What's the point of "wellness"?
With so much money and attention going into this industry, what is the actual point?
Click on #wellness on your social media stream of choice and you'll be flooded with a whole lot of nonsense (I don't actually recommend you do this). Supplements. Meaningless rah-rah. And worse: some practices that could actually harm you.
But what is the actual point of the Wellness Industry?
Compare wellness to it’s close cousin, fitness. The fitness industry can at least point to specific outcomes that you can strive for. Getting faster, stronger, and improving health markers like resting heart rate, blood pressure, and A1C (an indicator of metabolic health).
What about wellness?
I’ve struggled with this question a lot the last year or so. I’ve made no secret of the fact that I never wanted to be lumped into the “wellness” industry. Coming from fitness and Positive Psychology, wellness always felt like a 4-letter word. A grift where snake-oil salespeople promised the moon and sold you moon dust. The arch of my career meant accepting that “wellness” was the word people associate with the skillset I have and the work I do ~ putting the onus on us meaningful practitioners to change the way the industry is perceived, advocate for credentialed and evidence-based practices, and encourage people to be better. In this and any industry.
After much soul searching, reading, writing, speaking, and searching some more I have settled here:
The point of wellness is to learn about yourself in holistic and meaningful ways.
To learn information, skills, and practices that meet your foundational needs.
To support integration so that you can show up fully in the world.
All so that you can live a life that works for you in sustainable and meaningful ways.
That’s it.
Not that the above is any small thing or simple feat, but that wellness isn’t more than that. It’s not an endless journey or a cash cow. It’s not supplementation for the rest of your life or a pointless grift promoting codependence.
It’s tools, skills, techniques, and ideas that help you cultivate longevity, integration, and lending towards purpose and meaning.
What is integration?
Integration is when you’re not at odds with yourself.
When your ideas, behaviors, thoughts, and feelings line up with one another.
Alignment.
Wholeness.
When your human experience makes sense, new information can be processed and buffered, and you generally know what to do with what’s happening to you in your world.
A 4 syllable word with a big concept behind it.
When combining the tools of fitness, wellness, and well-being the goal is to integrate them in a way that works for you, fits your goals, and supports your purpose and meaning.
No small feat, but always worth it.