Wellness Habits that need to be Dropped

1. Aiming for perfection in wellness routines:
Perfectionism—especially in how we eat, move, or “perform health”—is a form of control that can feel productive but often masks deeper anxiety. Research has linked maladaptive perfectionism to anxiety, disordered eating, and overall decreased well-being.


In my work, I often see this: people who follow every “wellness rule” but still feel exhausted and unwell. Perfection in wellness becomes a moving target, and when you're constantly chasing it, you stop listening to your body and start measuring your worth by how well you stick to routines. That’s not health, that’s burnout in disguise. I work with people to flip the switch to well-being, which is tuning in more to your own needs and boundaries, rather than following some “wellness expert”.

2. Wearing a fitness tracker 24/7:
What starts as a way to gain insight into your health can easily become compulsive. Studies have shown that hyper-awareness of health data can lead to increased anxiety, poor sleep (like orthosomnia), and unhealthy fixation.

I used to wear a tracker nonstop, until I realized I was waking up more stressed about my sleep score than my actual sleep. When clients come in exhausted and frustrated, one of the first questions I ask is whether their tools are helping or harming. Awareness is great, but only if it leaves space for self-compassion, not just self-measurement. Turning it into a data point for your overall well-being is fine, but using it as a tool to justify your perfectionism can leave you burned.

3. Reaching for your phone without purpose:
Unconscious phone use has been shown to increase stress, elevate cortisol, and fracture our attention. What we often think of as “taking a break” can actually trigger more agitation than relief.

We often reach for our phones not out of boredom, but because stillness feels uncomfortable, especially when we’re overstimulated or emotionally depleted. I always say: if your nervous system is already taxed, doomscrolling isn’t a break, it’s more input. What we actually need is to reconnect with ourselves in those quiet moments, not escape them. I ask my clients, 'What are you checking out?' And ‘what else could you be checking into?’