If you scroll through Instagram for more than five minutes, you’ll probably stumble across someone waking up at 5am to run a half-marathon before work, downing a £12 green smoothie, and ending the evening with a 15-step skincare routine. It’s engaging, sure. But it’s also making “wellbeing” feel like another thing we’re meant to be performing in.
The wellness industry is booming - it’s worth over £5 trillion globally - and with that comes endless advice on how to optimise every part of our lives. Sleep more, but not too much. Eat clean, but not too restrictive. Get your steps in, but also lift heavy. It’s a lot.
But despite all this investment in “wellness,” people aren’t necessarily feeling any better. In the UK, official wellbeing measures (like life satisfaction and happiness) remain lower than they were before the pandemic. It begs the question: if the industry is growing, why aren’t we thriving?
The rise of “competitive wellness”
Social media has turned wellbeing into a kind of scoreboard. How many hours did you sleep? How many miles did you run? How many supplements are in your morning routine?
But here’s the catch: research shows that comparing ourselves to others is terrible for our mental health. Social comparison theory has long shown that measuring ourselves against others often leads to lower self-esteem and higher stress. More recent studies highlight that this effect is amplified online, where everyone’s “best self” is on display.
It’s no surprise that younger generations (the most plugged into these platforms) are also the most stressed. Around 40% of Gen Z say they feel “almost always stressed”, compared to about 23% of the general adult population.
So instead of feeling better, is wellness-as-performance making us feel worse?
Wellbeing is personal. And the science agrees.
Wellbeing isn’t one-size-fits-all. Psychologist Ed Diener, who pioneered research into subjective wellbeing, found that what makes one person feel good might not work for someone else.
- Sleep: Some of us thrive on 7 hours, others genuinely need 9.
- Movement: For one person, a 10km run is energising. For another, a gentle walk or yoga session is more than enough.
- Food & drink: Matcha lattes might work for some, but for others, it’s that morning cup of builder’s tea that does the trick.
There’s a concept called bio-individuality that basically says: your body, your rules. Genetics, lifestyle, environment - they all shape what you need to feel good. What you do to feel good will differ from someone else’s dopamine menu. So lean into that and listen to your own body and mind.
Back to basics: the simple side of wellbeing
Sometimes, the best way to care for ourselves is to strip everything back to the basics. Sleep. Food. Movement. Connection. These are the things humans have always needed to function - well long before wellness apps, fitness trackers, or adaptogenic mushroom powders existed.
When we unplug from the constant noise of notifications and endless online advice, it becomes easier to tune into what our bodies are asking for. Science backs this up: spending time in nature reduces stress, lowers blood pressure, and improves mood. Even a short break from screens has been shown to boost mental health.
Wellbeing doesn’t have to be a 15-step routine. Sometimes it’s just: eat when you’re hungry, rest when you’re tired, go outside, and spend time with people you care about. The basics aren’t glamorous, but they’re powerful.
Why chasing “performative wellness” backfires
When we turn wellbeing into a competition, we put ourselves under pressure to “win” at being healthy. But stress is one of the biggest barriers to wellbeing in the first place.
Research has shown that chronic stress is linked to everything from lowered immunity to poor sleep. So, when wellness becomes another job on your to-do list, it’s working against you. Think: “the moment wellbeing becomes performative, it stops serving its purpose.”
Reclaiming wellbeing on your own terms
So how do we step off the wellness hamster wheel?
- Notice what actually makes you feel good. Keep a little journal or just reflect: what lifts your mood or energy?
- Shrink it down. Ten minutes of stretching, reading, or walking counts. You don’t need a 5am club membership.
- Ditch the comparisons. Someone else’s routine isn’t the gold standard, it’s just what works for them. Plus, you don’t even know if what you’re seeing is real. They might just be buying a matcha for an aesthetic picture for the ‘gram.
Because at the end of the day, wellbeing is about feeling good in your own skin, not proving it to anyone else.
A gentle reminder
Your version of wellbeing doesn’t have to be “optimised” or Instagrammable. It just has to be yours. So instead of worrying about the latest hack, just listen to your body and do what feels good for you.
