I was giving advice to one of my clients recently, giving him some tidbits on how to give the lymphatic system a quick boost in the mornings. His response? “Jesus it’s gonna take me 6 hours to get out of my house!” He had so many wellness practices, one involving something to do with the toes, that adding a 3 minute routine felt overwhelming.
We laughed at the million things we’re constantly told we should be doing and at the direction the wellness culture seems to be headed down (if it’s not there already). And I thoroughly agreed with him, to take on only what you feel will be beneficial for you at that moment in time and that it’s important not to overwhelm yourself with all the things that are meant to be for your wellness. Health and wellness is a fluid, ongoing and personal journey, and absolutely not a rigid checklist.
The journey is meant to support you and make you feel better, not worse.
This conversation reminded me of how wellness culture often mirrors the broader pressures of society--always demanding more. We are living in a society that very much praises constant productivity. And while that pressure can help drive us to our success, a lack of balance can lead us into a wall of exhaustion, burnout, stress, and…yes, illness. All things which are the opposite of wellness, no? Our wellness journey, in my opinion, is there to help keep us nurtured and sane on the path of achieving our life’s purpose and goals within this world. Imagine your path in life as the river bank, and we are the boat that is headed to our destination.
Our wellness tools are the waters on which we travel, designating the smoothness or roughness, speed, or whether we get there in one piece or get there at all, and whether we’re able to live in the experience of life.
(The whole reason we do anything, right? Because then, like, why are we here doing anything at all?)
Listen, I understand the feeling of being so sick of ourselves and where we are in life that we want to overhaul our entire being overnight. We know drastic changes rarely stick, right? It's science. If you’re looking to look good for a big event coming up in a month, drastic measures could work but they may not stick around for long. Yet, if you’re looking for a lifestyle change, more of a balanced wellness approach might be the way to go: small, consistent changes. Want to drink more water? Drink an extra cup per day for a week or two. Wanna cut down on coffee? Cut down a cup per day. Want to become a person who works out for an hour every day? Start with 10 mins a day. Then when those neural pathways begin to set, pump up the ante. Add another cup of water per day, one less coffee, another 5 or 10 minutes to your workout, whatever floats your boat (pun intended). Think of nurturing a garden, it takes time and care.
Remember, every garden is different, health is not a one-size fits all.
Listen to what your body is telling you and find what works for you. I personally love coffee but I don’t have it every day. I find that having a cup before giving a bodywork session puts my nervous system in a weird space that I don’t particularly like being in when I give a session, I’m less able to be in tune with the body on my table. I also don’t like to drink coffee on the days leading up to my period or while I’m on my period as it can lead to cramps for me, and the days I do enjoy a cup I don’t have more than one as I’m quite sensitive to it, and 2pm is my cutoff (3pm if I’m gonna be honest with myself). On the other hand, I know friends who can have a cup of coffee at night and go right to bed without a problem. I’d like to emphasize that while these are my general rules around coffee, that’s not to say I don’t ever step around them every now and again, that’s just part of being a human. And some may ask–well if coffee can clearly be a hindrance for me, why have it at all? Well, because I enjoy it. Tequila can be a hindrance for me as well, and sometimes I enjoy that too.
So my tips on our wellbeing?
Start with small, manageable changes that can yield significant results. Be kind to yourself on this journey, listen to your self-talk. Not all of it will be positive and nothing is wrong with you if you experience some negative self-talk, we all go through it. However, notice if it’s getting out of hand driving you into an emotionally and mentally toxic space then I encourage you to find some support, whatever that may be, to assist you. This one is an ongoing, up and down journey (I speak from experience). Prioritize rest and recovery.
Begin to see sleep, relaxation and moments of stillness not as a hindrance but as the very fuel that helps get you to your destination.
And lastly, don't forget to celebrate every small win to build positivity and momentum.
Why am I writing all of this?
Because I care about you and I care about myself, and I care about us as a collective. And as much as human beings have been pissing me off, I still think they are magnificent. We are all being battered in this life with where we have come as a society yet there is a beautiful life that exists overhead. Don’t lose the desire to take in the world in all its magnificence while we still can, even through all the pain and adversity. Soak it all in--the beauty, the magnificence, the absurdity of it all. Because one day it'll be gone.
To me, that is wellness.
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