Amid the pandemic, I dived head-first into the deep end of wellness, in an attempt to ‘glow up’ before graduation: paleo-vegan diet, HIIT workouts five days a week, green smoothies for breakfast, the whole deal. Six months in, I was slimmer and fitter, but inside I was crumbling under the unrelenting stress of self-imposed rules and strict regimens. Keeping up with the daily routine became an all-consuming task. And somewhere along the way, I began depriving myself of all the things that brought me joy: pizza night with friends, hot chocolate on a rainy day, crunchy murukku lovingly prepared by my grandma. All I had in mind was achieving the ultimate physique. Suffice to say, I was not doing well.
I am not the only one to have felt this way. Recent studies show that orthorexia, a clinically unhealthy obsession with ‘clean eating’, and exercise addiction is on the rise, especially in the younger demographic. From light therapy and CBD to 5 am pilates and ketogenic diets, wellness has become more commodified than ever before. It is a product of a booming industry that aggressively pushes forth the pursuit of ‘good health’ with magazine ads, billboards, TikTok, and YouTube-sponsored videos. Rather than making us feel healthier and happier, wellness has become something that overwhelms us, drains us, and makes us, paradoxically, unwell. So how do we recover from this ‘burnout’, and become well again, in the truest sense of the word?
5 questions (and tips) to evaluate and change your wellness routine
- What are you trying to achieve at the end of your wellness journey? Are you cutting out dairy to shed a few pounds before swimming season? Are you waking up at 4 AM every day to squeeze in a pilates workout because the instructor is ‘body goals’? Pause for a minute and try to define what wellness is for you. Is it having a perfect figure? Flawless skin? Or is it improving yourself holistically? Finding the right balance in life? Try to list down your wellness goals. They need not follow the ‘SMART’ rule, just need to be personal to you. Make not just physical but also spiritual and emotional wellness a priority. Do what you enjoy, be it cardio, yoga or just a brisk walk in the park. Take a breather every once in a while. You need it.
- How much are you spending on wellness? Life as a college girl is tough, life as a broke college girl is worse. And trust me when I say that you do not need that £100 herbal-extract infused, gluten-free, GMO-free, marine collagen glow powder. Some things are necessary: long-lasting, comfortable gym clothes, essential vitamin supplements, and a sturdy pair of trainers. But the rest are all optional. So take a moment before charging the latest wellness product to your card. Ask yourself: do you actually need it? Will it make you healthier? Happier? Or is it just another trend that will fade into obscurity within a month or so?
- Do you find yourself following a wellness guru’s or YouTube instructor’s channel or videos when planning your routine? Is your feed filled with POPSUGAR 15-minute workout recommendations? Are you about to make a spur-of-the-moment decision to switch to keto and do weight training because that’s all the rage? It may seem like innocuous ‘fitspiration’, but basing your personal lifestyle choices off of someone else’s or worse, a fad, is more likely to do you harm than good. Your lifestyle, nutrition requirements, metabolic rate and genetic makeup are all unique to you. What works for someone else might not work for you. So, keenly tune in to your body, and take note of how you feel after starting a new workout or diet plan. Journal or maintain a (digital or book) record if you think it will help you keep track. If something does not feel like it is right for you, stop, re-evaluate and make a change.
- What’s on your plate (or in your smoothie)? Mixing in tablespoon-fulls of spirulina or açai berry powder to your morning juice? Or copious amounts of sunflower seeds to your green salad? Think before you do. Eating healthy does not mean adding every supplemental powder or super potion you can find to your meals. As cliche as it sounds, you should aim for a balanced diet. Do not restrict yourself to a specific diet, and try to keep calorie counting to a minimum; your meal plan should not feel like it comes with a balance sheet. Incorporate more fruits and veggies into your diet. Switch it up by having millet instead of rice. Have home-cooked pasta instead of instant cup noodles (when you can). A little goes a long way.
- What supplements are you taking? And how many? If prescribed by a medical practitioner, it is not an issue. But if you are taking a new hair growth supplement because an Instagram influencer swears by them, or because the brilliant packaging, and (superfluous) claims, caught your eye, think again. Most supplements are harmless, but too much of anything (even water) is not good for you. The efficacy of supplements is something to keep in mind too. Instead of relying on TikToks, refer to trusted, scientific sources to choose your supplements wisely.
My personal notion of wellness has transformed over the past year. I have been allowing myself space to breathe, to take a break from the to-do lists and the routines, to not feel crushing guilt for skipping workouts two days in a row, and spoiling myself with the occasional potato chip and popcorn binge. I have been focusing on improving not just my physical self, but me as a whole: mind, body, and soul (hey, that rhymed!).
With the start of the new academic year, try to adopt a positive outlook. Pace yourself. Make time for self-care. Build up your endurance. Do not be too harsh on yourself. Your wellness journey is a work in progress. Then again, so is life.