Striving for Youthfulness: The Toxic Wellness Culture and Women
What is toxic wellness? The wellness industry has been popular in our Western culture for many years. To define toxic wellness culture, let's look at it this way. Let’s consider what wellness messages we receive, and we can place them in two categories.
1. Legitimate, evidence-based science
2. Subjective, faddish trends
Upon research, what we find legitimate can be learnt and practised knowing we have the facts.
The toxic wellness culture promotes harmful and misguided beliefs and behaviours.
Self-care and healthy lifestyle choices are good for our well-being. Yet, the toxic wellness culture can do more harm than good.
In as much that we adopt unrealistic expectations that are unattainable to most of us. It promotes perfectionism and exclusionary attitudes towards certain groups, particularly women.
The Problem
Toxic wellness culture can be detrimental to women over any age. I am 68 years old, I celebrated another birthday, and now I’m dedicating this post to the more mature women. Yet, some of what I have to share also applies to women of any age. So, if this interests you, read on and enjoy!
There are many reasons why I write about the toxic wellness culture for women. Here are a few that motivates me to highlight the problem.
1. Toxic wellness promotes unhealthy habits and behaviours, such as recommending extreme dieting and exercise routines. These, in the long run, can be harmful to the physical and mental health of women.
2. Toxic wellness promotes unhealthy habits and behaviours, such as recommending extreme dieting and exercise routines. These, in the long run, can be harmful to the physical and mental health of women.
3. Toxic wellness depends on the product of capitalism. It is a multi-billion-dollar industry, and the marketing is targeted at selling merchandise. Product selling takes precedence to make profits rather than actually benefiting women’s health.
4. It can be exclusionary to women who don’t fit a specific mould. Or have the same access to resources or knowledge about healthy living.
Generally, the toxic wellness culture for women is a complex and vital topic to explore. Educating women about holistic health and wellness is imperative. It is my passion to promote awareness, education, and positive change.
The Toxic Wellness Culture and Mature Women
I have seen a lot of misinformation aimed at women, particularly those over 60s, in many ways. This group is considered vulnerable and is an easy target to sway, scammed, and sell to.
Companies often target women of means who have fluid incomes and are willing to do anything to be healthy.
Today, many over 60 women have experienced an unwanted divorce. Or widowhood, estrangement, serious illness, retirement or any other stressful life milestone. This adds to their vulnerability and may cause them to feel low, which drives them to seek answers.
Do I Fit In?
We all want to have friends and fit into our spouses' families, workplaces or communities of choice. Very often, to be able to fit in causes pressure to conform to a certain standard which can be high. Many factors can lead to feelings of inadequacy or low self-worth. In some quarters of our Western world, the aged are not heard or respected.
Also, toxic wellness brands and influencers target anti-ageing as a critical focus. We are taught that wrinkles are ugly and glowing smooth skin is true beauty. This idea may result in the belief that ageing is undesirable and seen as a problem rather than embraced. You must look, act, or be confident to fit in. To their shame, this was sold to us in the name of health and wellness.
Because it sells well, toxic wellness brands and influencers target anti-ageing as a critical focus. We are led to believe that we must look, act, or be confident personalities to fit in. To their shame, this was sold to us in the name of health and wellness.
Love Thyself- the Holistic Approach
It’s nice to look good. It feels good. I enjoy wearing nice clothes and doing my hair and makeup in the mornings. Whether I work from home or am out and about, I have a regular morning self-care routine. I respect and love myself and like to reflect that in my outward appearance.
Yet, there is another side to this. Problems arise when we become too focused on our physical appearance. We can strain close relationships by altering one's appearance to the extreme. In the long run, it may also result in neglecting our spiritual, emotional and mental health.
In recent years, the toxic wellness culture has often become a source of stress and pressure. For many people, high expectations can lead to inadequacy and self-doubt.
We need to adopt a holistic approach to our health. Practising self-acceptance and self-compassion is the first right step toward wellness.
Live Life on Purpose
My website, paularoseparish.com, promotes holistic health and well-being.
It’s my goal to teach women how to experience true happiness and wellness. I also want to share with them how to find contentment in the Christian faith and lifestyle.
We find the key to true contentment when we listen to our soul and body and set realistic boundaries.
Let’s be aware of harmful faddish trends. Let’s challenge the toxic aspects of the health and wellness culture. Let’s call them out and offer a doable alternative.
Living life on purpose and achieving holistic wellness is within reach. Let’s aim to adopt legitimate, evidence-based science practices into our daily lives.
Let’s aim for the accessibility of good health care for everyone, regardless of age or gender.
Thank you for reading to the end.
For more Tips visit, Your Wellness Matters. www.paularoseparish.com. We collect Donations for Welsh Women’s Aid
With over 40 years of experience, I have worked internationally having a Bachelor of Pastoral Counselling and Theology, Master of Arts in Counselling & Professional Development. BACP Life Coaching Certificate. I currently work as a Christian educator, blogger, author and I am a grandmother and live with my two dogs in Wales UK.
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You’ll find my book’s on Amazon.com and If you wish to connect with me, please do so on paularoseparish@gmail.com
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