Wellness is a messy, non-linear disaster most of the time. We’re constantly bombarded with polished influencers telling us to wake up at 4:00 AM, plunge into an ice bath, and drink swamp-colored smoothies. It's exhausting. Honestly, most of us just want to feel a little less tired and a little more "together" without needing a chemistry degree to understand our bloodwork. This is exactly where the wellness process podcast steps in, carving out a space for the rest of us who are tired of the biohacking extremes.
It isn't just another show about kale.
Host Maria Marquis manages to do something rare in the saturated health space: she makes the "process" part actually feel doable. The show focuses heavily on the intersection of mindset, somatic experiencing, and practical habits. Instead of shouting about "optimizing your life," the conversations feel more like a debrief after a long day. You've probably felt that itch before—the one where you know you need to change your habits, but the sheer volume of "expert" advice feels like a heavy blanket suffocating your motivation. Marquis tackles that paralysis head-on.
Why the Wellness Process Podcast Hits Different
The internet is full of "gurus." You know the type. They have perfect lighting and tell you that if you aren't doing 90 minutes of Zone 2 cardio, you're basically failing at life. The wellness process podcast ignores that noise. It focuses on the "how" rather than just the "what." For example, knowing you should meditate is easy. Actually sitting on a cushion when your brain is screaming about your to-do list? That’s the hard part.
Marquis often brings on guests who aren't just selling a supplement line. We’re talking about licensed therapists, nervous system specialists, and people who have actually spent decades studying how humans form habits. They dive deep into things like the window of tolerance. If you aren't familiar, it's a concept from Dr. Dan Siegel that describes the zone where we can effectively handle emotions. If you’re pushed out of that window, no amount of "willpower" is going to make you choose a salad over a bag of chips. The podcast explains this in a way that makes you stop blaming yourself for being "lazy."
You aren't lazy. Your nervous system is just dysregulated.
The show also spends a lot of time on somatic work. This isn't just woo-woo talk. It’s about the physiological reality that our bodies store stress. When the podcast covers "the process," it’s looking at how to move that stress through the body so it doesn't manifest as chronic fatigue or digestive issues. It's practical stuff.
🔗 Read more: Okra Water Benefits: What the Science Actually Says About This Viral Drink
The Myth of the "Perfect" Routine
We've all been there. It’s Sunday night. You’ve bought the meal prep containers. You’ve downloaded the 7-day yoga challenge. By Wednesday, you’re eating cold pizza over the sink.
Most health content fails because it assumes we live in a vacuum. The wellness process podcast acknowledges the chaos. One of the recurring themes is that your "process" will look different when you’re grieving, when you’re moving house, or when you’re just having a really bad week. It advocates for a "sliding scale" of wellness.
Instead of an all-or-nothing approach, the show suggests:
- High-energy days: Do the full workout, cook the complex meal, meditate for 20 minutes.
- Medium-energy days: A 10-minute walk and a pre-made salad.
- Survival days: Just drink some water and get to bed by 10:00 PM.
This flexibility is what keeps people listening. It’s permission to be human. It’s an antidote to the "grind mindset" that has poisoned the wellness industry for the last decade. Honestly, it’s about time someone said that a 5-minute stretch counts as much as a gym session when you're burnt out.
Dealing With Information Overload
Let’s talk about the "wellness fatigue" we all feel. There is so much data now. Wearable tech tells us our sleep was "fair," our HRV is low, and we haven't stood up enough today. It’s a lot.
A major takeaway from several episodes of the wellness process podcast is the importance of "interoception"—the ability to sense what’s happening inside your own body. If your watch says you’re recovered but you feel like you’ve been hit by a bus, who do you trust? Marquis and her guests argue that we’ve outsourced our intuition to gadgets. Reclaiming that intuition is a huge part of the wellness process. It’s about learning to trust yourself again.
💡 You might also like: Period Pads for Kids: What Most People Get Wrong About First Periods
Micro-Habits and the Science of Small Wins
The show leans heavily into the science popularized by folks like BJ Fogg (Tiny Habits) and James Clear (Atomic Habits), but with a more empathetic slant. It’s not just about "stacking habits" to become a productivity machine. It’s about using small actions to signal safety to your brain.
When you perform a tiny, consistent act of self-care—like taking one deep breath before opening your laptop—you’re telling your amygdala that you aren’t in immediate danger. This lowers cortisol. Over months, these "micro-wins" reshape your baseline. The podcast often features stories of people who didn't transform their lives overnight but instead nudged their trajectory by 1% every week.
It’s slow. It’s boring. It’s also the only thing that actually works long-term.
People want the "30-day shred." They want the "10-day detox." But the guests on this show are quick to point out that those are just marketing gimmicks. Real physiological change, especially when it involves the endocrine system or metabolic health, takes time. The podcast serves as a support group for that slow burn.
Navigating the "Wellness" Marketing Trap
It’s hard to talk about wellness without talking about the money. It’s a multi-trillion dollar industry. A lot of it is predatory.
What's refreshing about the wellness process podcast is its skepticism toward "quick fixes." There’s a consistent pushback against the idea that you can buy your way to health. Yes, high-quality food and professional help are great if you can afford them, but the core "process" involves things that are mostly free:
- Breathwork and nervous system regulation.
- Setting boundaries with your time and energy.
- Moving your body in ways that don't feel like punishment.
- Prioritizing community and social connection (which is a huge, often ignored, pillar of longevity).
The show highlights that the most expensive supplement in the world won’t fix a life that you hate. It tackles the hard stuff, like how "wellness" is often used as a distraction from deeper issues like burnout or trauma. You can't green-juice your way out of a toxic workplace.
Actionable Steps to Start Your Own Process
Listening to a podcast is great, but it’s just passive consumption unless you do something with it. Based on the core philosophies shared across the episodes, here is how you can actually implement the wellness process podcast approach starting today.
First, stop trying to change everything at once. Pick one "anchor habit" that takes less than two minutes. Maybe it’s putting your phone in another room 30 minutes before bed. Maybe it’s just drinking a glass of water before your coffee. Do that, and only that, for a week.
Second, start a "glimmers" practice. While "triggers" are things that set off our stress response, "glimmers" (a term coined by Deb Dana in Polyvagal Theory) are small moments that spark a sense of safety or joy. A cool breeze, a good song, the way the light hits a plant. Noticing these actually trains your nervous system to look for safety rather than just threats.
💡 You might also like: How the Knees Over Toes Guy Changed Everything We Thought We Knew About Leg Day
Third, audit your "wellness" inputs. If following a certain fitness influencer makes you feel like garbage about your body, hit unfollow. Your "process" shouldn't start with shame. Shame is a terrible fuel source for long-term change; it burns hot and fast but leaves you hollowed out. Use curiosity instead.
Lastly, check in with your body three times a day. Don’t try to "fix" anything. Just ask, "What am I feeling right now?" Is your jaw clenched? Are your shoulders up by your ears? Just noticing it is 90% of the work. You don’t need a fancy retreat to begin. You just need to show up for yourself in the small, quiet moments that no one else sees. That is the real process.