The ability to find answers through the internet can be extremely helpful, but also comes with its own unique difficulties. The sheer volume of information can be fairly overwhelming, and in some cases, conflicting. If you are starting a new health regime, how do you find which supplement works the best? Can an ingredient really do what others claim it will help with? Which claims are based in science and which are anecdotal, or old wives tales? This confusion has helped to facilitate a new phenomenon called “wellness fatigue”. So, what is it, and how do you fight it?

While the concept of “wellness” is not a new one, the way in which we approach it has changed considerably throughout history. But what exactly does “wellness” mean to you? Most people link it to what you eat or how much you exercise, but it goes beyond that. Wellness is holistic, meaning that it applies to all aspects of health, both mental and physical.

2000 years ago, the Roman poet Juvenal famously wrote: “Mens sana in corpore sano”, meaning “A healthy mind in a healthy body”. It was the first example in his list regarding what is desirable in life. The idea is that in order to truly live up to your greatest potential, you must strive to meet a balance between your physical and emotional wellbeing.

The Rise of the Wellness Industry

The Global Wellness Institute defines the wellness industry as “industries that enable consumers to incorporate wellness activities and lifestyles into their daily lives”. The wellness economy encompasses 10 varied and diverse sectors. These include:

  1. Personal Care, Beauty, and Anti-Aging (worth around $1.083 billion)
  2. Healthy Eating, Nutrition and Weight Loss (worth around $702 billion)
  3. Wellness Tourism (worth around $639 billion)
  4. Fitness and Mind-Body (worth around $595 billion)
  5. Preventive and Personalized Medicine and Public Health (worth around $575 billion)
  6. Traditional and Complementary Medicine (worth around $360 billion)
  7. Wellness Lifestyle Real Estate (worth around $134 billion)
  8. Spa Economy (worth around $119 billion)
  9. Thermal / Mineral Springs (worth around $56 billion)
  10. Workplace Wellness (worth around $48 billion)

Today, the wellness industry represents a $4.5 trillion dollar market, and it is likely to continue growing. This is due to a number of reasons, such as the fact that life expectancy is at an all time high, which means that our senior population is living longer, despite experiencing more chronic health conditions. In addition, the United States has a less than ideal healthcare system, which forces some people to find their own remedies rather than seek treatment through a doctor.

The Dangers of Wellness Fatigue

Unfortunately, wellness fatigue is a very real thing, with potentially long reaching consequences. The dangers of wellness fatigue can include scenarios where someone reads the wrong piece of information, or takes advice from someone who is not an expert, and subsequently gets poor results. This may lead them to end up becoming disillusioned with the entire process and decide to forgo any further attempts at improving their wellbeing. It can be extremely frustrating putting so much energy into feeling better and achieving no results. In the worst case scenario, faulty wellness information could end up causing more harm than good by leading to more health problems.

Wellness Fatigue

How to Combat Wellness Fatigue

There are definitely ways to combat wellness fatigue, but it helps to recognize that it exists in the first place. Don’t be afraid to search yourself, and be honest about how you feel.

Remember What Brought You Here

Always remember what brought you here. Although you may be discouraged if a remedy you initially tried isn’t helping, it’s crucial to focus on the impetus that led you to find a resolution in the first place. Don’t give up! Sometimes the anxiety of being inundated with information can be daunting, but if you stop trying to find ways to better yourself, you can be certain your condition will not improve.

Try New Things

Don’t be afraid to continue trying new things! If a particular brand of vitamins or additives isn’t working, go ahead and try another one out, because not all products are created equally. If a specific exercise is hurting your back and causing too much strain, search for something that will be less strenuous. Small steps are still steps in the right direction, and it may take some trial and error before you can determine what will give you the best benefit.

Find What Works For You

It is necessary to experiment a little bit in order to find what works for you. Something that helped your friend, family member or coworker may not yield the same results for you, and the reverse is true as well. Everyone has a unique and individual physiology, so different things will affect us differently.

Accept Your Limitations

Don’t beat yourself up if you are having a hard time with a particular routine that you’ve been trying to establish, and accept your limitations. Nobody can be “perfectly” healthy, and you will end up causing yourself more stress by trying to live up to a routine that doesn’t suit your life, especially when you try to compare your progress to others.

Your body knows best, and it pays to listen to it. Sometimes, it is more beneficial to give yourself a break, and make the seemingly “unhealthy choice”.

Be Patient and Consistent

You will always have moments where it may feel like you are going backwards, but the key is to not let those moments define you and always continue going forward. As long as you are patient and consistent, you will meet your goals and make the changes that you seek to improve your wellbeing.

Once you recognize the progress you are making, it will inspire you to continue improving all aspects of your life, including your affect on the people and environment around you.

The trick is to understand fully that consistency is key and above all, never give up!