Shawn Blankenship Urges Community to Embrace Small Goals, Self-Care, and Support Services

Local Nurse Practitioner Advocates for Holistic Health and Mental Wellness

CHARLESTON, WV / ACCESS Newswire / June 6, 2025 /Shawn Blankenship, Family Nurse Practitioner and Medical Director at Holistic, Inc., today launched a public awareness initiative calling on residents to make simple, daily changes to improve both physical and mental wellbeing. Drawing on his own journey-from Navy boilers to midnight nursing lectures to founding a holistic practice-Blankenship highlights how small, consistent actions can transform lives.

"Little wins add up," Blankenship explains. "Review one lab result by noon. Take a five-minute walk. Write down one goal each morning."

West Virginia is designated a Mental Health Professional Shortage Area by the Health Resources & Services Administration. Meanwhile, nearly one in five American adults experiences mental illness each year, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. These gaps leave thousands without timely care.

"Health starts when stress stops," says Blankenship. "But our clinics are short-staffed and wait times are rising."

Blankenship 's advocacy focuses on practical, community-driven solutions:

• Daily Goal-Setting: Write three small, achievable goals each morning.

• Mindful Breaks: Pause for two-minute breathing exercises between tasks.

• Peer Support: Reach out to friends or neighbors for 10-minute check-ins.

• Volunteer: Offer a few hours at local shelters-Blankenship serves at a battered women 's shelter twice a month, providing free check-ups and vaccines.

"Community lifted me first," he notes. "Medicine should lift them back."

At Holistic, Inc., Blankenship blends primary care with counseling under one roof. Since opening in March 2018, the practice has served hundreds of patients-many scheduling follow-ups before even leaving their first visit.

"We close charts with lifestyle plans, not just pills," he says. "That 's the difference between treating symptoms and building resilience."

Blankenship invites Charleston residents to join him in raising local health standards:

1. Set one health-focused goal today (e.g., schedule a walk, journal for five minutes).

2. Share your goal on social media with the hashtag #SmallWinsWV.

3. Volunteer or donate to area mental-health or women 's-shelter programs.

"Success is discipline that refuses to clock out," Blankenship reminds us. "Start with one step."

Media Contact
Shawn Blankenship FNP
info@shawnblankenship.com
https://www.shawnblankenship.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawn-blankenship-0942b017/

SOURCE:Shawn Blankenship FNP

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