Ok so the Substack launch was maybe a little clunky.
I apologize if you got way too many emails from me and were left feeling a little confused. But that’s kinda how I operate . . . just get started. It’s not always my best quality, but if I think too much it feels overwhelming, so my tendency is to just jump and then figure out the details later. Which sometimes works out, and sometimes does not. But I almost always learn something in the process.
As I shared in my notes I had planned on waiting. But I had so many ideas I wanted to share with you, so I just went for it. I hope you’ll forgive my impulsivity. And I hope you’ll enjoy this new space!
Now onto what I actually want to share with you this week! Which is this . . .There’s a lot that I don’t love about the wellness world these days.
A quick scroll through instagram leads you to believe you need to quit your job, and travel full-time, or devote all of your time (and money) to lavish morning routines and bio hacking your way to a longer life. Cold plunge tubs, infrared saunas, sleep trackers, superfood smoothies, intermittent fasting . . . none of it is inherently bad, in fact, it can be all be useful for different people at different times!
But it also kinda misses the point.
Because life is meant to be enjoyed . . . but joy is often missing from conversations around wellness! It ends up being more of a never ending to-do list that leaves a lot of us feeling like we are never quite doing enough. I mean I love weekend adventures in our van, geeking out at Erewhon market, waking up early for yoga and spiking my smoothies with colorful herbal concoctions.
But I am not a biohacker.
If you are, that’s cool! I love the idea of living healthier longer, I just have no interest in trying to optimize everything in order to live to 120. I just want to stay healthy enough to enjoy the hell out of my life now. And if living to 120 means never enjoying s’mores with my kids while camping or bowls full of pasta in Italy, well then I don’t want it.
We’ve made simple things SO complicated!
But I don't think it's supposed to be this way. I truly believe that wellness should actually make your life better, simple things that actually help you live happier and healthier! Not just more stuff to buy (or stress about).
And as the world around me becomes increasingly more obsessed with health tech and tracking everything from time spent sleeping to ounces of water and macros consumed I find myself becoming more and more uninterested in all of it.
In fact, it’s one of the reasons I’ve always been fascinated by Blue Zones.
Those areas around the world where people live longer and healthier lives than the rest of us (currently loving this series btw). Blue Zone locations include:
Ikaria, Greece.
Okinawa, Japan
The province of Ogliastra in Sardinia, Italy
The community of Seventh-Day Adventists in Loma Linda, California
The Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica
The most interesting part is that it’s a whole lot less complicated than you might think. These people aren’t obsessively tracking everything, stressing out about seeds oils, eating ‘perfectly’ or biohacking their way to a longer life, they’re also not surviving off of fast food or working 60 hours a week . . . they’re just living!
And they’re doing a damn fine job of it.
Incorporating movement into their days, walking to the markets, preparing simple meals and eating joyfully with friends and family. There’s a strong sense of purpose and connection and joy is not an afterthought.
Don’t get me wrong, I think eating well matters.
Food is a BIG part of my life. I love eating it, cooking it, traveling to new places to find it and sharing it with others.
I just don’t think it’s the ONLY thing that matters . . .
The research consistently shows that strong social connections and finding more JOY in your life are two of the most important secrets to living happier and healthier (for the long term)!
And no, it is not always as simple as it sounds. To be honest, being back in the U.S. I’m finding the balance to be a lot more challenging to achieve than it was in Mexico, it’s one of the things I miss most about living there (I don’t think having 2 people working and trying is to raise kids is helping any of us). And I think it’s one of the reasons this monolgue resonated so deeply for so many women.
But what if instead of chasing perfection in our health (and in our lives) we invited more joy into our days instead? And went for more walks and spent more afternoons laughing with friends, and savored squares of dark chocolate in the afternoon (no guilt attached).
What if we spent a little less time stressing out about seed oils and gluten and trying to optimize everything, and instead spent more time in nature, engaged in creative pursuits, made time to play and stopped saving the good dishes for a special occasion. . . what if we finally realized that this IS IT . . . that life IS the special occasion.
I think we should. Because none of us knows what the future holds, and yeah we still have to plan the best we can, but what the hell is the point of trying to live to be 120 if you’re not actually enjoying the journey?