Wellness Bullsh*t I Fell for in My 20s
Let’s cut the fluff: my 20s were filled with cringey wellness mistakes disguised as "self-improvement." I thought I was being that girl — disciplined, healthy, and optimized. In reality? I was wrecking my gut, skin, hormones, and nervous system while wasting money on trends that were never meant for me.
In this post, I’m calling out the biggest wellness bullsh*t I fell for, in hopes that you can skip the unnecessary struggle and start healing smarter.
1. Fasted Workouts & Over-Fasting
I fully believed skipping breakfast and working out fasted would get me abs faster. Spoiler: it wrecked my hormones, spiked my cortisol, and jacked up my blood sugar.
These days, I max out at a gentle 12-hour overnight fast (7 PM to 7 AM) and prioritize nourishing my body over starving it. Fasting isn’t one-size-fits-all, especially for women.
2. Birth Control for Acne
In my early 20s, I jumped on birth control to clear up minor acne without addressing the root cause. I stayed on it for nearly a decade, loving the predictable cycles and acne-free skin.
But after I quit at 28, my hormones went haywire. I dealt with cystic acne and realized I knew nothing about my cycle or how to support my body naturally. Birth control had masked it all.
3. Cold Smoothies & Raw Salads
I thought green smoothies and raw salads were the peak of health. In reality, they left me cold, bloated, and gassy for years. My digestive system couldn’t handle all that raw, cold food.
Now, I focus on warm, cooked meals that support digestion, thanks to working with Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners.
4. HIIT Workouts Every Day
High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) had me in a chokehold. I believed daily HIIT was the only way to get "the body." The result? Hormonal burnout, exhaustion, and no sustainable progress.
Now, I strength train 3x per week, prioritize rest, and incorporate gentler movement like yoga, breathwork, and walking.
5. No-Carb Diets & "Healthy" Snack Binges
For years, I feared carbs. I swapped rice for keto snacks and stevia-laced desserts, thinking I was being healthy. Spoiler: I was still bloated, unsatisfied, and obsessed with food.
Now I embrace carbs (especially rice and congee) as nourishing staples, paired with protein, fats, and fiber.
6. Supplement Overload
I spent thousands on probiotics, enzymes, and other supplements hoping they'd fix my gut and skin. They didn’t. My body needed a complete lifestyle reset, not just pills.
These days, I use supplements intentionally and sparingly—as additions, not band-aids.
7. Biohacking Without the Basics
I wasted money on massages, red light therapy, and other trendy treatments before addressing basic health foundations like sleep, nutrition, and stress.
Now, I focus on the boring, free stuff: sleeping 8+ hours, eating real meals, chewing slowly, and regulating my nervous system. These basics created more change than all the fancy tools combined.
The Mindset BS I Fell For (That Was Just as Toxic)
Toxic Productivity: I thought over-optimizing everything was healing. It was just anxiety in disguise.
Thinness = Health: I believed abs meant wellness. In reality, I was sacrificing my breath, digestion, and sanity.
Anxiety as My Identity: I wore anxiety like a personality trait when it was really a dysregulated nervous system.
Earning Rest: I thought I had to earn my rest. Now I know rest is a non-negotiable, not a reward.
What I Know Now (and What Actually Works)
Nervous system health is everything. If your body doesn’t feel safe, nothing else works.
The real wellness hacks? They're free and boring:
Sleep 8+ hours
Eat warm, nourishing meals
Chew your food slowly
Prioritize rest as much as work
Move gently
Stop over-optimizing
You don’t need to fix everything at once (or ever).
Final Thoughts:
Real wellness isn’t about controlling every aspect of your life. It’s about feeling safe and regulated in your own body.
If any of this hit home, drop your biggest wellness regret in the comments. We can laugh about it together.