Habits and Why They Are Important in Therapy, Mind, Body, and Soul

In this podcast, we discuss Habits, and why they matter so much for mental, physical, emotional and soul-level wellbeing.

Habits are hard to break — whether they are good or bad. The good news is that we can change them to healthy ones. People who appear to have strong discipline or self-control haven’t necessarily got more willpower; they’ve simply created a habit, and that habit has become their default.

Creating and changing healthy habits is difficult. The journey to get there is the most difficult part. But once the habit is established, it becomes your new normal — and it becomes much easier to maintain.

From a body perspective, the body appreciates routine, structure, and order. We are habitual by default, and we can make conscious decisions to change habits into something that supports us rather than works against us.

From a mental health perspective, healthy habits provide structure, reduce stress, increase self-esteem, and create a sense of control. When challenges arrive, routine gives us greater resilience and a stronger sense of stability and happiness.

So how do we build a supportive routine?

• Eating healthily

• Exercising regularly

• Creating connection to prevent loneliness

• Staying connected through work, family, friends, events, and support

All of this promotes emotional and physical stability, reduces stress, improves mood and energy levels, increases self-esteem, improves sleep, builds resilience, and connection creates a deep sense of belonging.

Habits support the whole system — mind, body, soul and spirit.

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Understanding your body type is important because it affects your therapy, nutrition, exercise, emotional regulation, and spiritual flow.

We are all designed differently for a reason. When you do what your body is designed to do, everything becomes easier: consistency, enjoyment, healing, and balance.

There are three main body types:

Lean, tall frames with fast metabolisms and more Type 1 (slow-twitch) muscle fibres.

These body types tend to respond better to higher carbohydrates, slightly lower fats, and moderate protein.

Naturally athletic with solid frames.

They gain and lose weight easily and tend to have an abundance of Type 2 (fast-twitch) muscle fibres.

These body types usually respond best to a balanced ratio of all three macronutrients.

Softer, rounder bodies with a much higher percentage of Type 2 (fast-twitch) muscle fibres.

Often well suited to strength and power-based work, such as powerlifting.

These body types tend to respond better to higher fats, lower carbohydrates, and moderate protein.

Healing requires connecting fully to the body. When you do what your body is designed to do, it doesn’t fight you — and therapy becomes easier to integrate.

Everyone responds differently. When your food ratios, training style, and recovery match your body type and muscle fibres, your system feels safer and more supported.

Your body is part of who you truly are. Eating enough, not over-exercising, and aligning with your natural design helps you access, connect to, and align with your authentic self.

Working against your body can create stress, elevated cortisol, and blockages in the system. When you come back into alignment, flow returns — physically, emotionally, and energetically.

Your body type matters because your body is the gateway to your whole self.

Always come back to the body.

Here’s a link to discover your body type:

https://www.healthline.com/health/quiz/quiz-whats-your-body-type

https://victoriapenfold.com/nutrition-and-exercise/

Subscribe to explore more of Wholeyfit – The Soul’s Compass Method™, where body, mind, soul, and spirit are treated as one integrated system.

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In this episode, we explore boundaries — what they are, why they matter, and how to set them in a way that supports your health, relationships, and emotional wellbeing.

Boundaries are the rules we follow to protect ourselves.

They are not about control or punishment — they are about safety, self-care, and respect.

We begin by looking at personal boundaries:

what feels acceptable to you physically, psychologically, and emotionally, and how you want to be treated. These boundaries are often invisible, but they shape every relationship we have.

I share the boundary string exercise, a simple but powerful way to understand where your boundaries sit and how to communicate them clearly. Setting boundaries is a form of self-care — but they must be communicated to exist.

For example:

“If you yell at me, I will end the phone call.”

This isn’t about controlling another person — it’s about protecting your nervous system and wellbeing.

We also explore the importance of balance:

not being too rigid and keeping people out, and not oversharing or abandoning yourself to keep connection.

Writing boundaries down matters. Research shows that when you write something down, you’re up to 91% more likely to follow through and communicate it.

To support the body, I guide you through grounding practices — placing a hand on the heart, breathing, and box breathing — to bring the nervous system back into regulation before and during boundary conversations.

In the second part of the video, we explore feelings, especially anger.

I read a Rumi poem and reflect on anger as a guardian of boundaries — a signal that something needs protecting, not something to suppress or fear.

Finally, we look at how to set boundaries in practice:

• Remembering you are worthy of respect

• Identifying your needs and wants (which are different for everyone)

• Understanding that boundaries may differ with family, friends, and work

• Communicating boundaries respectfully — and respecting the boundaries of others

If your boundaries are crossed or broken, I invite you to be gentle with yourself.

Your body remembers trauma, and it can make expressing boundaries feel difficult or unsafe. This doesn’t mean you’re failing — it means your system needs care.

Listen to your feelings.

Calm your body.

Write things down.

And come back to yourself.

Boundaries are not walls.

They are bridges to healthier, safer relationships — with others and with yourself.

Subscribe to explore more of Wholeyfit – The Soul’s Compass Method™, where healing the mind and body leads to clarity, safety, and soul-led living.

Follow — Victoria & Wholeyfit:

Instagram: @wholeyfit

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LinkedIn: Victoria Penfold

Website: victoriapenfold.com