Crafting Personalized Health & Self‑Care Practices with Johnny Crowder Everywhere you turn, someone is talking about health and self‑care rituals. Keynote speaker Johnny Crowder shares why true self‑care is not one‑size‑fits‑all.

June 20, 2025

Everywhere you turn, someone is talking about self‑care—from the yoga studios to Instagram feeds. But if green juices, guided meditations, and bubble baths feel like chores rather than relief, you’re not alone. Mental health keynote speaker Johnny Crowder, Certified Recovery Peer Specialist and founder of Cope Notes, insists that the only self‑care that “works” is the ritual that brings you genuine calm—and that might look nothing like the latest wellness trend.

In this deep dive, we’ll explore why the most popular mental health rituals fail many of us, how to uncover personalized practices that actually restore our energy, and strategies for embedding authentic self‑care into both individual routines and organizational cultures.

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Why One‑Size‑Fits‑All Self‑Care Fails

It’s tempting to assume that any self‑care is better than none. Yet adopting rituals that don’t resonate can add layers of guilt and frustration, deepening stress rather than alleviating it. The core problem? We conflate “popular” with “universal.”

The Most Damaging Lie About Self‑Care

“If you can’t find peace in meditation, there’s something wrong with you.”

This myth creates a fear of failure that sabotages attempts at resilience. When the go‑to rituals don’t help, people blame themselves, reinforcing negative self‑talk and eroding self‑compassion. Johnny Crowder calls this the “comparison trap”—we measure our peace against a curated social media highlight reel rather than our own needs.

Research shows that perceived failure in taking care of your health can spike cortisol levels and worsen anxiety. A true self‑care practice, by contrast, should reduce stress hormones and boost health & well‑being. The key is moving from “this practice is good” to “this practice is good for me.”

Finding Rituals Tailored to You

Personalizing self‑care means discarding assumptions and embracing curiosity. Johnny’s tire‑swing meltdown story illustrates this beautifully: after a day of relentless anxiety, he sat down on an old tire swing and cued up a 12‑minute video of Lamborghinis on his phone. The absurdity of roaring engines in a quiet park snapped him out of his spiral—and that unexpected ritual unlocked calm where meditation hadn’t.

Experimenting Beyond the Meditation Cushion

Self‑care need not be solemn. Think of taking care of your health as a laboratory for personal growth:

• Mindfulness in Motion: Swap seated meditation for a midnight walk under the stars—focus on each footfall and the cool air.
• Auditory Therapy: Curate a music playlist that evokes joy or nostalgia—whether it’s classical symphonies or riotous punk.
• Creative Sparks: Break out sketchpads, coloring books, or clay—hands‑on art can quiet racing thoughts more effectively than apps.
• Micro‑Escapes: Watch short “geek‑out” videos—top‑gear, extreme cooking fails, or classic comedy skits—to disrupt negative loops.
• Sensory Rituals: Carry a small vial of essential oil—peppermint, lavender, or eucalyptus—and inhale deeply whenever stress peaks.

These experiments embrace the wide spectrum of personal development and remind us that play can be profoundly restorative.

Two Ways to Discover Your Unique Self‑Care

1. The Curiosity Journal
   • Dedicate a notebook to self‑care trials.
   • Log your mood before and after each ritual on a 1–5 scale.
   • Note surprises—rituals that work or flop unexpectedly.
   • After two weeks, review patterns to pinpoint your top two rituals.
2. The Social Lab
   • Pair up with a communication buddy and swap rituals each week.
   • Debrief on how each practice felt—avoid judgment and focus on description.
   • Cultivate empathy by truly listening to your partner’s experience.

Through these methods, you transition from passive wellness consumer to active self‑care scientist.

Embedding Self‑Care in Your Organization

Individual rituals matter—but what if your workplace treated self‑care as a core competency? Johnny Crowder’s approach to company culture shows that mental health and entrepreneurial drive can coexist, even in high‑pressure industries.

Cultivating a Culture of Caring for Your Health

• Micro‑Check‑Ins: Start meetings with a one‑word attitude check‑in—safe space to share “stressed,” “excited,” or “meh.”
• Wellness Alerts: Use Slack bots to send random mindfulness prompts throughout the day—one‑line tips to pause and breathe.
• Self-Care Swaps: Encourage employees to swap ritual ideas via a rotating “self‑care spotlight” bulletin—fuel cross‑pollination of practices.
• Resilience Workshops: Facilitate quarterly sessions teaching resilience techniques—journaling, breathwork, or expressive writing.

When leaders model and reward self‑care, teams feel permission to tend to their well‑being without guilt. That translates into lower burnout, higher retention, and greater creative output.

The Misconception of “Quick Fix” Self‑Care

Johnny repeatedly warns that good mental health mirrors physical health: it demands consistent habits, not miracle cures. Just as a single trip to the gym won’t build a marathon runner, a one‑off spa day won’t reorder a chronically stressed brain. The Cope Notes app combats this myth by delivering daily self‑care prompts—small, sustainable actions that wire in positivity over months.

Neuroscience confirms that neuroplasticity thrives on repetition: daily rituals—even if only five minutes long—strengthen new neural pathways and gradually replace stress‑triggered circuits. Over time, these micro‑changes accumulate into significant improvements in mood, focus, and health & well‑being.

Leading Through Self-Care

For leadership teams, self‑care isn’t indulgent—it’s strategic. High‑stakes decisions made from exhaustion or anxiety can cost millions. Johnny’s framework for leadership self‑care includes:

• Decision Sabbath: Block one 90‑minute slot weekly for no meetings—use it for reflection, reading, or walking.
• Executive Peer Pods: Form triads of leaders across functions to meet monthly, share self‑care wins, and hold each other accountable.
• Mindful Delegation: Practice mindful delegation by pairing every major task hand‑off with an expression of confidence in the delegate’s abilities, boosting trust and psychological safety.

These practices foster inspirational & motivational environments where teams flourish rather than merely survive.

Two Lists to Scale Self‑Care at Work

List 1: Five Low‑Cost, High‑Impact Rituals for the Office

1. Breath Breaks: Set phone timers for three deep‑breath cycles every two hours.
2. Window Gazing: Encourage a 60‑second outdoor gaze at greenery or sky—reduces eye strain and resets focus.
3. Walking Huddles: Replace seated status updates with 5‑minute strolls—movement and fresh air combine for a mental boost.
4. Gratitude Rounds: At day’s end, share one win or gratitude via team chat to close on a positive note.
5. Dance Interludes: Play a 90‑second “dance track” through the office PA at midday—prompt spontaneous movement and laughter.

List 2: Seven Signs Your Self‑Care Rituals Need a Refresh

1. You dread the ritual—what once soothed now feels like another task.
2. Your mood remains unchanged or worsens after the practice.
3. You only do it under social pressure, not personal desire.
4. You compare your results unfavorably to others’ experiences.
5. You can’t recall the last time it brought genuine joy or calm.
6. You force yourself through it, then resent the time lost.
7. You avoid experimenting with new rituals altogether.

Recognizing these signs lets you pivot away from draining rituals and toward energizing ones.

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By rejecting one‑size‑fits‑all formulas and daring to experiment—celebrating unexpected rituals that light you up—you’ll find self‑care practices that truly stick. Then, by embedding these authentic habits into your workplace culture, you’ll empower teams to thrive, innovate, and sustain their well-being—even in the toughest moments.

Tags: Health & Fitness

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