COLUMN #1: THE COMMODIFICATION OF WELLNESS

Stella Brown is a wellness contributor for Wednesday

Understanding what it means to be “well” is pretty complex nowadays given the copious amounts of definitions and criteria. Speaking from my own experience, as a twenty-year-old female, the majority of my information around wellness has come from social media blurbs or short articles lacking any true sense of credibility. Thinking back on it now, it all sounds pretty naive to trust any of these sources, but how could a developing girl look away when it is constantly flooding her timelines? I do believe that it is important for one to use their influence in the most beneficial ways and many times that means promoting healthy behaviors. However, there is a crucial line between suggesting a healthy habit and promoting habits that are likely to end up causing harm on the receiving end. The sad reality is that much of this habit promoting is rooted in brand deals hoping to make a profit off of those looking to better themselves. Unfortunately, many of the times these products or tips are nothing more than fluff and result in unhealthy habit adaptation. Instead of being beneficial to one’s growth, health and wellness industries have turned “wellness” into an exclusive club that can only be bought into by those with the means to do so. The commodification of wellness is the growing paradox that takes away from everything wellness should offer. For me, one's well-being roots from within ignited from the soul, not accessed by the use of a quick fix product. Unfortunately, health brands have blocked one’s access by making people think they need to buy into something in order to be well. This ongoing misconception is nothing more than a product of many brands taking advantage of one’s hope to better their daily lives. This is not to say that all companies in the health and wellness industry have harmful intentions. But it is important to understand that due to the overwhelming amounts of wellness products and services, the truth that health can be accessed without buying anything is covered. As a result, this has caused many to be stuck on a cycle of dependence on external sources to help them reach their best selves. The exclusivity separating those that have the means to access these resources and those that can not is persistently apparent. Fortunately, this does not need to be the case. Instead of buying into products that claim to aid the mind and body, it's crucial to first understand what it means to work towards the best version of yourself as it is all different for everyone. Reassess your wellness intentions and learn to work with what you have, rather than adapting a product that claims to be the best for you. If we reverse the dialogue from wellness as an exclusive commodity to wellness from within, there is hope that this notion of healthier living will be accessible to all.