Are Wellness Trends Harming Your Mental Health? + The Mental Health Benefits of Being Open-Minded & Curious (Interview with mindbodygreen founder and co-CEO Jason Wachob)
The wellness world can be overwhelming. There is so much advice out there, much of which is conflicting, that it is sometimes hard to know what to do or even who to believe. It can also affect our mental health, making us feel guilty if something that promises to “change your life forever” doesn’t work for us, or if we fail to do all 700 things we need to do each day to be healthy. In this week’s podcast and blog, I speak with successful entrepreneur and founder of the global wellness platform mindbodygreen Jason Wachob about this wellness paradox, the current state of wellness industry, how to avoid wellness fads and trends, how to navigate the wellness industry so it helps, not harms, your mental health, the importance of being open-minded and curious, the best wellness advice from top experts, how to run a successful business and more!
Too often, we think of wellness from a physical standpoint: how to get in shape, how to lose weight, or how to ease the tension of the work day. Yet true wellness is not just a spa trip or a weight-loss program. After speaking to countless thought leaders, researchers and leading figures in the world of wellness on his mindbodygreen podcast, including Deepak Chopra, Dr. Frank Lipman and David Sinclair, as well as examining his own health experiences, Jason understands that wellness as a blend of social, physical, mental, emotional, spiritual and environmental wellbeing. All these things are interconnected. The relationship between the soul and science is the foundation of true wellness.
As we learn more about this relationship through the practice of both Eastern and Western medicine (i.e. functional medicine), we are better able to understand the different aspects of our wellbeing and our potential to thrive as human beings. This is why Jason founded mindbodygreen: to help people around the world navigate all the information and advice out there, and explore the many ways that they can start improving their mental, physical, spiritual and emotional health.
As we explore this wellness world, it is important that we remain open-minded and curious. As Jason points out, science is always changing, just as you are always changing. Don’t let your wellness philosophy become your religion. Don’t let your point of view become your belief system. We progress as individuals and as a society when we learn, grow and ask questions. When we are open-minded and listen to other points of view, we challenge the mind, which brings balance back into the brain through cognitive flexibility. This is one of the main reasons why I always say that brain-building through deep thinking learning is one of the best tools in our mental self-care toolbox. The brain is designed to grow and change. Changing your mind is a good thing!
Indeed, the mind plays a key role in our overall wellbeing. Cumulatively, our emotional experiences can catch up with us if we just ignore or suppress them. We need to manage these experiences, as both small and large traumas will be stored in the brain and body. Mind management, or deliberately and intentionally tapping into the nonconscious mind and directing how we build the brain, is the foundation of wellness.
The same goes for running your own business: your mind is key. You know it’s time to start doing something when you absolutely cannot imagine not doing it—this is what drove Jason to found mindbodygreen. Your mission and purpose will harness the power in your mind and your will, keeping you going through the ups and downs that come with starting your own business. Sometimes you will have to take a number of steps back to move forward. There is no such thing as an overnight success, and you will need to make some sacrifices, but these will be worth it if your mind and heart are driving you forward. If you are starting something to just make money or get power, you probably shouldn’t do it.
For more on the wellness world, running your own business and mental health, listen to my podcast with Jason (episode #198), and check out mindbodygreen.
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Podcast Highlights
2:25 Why & how Jason founded mindbodygreen
8:10 The best health and wellness advice from top experts
11:10 The importance of being curious and open-minded & how it can help your mental and brain health
17:30 How Jason manages his own mental and physical wellbeing
22:00 Why mind-management is so essential & how to do it
28:40 Navigating trends in the wellness world & how to spot dangerous trends
38:20 How to navigate family life and a successful business
48:50 MBG’s new supplements+ line
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