Are you REALLY healthy?
Rethinking Wellness in a Culture That’s Burning Us Out
“escape the ordinary" is a weekly-ish newsletter - crafted by real human hands aka me with intention, heart, and a little dash of imperfection. If something resonates, feel free to share it or pass it along to someone you care about. Thank you for reading, reflecting, sharing, subscribing, and simply being here. It truly means something.
Let’s play a game.
Finish this sentence:
“I’ll finally feel healthy when…”
When I lose the weight.
When I cut sugar completely.
When I wake up at 5AM to journal, dry brush, cold plunge, do breathwork, and crush a kale smoothie before sunrise.
Sound familiar?
Yeah. Same.
But also… no.
Because maybe the real question isn’t “Am I healthy?”
Maybe it’s: Who told me what health is supposed to look like in the first place?
When Health Becomes a Hustle
We live in a culture obsessed with wellness as status.
Juice cleanses. Fitness trackers. Green powders. Glow-ups. Ice baths. The 5AM club. Aesthetic self-discipline disguised as virtue.
I catch myself being drawn to all of this!
Health, once a means to support life, has become a performance piece — polished, Instagrammable, and exhausting.
We’re told that if we just optimize harder — eat cleaner, move smarter, think better, reconnect with our masculinity/ femininity — we’ll finally unlock that elusive state of being: health.
But here’s the unsettling truth:
Many of us are doing everything “right” — and still not feeling well.
If you’ve ever:
Bought the supplements
Built the morning routine
Followed the protocol
Still felt anxious, depleted, or “not quite there”
You’re not broken.
You’re just human.
And you’ve been handed a definition of health that was never built to hold your full humanity.
Health as a Moral Report Card
In Reclaiming Body Trust, authors Hilary Kinavey and Dana Sturtevant explain how modern systems don’t teach us to thrive — they teach us to survive them.
We’re conditioned to:
Push through fatigue
Override our bodies
Feel guilty for resting
Equate control with success
And when we can’t keep up, we internalize the failure.
The body becomes a problem to fix.
Health becomes a measure of worth.
And perfection becomes the price of admission.
It’s not just toxic. It’s unsustainable.
The False Binary: Sick or Well
Mainstream health culture loves a tidy binary:
You’re either sick or well. Broken or fixed. Weak or disciplined.
This leaves no room for nuance, fluctuation, or the simple fact that bodies change.
Minds change. Lives change.
Real health is not static.
It’s not a destination you “arrive” at and stay forever.
It’s a dynamic relationship — shaped by age, identity, trauma, access, privilege, care, and culture.
Who Gets to Be Seen as “Healthy”?
We have to ask:
Who does our definition of health center?
And who does it leave behind?
Because the dominant image of “health” — thin, white, neurotypical, able-bodied, affluent — is not just narrow. It’s exclusionary.
Too often, health advice comes wrapped in the language of self-care but serves the logic of capitalism:
If you don’t feel good, fix it. If you can’t fix it, hide it. If you can’t hide it, work harder.
And let’s be honest: much of what we’re sold as “healing” is just another way to control the body and monetize our shame.
“Much of what we do in the name of health causes more stress than it relieves.”
What If Health Wasn’t a Solo Project?
What if health wasn’t about discipline and devotion —
but about connection?
What if healing didn’t mean perfection —
but presence?
Writer and activist Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha offers a radical reframing:
“Collective care means building systems where people feel fine getting sick, needing time, crying, moving slower...
Where we care for each other and don’t leave anyone behind.”
What would it look like to shift from self-optimization to shared humanity?
Escape the Ordinary Idea of Health
The ordinary narrative goes something like this:
Work harder. Restrict more. Control your body. Master your mind.
Look the part. Hustle for wholeness.
Maybe then — maybe — you’ll finally be worthy.
But what if the issue isn’t you —
It’s the story you were told about what it means to be well?
Real health isn’t something you perform for the world.
It’s something you reclaim — in your own time, in your own way, on your own terms.
Not despite your mess.
But because of your humanity.
That’s not failure.
That’s freedom.
So... How Do You Redefine Health for Yourself?
If you're ready to step out of the performative version of wellness and into a more grounded, real relationship with health — start here:
1. Define “Feeling Well” in Your Own Words
Don’t outsource your definition of health.
Ask yourself:
What does feeling good actually mean for me?
What helps me feel mentally clear, physically steady, emotionally connected?
When do I feel most like myself?
Your answers are the compass.
Let them guide you — not someone else’s protocol.
2. Audit Your Inputs
We are constantly being fed ideas about health — most of them designed to make us feel not enough.
Unfollow the “aspirational wellness” accounts that trigger shame or comparison.
Curate a digital and real-life space that supports rest, nuance, and curiosity.
Ask: Is this advice helping me feel empowered — or just pressured?
3. Shift from Control to Connection
Instead of asking:
“How can I control my body today?”
Try:
“How can I connect with my body today?”
This might look like:
Moving because it feels energizing, not punishing
Eating in a way that supports both satisfaction and nourishment
Noticing your body’s signals before overriding them with schedules or plans
Connection builds trust. Trust builds freedom.
4. Build Micro-Rituals of Care
Forget the elaborate 90-minute morning routines.
Start with:
3 minutes of silence before opening your phone
A short walk without headphones
A daily check-in with a question like, What do I need more of today?
Consistency > intensity.
Rituals don’t have to be big. They just have to be yours.
5. Normalize Support & Collective Care
Health doesn’t have to be solo.
Talk about your needs with people who get it
Ask for help before you're at your edge
Offer others grace for being human — and receive it when it’s your turn
Start imagining care as a shared practice, not just a personal project.
6. Let Yourself Be a Work in Progress
You don’t need to “arrive.”
You don’t need to optimize every moment.
You just need to live — fully, imperfectly, and with your own definition of what thriving looks like.
Let health be flexible. Let healing be human.
Sending you all the sunshine to your heart 💛
Elena
✨ 3 ways to work with me ✨
If you’ve been enjoying my reflections and want to go deeper, here are ways we can work together:
#1 - Transformational Breath on July 17th 2025 (GERMAN)
Join a 2 hour guided online breathwork session using Transformational Breathwork — a conscious, connected breathing technique that activates deep emotional, physical, and energetic release. For anyone feeling stuck, low on energy, or at the edge of a new chapter — no experience needed. It’s a perfect “emotional gym” to reset your nervous system, clear emotional tension, and reconnect with clarity, confidence, and inner calm.
→ Sign up here!
#2 - 1:1 (Breath) Coaching
High performer? Time to breathe like one. Are you curious on how Breathwork could shift your energy, focus, or leadership style? Breath coaching is the smartest approach to win over your nervous system and get out of the burn out spiral!
→ Book a free 30-min discovery call to explore how I can support your goals.
#3 - Workshops & Keynotes for Companies
I work with companies and teams to foster well-being, resilience, and mindful leadership. My workshops and keynotes combine science-backed strategies with practical tools for creating sustainable success - without burning out.
→ Get in touch to discuss how we can bring mindfulness and balance to your organization.
No matter where you’re at in your journey, I’d love to support you in finding your own rhythm of balance and growth. If any of this resonates, feel free to reach out! 💛
Links of the week
📞 Most of us just look onto our phone screens, while we wait. Here are other ideas.
This get’s me thinking:
