From photos of healthy food to wellness influencers’ posts, wellness culture is all over Instagram. We can’t avoid this “Instagram” version of wellness, but we should remember that staying well often isn’t picture-perfect.
My wellness journey looks nothing like what influencers post on Instagram.
As someone with multiple disabilities, I didn’t think about my health until I absolutely had to care. I needed to make a change, not for others’ views and likes but for myself.
10 years ago, I started making healthy changes. I began working out daily, made that habit stick, and am still going strong with it. But my version of wellness eventually progressed beyond working out. In 2018, I became a vegetarian. After I discovered that I had high blood pressure, I also cut salt from my diet. These changes may sound drastic, but they dramatically improved my health.
My health journey didn’t stop with diet and exercise, though, because truly staying well involves the whole body. In 2021, I decided to work on my mental health. I started therapy and even went on medication for my symptoms. I quit therapy after a year and didn’t need to stay on meds for long, but eventually, I realized that I needed therapy again. Once I restarted therapy, I never stopped going. Returning to therapy is one of the best health decisions that I’ve ever made.
Unlike the Instagram influencers I see, my wellness journey hasn’t looked “perfect.”
Getting well has been messy and complex, and some days, I don’t want to do the things that I know would make me feel good. However, I try not to compare my path to anyone else’s because I don’t need others to validate my progress. I don’t have a wellness brand to build, and I’m not looking for followers to notice me, so I’ll keep showing my “imperfect” health journey to remind myself how far I’ve come.
Unfortunately, though, the “wellness” we see on social media often focuses exclusively on diet culture and fitness.
While eating healthy food and exercising can be positive steps, some influencers take their lifestyles way too far and don’t seem to acknowledge their mental health or how their bodies actually feel. Wellness is so much more than dieting and fitness. It’s also about caring for our minds and learning how to better our lives, not just our appearances.
People don’t share these aspects of wellness because they don’t look “perfect.”
You can’t put an Instagram filter on a therapy session, and you can’t see when someone’s body feels best. You also may not feel comfortable sharing a panic attack or a slip out of a healthy routine. But the accurate picture of wellness involves these “messy” moments — it’s raw, honest, and vulnerable.
We don’t show the highs and lows of our wellness journeys because they don’t match what we see on social media, but many people would love to see true wellness. “Wellness” may feel like a buzzword, but it’s so much more than just what looks “acceptable” online. Staying well is about the whole body and mind, and it’s time that we start recognizing that side of wellness too.
Featured Photo by Caleb George on Unsplash.
I recommend checking out the great resources at Aftermath Behavioral Health. Their page https://aftermathbehavioralhealth.com/therapies/personality-disorder-treatment/ provides valuable insights and support for those struggling with personality disorders. The expert team there is dedicated to providing the care and treatment necessary to help individuals lead healthier, more fulfilling lives. Definitely worth exploring if you’re looking for comprehensive therapy options!