Ground, Then Grow

If you’ve been judging yourself by output, here’s a gentler question: who are you becoming through the small choices you repeat? Today we’re talking about why starting can feel so hard (even when you care), how to reduce friction so habits have a real chance, and how to build stability that supports you long-term.

Today’s Quick Overview:

🔬 Science Spotlight: Why diagnoses overlap…
🛠️ Tool of The Week: Roots visualization…
📰 Mental Health News: Rental aid eased distress; bed rotting…
🙏 Daily Practice: Grow deeper roots…

Let's check in with who you're becoming, not just what you're doing:

Who are you becoming with the habits you're trying to build? Not what you're doing, but who you're being when you do it. Are you becoming someone who honors their body? Someone who keeps promises to themselves? That identity is what makes the habit stick.

The way you frame change affects whether habits stick. Which approach do you typically use when trying to change?

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The advice to "just do it" assumes that starting something only requires decision and willpower. But anyone who's ever stared at a task they genuinely want to do while feeling completely unable to begin knows this isn't how motivation actually works. What you're experiencing is activation energy, the psychological and practical effort required to transition from not-doing to doing.

Activation energy is borrowed from chemistry, where it describes the minimum energy needed to start a chemical reaction. In behavior change, it refers to all the barriers, mental, emotional, physical, that stand between you and starting a task. The higher the activation energy, the harder it feels to begin, regardless of how much you want the outcome.

Some tasks have naturally low activation energy. Scrolling social media requires almost nothing: your phone is already in your hand, the app opens instantly, and no decisions are needed. Other tasks have much higher activation energy, even when you value them. Going to the gym requires deciding what workout to do, changing clothes, gathering your things, traveling there, and navigating an unfamiliar environment. Each of those steps adds friction.

This explains why you can scroll for an hour but can't make yourself start a ten-minute meditation. It's not that you value scrolling more. It's that scrolling has almost zero activation energy while meditation has several barriers: remembering to do it, finding a quiet space, choosing a guided session, and sitting still when your mind feels chaotic.

Decision fatigue dramatically increases activation energy. If starting a task requires making multiple choices, what to wear for a run, which route to take, how long to go, each decision becomes another hurdle. By the time you've mentally worked through all those choices, you're already exhausted, and the task hasn't even started.

Environmental barriers matter more than people realize. If your workout clothes are in a drawer upstairs, that's activation energy. If your journal is buried under papers, that's activation energy. These seem like tiny obstacles, but when your capacity is already low, tiny obstacles become insurmountable.

Mental health conditions significantly affect activation energy. Depression makes everything require more effort because your baseline energy is depleted. ADHD increases activation energy for tasks that aren't immediately stimulating because executive function challenges make initiating hard. Anxiety creates activation energy through perfectionism and fear of doing it wrong.

The solution isn't finding more willpower. It's systematically reducing the barriers between you and starting.

Breaking tasks into the smallest possible first step lowers activation energy dramatically. Instead of "go to the gym," the first step becomes "put on workout clothes." That's it. Instead of "work on project," it's "open the document." Reducing the entry requirement makes starting feel manageable rather than overwhelming.

Environmental design can make starting almost automatic. Put your running shoes by the door. Set your journal on your pillow so you see it before bed. Put healthy snacks at eye level. Place your phone charger away from your bed so you have to get up. These aren't tricks; they're intentional reduction of friction between the current state and desired action.

Lowering the standard also reduces activation energy. A 45-minute workout has high activation energy. A two-minute version, putting on workout clothes and doing ten jumping jacks, has much lower activation energy. You can always do more once you've started, but the initial barrier becomes crossable.

The Roots Technique

What it is: The Roots Technique is a grounding visualization where you imagine yourself as a tree with roots extending deep into the earth.

Why it works: When you're anxious, overwhelmed, or unsteady, your mind often feels untethered, like you're floating or about to be swept away. Creating a vivid mental image of being rooted gives your brain something concrete to hold onto.

The act of visualization shifts your focus away from spiraling thoughts and into a calming, steadying image. It sends a message to your nervous system that you're safe, grounded, and not going anywhere.

How to practice it:

Pro tip: The more detail you add to the visualization, the more effective it becomes. Imagine what the roots look like, how they feel pushing through different layers of earth. Spend a full minute really seeing and feeling those roots anchoring you.

A Massive Genetics Study Reveals Why You Rarely Get Just One Mental Health Diagnosis

The Research: An international team of scientists analyzed genetic data from over 6 million people, including 1 million diagnosed with psychiatric disorders, and discovered that 14 major mental health conditions are not genetically isolated but instead fall into five overlapping families with shared biological roots. The study identified 428 genetic variants linked to multiple conditions, revealing why multiple diagnoses are the norm rather than the exception.

The five genetic families were: compulsive disorders (OCD, anorexia, anxiety); internalizing disorders (depression, anxiety, PTSD); neurodevelopmental disorders (autism, ADHD); schizophrenia and bipolar disorder; and substance use disorders. Depression, anxiety, and PTSD shared about 90% of their genetic risk, while schizophrenia and bipolar disorder shared roughly 66%.

Why It Matters: This research shows that the frequent overlap of diagnoses isn't random or a sign of misdiagnosis; this is built into the genetic architecture of mental illness itself.

Most people don't get just one diagnosis over their lifetime. They get a second, often a third, and understanding that this reflects deep genetic connections means we can stop treating each diagnosis in isolation.

Try It Today: If you've been diagnosed with multiple mental health conditions and felt confused about why you can't have "just" depression or "just" anxiety, understand that this overlap is biologically normal. When seeking treatment, look for providers who understand comorbidity as the rule rather than the exception.

I can cultivate stability and belonging in my life instead of constantly chasing what's next. Being rooted isn't limiting; it's what allows me to grow strong and reach far.

Think of one person, place, or practice that grounds you when everything else feels chaotic. That anchor matters more than you probably acknowledge on ordinary days.

It's okay to prioritize stability over novelty, to choose depth over breadth. Building roots isn't boring; it's essential.

Identify one thing in your life that roots you: a relationship, a routine, a place, a value. Spend a moment honoring it instead of taking it for granted. Ask yourself: "Am I tending to what grounds me, or am I neglecting it while chasing what's new?"

Evening Reset: Notice, Write, Settle

Picture a tree in a storm. The branches whip violently, leaves tear away, and the trunk bends. But the tree stays standing because its roots run deep, anchored in soil that holds firm when everything else is chaos. Without those roots, the first strong wind would topple it. Tonight, you can ask yourself: what roots are you growing in your own life, and are they deep enough to hold you when storms come?

Spend three minutes writing: Where do I feel most rooted—in relationships, in place, in purpose—and where have I been uprooting myself by constantly seeking what's elsewhere?

Close your notebook and ask yourself: What grounds me that I've been taking for granted? Where am I prioritizing motion over depth, novelty over stability? How can I tend to my roots tomorrow instead of always reaching for what's next?

"To be rooted is perhaps the most important and least recognized need of the human soul." — Simone Weil

You can't grow tall without growing deep; roots are what make reaching possible.

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Coming Tuesday: What to say when your family criticizes you for "giving up" when you scale back unrealistic January plans, and how to reframe adjusting goals as intentional wisdom that prevents burnout rather than failure.

Researched and edited by Natasha. Designed with love by Kaye.

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*The Daily Wellness shares educational content only and is not a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice and diagnosis. Please consult a licensed provider for personalized care.