Have You Taken Your M.E.D.S.
As we move through Mental Health Awareness Month, I thought I'd share one of my favorite tools for checking in around my HEALTH.
And by health, I mean all the “healths”—
Physical health, mental health, spiritual health, sexual health, emotional health.
Because let's face it, they ALL impact one another—and they all make up HEALTH.
Our culture often thinks of physical health from the neck down and mental health from the neck up.
But isn't your head a part of your body?
Don’t emotions change your body chemistry? Aren’t moods impacted by what you eat, drink, say, and do? Don’t you feel different after movement? Doesn’t your ability to connect with others impact your mental and emotional state?
While part of me sees the value in differentiating all the healths, to me, they’re kinda one-in-the-same.
That’s what a wholistic approach to health is really all about—recognizing that we’re not separate pieces, but a dynamic system where every part affects the whole.
One of the best ways I've heard this described is by using the acronym, MEDS.
MEDS are areas where small changes can make a BIG difference in your health.
I first heard this acronym years ago from my mentor Dr. Chris Mathe, and since then, I’ve added a few extra S’s on the end.
Here’s what my MEDSSSS check-in looks like:
Meditation/Mindfulness
Exercise
Diet
Sleep
Screen Time
Spirituality
Sexuality
These are all areas that are scientifically proven to affect your well-being. Each one connects not just to your physical state, but also your emotional regulation, relationships, energy levels, and overall sense of self.
But what makes this practice even more powerful is using it through the lens of Parts Work.
When I pause to check in with my MEDSSSS, I also ask: Which part of me is speaking right now?
Is it my Inner Critic, demanding more discipline and telling me I’m falling short?
Is it my Inner Child, feeling tender, exhausted, or longing for play?
Or is it my Adult-Self, grounded in the present, capable of making aligned choices?
This kind of self-awareness turns a routine check-in into a deeper conversation with yourself.
Parts Work is a powerful model used in many healing spaces, from coaching to trauma therapy and somatic therapy. It teaches us that we’re not one static identity, but a collection of parts—each shaped by our history, needs, and nervous system responses.
For example, maybe you’ve been ignoring your need for rest, and suddenly you find yourself snapping at your partner or craving sugar nonstop. It’s easy to feel shame in those moments, but what if those reactions are just your system’s way of saying: “I’m out of alignment.”
Through a somatic therapy lens, those symptoms aren’t “bad behavior”—they’re cues from the body asking for regulation.
That’s why practices like breathwork, meditation, body movement, and even laughter matter so much. They help discharge the stuck energy and create space for your wiser Adult-Self to lead.
So here’s your invitation: take a moment today to check in with yourself.
Use the MEDSSSS. Be honest. Be gentle.
Where are you feeling resourced? Where are you depleted? What’s one small, loving shift you can make?
And just as importantly—who inside of you needs to be heard right now?
Because when we listen to each part, we heal the whole.
That’s mental health. That’s whole health.
That’s the wholistic approach we all deserve.