Empowerment and Wellness Trends: The Hidden Tension Between Motivation and Sustainability
In wellness spaces, trends can be powerful motivators. A new cleanse, a strict protocol, a glowing transformation story—they can light a fire under us. And sometimes, that’s exactly what we need to get moving.
But after years of working with clients, what I’ve noticed is this:
The very same trends that motivate us can also disempower us—especially when they aren’t built to last.
In this post, I explored that tension: how someone can feel empowered in the moment by something that ultimately isn’t sustainable, and how hard it is—especially as a practitioner—to support people’s motivation while still encouraging self-trust, inquiry, and long-term care.
There’s a rush that comes with motivation. A new routine, a new product, a promise that this time things will be different. That excitement can feel powerful—and sometimes it is.
But I’ve learned to ask:
Is this motivating me, or is this empowering me?
Because those are not the same thing.
Motivation Often Comes from Outside. Empowerment Grows from Within.
Motivation says: You could be better. Look at this person who already is.
Empowerment says: You already have what you need. Let’s work with that.
Motivation pushes. Empowerment supports.
Motivation gets you moving. Empowerment keeps you going.
There’s nothing wrong with feeling motivated by a trend or a transformation. But when we confuse motivation with empowerment, we risk chasing change we can’t actually sustain—because it wasn’t rooted in who we are or what we need long-term.
The Trap of Extremes
Recently, I reflected on a client—Alex—who feels really empowered right now by a structured, intense wellness protocol. For them, it’s working. They feel in control, focused, better in their body. And I honor that.
But I also felt the familiar tension. The kind I see all the time in wellness spaces:
If you don’t come out glowing, transformed, or radiant, does that mean you failed?
If the protocol burns you out after a few weeks, were you just not disciplined enough?
When we mistake motivation-driven urgency for empowerment-based change, we often end up discouraged. Disconnected. Or worse—convinced that our bodies are the problem, not the structure.
The Inquiry That Leads to Sustainability
A colleague of mine—a colon therapist in Oregon—has a way of talking about what might otherwise feel like intimidating health practices or holistic topics with a sense of groundedness, humility, and down-to-earth clarity. He recently shared that so much of what he’s seeing in the wellness world right now is rooted in anxiety. His DMs are full of urgent questions about parasites and other trending health fears. And as someone who literally looks at this stuff every day, he knows the truth: what we’re actually seeing doesn’t always match the fears being sold.
That post really stayed with me. Because I see the same thing: the fear, the fixation, the search for certainty. And I get it—we all want clarity, safety, something we can do to feel in control of our health. But sometimes those impulses, even when well-intentioned, can spin us out instead of bringing us back home to ourselves.
What has helped me—and what I try to offer my clients—is the reminder that inquiry itself is the practice.
Instead of asking, “What’s the best plan?” try asking:
“What am I being drawn to, and why?”
“What do I hope this new routine will fix or give me?”
“What would it feel like to create momentum from compassion, not urgency?”
When we slow down enough to ask those questions, we often find our way to a more sustainable rhythm. One that doesn't require extremes to feel alive. One that doesn’t burn us out trying to be someone we’re not.
You Don’t Have to Glow to Grow
Not every transformation needs to be visible. Not every change needs to be Instagrammable. Empowerment might not look like a before-and-after photo. It might look like:
Doing less
Saying no to the detox
Resting when you could be “optimizing”
Empowerment says: I trust myself enough to stop trying to fix myself.
Motivation Isn’t the Enemy—But It’s Not the Goal
Let yourself feel motivated. Let yourself try new things. But don’t confuse the spark that gets you started with the deeper wisdom that helps you continue.
That deeper wisdom?
That’s empowerment.
And it tends to whisper, not shout.
