Dosh dilemma: Hazel’s expensive ‘wellness’ obsession

Hazel only wanted to get healthier.

What started as watching a few ‘couch to 5K’ videos on TikTok quickly spiralled into a full-blown wellness obsession.

Within weeks, Hazel found herself deep in the world of morning hydration routines, hormone balancing, cortisol control, gut health, and more.

The videos were convincing. Every influencer seemed to have glowing skin, endless energy and a perfectly organised fridge full of powders and potions.

So Hazel started buying.

First it was vitamins to boost energy’. Then powders to ‘optimise focus’, followed by supplements, probiotics and wellness subscriptions promising better sleep, less stress and a healthier body.

Now her kitchen cupboards look less like a kitchen and more like the supplement aisle of a health food shop.

The problem is, if Hazel’s being honest, she doesn’t actually feel any different, other than poorer.

Hazel wants to know how she can stop being hooked on expensive wellness trends, and escape the internet’s very profitable obsession with ‘optimising’ everything.

Well Hazel, there are a few things you can do that might just break the cycle.

Focus on the wellness habits that are actually free

A lot of influencers make wellbeing look complicated and expensive.

But many of the things most likely to improve your health cost absolutely nothing.

Things like:

• sleeping properly
• eating regular meals
• walking more
• drinking enough water
• spending less time scrolling
• not staying on TikTok until 1am

Funnily enough, these are also the least profitable things influencers can recommend.

Spend money on the wellness basics instead

If Hazel does want to invest in her wellbeing, it’s often better to focus on things that genuinely improve everyday life, rather than viral trends.

For example:

• a decent mattress and comfortable bedding
• fresh food like fruit and vegetables
• therapy or mental health support
• dental care
• skincare that actually works for her
• or a sport or activity she genuinely enjoys

These things may not look as exciting on social media, but they’re far more likely to make a long-term difference.

Unfollow content that makes you feel medically inadequate

A lot of wellness influencers have perfected the art of making healthy people feel like something is secretly wrong with them.

Suddenly:

• feeling tired after poor sleep
• feeling bloated after takeaway food
• feeling stressed during a busy week

…gets framed as a serious ‘imbalance’ requiring expensive products.

If certain accounts constantly leave Hazel feeling anxious, unhealthy or ‘not optimised enough’, it may be time to unfollow them.

Follow a ‘wait before wellness’ rule

Before buying any new supplement, powder or viral health product, Hazel could try following three simple steps:

• wait 14 days before buying it
• check whether qualified medical sources actually support the claims
• and ask herself whether she’d still want it without the aesthetic branding and marketing

Most internet wellness crazes disappear as quickly as they arrive.

Cancel the subscriptions quietly draining your bank account

One of the sneakiest parts of wellness culture is how subscription-based it becomes.

Individually, things like supplement bundles and protein deliveries, don’t seem too expensive. But together, they can quietly cost hundreds of pounds a year.

Doing a subscription audit can be a huge eye-opener.

Remember, wellness should make life simpler, not more stressful.

Looking after yourself shouldn’t feel like a full-time job funded by direct debits.

Real wellbeing is usually much less glamorous than social media makes it look.

It’s often about building habits that make life:

• calmer
• simpler
• cheaper
• and more sustainable

Not turning your morning routine into a chemistry experiment before work.