CHAMPIONS: An Easy Wellness Acronym for Your Balance & Success
Taking care of yourself is the smartest thing you can do for your success. You might manage on sheer willpower for a while, but reaching your fullest potential requires a solid foundation of well-being.
Unfortunately, I learned this the hard way. Like many high-achievers, I lived an imbalanced life that looked successful but felt exhausting. I was a workaholic, focused only on productivity. Unsurprisingly, I burnt out. Thankfully, a sabbatical helped me recover and sparked a passion for healthier, sustainable success.
During my break, I spent over a year diving into the latest research on habit-building and high-performing leaders. I found that Neuroscience proves that healthy physical behaviors reward our brains with feel-good chemicals that make us happier!
To make these crucial practices easier to remember, I created the CHAMPIONS acronym.
CHAMPIONS: Connect • Hydrate • Art • Movement • Pleasure • Introspection • Outside • Nutrition • Sleep
This framework covers the essential wellness elements for mind/body health. Use CHAMPIONS as a check on your daily, weekly, or monthly routine. If you’re missing any, you’ll start to suffer. Let’s dive into each component and the science behind them.
🧑🤝🧑 Connection
Human beings thrive on social interactions and a sense of belonging. Relationships with family, friends, and community foster support and inclusion. Research shows that strong social connections can increase longevity, reduce stress, and improve overall well-being. Loneliness and social isolation are linked to various health issues, including heart disease and depression. Building and maintaining meaningful relationships improves mental and physical health by reducing chronic illness risk.
“Connection is why we’re here; it is what gives purpose and meaning to our lives.” — Brené Brown
Oxytocin, the “bonding molecule,” plays a huge role in feelings of connection and trust. High oxytocin levels are correlated with romantic attachment and strong social bonds, enhancing security and happiness. Oxytocin also reduces stress by lowering cortisol levels, promoting healing, and providing pain relief. It is essential in parent-child relationships and romantic partnerships, contributing to attachment and intimacy.
Fun fact: Studies have shown that petting a dog can increase oxytocin levels in both the human and the dog. Pets can literally make us feel better.
Even in our digital age, IRL (in real life) interactions hold unique power. Physical presence, eye contact, and touch uniquely impact our neurochemistry.
Try It Today: Try It Today: Schedule regular catch-ups with friends or family, even if it’s just a quick video call. Consistent small interactions can make a big difference in your sense of connection.
💧Hydration
Proper hydration is essential for cognitive function, physical performance, and overall health. Drinking enough water helps maintain optimal body functions, including temperature regulation, digestion, and nutrient absorption. It removes waste products through urine, supporting kidney function and overall health. Hydration also helps maintain skin elasticity, contributing to a healthy appearance. Neuroscience shows that adequate hydration supports brain function by maintaining fluid balance, which affects neurotransmitter systems, improving concentration, alertness, and short-term memory.
“You’re not sick; you’re thirsty. Don’t treat thirst with medications.” — Dr. F. Batmanghelidj
Generally, it’s recommended to drink about a half a gallon / 8 glasses / 2 liters daily. Sipping water throughout the day is far more effective than chugging it all at once.
Remember, both caffeine and alcohol can dehydrate you. Caffeine increases urine production, leading to dehydration if consumed in excess. Similarly, alcohol inhibits vasopressin, a hormone that helps the kidneys reabsorb water, resulting in increased urine output and dehydration.
Try It Today: Bring a bottle of water to your desk and daily commute. Add a slice of fruit or cucumber to make it more enjoyable and help you stay consistent.
🎨 Art
Engaging in creative activities is a vital element of human health. Artistic expression allows us to explore and experiment in a low-stakes environment, fostering a sense of freedom and personal growth.
“Creativity is not a luxury; it is human nature and a necessity for our well-being.” — Brené Brown
Neuroscience shows that artistic activities uniquely stimulates the brain. They encourage neural connectivity by engaging different brain areas (emotional, cognitive, and kinesthetic) creating a rich neural cocktail that can enhance problem-solving and critical thinking skills.
Engaging in creative pursuits releases dopamine, a feel-good neurotransmitter associated with rewards and pleasure, reducing stress and anxiety. Activities like painting, writing, or playing music can serve as a form of meditation, calming the mind and alleviating stress.
Try It Today: Dedicate a small part of your day to a creative activity you enjoy, whether it’s sketching, crafting, or writing. Remember, the goal is not to produce a masterpiece, but to enjoy the process and give your brain a refreshing break.
💃 Movement
Moving your body daily is foundational for mental clarity, emotional stability, and physical fitness. Movement, whether it’s structured exercise like yoga, simple activities like walking, or more fluid practices like dance, stimulates brain health and overall well-being.
“Exercise is the single most powerful tool you have to optimize your brain function.” — Dr. John Ratey
Regular movement can make you look hotter, but its benefits go much deeper. Exercise lowers blood pressure, improves heart health, and releases endorphins, natural painkillers that also improve sleep and reduce stress. Movement boosts dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin levels, helping regulate mood and concentration. Exercise reduces anxiety and depression while enhancing learning and memory by increasing blood flow to the brain.
Embodiment and dance enhance spatial awareness, coordination, and emotional expression, encouraging creativity and fluidity.
Walking alone benefits cardiovascular health and mood.
Try It Today: Commit to at least 30 minutes of movement daily. If you prefer routine, pick one you’ll do every day. If you prefer variety, try something new.
😍 Pleasure
Pleasure is an essential component of a healthy life, including joy, play, laughter, and orgasms. Pleasurable activities release a potent blend of beneficial neurochemicals that create a natural high, improving our mood and promoting overall well-being.
“Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.” — Dalai Lama
The neuroscience behind pleasure is juicy. Activities that bring joy, such as playing games, laughing, and intimate connections, trigger the release of dopamine, the “feel-good” neurotransmitter that boosts mood, energy levels, and overall vitality.
Laughter strengthens social bonds and reduces stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, while increasing endorphins which act as the body’s natural painkillers and mood lifters.
Sexual activity and orgasms boost oxytocin and dopamine, reducing stress and improving heart and overall health.
Try It Today: Find one or two ways to add some pleasure into your day, something you add JUST for the sheer enjoyment of it. Pause to breathe deeply and smile. If this feels weird, pleasure might be lacking in your life. Keep going; it’s worth it.
🧘♀️ Introspection
Introspection allows us to connect deeply with ourselves, fostering a compassionate relationship to self that can improve every aspect of our lives. Techniques like meditation, mindfulness, breathwork, journaling, and reflection cultivate self-awareness and emotional health.
“The soul usually knows what to do to heal itself. The challenge is to silence the mind.” — Caroline Myss
Introspection can significantly impact our ability to achieve our goals. By understanding our motivations, fears, and desires more clearly, we can make better, more aligned decisions.
Gratitude journaling enhances mood by focusing on positive aspects of our lives, conditioning us to recognize and appreciate our blessings.
Regular introspective practices like mindfulness and meditation reduce stress by lowering cortisol levels, protecting memory and brain health. These practices help maintain a healthier hippocampus, improving memory, emotional health, and resilience.
Try It Today: Spend a few minutes in quiet reflection or journaling. Consider what you’re grateful for, or simply observe your thoughts and emotions without judgment.
🌳 Outside
Getting a breath of fresh air is essential for physical and mental health. Time in nature lowers blood pressure, improves sleep, reduces anxiety, and improves mood. Increased physical activity and sunlight exposure provide essential vitamin D for bone health and immune function.
“And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul.” — John Muir
Neuroscience has found that being outdoors increases oxygen intake, boosting serotonin and improving mood and focus. Fresh air and natural settings promote mental restoration and enhance cognitive abilities like focus and problem solving. Grounding or earthing, making direct contact with the earth’s surface, has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, aiding pain management and stress reduction.
Studies show regular outdoor activities maintain a healthy hippocampus, crucial for memory and emotional health. Engaging with nature actively enhances brain resilience and reduces stress hormones like cortisol.
Try It Today: Take any CHAMPIONS activity and do it outside. Make art in the park, a nutritious dinner under the stars, or take a neighborhood walk to move your body. If you can, enjoy some sunshine on your face and the put your bare feet on the ground.
🥗 Nutrition
Nutrition shapes our health and happiness. By fueling our bodies with healthy foods and supplements as needed, we boost physical health, mental acuity, and emotional stability.
Proper nutrition can be complex and personal. It’s essential to prioritize a healthy relationship with food and find proper nutrition, perhaps with a nutritionist’s help.
“The food you eat can be either the safest and most powerful form of medicine or the slowest form of poison.” — Ann Wigmore
A balanced diet rich in essential nutrients is crucial for optimal body function. Consider the following guidelines and your unique needs. Fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains reduce inflammation and support well-being. Nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids enhance memory and mood by maintaining cell membrane fluidity and fostering neural connections. Complex carbohydrates stabilize blood sugar levels for sustained energy and mood regulation. Proteins support muscle building and provide amino acids vital for brain performance and mood. Micronutrients like vitamins B, C, D, zinc, and magnesium are essential for energy production, cognitive function, and nerve cell recovery.
Try It Today: Keep healthy snacks like nuts, seeds, or yogurt handy to satisfy hunger with nutrient-rich options rather than reaching for processed foods.
Sleep
Proper sleep is crucial for mental clarity and physical health, and foundational for cognitive function and emotional resilience. A good night’s sleep refreshes the mind, and repairs and fortifies every system in the body.
“Sleep is a performance-enhancing wonder drug.” — Arianna Huffington
Sleep enhances memory consolidation, mood regulation, and physical recovery. The brain uses sleep to clear out waste byproducts and strengthen neuronal connections, facilitating learning and memory retention. Adequate sleep regulates hormones controlling appetite, growth, and immune function. Lack of sleep can lead to serious health issues like obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and mood disorders.
Research shows that maintaining a regular sleep schedule each day improves sleep quality. A quiet, dark, and cool environment promotes sound sleep. Reducing blue light exposure from screens before bed helps maintain melatonin production, the hormone responsible for sleep cycles.
Try It Today: Pick an easy, relaxing pre-sleep routine you can enjoy daily. Throw your phone out the nearest window and lock yourself in a closet… Wait.. no.. But maybe a warm shower, a few deep breaths, or a soothing song. Put your phone on DND and create a calming environment.
Incorporating CHAMPIONS isn’t about checking boxes but making everyday activities more meaningful, joyful, and healthy.
Keep in mind you can stack them up! If you bring a water bottle on a park walk with a friend and then grab a healthy lunch, you’ve covered Hydrate, Move, Connection, Outside & Nutrition! Or if you skip a night of doomscrolling to do some journaling in a bath with herbal tea and get to bed early, you’ve knocked out Hydrate, Pleasure, Introspection & Sleep!
Start small and let these habits blend naturally into your day. This isn’t just about health; it’s about creating a balanced and happy life.
If you enjoyed this piece, please give it some claps! I’ll be so grateful! 👏👏
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Here’s another printable from a recent workshop!
