A Re-look at framing Wellness solutions around self-care

As organizations and people scramble to respond to the rampant stress, burnout, and mental health crises exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic, many wellness programs have focused alot on supporting self-care — gym memberships, meditation apps, or even paid time off. As a researcher who studies well-being, resilience, and psychological health, I applaud the genuine concern. However, there is also an increase in concern that the emphasis on this self-care approach may undermine, rather than support, "wellness" as a whole.

The crux of the problem lies in the fact that human well-being is not achieved alone: our psychological health is grounded in attachment to and acceptance by others. We are, essentially, social animals. In fact, recent studies do suggest that feeling

disconnected from others is as significant a health risk as smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, and a lack of physical activity.

We argue that the solution requires a totally different approach to our suffering. Rather than focusing on total self-care, we need to be better at taking care of each other also. This begins by framing any distress as a collective rather than individual problem. It then entails creating and fostering what we call “relational pauses.” This approach allows people to build more substantive and enduring foundations for genuine well-being and, ultimately, functional effectiveness.