The Wellness Flowchart

Wellness can be overwhelming; this flowchart will help you take it one step at a time. Don't be concerned about later steps till you have habitualized the steps above it.
Roughly follow the order below for optimal benefit; Progress in all columns, one step at a time. Some steps you will have already achieved when first reaching it--take the win and move to the next one!
This is an opinionated one-size-fits-all framework. You may wish to customize or change some of them. The best wellness plan is whatever one you can stick to.
Most habits take 30-60 days to establish. Take on one or two new habits at a time and build on your success.
Most improvements in wellness require sustained, permanent changes. If you find yourself regressing, it is far better to pick up where you left off than to regress farther. If you struggle with a step, feel free to skip it or come back to it later. This isn't all or nothing. Don't round down to zero.
Inspired by the Financial Independence flowchart
TODO:
- how best to remove BMI targets or make them sidenotes?
- good vs. bad social media? Doomscroll vs. constructive conversation
- advice for timeline of building these habits/disciplines

flowchart TD

subgraph Fitness
    Sedentary[Get 5000 steps/day]
    --> Active[Get 7000 steps/day]
    --> Anaerobic[Do one anaerobic activity weekly:\n weights or physical chore]
    --> WeightTraining1[Lift heavy things twice a week]
    --> Injury[Avoid injury as a top\n priority when exercising] 
    --> VeryActive[Get 8000 steps/day]
    --> Cardio1[<a href="https://health.clevelandclinic.org/exercise-heart-rate-zones-explained">Do Zone 2 cardio</a> once a week]
    --> WeightTraining2[Start a weight training program with\nSquat, Deadlift, OHP, Bench Press]
    --> Injury2["Getting hurt lifting" is not usually serious.\n Proactively treat when you hurt yourself.]
    --> Cardio2[Do Zone 2 cardio twice a week]
    --> Cardio3[High-intensity interval training]
    --> WeightTraining3[Modify weight training program toward\n a goal such as strength or hypertrophy]
end
    
subgraph Nutrition
    LowProtein[Eat at least 0.5g protein per pound goal weight]
    --> Fiber[Eat at least 20g fiber per day]
    --> Alcohol1[Reduce alcohol to 2 drinks per week]
    --> HighCarb[Reduce carbs to max 200 g daily]
    --> VeryObese[Get BMI under 35]    
    --> Obese["Get BMI under 32: find an eating plan that you can sustain (Zone, keto, WW, MFP)"]

    Obese --> SunExposure
    Obese --> MediumProtein
    
    subgraph micro
        SunExposure[Avoid lots of sun\n without suncreen; take\n Vitamin D supplements]
        --> Creatine[Take creatine supplements]
        --> Magnesium[Take magnesium supplements]
        --> Greens[Eat 2-3 servings of\n greens and above-ground\n vegetables daily]
        --> Fruit[Eat 1-2 servings of fruit daily]
    end

    subgraph macro
        MediumProtein[Eat at least 0.6g protein\n per lb. ideal weight]
        --> Cravings[Commit to eating differently\n and changing your tastes]
        --> Alcohol2[Reduce alcohol to\n 1 drink per week]
        --> Overweight[Get BMI under 30]  
        --> MediumCarb[Reduce carbs to\n max 150 g daily]
    end

    MediumCarb-->HealthyWeight
    Fruit-->HealthyWeight
    
    subgraph macro advanced 
        HealthyWeight[Get BMI under 27]
        --> HighProtein[Eat at least 0.7g protein per pound ideal weight]
        --> CustomEating[Get on an eating plan appropriate for your training]
        --> ProteinSupplement[Consider eating protein powder to help reach protein goals]
        --> Alcohol3[Reduce alcohol to 1 drink only on special occasions]
        --> IdealWeight[Get BMI 19-24]
        

    end
end

subgraph Psych
    Safety[Reach out for help\nif you feel unsafe at home]
    --> MentalIllness[Get on treatment plan\n for mental illness, if any]
    --> Sleep8[Be in bed 8 hours nightly]
    --> Connection1[Talk to at least one friend or loved one daily]     
    --> SocialMedia1[Get rid of negativity\n and BS on social media]
    --> Headspace[Commit to talk about mindfulness,\n positivity, and relationship with\n food and exercise]
    --> Connection2[Get together with friends monthly]
    --> SocialMedia2[Reduce social media consumption\n to 10 minutes per week]
    --> Hobby[Engage in a hobby apart from\n work 2-10 hours per week]
    --> CBT[Consider Congnitive Behavioral\n Therapy to address destructive\n habits or thought patterns, if any]
    --> Outdoor[Spend half hour outside daily]
end

subgraph Medical
    AcuteProblems[Treat all acute problems] 
    --> StopSmoking[Stop smoking anything]
    --> ChronicProblems[Get on treatment plan\n for all chronic medical problems]
    --> DoubtfulDiagnoses[Get second opinion for\n any doubtful diagnosis]
    --> AnnualPhysical[Get a annual physical\n exam & vaccines]
end

Distractions

The following concerns are not established to make a big difference in helping wellness. You are free to engage with them, but for optimal impact on wellness, avoid emphasis, concerns, and attention on:

supposed "toxins" in food or the need to "detox"
alternative medicine, Chinese medicine, acupuncture, chiropractic care
looking like a bodybuilder
getting toned, shaped, visible abs
vegetarianism/veganism
multivitamins
supplements not listed above
metabolism
hormones
carnivore/primal diet
ketones/glucose
scheduled deload
seed oils
natural, raw, processed foods
chemicals
artificial sweeteners
natural remedies
homeopathy (diluted tinctures)
more fruit, less fruit, or no fruit
inflammation
cortisol itself (reduce stress instead)
insulin itself (reduce sugar intake instead)
calorie or carb cycling
body type
fast or slow metabolism
Time under tension, reps to failure, getting a pump
perfection
retaining water
BCAAs
Juicing
Pronouncable ingredients
Food color
burning off calories
reverse dieting
muscle confusion
big pharma
cutting out medications against Doctor's reco
fasting
endurance training
dietary cholesterol
LDL/HDL levels
superfoods
testosterone/HRT

szalapski/WellnessFlowchart.md

The Wellness Flowchart

Distractions