Why Does Every Wellness Journey Now Look Like An Ad?
Ritika | Sep 01, 2025, 14:00 IST
( Image credit : Timeslife )
Highlight of the story: Wasn't self-care a way to calm ourselves and feel at peace? Wasn't it a cup of hot chai, a dance in the rain, a long weekend conversation with your best friend, or perhaps playing with and walking your dog? Now, it seems like just another box to check, another task to get done, and in most instances, another thing to purchase. This piece delves into why healing as a deeply intimate practice has become a commercial trend and what it really means to take back self-care for ourselves.
I can still recall going through Instagram on a night after having had a tiresome week, when I came across a reel that was labeled "My 5-step Sunday self-care routine." It contained scented candles, jade rollers, bubble baths, and a costly skincare kit. It seemed simple, but all I could think about and feel was the guilt creeping inside me, the guilt of 'wasting away' my weekends in bed or on the couch as I devoured all my favourite food and watched my favourite movie with my sister. Was I doing it all wrong? Should I have been "healing" in a prettier manner? That was when I knew that healing had sneakily moved from something we feel to something we purchase. And I wasn't alone in knowing that.
But was self-care always a checklist? No, it wasn't, I remember growing up, self-care and peace for me was sitting under the moonlight, admiring the stars, it was the daily outdoor games I played with my friends, it was writing how my day was in my diary every night before I slept, it was believing everything could be DIYed and proceeding to drown myself in paint, colours, dust and glue. But slowly self-care changed and became more about aesthetics and less about peace and happiness. It was like a list of things one must do. Getting up at 5 in the morning? Check. Drink lemon water? Check. Meditate with a guided app? Check. And if you didn’t do all that, you weren’t “serious” about taking care of yourself. The hustle culture insidiously masked itself in wellness apparel. Rest was optimized, rather than just savored. Isn't it ironic that even relaxation has turned into a competition?
Step into any lifestyle shop, and you'll find self-care packaged and labeled. Himalayan pink salt exfoliants, imported bath bombs, manifestation journals, matcha powders, name it. I'm not saying these are not lovely. But since when did healing require receipts? I once splurged on an expensive face mask after a wellness influencer swore it would "change my life." It didn't. My skin was no better, but my wallet was lighter. We currently live in an era where self-care is no longer about taking it slow, but keeping up with the trends. It is no longer just about feeling good; it is about appearing as if you are healing.
This is the irony: the more we subscribe to commercial self-care, the more we feel pressured. Healing seems costly all of a sudden, and if you can't afford the products, you feel like an outcast in the wellness club. I have talked to friends who admitted they used to worry they didn't have the "right" self-care products. Consider that, something that's supposed to decrease stress actually creates more of it. I have felt that bite too. On the days when I couldn't indulge, I questioned whether I was being selfish. That emotional shame is the undercover cost of commercial healing, and nobody discusses it enough.
Where to now? Perhaps healing is not so much about products and more about being there. Because I don't remember my grandmother doing a 7-step skin care routine, buying bath bombs, or reading a self-help book that too with scented candles. And the irony? She was one of the happiest people I had known. And all she did to keep herself at peace and happy was do what she loved. From feeding the strays to sipping her favourite masala tea. From cooking new dishes every weekend to humming her favourite songs every day. And so I realised that healing was never about a long checklist because healing is different for each one of us. For some, it could be sitting or walking in the rain, reading books, an extra hour nap, dancing at 3 AM in their bedroom, or, for others, it could also be crying into a pillow. Healing isn't about aesthetics; it could be as imperfect as one can be, and so it doesn't have to be capturable as well. And perhaps that makes it beautiful.
Self-care and healing do not have to be necessarily an item on your list; it needn't have steps, it may be messy, sloppy, and no less human. Because there's no right or wrong, peace is peace; the way you get it matters less. So while your steps of healing and self-care may not be pretty, you don't have to judge yourself for it. You are doing it as perfectly as the person next to you. Gourmet things or pricey things do not have to be involved in healing; it is not necessary, only something you prefer. Because in the end, healing is a process in which you love, time, and space yourself. It is about being gentle with yourself when the world is expecting you to be flawless. We don't shop our way back; we need to feel our way back. Because ultimately the greatest act of self-care is choosing yourself, on your own terms.
Explore the latest trends and tips in Health & Fitness, Spiritual, Travel, Life Hacks, Trending, Fashion & Beauty, and Relationships at Times Life!
When Self-Care Became a Checklist
Skincare products
( Image credit : Pexels )
But was self-care always a checklist? No, it wasn't, I remember growing up, self-care and peace for me was sitting under the moonlight, admiring the stars, it was the daily outdoor games I played with my friends, it was writing how my day was in my diary every night before I slept, it was believing everything could be DIYed and proceeding to drown myself in paint, colours, dust and glue. But slowly self-care changed and became more about aesthetics and less about peace and happiness. It was like a list of things one must do. Getting up at 5 in the morning? Check. Drink lemon water? Check. Meditate with a guided app? Check. And if you didn’t do all that, you weren’t “serious” about taking care of yourself. The hustle culture insidiously masked itself in wellness apparel. Rest was optimized, rather than just savored. Isn't it ironic that even relaxation has turned into a competition?
The Business of Healing
Skincare products
( Image credit : Pexels )
Step into any lifestyle shop, and you'll find self-care packaged and labeled. Himalayan pink salt exfoliants, imported bath bombs, manifestation journals, matcha powders, name it. I'm not saying these are not lovely. But since when did healing require receipts? I once splurged on an expensive face mask after a wellness influencer swore it would "change my life." It didn't. My skin was no better, but my wallet was lighter. We currently live in an era where self-care is no longer about taking it slow, but keeping up with the trends. It is no longer just about feeling good; it is about appearing as if you are healing.
The Emotional Cost of Commercial Self-Care
A girl using her phone
( Image credit : Pexels )
This is the irony: the more we subscribe to commercial self-care, the more we feel pressured. Healing seems costly all of a sudden, and if you can't afford the products, you feel like an outcast in the wellness club. I have talked to friends who admitted they used to worry they didn't have the "right" self-care products. Consider that, something that's supposed to decrease stress actually creates more of it. I have felt that bite too. On the days when I couldn't indulge, I questioned whether I was being selfish. That emotional shame is the undercover cost of commercial healing, and nobody discusses it enough.
Reclaiming Healing, Making It Our Own Again
A woman drinking coffee
( Image credit : Pexels )
Where to now? Perhaps healing is not so much about products and more about being there. Because I don't remember my grandmother doing a 7-step skin care routine, buying bath bombs, or reading a self-help book that too with scented candles. And the irony? She was one of the happiest people I had known. And all she did to keep herself at peace and happy was do what she loved. From feeding the strays to sipping her favourite masala tea. From cooking new dishes every weekend to humming her favourite songs every day. And so I realised that healing was never about a long checklist because healing is different for each one of us. For some, it could be sitting or walking in the rain, reading books, an extra hour nap, dancing at 3 AM in their bedroom, or, for others, it could also be crying into a pillow. Healing isn't about aesthetics; it could be as imperfect as one can be, and so it doesn't have to be capturable as well. And perhaps that makes it beautiful.
Choosing Ourselves, Not the Market
Explore the latest trends and tips in Health & Fitness, Spiritual, Travel, Life Hacks, Trending, Fashion & Beauty, and Relationships at Times Life!