As with most trends that start out as well intentioned forces for positive change, the self-care movement, predominantly taking place on Instagram these days, is at risk of taking things to a point of doing more harm than good. 

I’m sure I’m not the only one who has found myself at times overwhelmed and perplexed after watching a ‘day in the life of’ reel of a wellness influencer as to how I’m supposed to start my day with what would probably amount to three hours of:

  • Yoga

  • Breathing

  • Meditating

  • Journaling

  • Reading

  • Walking

  • Body brushing

  • Juicing

  • Cooking a buddha bowl

  • Taking 12 different supplements

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy and indeed teach most of those activities by themselves or, if I’m being really virtuous, I might indulge in two or three of them. Unfortunately, these myriad practices which we know are great for our minds and bodies have somehow migrated from the list of ‘activities we love to take a quiet moment for’ onto the list of ‘absolutely must do activities without which I’ll have failed at my day’. 


Dawn headstands

If you haven’t done yours, have you failed at self-care for the day? (Hint, the answer is very much no.)

I’d argue we’ve got enough on our plates as it is without turning the lightness in our busy lives into yet another obligation weighing us down. It’s easy to forget that for the people we see online demonstrating these ring-lit self care rituals, this is often their full time job. 

So while I’m not advocating for dropping all your health supportive habits, I am just suggesting that you really check in on which ones genuinely give you more of what you want (relaxation, energy, peace etc.) and which ones just make you feel more stressed out. 

What’s more, ask yourself: ‘do I ever let it be enough?’. I myself recently realised that no matter how much time and energy I dedicate to my self-care, I’m always expecting myself to add several more habits on top of what I’m already doing. So right now I’m practicing letting what I’m doing be enough and not expecting myself to add another layer of ‘musts’ but rather only to pick and choose additional or alternative activities as and when it feels right. 

Therefore, my invitation to you this week is to observe how you’re interacting with your self-care. It may be the case you realise you’re thoroughly in the perfectionist/overachiever/never satisfied camp . If that’s you, notice what really works. Notice what you can let go of. And whatever is left over, let it be enough. And if you’re in the camp of ‘absolutely zero time for any of this in my life’, you can check out ways to transform some of your routines without adding any extra time to it.

Our realistic and intuitive approach to self-care and wellbeing is just one of the many things that make Well & Truly programs stand out. If you’d like to learn more about how we could work together, book a free consultation here.