We've Reached Peak Wellness. Most of It Is Nonsense.

It's a lifestyle or state of being that goes beyond merely the absence of disease and into the idea of maximizing human potential. 

Once someone’s basic needs are met (e.g., food and shelter), wellness emerges from nourishing six dimensions of your health: physical, emotional, cognitive, social, spiritual, and environmental.

Wellness is simple: it’s about committing to basic practices as individuals and communities. And unfortunately, these basics tend to get overlooked in favor of easy-to-market nonsense.

Nourishing the 5 interrelated dimensions of health (physical, emotional, cognitive, social, spiritual, and environmental) does not require that you buy any lotions, potions, or pills.

30 minutes of moderate to intense daily physical activity lowers your risk for heart disease, Alzheimer’s, mental illness, and many types of cancer.

Any kind of activity that makes your breathing labored for a sustained period does the trick.

Ignore diets and supplements and, instead, just aim to cut out junk like processed and fried foods.

Extensive studies have found that 16 of the most popular supplements and 8 of the most popular diets have virtually no benefit and some cause harm.

Modern-day wellness creates the impression that everyone is happy all the time and that you should be, too. But this is not the reality of being human.

Hiding or repressing sadness only makes it worse. On the contrary, the more vulnerable you are (with yourself and others) the better. And if something feels way off, don’t be scared to get help.

The mortality risks associated with loneliness exceeds those associated with obesity and physical inactivity and are comparable to the risks of smoking. 

Digital connections cannot replace in-person ones and the value of physical presence and touch.

It's the belief that you’ll find an activity or pursuit about which you are immediately passionate from the start. This is quite misleading and even harmful.

Better than this is a development mindset, in which you understand that passion takes time to emerge, thus lowering the bar for further engagement in something from “this is perfect” to “this is interesting.”

When you are working on something, regardless of what it is, eliminate distractions so you can give it your full attention.

The more present and fully engaged you are with what’s in front of you, the happier you’ll be. 

Though purpose doesn't need to be based on organized religion, cultivating a cohesive sense of direction, core values, and connection with something beyond yourself is important.

For some, this takes the form of going to church, synagogue, mosque, or sangha. For others it’s about feeling connected to evolution and being a part of nature.