Have you heard of the 6 pillars of lifestyle medicine? I hadn’t, until recently, and when I discovered it, it immediately resonated with me. These 6 pillars are fundamental to my coaching work and align with the principles that I’m passionate about while supporting clients to make lasting and healthy behavioural changes.
Focusing on these six areas can transform how you feel day to day:
- nutrition
- physical activity
- restorative sleep
- stress management
- positive social connection, and
- avoidance of risky substances.
And when combined with coaching, these pillars become more than ideas, they develop into lived habits that fit your real life. With the reflection that coaching provides, you can turn healthy intentions into sustainable habits.
- Whole-food, plant-predominant eating
You may have noticed that foods that once worked for you don’t feel the same anymore. Perhaps certain meals leave you bloated or sluggish. A whole-food, plant-predominant diet, full of colourful vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, seeds and whole grains, helps balance hormones naturally and supports your heart, bones, and mood.
But knowing what to eat and actually eating that way are two different things. That’s where coaching comes in. Together, we explore what’s realistic for you – what you enjoy, what fits your lifestyle, and how to make nourishing choices without overwhelm.
- Physical activity
Movement is one of the best gifts you can give yourself. It strengthens bones, lifts mood, supports sleep, and can ease hot flushes if these are an issue for you. But it’s not always easy to make movement a priority, and it’s also easy to fall into the “should” trap – I should go to the gym, I should run more, I should lose weight.
In coaching, we reframe movement as something joyful and empowering, not a chore. Maybe it’s dancing in the kitchen, walking with a friend, or rediscovering yoga. It’s about finding what feels good in your body right now.
- Restorative sleep
If you’ve ever watched the clock tick past midnight, wide awake after a long day, you know how vital sleep becomes when it’s missing. Hormonal changes can make restful sleep feel still further out of reach, but it’s not impossible.
Coaching can help you identify what’s getting in the way, maybe late-night scrolling, caffeine, worry loops, and build simple rituals to invite rest back into your daily life. Sleep isn’t just downtime; it’s where healing happens.
- Stress management
Many of us lead really full lives: perhaps juggling aging parents, career demands, children growing up or leaving home. It’s no wonder stress feels constant. Chronic stress can cause physical symptoms, and can make you feel disconnected from yourself.
Coaching provides space to slow down, breathe, and untangle what’s really going on. Together, we explore mindfulness, boundaries, and small daily practices that bring you back to calm.
- Positive social connections
As women, we often give so much of ourselves to others that we forget to ask, ‘Who’s there for me?’ Meaningful relationships are powerful medicine. Sharing laughter, stories or struggles with women who understand what you’re going through can make all the difference.
Coaching can help you nurture those connections — and sometimes, it starts with reconnecting to yourself. When you show up authentically, you invite deeper, more nourishing relationships into your life.
- Avoidance of risky substances
Alcohol, nicotine, caffeine and other substances can feel like a quick escape, especially after a long, stressful day. But they often make things worse and leave you feeling foggy or drained.
Through compassionate coaching, we look at the ‘why’ behind those habits. We explore the comfort, the reward, the need they fill, and find gentler ways to meet those needs. There’s no judgment; it’s about curiosity and choice.
A new beginning
The six pillars of lifestyle medicine give you the roadmap; coaching gives you the companionship and support to make that journey your own. Together, they can help you feel strong, balanced, and deeply at home in your body again, whatever your neurotype.