Olivia

Olivia
Squire, our Print Editor-in-Chief, enlisted the help of
wellness insiders Melissa Hemsley and Rachael McKeon, Travel Editor
at goop, to help navigate the nebulous world of 21st-century
wellness – one in which vagina candles occupy the same spiritual
milieu as sacred Native American incense and a one-way flight to
India costs the same as a pair of premium yoga leggings.

From the reclamation of cringeworthy wellness jargon to the
complex, unseen mental-health problems triggered by so-called
“wellbeing” influencers, the probing discussion was like a
deep-tissue massage: sharp and relentless but mightily soothing.
Couldn’t make it? Fret not. We’ve picked out the evening’s juiciest
bits and broken them down into eight easily digestible hot
takes.

How to feel well (minus the wellness jargon) in eight simple
steps

1. Invest in yourself

The health and wellness industry is estimated to be worth $4.2
trillion worldwide – something to bear in mind when you’re totting
up your next purchase. Assess your own personal focus areas and ask
whether this triple-figure gym class, dangerously acidic face mask
or sound-healing marathon will really enact the changes for which
you’re looking. Be strong enough to say no; you don’t have to try
it all.

2. Ignore the industry when it suits you

Don’t let others make you feel like you’re not doing enough. The
wellness industry itself is often the worst culprit here. In its
bid to make you buy more – that rose
quartz face roller, a new CBD capsule – it often leads to
feelings of inferiority. The conclusion? Simply ignore the industry
if it’s making you feel “less than” and march to the beat of your
own drum (or gong, whichever you prefer).

3. Follow influencers (or don’t, actually)

While some draw energy from watching seemingly perfect avatars
live out their best lives on the ‘gram (and pocket a wad of cash in
the process), for some it’s understandably a source of negative
energy. Do a sage cleanse of your Instagram feed and relegate those
posturing types to the cold, barren realm of the unfollowed. You’ll
immediately feel a wave of relief.

4. Rifle through your old stuff

We know. We’re as susceptible to the crinkly allure of an
unboxing as the next person, but put down that sparkly new
MALIN+GOETZ candle and reach for the slightly dusty Byredo number
on your mantelpiece. Work through the products you already have in
stock before seeking your next
wellness fix. Less is more.

5. Reclaim wellness spiel

Everyone’s become a little sniffy about wellness terms recently
and we don’t like it one bit. “Follow your bliss” is no longer cool
and “YOLO” even in typed form sends some into spasmodic full-body
cringes, but it’s time we reclaimed wellbeing spiel. After all,
judging others for such trivial matters isn’t very Zen. Follow your
bliss – and if anyone tells you otherwise, tell them to bliss
off.

6. Every tiny gesture helps

Wherever you’re going, ask yourself what positive impact you can
make while you’re there. You don’t have to prostrate yourself to an
elephant charity in Thailand for four months to “do your bit” as a
traveller. It can be as simple as boycotting those mini hotel
toiletries in favour of your own plastic-free travel soap or
shunning suspiciously exotic-sounding restaurants and dining at

farm-to-table joints instead.

7. Ditch the holiday shopping

A new trip doesn’t have to mean a new wardrobe; the novelty of
new stuff fades fast. Drop a call out to the most discerning
contacts in your phonebook and arrange clothes swaps instead. Your
travelling companions will be dazzled by your apparently limitless
wardrobe, and that stylish friend will be quietly delighted by your
validation.

8. Just walk out

Not working for you? Don’t force yourself to sit through a
session that’s agonisingly dull. Time is precious. Throw in the
(sweat) towel every now and again; it doesn’t make you a loser.