Let’s talk about…Reclaiming Wellness
By: Erika Escamilla
I recently watched a TedTalk titled “Reclaiming Wellness” presented by Jessica Matthews. In her Ted Talk, Jessica discussed how wellness has been set aside as being only accessible to certain people. In other words, when we think of wellness, we think often think of it as being for man bun wearing, incense obsessed, green juice drinkers. However, as Jessica noted, this kind of perspective is harmful. It does us no good to think of wellness as being a commodity. Companies everywhere will try to sell wellness as something you can enjoy when buying a salt lamp or a special candle. Though these things help develop your hygge, wellness, and ability to feel it belongs only to you, it is not the only key to your wellbeing. Following Jessica’s philosophy, I have developed two helpful tips to center yourself first and reclaim your wellness.
- Rid yourself of the misconceptions of wellness
I always heard the idea that wellness was reserved for the wealthy. Which to me meant that wellness was for those who could afford yoga classes, cycling, and overpriced smoothies. These things are nice, but they are not necessary for discovering wellness. Additionally, wellness is not something that is given when someone partakes in activities that help them achieve wellness. Instead, going to a yoga class and enjoying a healthy smoothie is just one way people support their wellness journey.
Moving on from the idea that wellness is achieved will help you rid yourself of the misconception that wellness is something you can buy. It will also help you understand that you do not need a yoga class or expensive smoothie, try to restructure wellness in terms of what is possible for you. There are many ways to do this, but some examples include; journaling, budgeting, exercise, and meditating.
2. Think of wellness as a journey, not a destination
If you’re like me, you’ve often thought about wellness as something you can achieve through weekly journaling or daily meditations. Even though these things have helped me and many others to feel wellness, they are only a step towards the right direction. In her Ted Talk, Jessica Matthews stated that wellness is a process, something that we work towards throughout our lifetime. Understanding wellness in this sense helps us grasp the reality that we should not feel guilty for not being as in touch with our wellness as others. Our wellness is controlled by the self and what is possible for us. Your wellness being at different stages than someone else is just a reflection of their journey but not something to compare your own to.
Selling wellness is not a thing. Wellness is not a commodity or program that someone can buy but rather a journey for people to discover for themselves. It is not wrong to partake in yoga classes or green smoothies, I do them as well, but it’s important to remember that these things are not wellness. Rather, it is best to think of wellness as something done by you, for you. Following this is how we can reclaim wellness.
