Empowerment Without Extremes: Finding Balance in Wellness Trends

In wellness and self-care spaces, it’s easy to feel pulled toward extremes. Bold claims, flashy transformations, and promises of the “perfect body” dominate the conversation. Yet, I’ve learned that true empowerment doesn’t come from chasing someone else’s ideal. It comes from understanding and honoring your own body—finding balance that’s sustainable, not punishing.

Recently, I reflected on a conversation with Alex, who found empowerment in what some might call an extreme approach. Alex’s journey through the “holistic vitality” lens has left them feeling healthier and more in control. For them, this approach resonates right now, and that’s valid. But as I held space for Alex’s story, I couldn’t ignore the tension this brought up for me—a tension many in the wellness world face.

Two Truths Can Coexist

1. It’s Empowering for Alex:
   Alex’s experience of feeling healthier and more empowered through a particular wellness framework is valid. Personal empowerment often comes in forms that resonate uniquely for each individual. While their journey might not stay in that extreme space, it’s serving them right now, and I respect that.

2. It’s Problematic in a Broader Context:
   The emphasis on hyper-lean or “cut” bodies can perpetuate disordered eating, body dysmorphia, and unattainable ideals. These trends often detract from the deeper message of self-awareness, self-acceptance, and holistic health—values that guide my own approach to wellness.

Holding Space for Complexity

This is where I’ve found my voice: acknowledging the nuance and complexity in wellness. Here’s how I’ve learned to hold these truths together:

1. Acknowledge Individual Journeys

What feels empowering for one person might not be universally healthy or sustainable. I can hold space for Alex’s experience while critiquing the broader framework or trend they’re participating in. It’s possible to validate their empowerment while advocating for approaches that support long-term balance and well-being.

2. Stay Rooted in My Values

I don’t have to oppose what others are doing. Instead, I center my messaging on what I believe in:

• Health and well-being as unique to each body.

• Practices that support sustainable, holistic self-awareness over extreme ideals.

• Empowerment as connection, not control.

3. Validate the Desire for Change Without the Extremes

Many people resonate with the desire to feel empowered, healthier, or stronger, but they don’t want to—or can’t—go to extremes. My role is to be the voice of balance in their feed, their inbox, or their lives.

The Space of Not Knowing

I often find myself in a space between knowing and not knowing—holding curiosity about what’s truly served me, what I’ve moved away from, and why. There are things I tried earlier in my wellness journey that I wouldn’t choose now, but I still wonder: were they necessary at the time? Did I need to see them through in order to learn what balance actually feels like?

There’s no clean answer. Sometimes control does bring a kind of empowerment—especially in moments when the alternative is chaos or uncertainty. And sometimes, letting go feels like the harder, more holistic choice. I’m still learning which is which.

A colleague of mine—a colon therapist in Oregon—has a way of talking about what might otherwise feel like intimidating health practices or holistic topics with a sense of groundedness, humility, and down-to-earth clarity. He recently shared that so much of what he’s seeing in the wellness world right now is rooted in anxiety. His DMs are full of urgent questions about parasites and other trending health fears. And as someone who literally looks at this stuff every day, he knows the truth: what we’re actually seeing doesn’t always match the fears being sold.

That post really stayed with me. Because I see the same thing: the fear, the fixation, the search for certainty. And I get it—we all want clarity, safety, something we can do to feel in control of our health. But sometimes those impulses, even when well-intentioned, can spin us out instead of bringing us back home to ourselves.

Practical Tips for Navigating Wellness Trends

If you find yourself overwhelmed by the noise of wellness trends, here are a few ways to stay grounded:

1. Listen to Your Body
   Start by tuning into what your body needs. Does it feel good to push today, or do you need rest? Empowerment begins with awareness.

2. Focus on Sustainability
   Choose practices that you can maintain long-term, not just for a week or month. Wellness is a marathon, not a sprint.

3. Question Trends
   Who are they for? Do they align with your goals? Not every trend is meant for every body.

4. Define Your Own Vision of Well-Being
   Take time to reflect on what wellness means to you. What feels empowering and authentic in your life?

5. Seek Connection, Not Perfection
   True empowerment comes from feeling connected to yourself and your values, not chasing an unattainable ideal.

My Commitment to Balanced Wellness

As I continue to grow in this space, I’m committed to promoting empowerment that is grounded in connection, not control. For me, well-being means honoring my body’s signals, practicing self-awareness, and supporting others in finding their own path to sustainable health.

If you’ve ever felt conflicted about wellness trends, know that you’re not alone. Let’s redefine what it means to be well—together.