As therapists, we often see clients weighed down by the relentless pressure to optimise every aspect of their wellbeing. Social media, wellness trends, and even well-meaning health advice bombard people with the message that being healthy requires doing everything right. Wake up early, journal, do yoga, drink green tea, avoid sugar, take cold showers, eat a plant-based diet, get 10,000 steps, meditate daily, sleep eight hours, and take all the right supplements. It can feel like a full-time job just to be "well."
But here’s the truth: striving for perfection in health can actually be harmful. This pursuit often leads to burnout, shame, and feeling like a failure. What gets lost in the noise is a much simpler and more profound principle: homeostasis — the body's natural ability to self-regulate, adapt, and find its own balance.
What is Homeostasis?
Homeostasis isn’t about achieving a perfect state and maintaining it forever. It’s about the body’s continuous, intelligent efforts to return to equilibrium in response to internal and external changes. Whether it’s regulating body temperature, blood sugar, or hormone levels, the body is always making micro-adjustments to keep us functioning. And that process includes rest, nourishment, stillness, and stress recovery.
For clients who feel overwhelmed by everything they think they "should" be doing, learning about homeostasis can be incredibly reassuring. It reminds them that the body is already doing a great deal of work on their behalf. As therapists, our role becomes helping clients tune into this internal wisdom rather than pushing harder to meet unrealistic standards.
How can we help?
One way we can support clients is by helping them notice what makes them feel a little more grounded, more rested, or more energised — not perfect, but better. That could be a 10-minute morning walk, taking a proper lunch break, or drinking water throughout the day. These small actions build trust with the body and reduce the noise of perfectionism.
Everyone’s version of balance is unique. What works for one client may not work for another, and that’s okay. Our job is to hold space for exploration, to encourage kindness over critique, and to champion sustainable shifts over sudden overhauls. The pursuit of wellbeing doesn’t have to be about doing more — sometimes, it’s about noticing, resting, and letting the body lead the way.