Is Your Wellness Routine Making You Sick?

Do you ever ask yourself this question:

Why do I still feel, ________ ?

You may fill in the blank with the word “stressed” or the word “crappy,” or “exhausted,” or “bloated,” or any other number of unpleasant things.

But the question remains: “Why do I feel this way when I’ve been working hard and doing ALL. THE. RIGHT. THINGS?”

And by all the right things, I mean:

• I make sure to ONLY drink filtered, purified water.
• I count & keep track of my macros like they’re cash.
• I DRAG myself to the gym 5 times a week.
• I no longer eat anything after 7pm
• I soak in Epsom salt baths DAILY.
• I FORCE MYSELF to engage in a quarterly fast
• I fit in meditation everyday No Matter What!
• I make sure to pluck, primp, lotion & lather like a boss.
• Even if through gritted teeth & tears, I NEVER skip my gratitude journal.
• I only eat organic, local, fair trade, ethically produced, etc.
• And no matter what…I keep telling myself; MINDSET, MINDSET, MINDSET!

OK, look…

I’m not suggesting that any of those things aren’t amazing. I partake in many of these activities and several others myself. Our daily lifestyle rituals can be wonderful additions in our lives.

But they are only wonderful if they are adding actual value.

We are inundated constantly with so many claims to wellness, so many pathways to longevity, so many ways to stop aging, and so many promises of clarity.

We are told that if we just do X, all our problems will dissolve away.

 The trouble is, once you do commit to X, then shortly after here comes the need for Y, closely followed by the necessity of Z.

There is always something next, something more you “should” be doing.  There is always something else to enhance you, increase you, make you better. There is always another tool you’re told to add to the box of things that you NEED in order to make yourself better, happier, thinner, smarter, less anxious, less bloated, more calm, more radiant, and on and on and on.

It’s a constant state of feeling not-enough.

It’s a very misguided suggestion that what you need to achieve your personal wellness is only available for purchase, only available outside of yourself. It makes me wonder: “Is it really about my wellness, or perhaps someone else’s pockets?”

I know what you’re going to say.

“That alkaline water I diligently drink really HAS helped my digestion”

“The breathwork practice I partake in really DOES ease my anxiety”.

And you know what? I believe you!

These kinds of activities can, and most do, have very real, tangible benefits.

The issue lies in the very unsustainable manner in which we try to overhaul our entire existence by adding too much at one time.

Remember this:

Big Things Happen Slowly…Small Things Happen Quickly.

It’s a beautiful thing to be inspired to improve, level up, or even transform yourself.

But if you desire lasting results, you need to allow time to nurture & develop that inspiration.

It may sound crazy, but I have absolutely made myself sick from pursuing too much wellness.

It’s true.

And it’s particularly true when, in the pursuit of wellness, I attempted to add things to my life that simply do not resonate with me.

Things such as:

• Daily Protein Shakes (that no one needs, btw…but I digress)
• Cold Showers or Ice Baths (fuck all the way off with that)
• Daily Gratitude Journaling (I know…blasphemy. See THIS POST for more on that)

These things may feel wonderful to you, and you may even look forward to them. But all they did for me was cause added stress, anxiety, and dread.

Daily rituals or routines that are meant to add wellness to your life should not cause you to feel dread every week. They should not regularly stress you out. They should not produce daily anxiety.

The point is this: don’t add “wellness” practices to your life that feel like a to-do list or something that you need to “just get through.”

That is not self-care. That is self-sabotage.

So, what SHOULD I be doing then, you ask?

Actually…I have no idea!

And nobody else does either…not doctors, not coaches or nutritionists, not gurus or spiritual guides, nor anyone else. No one truly knows what is best for you except you.

But what I will say is… listen to your body.

Listen to your own heart.

Listen to your own mind.

Listen to your own spirit, too.

It’s perfectly ok to seek guidance or gain inspiration from others. Just know that your wellness journey and practice is going to look different from other peoples because we are all unique.  What you need is going to look different from what I need.

With that in mind, I have made some suggestions on how to accomplish this. Take what resonates with you, and then, just leave the rest. 

All things in life are only a template. You should adjust and customize them as needed.

Here are some ways that may help you find your own version of success within your wellness:

• Do your best to not trap yourself into believing that you need to do ALL the things.

• Choose 3 new practices or routines that feel sustainable & allow those to develop into habits before adding anything more. Give yourself no less than 4-6 weeks to let habits develop.

• If you are dreading, avoiding, or even hating something that is supposed to increase wellness, stop doing it. At the very least, change something about it that removes those negative feelings.  Maybe do it in the morning instead of at night. Maybe change where you do it or who you do it with. But if nothing alters the fact that it just doesn’t feel right for you, don’t try to force it.

• Remember to only take on practices that align with your own values or goals, not anyone else’s.  Ask yourself: “What do I actually want for myself” and do things that move you closer to that every day.

• Don’t lose sight of the things you’re already doing! If it’s already working for you, maybe find a way to level it up a bit!

• Look also at what you’re doing that isn’t aligning in the way it should. Think about whether you need to remove an activity or practice that is no longer serving you which will create space for what will.

A few closing thoughts:

Spend more time & energy on what feels good & right & warm. Do more of what you love and less of what you don’t.

Pay no attention to whether it makes sense to anyone else.

Whatever you choose to bring into or remove from your life, the way it makes you feel is more important than anything it claims to cure, counteract, or correct.

Always remember true wellness starts from within. Work on the way you talk to yourself.  Develop a way of thinking that empowers you.  Release emotions that are hindering you and heal traumas that have limited your potential.

Only then can you truly start reaping the benefits from all the juicing, yoga’ing, or detoxing!

Cheers to your wellness!