3 Signs Your Health and Wellness Journey Isn’t Healthy
Pursuing health and wellness is all the rage right now. Who doesn’t want to be the healthiest and happiest versions of themselves, right? Unfortunately, wellness journeys don’t always make you feel “well.” Instead, you might find yourself thinking about food and building healthy habits to the point of obsession. Here are 3 signs your health and wellness journey isn’t “healthy,” and how to fix it.
you feel entirely responsible for controlling your health
Let’s start by defining health. I want you to take a moment (it doesn’t have to be right now) and write out your own definition of health. There are about as many definitions of health out there as there are people in the world. Everyone has their own idea of what health and being “healthy” is. By creating your own definition, you’re one step closer to connecting your goals with outcomes that actually benefit you, not some rando on the internet.
Some things to think about when creating your definition of health:
Are you only considering your physical body?
Does your philosophy focus on the absence of disease or the promotion of wellbeing?
Is health entirely within your control? What other factors might be at play?
Is health a destination to be achieved or an ongoing practice?
What does it mean about you as a person to be “healthy?”
I encourage you to expand your mind on what health really means and how much control you have over it. If you want to truly feel healthy, it’s important to recognize that you live in a human body that is impossible to control entirely. If thinking about that makes you anxious, I so understand! Unfortunately, no amount of powders, supplements, or “clean eating” is going to save you from living in a human body.
going outside of your health and wellness routine causes anxiety
If you feel anxious about messing up your health and wellness routine or your routine getting interrupted, that’s a sign that it may not be as healthy as you think. The healthiest wellness routine you can have is one that allows you to live life to the fullest. If you feel like your mornings, days, and/or evenings have to remain the same or extremely similar to maintain your health, something is likely off.
Another sign that you don’t have a sustainable health and wellness routine is if you avoid social situations or social gatherings that may interrupt your routine. Going to the gym or eating “safe” foods at home instead of going out to eat or hang with a group of friends on a regular basis is not “dedication.” It’s more likely disordered.
At the end of the day, if you lack any semblance of spontaneity in your life due to a fear of breaking your health and wellness routine, that’s a major sign that your routine is far from healthy.
your relationship with food and movement feels rigid
This one might be obvious, but if you have specific rules about what foods are “healthy” and “unhealthy,” “good” or “bad,” “safe” and “unsafe,” that’s not a healthy (or enjoyable) way to live. If you notice yourself eliminating food groups and/or developing food fears, it’s time to examine your relationship with food and whether or not cutting foods out “for health reasons” is actually healthy (I’ll give you a hint: it’s not).
Eliminating food groups and avoiding fear foods is more likely going to contribute to malnutrition and a decrease in variety of good gut bacteria. It is also extremely detrimental to your mental and emotional health. Restricting food is one of the least healthy things you can do for your body, and is the number one telltale sign that your health and wellness routine is unhealthy.
Holding beliefs around “good” and “bad” foods is one way wellness culture sneaks into what started as a genuine journey to improve health and wellbeing. It’s not your fault for wanting to better your life, but once you know better, you can do better. When you adopt beliefs that certain foods are “good” and other foods are “bad,” not only are you jeopardizing your own relationship with food, but those unhealthy attitudes can rub off on those around you. Judging your and other’s food choices is not a healthy way to live!
Finally, having a rigid movement routine will not bring you the true benefits of movement. Exercise is stress on the body. While exercise itself can contribute a whole host of health benefits, stressing about exercise will prevent you from getting those benefits. Increasing your stress levels around food and movement and not listening to your body is most likely going to result in poor mental health and potentially injury.
You deserve a self-care routine that allows you to be a human being. Being a human being means you might get sick, your friends might spontaneously ask you out to ice cream, you might get a new job with different hours, you might move to a place with different weather, basically, things will change. If the way you care for yourself doesn’t allow you and your life to change unexpectedly, it’s not a healthy routine for you.