You have seen the wellness articles- five reasons to do this one thing every day, why you need to add this product to your life, here’s the practice that will change your world. Unfortunately, for me, when I head down the rabbit hole that is the wellness industry, I tend to stress myself out instead of finding something that works for me.
Should algae or collagen powder go in my smoothie? Are these the serums that will make my skin look flawless? What crystals do I hold if I want enough money to support my clothes addiction? Will yoga or HITT make me feel less like a bloated whale? And how much do I need to mediate to keep all these anxious thoughts at bay?
Woah… *takes a deep breath*
Does anyone else get overwhelmed by all this wellness talk? Yes, of course, I want to feel well, but my head can also begin to spin as I try to keep track of all the “right” things I should be doing for my body, mind, and soul. I’m not looking to give it all up, but I would like to avoid sending myself down an anxiety spiral and ultimately leading myself to wellness burnout.
Here’s how I am choosing to go about all these wellness trends without getting stressed out or making myself feel worse:
I’m committed to trying one thing at a time.
So I have this terrible habit- When I am not feeling my best, I turn to the internet for advice on how to fix different areas with a new wellness trend. I end up adding a bunch of new wellness practices to my life to feel better, but after a few days (honestly, two days) I can’t keep up, and I decide to quit all the new practices. Now, I am making it easier on myself by only trying one new thing at a time. This makes the whole process more manageable, and I am more likely to stick with it without stressing myself out or feeling pressure.
I’m practicing patience
Quick fixes would be great! I would love to apply a face serum and wake up the next day looking flawless or take a vitamin in the morning and no longer feel the afternoon drag. But that’s not how wellness works…. Ugh I know, it’s a bummer. Wellness trends use to seem overwhelming when I wanted them to work instantly. Since I wished for instant satisfaction, I spent my time bouncing from one trend to the next. Nothing was working, my medicine cabinet was too full with failed products, and my wallet was empty. Once I finally let it sink in that I needed to practice patience and try something for at least a month before I jumped to the next thing, I gave myself some room, and I found products and practices that genuinely helped me.
I realize that not everything will work for me A big reason wellness trends resulted in anxiety was that I wanted everything that worked for other people to work for me. I forced trends into my life whether I liked them or not because everyone else said they were great. When they didn’t work for me, I got super stressed and felt horrible about myself. This was the opposite of wellness. Now I am learning that not every trend will work for me. For example, I hate green juices, and meditation apps aren’t my thing, plain and simple. Yes they are encouraged by many, and I gave it my best effort and tried them, but I’m moving on and choosing not to force trends that don’t work. Ahh, that feels good!
The reality is that wellness trends are supposed to make you feel better, and if they aren’t, something isn’t working. Don’t get caught up in the pressure to make something work that isn’t, and don’t stress yourself out by trying to do it all.
With my tips above, I am learning how to find wellness practices that work for my life. I love putting collagen in my morning cup of coffee, I’m trying to walk more during my work day, I keep a gratitude journal, and I have a few vitamins that I take every night. I’ve stopped trying to “fix” everything at once, and I’m ignoring all the “shoulds” and “musts” and picking practices that work for me.
Ultimately, these practices are helping me feel less stressed by the whole wellness industry and reduce that feeling of utter overwhelm. I hope it helps you too!