You can be eating all the right things. Hitting your protein goals. Lifting heavy. Getting stronger every week. From the outside, it can look like you are smashing it.
But inside? You might feel like a complete mess.
Anxious. Overwhelmed. Snappy. Exhausted even though you’re doing “all the right things.”
And you’re not alone.
I see this all the time.
Because physical health and emotional health are not separate. You can’t out-train a nervous system stuck in overdrive. You can’t eat your way to peace if you’re emotionally burnt out. And your face won’t glow – no matter how many green smoothies you drink, if stress is running the show.
The health you can’t see in the mirror
Dr. Peter Attia, one of the leading voices in longevity medicine, has started speaking more openly about this. For years, he was laser focused on blood markers, muscle mass, and VO2 max.
But what really changed his life?
Doing the emotional work.
He talks candidly about how therapy, reflection, and emotional awareness helped him become more resilient – not just physically, but mentally. And that shift had a ripple effect on his sleep, relationships, and even his long-term health.
If you want to listen to podcasts on Peter discussing emotional health, click on the links below
https://lewishowes.com/podcast/how-to-heal-stress-trauma-mental-health-issues-with-peter-attia/
https://peterattiamd.com/jeffenglish/
Chronic stress and unresolved emotion impact everything: cortisol levels, inflammation, immune function, blood sugar, and biological aging.
Strength and resilience are emotional, too
We talk a lot at BioAge about helping women build strength, resilience, and glow.
But here’s what we mean by that:
- Strength isn’t just the weight on your barbell. It’s the quiet power you feel when you say no to something that drains you.
- Resilience isn’t just your recovery time after a workout. It’s your ability to bounce back after a tough week, a setback, or a hard season.
- Glow isn’t about a filter or a facial. It’s the energy that radiates from you when you’re aligned inside and out.
And those things don’t come from just ticking the nutrition and training boxes. They come from doing the inner work – the emotional lifting.
5 tangible ways to support your emotional health (that actually work)
If you’re ready to stop ignoring what’s going on inside, here’s where to start:
1. Stillness is strength.
You don’t have to sit cross-legged and chant. But you do need moments of pause.
Even just five minutes of breathing before the kids get up. A quiet walk. A cuppa without your phone.
Stillness brings awareness. And awareness gives you choice.
2. Get help processing what you’ve been carrying.
Therapy isn’t about fixing something “wrong.” It’s about dealing with trauma so you can feel unburdened, understanding yourself better, building emotional range, and shifting patterns that no longer serve you.
Dr. Attia calls it his “greatest performance tool.” We’d agree.
3. Write it out.
You don’t need a fancy journal. Just a notes App.
Ask yourself things like: What am I greatful for today? What triggered me today? What felt good today?
Noticing patterns is the first step to changing them.
4. Connection matters but on your terms.
Loneliness increases mortality risk more than smoking. But connection doesn’t have to mean parties or people-pleasing.
Find your rhythm. A walk, coffee or workout a week with someone who lifts you up can do wonders for your nervous system.
5. Move your body to calm your mind.
We don’t just lift for muscles. We lift for mental resilience.
Exercise reduces anxiety, clears brain fog, and physically shifts your mood. It’s emotional regulation in motion.
My own go-to practices (that keep me sane)
This isn’t just something I coach. It’s something I practice regularly.
1. Daily gratitude notes
Each morning I open the Notes App and start with: “Good things are always happening to me.” Then I list them big or small. It shifts my perspective before the day even begins.
2. Early walks in the woods with my dog
It’s my happy place. No headphones. No podcast. No people (if I’m lucky). Just trees, birds, and paws on the path. It’s when I feel most grounded and most myself.
3. Boundaried connection
I’m naturally introverted, but I’ve learned I need regular social connection to feel emotionally well. So I make social plans that work for me: daytime, walk-or-food-based, short and meaningful. At least once a week is my non-negotiable.
Final word: You can look fit and still feel broken
Let’s normalise this. Let’s talk about the fact that strong bodies can house struggling minds. That glow comes from emotional alignment, not just skincare. That resilience starts in your inner world.
If you’re feeling the disconnect – like you’ve nailed the physical but are still running on empty – it’s time to look deeper.
This is your reminder that emotional health is just as important as physical health.
Su x