Unlocking Wellness: How Your Temperament Shapes Your Health

Have you ever felt that certain health routines don't resonate with you, no matter how effective they seem? Does a friend continue to achieve their health goals while you feel stuck? The reason may lie in your temperament—we can define temperament as the collection of our behavioral tendencies that determine our emotional and behavioral reactions to what's happening around us. Temperament shapes our thoughts, ideas, impressions, and responses to our environment and other people.  It is not learned or acquired through contact with our environment. It is nature versus nurture, as it is not affected by childhood experiences or repressed memories. 

When we understand our temperament, we can tailor our health practices to align with our strengths while gently addressing our challenges.

Not sure of your temperament, take the quiz here.

The Four Temperaments: How They Shape Wellness

Choleric (Driven, Determined, and Intense)

Cholerics thrive on challenge, goal-setting, and efficiency. Their natural inclination toward leadership and discipline makes them highly capable of achieving fitness goals, sticking to structured diets, and relentlessly pursuing personal improvement. However, they can also be prone to overexertion, stress, and perfectionism, sometimes ignoring rest and recovery in their pursuit of excellence.

Health Strategies for Cholerics:

• Balance intensity with restoration – Incorporate activities like stretching, mindfulness, or moderate workouts that allow recovery alongside high-performance routines.

• Emphasize sustainable habits – Shift from aggressive short-term goals to long-term consistency, ensuring you are building a foundation for lifelong health.

• Manage stress healthfully – Instead of powering through exhaustion, develop practices like journaling, prayer, and quiet reflection to regulate emotions and maintain inner peace.

Sanguine (Energetic, Social, and Spontaneous)

Sanguines love variety, excitement, and connection. They are naturally drawn to group activities, outdoor adventures, and wellness approaches that feel engaging rather than restrictive. Their biggest challenge is maintaining consistency—sticking with healthy habits beyond the initial enthusiasm.

Health Strategies for Sanguines:

• Make wellness fun – Choose fitness activities that involve social interaction (dance, group sports, partner workouts) and experiment with different meal plans to keep things interesting.

• Incorporate accountability – Having a health buddy, using fitness apps, or participating in community wellness challenges can help sanguines stay consistent.

• Align faith with motivation—Scripture-based affirmations and faith-driven wellness practices help people anchor their health journeys in something deeper than excitement.

Melancholic (Thoughtful, Analytical, and Perfectionistic)

Melancholics approach wellness with meticulous planning and a desire for precision. They value routines, research deeply before committing to a health strategy, and often hold themselves to high standards. However, their perfectionism can lead to discouragement when things don't go as planned, sometimes causing analysis paralysis.

Health Strategies for Melancholics:

• Focus on progress over perfection – Remind themselves that small, imperfect steps lead to transformation. Grace in the journey is essential.

• Create structured wellness plans – Detailed schedules, meal plans, and workout logs help melancholics feel secure in their approach while giving them tangible results to track.

• Prioritize mental health – Since melancholics are prone to overthinking, stress management techniques like prayerful meditation, reflective journaling, and deep breathing help maintain emotional balance.

Phlegmatic (Calm, Steady, and Nurturing)

Phlegmatics value peace and stability. They are naturally inclined toward habits that make them feel comfortable and secure. Still, they can struggle with motivation when faced with change or challenges. Their wellness journey thrives on gentle encouragement and slow, sustainable progress.

Health Strategies for Phlegmatics:

• Start small and build gradually – Instead of drastic changes, implement simple steps like drinking more water, taking short walks, and gradually adjusting dietary habits.

• Find intrinsic motivation – Focusing on why health matters beyond physical fitness (longevity, energy for loved ones, or spiritual wellness) can help them remain engaged.

• Utilize community support – A nurturing, understanding environment—whether a faith-based group, a wellness mentor, or a supportive family—can be key to long-term success.

Faith, Temperament, and Lasting Wellness

Understanding our temperament isn't about limiting ourselves—it's about embracing the way God designed us and working with it rather than against it. When we align health practices with our unique personalities, we create lasting change rather than short-lived efforts.

Whatever your temperament, remember that wellness is a journey.

In faith and health,

Tana