This past week I’ve been thinking about the wellness space and the chokehold it has over all forms of social media.
There’s a push for content focusing on productivity hacks, creating the perfect morning routine and reset days. Although I take it all with a grain of salt when I consume this sort of content since everyone has different lifestyles, I thought about how privileged the wellness space is and how lucky we are as consumers to have access to resources, support and products that help us maintain a healthy state of being.
There is a sense of shame I have over prioritising my health in light of the state of current events. The genocide that is currently happening in Israel, the cost of living crisis, protests in Kenya calling an end to femicide. It feels almost comical that I have allocated Sundays as my ‘reset’ days, a day that I can sleep in, read, watch a TV show, do my laundry, meal prep and prepare myself for the coming week when atrocities happen on a daily basis.
The Merriam-Webster definition states wellness is “the quality or state of being in good health especially as an actively sought goal”. But wellness is now a commodified industry where it means having the latest exercise tech, having a $400 gym membership, spending $12 on a juice (I, too, have spent $12 on a juice) is a sign of privilege and wealth. When you think of wellness, it conjures an imagery of perfectly sculpted bodies, matcha lattes and a matching athleisure set. My algorithm is filled with videos telling me how to ‘become THAT girl, ‘enter your Pilates era’, and so on. One thing it all has in common is that these influencers comprise majority white Caucasian women, with stable employment who aren’t burdened by the struggle of day-to-day survival.
I detest how divisive the wellness space can be and its role in pushing a deeper socio-economic and cultural divide. $120 Lululemon leggings (admittedly, I own 3), $80 Stanley cups, overly expensive gym memberships, the westernisation of yoga and, psychology sessions which can cost $250 if you don’t have access to a mental health plan in Australia is, frankly, diabolical. Young teenage girls now flock stores such Sephora to buy the latest skincare fad despite the fact that their bodies are still developing?
Don’t get me wrong, I love the wellness space but I've consumed enough social media to know the sponsored brand deals and advertising that go behind the scenes. I also don’t love the ‘wellness girlie’ aesthetic/imagery that saturates social media platforms. The influencers and creators who push out content, perhaps inadvertently, an image that makes young women and girls think if you have the matching yoga set, go to regular Pilates classes and wake up at 5am every day, you too, can be a ‘wellness girlie’ or 'THAT girl'. (Just so you know, you are that girl, just as you are).
My own wellness journey started during the COVID pandemic when I had a LOT of time to myself. I had periods where I loved being on my own and finding new hobbies to other periods where I would question my self-worth and be fuelled with depression, anxiety and self-esteem issues. That's when I read Brene Brown's Daring Greatly which absolutely transformed the way I started perceiving my own vulnerability. It also spurred an intention to heal, both mentally and physically. I started journalling, doing yoga by following along to Yoga with Adrienne's Youtube videos (the same with regular strength/HIIT exercises), reading self-help and personal development books and watching content on spirituality and self-growth. Note that I didn't need to buy an expensive gym membership or an expensive workout set to start my wellness journey. I was lucky to still be employed and able to work remotely and living with 2 housemates at the time where we shared the monthly expenses. I had the time and stability to focus on my wellness which a majority of the population do not have the same privilege.
Unfortunately, you and I have no control over what sort of message influencers send to their audience. But I wish there was a message that wellness does not have to equate spending copious amounts of money to look and feel good. If I could push my own message, it is that wellness is what makes you feel good holistically. We put so much pressure on ourselves already that there is no need to feel like our lives should mirror the lifestyles we see online.
Some food for thought links about the privilege behind the wellness industry:
https://joanwestenberg.medium.com/how-did-wellness-become-the-privilege-of-the-wealthy-198382bcb7d9
https://districtfray.com/articles/the-privilege-behind-wellness/
https://asweatlife.com/2018/11/privilege-in-wellness/
As always, thank you so much for reading and until next week,
Lots of love, Liselle