Has Wellness Become a Buzzword?
What happens when we stop performing wellness and start actually living it?
Lately, I’ve found myself side-eyeing the version of wellness we see online. Somewhere between the collagen lattes, $300 athleisure sets, and endless “soft girl” resets, the word lost its soul. What started as a genuine desire to feel good has turned into an aesthetic to maintain—a performance to perfect. And yet, beneath the filters and flat lays, there’s a quiet craving for something more real.
Somewhere between the green juice era and the “that girl” morning routine trend, wellness became a buzzword. It’s now a $5 trillion industry—yes, I said trillion, with a T. Complete with its own aesthetic, vocabulary, and unspoken hierarchy of who’s doing it “right.”
Scroll through Instagram and you’ll see what I mean: the minimalist kitchens stocked with glass jars, the ocean-view yoga sessions, the perfectly whisked matcha in handmade ceramics. It’s beautiful, aspirational, and for many of us, completely disconnected from real life.
So what about the women who aren’t content creators or full-time influencers? What about those of us who work 9–5 jobs, pack our own lunches, and make our matcha between meetings—sometimes in a mug we’ve had since college?
The Wellness Illusion
For a long time, I believed wellness was something I’d “get to” when life finally slowed down. After the next deadline, after the next promotion, after I’d earned a break. I spent over two decades in the corporate world, living by Outlook reminders and quarterly goals, convincing myself that rest was a reward for surviving the week.
But here’s what I eventually realized: the version of wellness we see online isn’t really about slowing down—it’s about performing calmness. It’s a curated illusion of balance, not the lived experience of it.
As a health coach in my 40s, I’ve learned that real wellness can’t be bought, branded, or bathed in golden-hour lighting. It’s not about achieving a look; it’s about cultivating a relationship—with yourself, your energy, and your priorities—that actually feels sustainable.
What Wellness Looks Like for Real Women
So if wellness isn’t a vibe or an aesthetic, what is it—really?
For those of us juggling work, home, relationships, and the quiet (and sometimes not-so-quiet) question of “Is this it?”, wellness looks far less glamorous, and far more human.
It’s not a perfectly lit morning routine; it’s the small, grounding moments that remind you you’re alive—not a machine.
It looks like:
A 10-minute walk after dinner because your body craves movement, not steps.
Cooking dinner at home, not because it’s “clean,” but because it calms your nervous system.
Leaving work on time—not out of rebellion, but self-respect.
Saying no to social plans when your body says rest.
Having deep conversations instead of small talk that drains your energy.
These aren’t trends; they’re micro-acts of self-trust—and honestly, that’s the kind of wellness that lasts.
Wellness Without the Hashtag
And while we’re being honest, let’s talk about what wellness looks like when your life doesn’t fit the traditional mold.
Being child-free has given me a unique lens on wellness. I don’t have school pick-ups or soccer schedules shaping my day—but that doesn’t mean my life is wide-open space. I still navigate pressure, purpose, and performance—just in different ways.
For women like me (and maybe like you), wellness often means redefining what fulfillment looks like outside of traditional roles. We’re asked to find meaning not in motherhood or caregiving, but in our own self-expression, creativity, and contribution. Like, how in the world are we supposed to do that?
It’s not always celebrated. Sometimes it’s misunderstood. But it’s also profoundly freeing—because it invites us to build wellness around what we value, not what we’ve been told to value.
Wellness as Self-Leadership
And that’s where I think the conversation around wellness really needs to evolve.
At its core, wellness is an act of self-leadership—of your energy, your boundaries, and your beliefs. It’s not about escaping life; it’s about being awake within it.
For the women I coach, wellness isn’t another thing on their to-do list—it’s how they do life.
It’s learning to pause before reacting.
To check in before checking out.
To make choices rooted in clarity rather than compliance.
It’s less about the matcha, and more about the moment you take to make it.
So Has Wellness Become a Buzzword?
Yes—and no.
It’s been commercialized, aestheticized, and turned into a status symbol. But underneath all the noise, the essence of wellness hasn’t changed.
It’s still about the quiet work of knowing yourself.
It’s still about learning to live in alignment, not exhaustion.
It’s still about remembering that your worth isn’t measured by productivity or perfection.
And maybe that’s what the next evolution of wellness will be—not another trend, but a return to truth.
I believe wellness isn’t something you buy—it’s something you build.
One decision, one boundary, one breath at a time.
So maybe the question isn’t whether wellness has become a buzzword, but whether you’re finally ready to define what it means for you.