"Once upon a time, not too long ago, I considered myself a wellness girlie. I woke up at 5 a.m., immediately chugged a glass of water, ice rolled, ate a couple of Brazil nuts, went to the gym, dry brushed before taking a cold shower, drank hot lemon water, measured my protein intake, and drank my sleepy girl mocktail before drifting off with an eye mask over my face. I was a wellness queen—and I was also the least happy I have ever been. My fear of my own health dominated my life.
Toxic wellness culture is nothing new, but it is getting louder. In the past year, people have become increasingly fed up with the fearmongering in the wellness industry, airing their grievances across social media. “I like listening to wellness podcasts about wellness things, but they have gone too far,” said “imperfect wellness” influencer Angelina Nicole in a viral TikTok. “The fearmongering in the wellness community is so bad now… it’s gotten to the point where it’s anxiety-inducing.”
If you’re feeling like the anxious noise in the wellness industry is at an all-time high, you’re not alone. Sometimes, wellness culture can be so toxic that it begs the question: Is “wellness” even worth the stress anymore?
“So, you want to be healthier? I hope you’ve saved up for that, honey.”
Toxic wellness culture puts a high price on well-being
So, you want to be healthier? I hope you’ve saved up for that, honey. Often, when wellness culture expands beyond the basics of eating a balanced diet, getting enough sleep, and incorporating daily movement, it comes with a hefty price tag. When wellness and capitalism collide in the form of the wellness “industry,” the result is a hamster wheel of talking heads telling you that the reason you’re feeling bad can be fixed—with their product. If a wellness influencer can claim she felt better when she increased her greens intake, she can sell you a powder. If she can tell you about the toxins in your average candle, she can sell you a better candle. And if he claims that his snoring nearly destroyed his marriage, he can definitely sell you mouth tape.
To be clear, not all wellness “influencing” is inherently bad. Often, it’s a necessary way for well-meaning armchair experts to question our traditional health systems and share new information about ailments that aren’t taken seriously under traditional Western medicine. However, when wellness influencers move beyond media to the sale of a physical product, that toxic wellness culture asks you to buy into something that might not help you in the long run. Saving your money can (and should) be part of a healthy life, too.
Wellness fearmongering fosters social isolation
News flash: Dropping $40 on a high-end pilates class where you lowkey glare at everyone else in the room the entire time, speak to no one besides the instructor, and immediately put in your headphones to listen to a motivational podcast after is NOT community. At its most economically profitable, the wellness industry demands that you engage in acts of “peak” wellness alone, or at least in a hyper-independent way. Heck, you don’t even need to go to the workout class if you can take one on your phone. You probably shouldn’t go to happy hour with your friends if you’re sober-curious and avoiding carbs. What’s the point of kissing your significant other goodnight if you’re wearing mouth tape?
Of course, the irony in hyper-independence that toxic wellness culture promotes is that we literally need each other to be healthy. At this point, most of us are aware that there’s a loneliness epidemic that’s detrimental to our health. In spite of this, the wellness industry is hardly pivoting to address social isolation—instead, influencers are doubling down on carnivore diets, turning off your Wi-Fi at night, and “becoming unrecognizable.” What can address social isolation is the literal opposite: a community garden, maintaining social connections with far-away friends and family, and sustaining meaningful relationships with people who love you at every stage and phase.
“Not all wellness influencing is inherently bad. Often, it’s a necessary way for well-meaning armchair experts to question our conventional health systems.”
You can’t be “well” if you’re constantly afraid
When I was the most obsessed with my health and wellness, I was also extremely anxious. Sure, I woke up at 5 a.m. without an alarm… but I woke up at 5 a.m. without an alarm because I was riddled with morning anxiety over how I was going to check everything off my to-do list, including my wellness habits. “You cannot promote health and at the same time promote this borderline orthorexia,” said Nicole in her viral TikTok, and I wholeheartedly agree. Anyone who experienced disordered eating will probably not tell you that that period in their life was their “healthiest”—so, why should we assume that health anxiety is any different?
Tuning out the fearmongering in the wellness industry is hard. Especially when you adore the wellness girlie lifestyle (I never said I don’t love a matching workout set and a green smoothie), it’s challenging to consider that letting go of your fear of being “unhealthy” might mean letting go of some of the things about wellness culture that are genuinely fun. But it is so, so worth it to take a break from toxic wellness culture if it means no longer living in fear. Sometimes, turning off your red light mask and going to grab a drink with your friends is the #1 thing you can do for your health.
Emma Ginsberg, Associate Editor
Emma is a writer, editor, and podcast producer who has been creating at The Everygirl since 2021. She writes for all sections on the site, edits the Entertainment and Community sections, and helps produce The Everygirl Podcast. With a degree in American Studies, Emma is especially passionate about evaluating the impact pop culture and internet culture have on the day-to-day lives of real women.