According to the NIH, Wellness is a holistic integration of physical, mental, and spiritual well-being, fuelling the body, engaging the mind, and nurturing the spirit.

Many of us in the Western world, and in the world at large, tend to focus on physical health first, mental second, and a smaller proportion seek the deeper spiritual connection to their health and wellness; although there is a shift into the deeper understanding of health and wellness in recent years.

The wellness world has boomed over the past decade, and once again we can observe something that should be a birthright gift, has been turned into huge business. In fact, according to the Global Wellness institute, in 2023 the global wellness economy was valued at $6.3 trillion (£4.7 million) and the Projected Growth is $9 trillion by 2028 (£7.8 trillion!) Big money by anyone’s accounts.

But how much of it is truly transformational and provides long lasting results? And is this really a positive thing to be celebrated?

This has led me to write a few left-field ideas about wellness this year, with the hope it will resonate with some readers and inspire you to become your own champion in your wellness journey and start to dig a little deeper into what this may mean for you.

We all know by now the importance of good sleep, limiting screen time, good nutrition/hydration, exercise etc, but there is a desire in more and more people to dig deeper because often, focusing on the surface level changes isn’t enough to give us lasting wellness.

The truth of this world is we are living in unprecedented times. In 2025 We are witnessing live-streamed, man-made famines on one hand, unprecedented natural disasters occurring across the globe, multiple conflicts, immigration issues; the list goes on! and on the other, excessive wealth and power, where a small few have acquired more ‘wealth’ than any individuals could possible need, in which often-times selfish, individualistic behaviours are prevalent, people seeking status from the outside world, be it for their online presence, physical appearance or accumulation of wealth and worldly goods. I am not saying wealth in a material sense is inherently bad, but I have questioned what does wellness really mean if for one person’s gains, someone else should suffer?

For example, is it real wellness if we are purchasing unethically sourced material goods at the expense of the planet or of other human life?

Is it real wellness if some are living in excess, flying in private jets, living in luxury homes, at the expense of others living in poverty?

Is it real wellness if we use botox, fillers and make-up to cover up the natural way we were designed, potentially hiding a multitude of health issues beneath the surface?

It is widely accepted even within the health and wellness industry, that there are many people who look fit and health on the surface, donning the 6 pack and the so called ‘ideal body,’ but who are incredibly unhealthy or unhappy internally.

We are wearing man-made fabrics, sold to us as being eco-friendly because they are made from ‘recycled materials’ but our bodies were not designed to be covered in hormone disrupting, man-made materials. Natural fibres like linen or cotton are better for keeping us both cool and warm by allowing our skin to breath. We need to remember, the skin is the largest organ in the body and what we wear next to our skin can make a big difference to how we feel and to our overall health and wellness.

We have been conditioned to think we are separate to nature, and yet the truth is we are nature. We are intrinsically connected to it. The more we veer away from this truth, the more our true wellness will suffer.

My experience as a holistic therapist has certainly shown me that things are not always what they seem on the surface and we need to dig a little deeper to find lasting health and wellness and to discern what is actually good for us and what is just another clever marketing ploy.

Working with millionaires and sometimes even billionaires, many have told me the same story of how they have lost their health in the pursuit of ‘wealth’. But what is wealth if their life isn’t first built on a solid foundation of purpose & truth?

No matter how much money people may earn from their wellness businesses, or any other business for that matter, no amount of money will save us from the issues our world is facing if we forget that the vital component of wellness is deeply rooted in connection. To ourselves, our neighbours and mother earth.

Nature gives to us abundantly. A capitalist lie is that there are too many of us inhabiting the planet and that we don’t have enough resources. This isn’t the truth. The truth is that the distribution of wealth is what needs addressing. We cannot continue to extract from the earth without consequences to our health and worse still our very existence.

So where should our focus be? I would invite anyone curious to assess their values this month and ask yourself a few deeper, inquiring questions.

What drives you in this life? Why do you seek what you do? Are you living consciously and ethically? Do you know where you are purchasing your products from? Are they truly ethical, valuable to you and sustainably produced? Are you living for yourself, or something greater than you?

I have stepped away from many companies that I have realised are not supporting life in a sustainable way over the past couple of years. It has a times felt inconvenient, but I have reminded myself that the inconvenient truth is that comfort is killing us. We need to be challenged, and we need to change our way of living if we are to step into a world of genuine wellness. And wellness for all, not for a small few.

I do believe we are in a transitional phase of moving into a new earth, one where we are living in a new and perfected version of the one we are in now. How long this takes us is not yet written, for it is in our individual and collective, day to day decisions that we are writing the future.

So, what small steps can you take to step into true wellness? Where is your soul calling you? In the noise of the world, can you take more time to allow the silence to speak to you? It has so much to say, and I strongly believe beneath the noise of the world, and big businesses doing everything they can to grab your attention, sell you something and distract you from the truth, there is a still small voice that is calling you home, urging you to true and lasting wellness, rooted in morality, justice and harmony, when you just be still and listen. Remember, the lies are loud, but the truth is quiet.

Written by Kelly Augustin, ARCH member.

© ARCH 2025