Social Media and Wellness
Recently, Endeavour College of Natural Health invited me to contribute to a blog post on the impact of social media on the natural health and wellness industry. Below is the extract of my thoughts, which you can read along with those of my fellow practitioners in the wellness industry on the Endeavour College blog.
Why Wellness is more than an Instagram trend
In a world where social media has become a regular part of the fabric of each day, finding its place in the wellness sphere with fleeting but curated images of health trends, food-porn and often idealistic quotes, it becomes important to take a step back and consider the true meaning of wellness and health: a state of physical, mental and social functioning in an ever-changing environment, that realises the potential of which a person is capable.
Over my fifteen years in private clinical practice, I have become to think about true health as a scale, where we are consciously and consistently choosing things that propel us in the direction of wellness. I have also seen my fair share of fads come and go.
Whilst Instagram is here to stay, the veneer of health it offers doesn’t reflect the depth and complexity of true, integrated health and wellness required for long-term health. Nor does it reflect or reaffirm the importance of the relationship between the practitioner and patient in that privileged moment in a consulting room where space is held for the client to unfold with their concerns and goals. This therapeutic relationship provides new opportunities for healing: having the support, guidance and inspiration from a passionate and engaged health care provider provides an excellent forum for meaningful change.
Whilst Instagram is here to stay, the veneer of health it offers doesn’t reflect the depth and complexity of true, integrated health and wellness required for long-term health.
What’s interesting is that so many people don’t experience true wellness. It’s not easy in today’s modern world – fueled by convenience – to truly live in alignment with natural rhythms of the earth and the planet. Yet the very foundations of true wellness lay in a personalised medicine approach, one where we are reminded of our connection to nature, rather than being separate. One only has to look at the current research into circadian rhythms to gain insights into how much of modern chronic disease presentations have their roots in a serious mismatch of our current lifestyles and our deeply ingrained biological needs.
How do we restore the balance?
Rather, true health and wellness is a mosaic of all the little decisions we make each day, what we choose to nourish ourselves with, how we nurture our relationships, our decision around our personal care routines, home cleaning products, and extends to our exercise, time outdoors, and sleep hygiene. Good health is often simple. For true wellness we need balance, rhythm and connection, qualities that are not authentically delivered via social media.
So be sure to carve time out each day to jump off your screens and get out there – immerse yourself in nature, pluck an organic lemon from its perch on the tree, sip on a herbal tea or share a home-cooked meal with a loved one – so that these things become an ingrained part of your own unique health tapestry for maintaining long term health.
For true wellness we need balance, rhythm and connection, qualities that are not authentically delivered via social media.
Two valuable resources that can help you achieve more balance to your life are Be Your Own Solution, a guide to ‘switching to safer’, reducing toxic exposure and mastering your health, and One Bite at a Time which outlines how you can reduce toxic exposure and build body resilience.
From the contributions we have received we can see that there is so much more to wellness than what is posted online. From naturopathy, nutrition and myotherapy, there is an array of natural remedies available to help anyone reach a state of wellness. The trick is to understand what your body really needs and not focus on what will make a great Instagram pic.
Tabitha x
For more insights from practitioners in the field head to the original post at Endeavour College of Natural Health.