If you’ve ever hit January and felt that familiar pressure to reinvent yourself by Monday… you’re not alone.
New year energy can be inspiring, sure, but it can also be loud. Suddenly everyone has a new routine, a new plan, a new system. But here’s what I loved about this first Holistically Well Podcast episode of 2026: it doesn’t lean into the pressure. It softens it with small rituals that add up over time over must a follow routine.
Dr. Kayla sits down with Erica Karl—host of Rituelle (an incredible Wellness Meets Ritual Podcast), mom of two, former chemist turned entrepreneur, and owner of Boom Media (the ever-inspiring team behind the Holistically Well podcast!)—for a conversation that feels like a deep exhale.
EPISODE 39 | HOLISTICALLY WELL PODCAST: RITUALS OVER ROUTINE: FINDING TIME FOR WELLNESS AS A MOTHER WITH ERIKA DELLATORE KARL
Whether you learn best by listening, reading, or watching, there is something for you! You can catch the full conversation on the Holistically Well Podcast—available on all your favorite platforms!
Holistically Well Podcast on Apple | Episode 39
Holistically Well Podcast on Spotify | Episode 39
Holistically Well Podcast on YouTube | Episode 39
Why “Ritual” Feels Different Than “Routine”
Routines are what you have to do. Rituals are what you get to do.
A routine helps you function. Brush your teeth. Pack lunches. Get everyone out the door. Necessary things.
A ritual is different. A ritual is something that returns you to your body. To your breath. To the present moment. It doesn’t exist to make you productive—it exists to make you present!
This aligns deeply with the way Dr. Kayla and her team approaches health inside the Holistically Well practice in Sydney, Ohio and virtually—looking at the nervous system, hormone balance, and emotional wellbeing not as things to “fix,” but as systems that respond best to consistency and regulation rather than pressure.
The Secret Isn’t a Big Overhaul… It’s Micro-Rituals
If you’re in a demanding season or you’re simply already stretched thin the idea of adding a 60-minute morning routine can feel… laughable.
Erica’s approach is the opposite of overhauling your life! She speaks to on micro-rituals—small grounding moments woven into the day you’re already living. Not “add something else.” More like: take what you already do, and do it with intention.
For example:
- If you’re already getting ready in the morning, that becomes a space for affirmations.
- If you’re already waiting for coffee, that becomes a moment for prayer, a devotional, or a short breath reset.
- If you’re already sitting in traffic, that becomes a gratitude practice instead of a stress spiral.
- If you’re already at the nail salon and can’t multitask, that becomes a moment to listen to a podcast or do a guided meditation.
These are simple, repeatable practices that meet you where you are. They don’t overwhelm the system or demand perfection—they gently support it. And honestly, we can’t recommend this way of tending to your days enough.
Why Moms Especially Need Ritual, Not Rigidity
Some mornings Dr. Kayla gets 10 minutes of prayer or quiet. Some mornings she gets one minute. Some mornings she gets neither! And that’s exactly why rituals matter.
Rigid routines tend to fall apart in real life. Then we assume we failed.
Rituals don’t demand perfection. They have flexibility built in. They can happen in the morning… or at lunch… or before bed… or not that day at all. The difference is the energy behind it.
It’s not “I failed.”
It’s “I’ll return to it when I can.”
That mindset shift alone can be healing! This is where the Holistically Wellness Toolbox comes in.
Rather than prescribing one “right” way to care for your body, the Wellness Toolbox is designed to meet you where you are—whether you have ten quiet minutes or you’re moving through the day in one-minute pockets. It’s a collection of simple, supportive tools Dr. Kayla returns to again and again in both her personal life and clinical practice.
Motherhood, Guilt, and Asking for Help
Another theme that runs quietly but powerfully through this episode is guilt—particularly for mothers.
Guilt about asking for help.
Guilt about outsourcing.
Guilt about not doing everything alone.
Erica reminds us that women were never meant to carry all of this by themselves. Support—whether through family, community, or practical tools like grocery pickup or childcare—is not indulgent. It’s essential.
Clinically, this matters. Chronic overload keeps the nervous system in a state of stress, which directly impacts hormones, sleep, digestion, and emotional health. Support isn’t just helpful… it’s protective!
Presence With Children (and Yourself)
The episode introduces the idea of “genuine encounter moments”—small pockets of undivided attention with her children.
Screen-free mornings.
Sitting down for breakfast.
Eye contact. Conversation. Shared creativity.
These moments don’t require elaborate planning. They require intention.
And as Dr. Kayla notes, a regulated, present parent naturally supports regulation in the household. Children mirror what they experience. Calm begets calm. This same principle applies beyond motherhood—into relationships, workplaces, and communities!
How Dr. Kayla Supports This Work Clinically
If this conversation resonates with you—especially if you’re feeling tired, dysregulated, hormonally off, or unsure how to support your health without burning out—this is exactly the space Dr. Kayla and her team have created inside the Holistically Well practice and through the online programs.
Through personalized care, education, and holistic support, The Holistically Well Programs helps women:
- regulate their nervous systems
- support hormone balance
- rebuild trust with their bodies
- move toward health in a way that fits real life
If clarity around your health feels uncertain right now, you’re always welcome to schedule a consultation with the Holistically Well team to explore what support could look like for you in this season.
A Gentle Invitation
As you step into the new year, consider this…
What is one small ritual that would support you right now?
Not something perfect.
Not something performative.
Just something simple and grounding.
Thriving isn’t about doing more.
It’s about slowing down enough to feel your life again.
If you need guidance along the way, Dr. Kayla and the team is here to regulate with you and help you build health that lasts.
