A Different Way to Well: Reimagining Wellness Without the Rules
We’re overwhelmed with advice about how to live well.
Drink less. Eat more fibre. Get better sleep. Lift heavy. Walk outside. Meditate. Journal. Cold plunge. Biohack.
If you’ve ever felt like wellness has become a never-ending to-do list, you’re not alone.
That’s exactly where we began in the latest episode of A Thought I Kept — in a conversation with the journalist, author, and Substack writer Rosamund Dean. And what unfolded was a candid, open reframe on how we might give ourselves permission to do wellbeing differently?
Wellness Without the Pressure
Rosamund and I both come from backgrounds where “wellness” was something we didn’t feel part of. The green juice crowd. The sanctimonious language. The quiet implication that if you weren’t waking at 5am to train and sip mushroom coffee, you were failing.
But what stood out in our conversation — and what I’ve been thinking about ever since — was this idea of choice.
For Rosamund, that shift began not with a life overhaul, but a single comment overheard at a sobriety conference:
““The only thing I’ve given up is hangovers.””
That offhand remark reframed everything. It wasn’t about giving something up. It was about getting something back — joy, clarity, energy, connection.
And that opened the door to a very different kind of wellbeing. One that asks:
What makes me feel like me?
What am I ready to reclaim?
What am I tired of pretending to enjoy?
The Wellness Fatigue Is Real
We talked about that too — how the shoulds are so loud right now.
We should sleep better.
We should go alcohol-free.
We should wild swim, eat kale, and somehow find joy in weighted lunges.
And the truth is: many of us want to live better, but we’re also exhausted by the sameness of it all.
Rosamund put it beautifully: that it’s not the what anymore — it’s the how that we need.
So What Is a Different Way to Well?
Here’s what emerged from our chat — and what I hope will land with you today:
1. Start with Joy, Not Judgment
Let go of the wellness rules you don’t connect with. If you hate mushrooms, don’t eat them. If wild swimming fills you with dread, skip it. There are other ways.
2. See Wellbeing as a Practice, Not a Fix
You don’t have to become a non-drinker or a 5am person overnight. Ask instead: “What would it be like if I tried this today?”
3. Make It Social
Walking with friends. Cooking with kids. Chatting over kombucha. These are valid, vibrant acts of wellness.
4. Expand the Definition
Wellbeing isn’t just nutrition and movement. It’s awe. Laughter. Rest. Boundaries. It’s knowing yourself enough to ask what you actually need today.
This Isn’t About Perfection. It’s About Permission.
It’s about remembering that your version of “well” can look very different from anyone else’s. That taking care of yourself doesn’t have to mean subscribing to a whole new identity.
Maybe it means:
Drinking less because you want to feel sharper in the morning.
Strength training because you’re curious about feeling strong.
Going to bed earlier — not to optimise yourself — but because you’re tired.
Or maybe it means going out with friends, eating pizza, and laughing for hours. That counts too.
Want More?
This conversation with Rosamund Dean was full of honest insights, hard-earned learnings, and laugh-out-loud moments about mushroom coffee and kale guilt.
Listen to the full episode of A Thought I Kept here or search for it wherever you get your podcasts.
If wellness has felt a bit meh lately — this one’s for you.
Some questions to leave you with:
What part of wellness feels most alive for you right now?
What are you tired of pretending to like?
What’s your different way to well?
