Somewhere along the way wellness became a performance.
The quiet, personal pursuit of feeling good in your body and mind was replaced by relentless pressure from 5am wake-up calls, elaborate morning routines, high-ticket fitness classes, and green juices that cost more than lunch. On social media, wellness looks like perfectly lit Pilates studios, colour-coded supplements, and a relentless quest for “optimization.” But for many people, especially women, juggling work,home life, and their own mental health makes this version of wellness feel like just another thing to “get right”. Another source of stress. Another reason to feel like you’re falling short.
Holistic wellness, life and business coach, Sonia Magnier, says: “The truth is, wellness isn’t supposed to burn you out. It’s not meant to be another full-time job. It’s not about extremes or aesthetics. At its core, wellness is about sustainable practices that support your energy, resilience, and emotional wellbeing without making you feel like you’re always behind.”
It’s time to shift the narrative. Wellness is about coming home to yourself. Learning what you actually need, rather than what the algorithm tells you. And, doing it in a way that fits your real life, not a curated, performative version of it. Sonia explains: “I believe there are five pillars that form a more grounded approach to wellness: mindset, movement, sleep, stress management, and nutrition. These are not new ideas. But they’ve been buried under a pile of biohacking gadgets and influencer-approved products. What makes them powerful is their simplicity and the way they work together to create lasting change.”
Mindset
Mindset is where it starts. Without a supportive internal dialogue, no routine will stick. This isn’t about blind positivity or manifesting your way out of burnout. It’s about building self-awareness and a more compassionate relationship with yourself. It’s about understanding your habits, your patterns, and your triggers, and learning how to respond, not react.
Movement
Movement, too, deserves to be reclaimed. It’s not about punishing your body or working out for the sake of burning calories. It’s about moving in ways that feel good, that energises you, that remind you your body is capable and alive. Whether it’s a walk, a stretch, a dance class, or a weight session, it should be something you look forward to, not dread.
Sleep
Sleep is often the first thing sacrificed and the last thing addressed. But without quality rest, nothing else works properly. You can eat the perfect diet and follow a flawless workout plan, but if your nervous system is fried and your body isn’t getting a chance to repair, you’ll stay stuck in survival mode.
Stress management
Stress management doesn’t mean eliminating stress, it means learning how to respond to it. Breathing exercises, boundary setting, journaling, time in nature, these are not luxuries. They are lifelines. And they are often more effective than any high-cost supplement or wellness trend.
Nutrition
Nutrition, finally, is about nourishment, not restriction. Forget the rules and the fear-based food messaging. What your body needs is balance, consistency, and kindness. It doesn’t need guilt. It needs fuel.
There is no one-size-fits-all solution to wellness. But if there is a red thread that ties it together, it’s this: “Wellness should work for you. Not your followers. Not your trainer. Not your wellness app. You.” It’s time we stop striving for an unrealistic ideal and start returning to what wellness was always meant to be, a way to feel more connected, more energised, and more at peace in our own skin. No performance required.
Find out about Sonia’s 4 month signature program “Glow” which covers these pillars HERE
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