You know that feeling when you're following all the "right" advice, and yet it’s just not working?
You tried the 5am club…and it left you exhausted instead of motivated. So you started meditating which made you anxious instead of calm. And then thought you’d tried Motion, the AI productivity tool that’s “changing lives”…and yet it failed again. So you start wondering…maybe it’s me?
What if you’re just using puzzle pieces from someone else's box?
That's how Stephanie Huntjens-White, a Holistic Nutritionist, explained it to me. And honestly? It's the most liberating thing I've heard in a long time.
She talks about how in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), we're all made up of five elements—but some are stronger than others depending on our personality, our heritage, how we move through the world. One person can eat tons of spicy food and feel amazing. Another person can't. And that's not a problem—it's just biology.
When we try to force practices or routines that don't align with who we actually are, we throw our whole system out of balance.
So instead of chasing what works for everyone else, what if you knew your primary element? What if you could work with your body instead of against it?
Stephanie here—
Think of your body like a puzzle. All the pieces need to come from the same box to create the full picture, right?
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, we're all made up of five elements:
Wood – the planner, the visionary, the one who gets things done
Fire – the connector, the one who lights up a room
Earth – the nurturer, the one everyone leans on
Metal – the organized, detail-oriented perfectionist
Water – the deep thinker, the reflective one
Your primary element influences everything: how you show up in the world, what drains you, what restores you, how you handle stress, what kind of movement your body craves, even what foods support you best.
When your primary element is out of balance, it puts pressure on the other four. That's when you start feeling off—tired, reactive, overwhelmed—even if you're doing "all the right things."
The key? Learning which element you are, so you can support it. Not with someone else's routine, but with what actually works for your body, your energy, your life.
Let’s Experiment
Stephanie created a quick quiz to help you discover your primary element along with an short email sequence with specific tips for your element.
It takes about 5 minutes, and the results will give you insight into:
What throws you out of balance
What practices actually restore you
How to work with your natural rhythms instead of against them
After you take it, ask yourself: Does this feel true? Does it explain why certain things work for you and others don't? There's no right or wrong answer—just your unique constitution showing up.
Why it matters? When you understand your element, you get to honor who you actually are—and build a life that supports that.
Want to challenge yourself?
After you take the quiz, share your element in the comments (if you're reading online) or tag us on Instagram: @stephaniehw.coaching and @iamjennbieri
If you’re reading this via email, just click “Read Online” in the top right corner to view (and comment on) the web version.
Remember: You're not broken if someone else's advice doesn't work for you. You might just be using puzzle pieces from the wrong box.
With love and gratitude,
Jenn & Stephanie