Health Update: I Thought These Wellness Habits Were Good for Me—But They Were Secretly Stressing Me Out – What Experts Say

Wellness is everywhere these days—on our phones, in our feeds, on our wrists. But with all the information, routines, and trends, it can be hard to know what’s actually helpful and what’s quietly making things harder. Over the years, I’ve realized that “healthy” doesn’t always mean helpful. In fact, some of the habits I adopted in the name of wellness were subtly contributing to my stress, not easing it. I wasn’t doing anything “wrong,” but I had lost touch with how these routines were actually making me feel.

After listening more closely to my body and my brain, I made the decision to let go of a couple of habits that weren’t serving me anymore. The result? A little more calm, a lot more trust, and a healthier relationship with wellness itself. When something truly supports your well-being, it leaves you feeling clear, grounded, and at ease, not stressed or overwhelmed. Here are the two habits I’ve gently released, and what I’m doing instead.

Striving for the “Perfect” Exercise Routine

For a long time, I chased “perfect” routines. Perfect meals, perfect workouts, even perfect consistency. If I missed one day, I’d feel like I had to start over or like I’d failed altogether. “If you set yourself a perfect target to reach, then you likely set yourself up to fail, and failure can become part of your self-narrative,” says Brian Ó’hÁonghusa, a nutritionist and health coach. It can turn into a cycle that depletes your energy and joy, impacting not just your health but also your relationships and overall quality of life.

“Rather than promoting health, this hyper-vigilance activates the body’s stress response [where] the brain releases more cortisol, the stress hormone,” says Dr. Jamey Maniscalco, neuroscientist, wellness consultant, and founder of Manifest Wellness. According to a review published in 2021, “perfectionism increases the risk of both emotional distress and physical illness over time,” Dr. Maniscalco adds. “Studies show that flexible goal-setting and self-compassion practices can reduce anxiety while still promoting healthy behaviors.” True wellness isn’t something we perform—it’s something we build, quietly, over time. And sometimes, the best thing you can do for your health is to let go.

What I’ve learned: The most sustainable wellness is flexible, forgiving, and rooted in real life. I still set goals, but now I let them bend, not break.

Using Fitness Trackers to Monitor My Health Goals

At one point, I wouldn’t work out unless my smartwatch was charged and ready. I tied so much of my progress to those rings and numbers—sometimes even starting a “fake” workout just to get credit on screen. But over time, I noticed something: tracking everything was actually pulling me out of my body rather than connecting me to it. “Wearables like smartwatches and fitness trackers can be empowering tools, until they become mental handcuffs,” according to Dr. Maniscalco. “Even during the day, frequent, purposeless checking can wear down the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain responsible for focus, planning, and emotional control.”

“In sum, metrics can be motivating, but they shouldn’t replace your body’s internal wisdom. Constant tracking often leads to overthinking, not optimal health,” Dr. Maniscalco says.

What I’ve learned: These days, I move in ways that feel good, whether or not my tracker is turned on, because my body is paying attention even when my device isn’t.