Between the cycle tracking apps, gut health supplements, 12-step skincare routine, and wearable tech—you have to wonder: is your wellness routine stressing you out?
In a world where self-care has become a daily to-do list and optimization is marketed as empowerment, many women are finding that the pursuit of “wellness” can feel more like pressure than peace. And while the goal is to feel better, what happens when the wellness world starts making you feel… worse?
Let’s talk about it—with insights from obé instructor Natalie D.
First of All, Ladies: You’re Not Alone
Wellness is supposed to make you feel better, right? So for people who are feeling stressed by their wellness routines or worried that they’re not doing things perfectly, it can be a huge weight lifted to learn that you’re not alone in this.
A survey by OnePoll found that nearly half (46%) of millennial women have incorporated wellness routines into their daily lives to support overall health and manage stress. The same survey found that these routines have evolved over the past year due to stress-related factors.
Another study found that 36% of women who felt high levels of stress-related this to their comfort with their appearance and body image, compared to 23% of men.
“Women are already doing SO many challenging and incredible things in their wildly busy lives, and we should all take a moment to step back and be proud of all that we already are doing and all that we manage to squeeze in during any given day,” says Natalie.
So if you find that your wellness routine makes you feel more worried than well, you’re not alone.
Natalie’s Journey with Wellness Anxiety
Natalie’s personal experience with wellness anxiety started in her “cardio bunny” college days while pursuing modeling. “That industry was very much focused on being a size 0,” she recalls. “I had a ‘goal’ in mind, but it came from all the wrong places. I lost my ‘why’ and developed a terrible relationship with my body.”
Only later, when she stepped into teaching and coaching fitness, did she rediscover the joy of movement. “I realized there is SO much more to exercise than the aesthetic goals we see constantly in pop culture.”
Now, Natalie’s approach is a lot more self-love forward: “Loving yourself and appreciating all that your body is capable of on a daily basis will now always be my priority, no matter what my lifestyle is like at any given time, and I hope that I can help that be something others feel, too.”
When Self-Improvement Becomes Self-Pressure
Wellness isn’t the enemy. But when it turns into a hyper-curated checklist, it can quickly become overwhelming.
“With everyone’s perfectly curated 4am morning routines shown glamorously on social media… it can be stressful and intimidating,” says Natalie. “Some women automatically assume that whatever they’re currently doing (or not doing) is wrong or isn’t enough—and that simply does NOT need to be the case.”
Natalie has seen how women internalize these messages. “There’s this ‘all or nothing’ mentality—like if you’re not meditating, dry brushing, drinking green juice, and taking supplements, you’re doing it wrong.” This kind of comparison culture breeds perfectionism and guilt, rather than peace or presence.
How to Prioritize Wellness Without Losing Your Mind
So what’s the solution? It’s not about abandoning wellness—but about redefining it. “A healthy lifestyle is all about finding the balance of routine and discipline, along with leaving plenty of room for flexibility and fun,” Natalie says.
Her top tips for staying balanced:
- Ditch the all-or-nothing mindset. “Wellness should look different in every season of life—and that’s okay.”
- Give yourself grace. Whether you’re crushing a 30-minute obé STRENGTH class or squeezing in a 10-minute stretch between meetings, both count.
- Focus on how it feels. “As long as you’re incorporating habits, meals, and exercise routines that make you feel better and help you navigate life with more confidence, energy, and strength—you’re doing it exactly right.”
- Be adaptable. Priorities shift. Schedules change. So should your routine, no pressure. “There will be those months where family, travel, and/or work have to be prioritized. And that’s 100% normal and okay!” says Natalie. “Maybe during those months, you shift to 10-15 minute workouts 5x a week with a few walking work meetings sprinkled in instead of 30-50 minute workouts 3x a week.”
READ MORE: Working Out on An Empty Stomach: Yay or Nay?
The Real Definition of Wellness? Joy.
You don’t need to wake up at 5am, meditate, journal, drink lemon water, red light therapy, supplement stack, lift weights, do a confusingly complex skincare routine, and hit 10k steps—all before work. Breathe. You need habits that support you, not shame you. And sometimes that means doing less, not more.
“If you’re putting YOU first—even just for 5 minutes every morning or night to do something that brings you joy—you’re stronger for it,” Natalie says. “You’ll become a better version of yourself, little by little, every single day.”
So take a second. Delete the to-do list. And remember: your best self isn’t the most optimized one—it’s the one that feels at home in her own body and her own life.RELATED: How to Tell If You Got a “Good” Workout
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