gave me the gift of transformation: the desire to change. I found a great therapist and over a few years, I worked with her to understand the root causes of the issues I was experiencing.

It was not an overnight fix. It took years of hard work and consistent self-discovery. But eventually, that self-discovery led to a reality that I would not have believed to be possible in my early 20s. The transformation of my physical body came not in spite of healing my inner world, but because of it.

Rule #1: You cannot have a healthy body without a healthy mind. 

Another example: take stress. Stress is objectively intangible. A figment of our thinking brain.

But stress has real physical effects on our body. It signals our adrenal glands to release cortisol, a hormone that increases blood sugar and suppresses our digestion and immune responses. This in turn leads to fat storage and an increased appetite for sugary and fatty foods, causes bloating and indigestion, and can even evolve into conditions like IBS when exposure is prolonged.

And so, what begins in the mind eventually trickles down into the body.

Focusing exclusively on the physical body ignores this fact entirely.

If you’re serious about your fitness goals, you must train your mind as intentionally as you train your body.

This is a lifelong pursuit, but here are 3 steps to kickstart your journey:

1. Meet your Self. The most important realization that you’ll have in your life is that there is a You behind all of your thoughts, emotions and experiences. Spend time getting curious about the way you think and behave in the world. For many, therapy or coaching are invaluable tools to explore how your past has shaped your current patterns. Distinguishing between behaviors that are truly part of You, vs. those you adopted to survive, is an important step in self-discovery. Meditation is another incredible way to meet yourself. When you learn to observe your thoughts and feelings without getting lost in them, you unlock a much deeper connection to yourself. This level of alignment is a fast-track to total mental and physical transformation.

2. Prove to Yourself Who You Are: Start by making small commitments to yourself and keeping them. Whether it’s hitting the gym when you planned, skipping takeout in favor of cooking a nutritious meal for yourself, or maintaining a commitment to meditating in the morning, these small acts build a reliable track record. This reinforces your self-identity as someone who is healthy and committed. Act like a healthy person, and you will become one.

3. Cultivate an Abundance Mindset: Believe in your limitless potential. The power of manifestation and visualization is real—what you envision, you can achieve. By fostering a mindset of abundance, you’ll see transformative changes in your body, mind, and circumstances.

🧠 1% better

If you listen one thing this week, let it be this:

This episode from On Purpose with Jay Shetty

Format: PodcastTime Commitment: 32 minsWhy bother: This episode has some great actionable steps we can all take to build our inner self-confidence, which is the foundation of success in all areas of life. Jay helps define the distinction between inner and outer confidence, why inner confidence is the only confidence that matters, and tools you can use to start building it today. Standout Snippet:

🫶 Actions

• 1. FIND A THERAPIST. If this edition inspires you to seek therapy or coaching, I can recommend trying out My Wellbeing. It’s a free matching tool that helps you find therapists matching your preferences, in your area.

• 2. START YOUR FITNESS JOURNEY. Know you want to start working out but have no idea where to start? I’ve been right there with you. And I can’t recommend FORM by Sami Clarke enough. Her workouts level-up with you and don’t require a lot of equipment. I started seeing noticeable results about 1 month in, and I’ve been with this program now for nearly 18 months. Use code BROOKEROBBINS for 25% off your Annual Membership. Includes a 7-day free trial.

• 3. START A PODCAST? ICYMI, I’m sharing the behind-the-scenes of building The Well Path Podcast in real time. Follow along at @wellbeingbrooke.

That’s all for now. Thank you for being here!!

Be Well 🤍

Brooke

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