Wellness is meant to make life feel better, not feel like another full-time job - which is how it’ll go if you follow every trend out there right now. Track this, cut that, optimize harder, recover faster, and buy the next thing that promises to fix what you didn’t know was broken.

After years of being immersed in the wellness world and creating our own solutions to help others navigate their own well-being, we can guarantee you that not everything marketed as “healthy” actually supports health. Some of the viral trends you see going around will actually help, but others simply make life more complicated, more exhausting, and ehh.. more annoying. Here’s our guide to what wellness tips to ditch this year and why skipping them might actually make you feel better instead.

1.Outsourcing Automony to Devices

If your smartwatch is starting to feel like a tiny, judgmental personal trainer strapped to your wrist, you’re not alone. Sleep score low? Didn’t get enough steps in today? Consider this your permission to go easy on yourself; you’re human. This kind of data should support you rather than make you feel like you’re failing at life. 2026 is the year you check in with your body first instead of letting devices guilt-trip you for having a duvet day.

2. Biohacking Without Understanding

Microdosing this, cold plunging that, supplement stacking until your kitchen looks like an actual chemistry lab - it all looks cool on “the gram” but it’s pretty stressful if you don’t understand any of it and you’re trying to do everything all at once. Try picking a few habits that make sense for you instead. If you can explain them to 12 year old you in your head, you’re probably on the right track.

3. Perfectionism Disguised As Discipline

If your idea of wellness is “perfect diet, perfect workouts, perfect life,” we need to talk. Your body doesn’t care if your smoothie has the exact right ratio of ingredients - it cares that you actually eat. Skipping perfectionism gives you space to breathe, enjoy your food, and maybe even drink that latte without guilt. And guess which routine you’re most likely to stick to - one driven by shame or one built on consistency?

4. Functional Drinks Replacing Real Meals

Real food wins every time, remember that - especially when those meal replacement powders, shakes, and juice diets are trying to suck you in. When you eat well and consistently, you’ll have steadier energy is steadier, less cravings, and you might actually enjoy eating again. Your body knows the difference between kale powder and actual kale.

We’re not saying powders and shakes are bad (they’re not), but they have their place and are better used as helpful supplements to a healthy diet rather than replacements.

5. Skipping Strength Because You “Do Pilates”

Okay we’re not calling anyone out here, we promise. Pilates is great. But it won’t replace the benefits you’ll get from strength training. Your bones, muscles, and metabolism will seriously benefit from adding a little weight work into your gym sessions. Plus it’s empowering, and yes, it will make you even better at those Pilates moves too.

6. Doomscrolling As “Staying Informed”

Scrolling the news at 2 a.m. counts as research… except it doesn’t. Bed time is not the time for checking out what’s happening in the world. If you want a bedtime story, reading up on the latest political wars is not it. It’ll just leave you anxious, foggy, and exhausted - guess why. 

Instead, set aside a small window in your day for catching up on everything. You’ll be doing your nervous system a favor and you might actually get some ZZZs.

7. Wellness As Something You Buy

Taking care of yourself doesn’t have to cost a fortune, you only need so many gadgets, powders, apps, and essential oils. Invest time instead of money and focus on the foundations like sleep, hydration, nourishing meals, and exercise. Once you have the basics down, you can use the extras like optional supplements or that fancy smartwatch to fill in the gaps.

8. Using High-Intensity Workouts to Burn Off Stress

If you’re already wired from a stressful day, pushing harder definitely isn’t going to help. It just keeps your nervous system in overdrive. Try matching the intensity of your workout to how your body feels. Sometimes ditching the treadmill sprint for a walk or light mobility session is the real power move.

9. One-Size-Fits-All Morning Routines

Not everyone is a 4AM yoga-and-green-juice person, and that’s okay! Your morning routine should be about what works for you, not what you think everyone else is doing (and honestly, just because you see it on your Insta feed, it doesn’t make it true). Finding what routine best suits your energy levels, responsibilities, and actual life is where it’s at.

10. Glorifying Exhaustion As Commitment

Being tired and pushing through doesn’t make you a badass. It makes you more tired. Listen to your body and take this as a sign that it needs some rest. Real wellness is about rhythm, recovery, and energy that actually lasts past 10AM. You’re human, not a productivity machine.

The 2026 Reality Check

Wellness in 2026 isn’t about doing more. It’s about doing less, better. It’s about habits that make life feel lighter, energy more stable, and mornings less daunting. Skipping the trends won’t work for you makes space for what actually supports your body, mind, and mood.

Sometimes the most radical wellness move is saying no to the hype and yes to what actually works for you.

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