Opinion: Ditch the self-improvement grind and embrace joyful mischief this New Year |
Every year around this time, our feeds are inundated with op-eds, ads, and “inspirational” memes about how to maximize our well-being in the new year through some ever-evolving combination of sit-ups and self-flagellation.
A $6-trillion wellness industry would have you believe that if you simply wake up daily at 4 a.m. to meditate for two hours before sipping a probiotic bone broth latte in your $6,000 cold plunge tub then you, too, can be a Very Fit and Successful Person by year’s end.
Decades of marketing have convinced us that perfection is attainable if we only buy the right products to help us track our sleep, count our steps, breathe through our noses and curb our irresponsible desires for those life-shortening indulgences like beer and brownies.
Salami causes cancer, sugar will give you a stroke, and the correct amount of alcohol to drink is absolutely none. But don’t worry, there’s an app for that.
While it is inarguably smart to take good care of your health, the wellness........