The Wellness Trap: How Capitalism Co-Opted Self-Care
Self-care has been sold as the antidote to our exhaustion, but what if it's part of the problem? Capitalism has co-opted our need for rest, transforming it into a multi-billion-dollar industry. This system thrives on convincing us that wellness is an individual pursuit: one that can be bought, achieved, or consumed. But the truth is deeper and more uncomfortable—our exhaustion fuels the very systems that oppress us, and our healing won’t be found on a yoga mat we purchased after work.
Wellness as Commodity
Wellness culture markets itself as liberation: face masks for your stress, an app to monitor your meditation, a retreat to escape the grind. It whispers, "Just one more product, and you'll finally feel better." But this culture doesn’t want you to rest; it wants you to consume. The very idea of “earning” self-care reinforces the cycle of overwork, making moments of rest feel like luxuries instead of necessities.
This commodification isolates us further, making wellness something we "do alone." Capitalism thrives on this disconnection—our overwork funds its profits, and our individual attempts to heal keep us from collective solutions.
The Lie of Productivity
Before colonialism and capitalism imposed their values, wellness wasn’t something you bought; it was something you lived. Rest and care were collective acts, woven into the rhythms of life, the land, and ceremony. Colonial systems shattered this connection, telling our ancestors that their value lay only in their ability to labor.
Today, this legacy manifests as guilt for taking a break, shame for needing help, and fear that rest might cost us our place in the system. But this fear is learned—it’s a lie we’ve been told for generations.
Reclaiming Rest as Resistance
If the system depends on our exhaustion, then rest becomes a radical act. It’s not about escaping; it’s about confronting. Rest says, "I will no longer give my body, time, or energy to sustain systems that harm me."
To reclaim rest, we must unlearn the lie of individualism. Resting in community, in shared joy, grief, and care, allows us to dismantle the isolation capitalism depends on. When we rest together, we resist together.
Practical Revolution
Create Rest Rituals: Let rest be a sacred practice. Light a candle, say a prayer, or sit in stillness. Dedicate your rest to those who came before you and those yet to come.
Say No to Hustle Culture: Question the systems that equate your value with productivity. Who benefits from your burnout? Who loses when you choose rest?
Rediscover Communal Rest: Gather your people. Rest through laughter, tears, and mutual care. Let your rest ripple outward, reminding others that they, too, are deserving.
Further Reading & Reflection
Pleasure Activism by Adrienne Maree Brown
Rest is Resistance by Tricia Hersey
My Grandmother’s Hands by Resmaa Menakem
Rest isn’t lazy. It’s revolutionary. It’s a collective refusal to continue the cycles of extraction, and it’s a sacred act of honoring ourselves and our ancestors.
