Wellness is a Practice, Not an Outcome
- Mar 6
- 3 min read
By Jimmy Pang PT,DPT
The term wellness often stirs up images of pristine health and vitality — advertised as the inevitable outcome of various practices like ice baths, green smoothies, or mind-body work. There is value in the aforementioned practices but the benefits can be largely exaggerated through marketing language. Anecdotal quips about miraculous recoveries from serious health issues is a common trope, and easy to believe when you’ve been struggling. The uncomfortable truth though is that there are some health conditions that cannot be cured. This disconnect leaves many feeling hopeless, as they believe wellness is something they can never achieve.
I’m a vestibular physical therapist who specializes in treating complex dizziness, vertigo, and headaches. I myself am also a chronic headache patient living with a disorder that unfortunately has no cure. The proper interventions led to a massively improved quality of life but inevitably fall short of a total cure. I remember practicing a lot of these wellness “hacks”, such as Wim Hof breathing and ice baths, hoping they’d be the missing piece. And when they didn’t work, it made me feel like some kind of failure. Like wellness wasn’t something I’d ever be able to achieve. That I wasn’t resilient or disciplined enough to “do wellness correctly”. Many of my patients feel the same way.
There is a misconception that wellness is only for those who are healthy and able bodied. Naturally this can be very discouraging for people who have complex health issues that are out of their control. Wellness practices shouldn’t be exclusive and we shouldn’t give the expectation that a single biohack is going to fix someone.
Instead, wellness should be reframed as practice and not an outcome. Making health improvements is largely a product of healthy habits over time. Progress is built slowly and quietly more often than not. It’s less about chasing breakthroughs and more about cultivating adaptability and self-trust. When wellness is treated as a practice, it becomes accessible to everyone. In other words, wellness and chronic illness should be compatible.
There's also more to wellness than taking supplements or doing juice cleanses. Everyone has different health needs, so wellness practices can vary greatly between people. Having a better understanding of yourself and your unique needs are ultimately what lead to sustainable habits. And the increased clarity can help you filter out the noise.
The wellness habits that stand the test of time are the basics: sleep, stress management, regular movement, a clean diet, and meaningful social connections. You don't have to tackle everything at once and it never has to be perfect. Start small and take it one step at a time to avoid burnout. Give yourself some grace and avoid the urge to track and optimize everything perfectly. None of this requires fancy memberships, specialized equipment, or attending wellness seminars.
A simple litmus test is that your wellness practices should make you feel better. If they're inducing a lot of stress or guilt then they aren't really wellness practices anymore, in which case it's better to take a step back and reevaluate things. I often remind patients that wellness is inherently flexible. Wellness practices should adapt during flare-ups, life changes, or periods of remission. Consistency doesn’t always equate to rigidity.
A practice that allows room for setbacks is far more sustainable than one that demands perfection.
When wellness is viewed as an ongoing practice rather than an end destination, it becomes more compassionate, sustainable, and grounded in reality. It lets people come up with their own definition of progress, not by someone else’s wellness standard. That mental shift alone can often be the start of profound healing.
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