Monday Musings: What’s Trending in Health, Wellness, Beauty & Culture This Week 05/05

Welcome back to another week of Monday Musings (on a Tuesday because Bank Hol!)— your space to reflect, reset, and maybe rethink a few things we’ve been conditioned to accept.

This week, we’re cracking open the quieter corners of our wellness era. The bits that don’t always make the highlight reel: skipping that gym you guilt-joined, growing older without a five-year plan, saying no without apology, and realising that your dopamine detox might just look like... falling asleep at 10:30pm.

None of this is radical. But it is honest. And if you’ve been feeling a little disoriented by the pressure to be more, do more, fix more — maybe this is your permission slip to simply soften.

Let’s dive in.

🧠 DOPAMINE IS A DIRTY WORD

As a Gen Z, I feel the pain of being addicted to my phone. Truly, I do. But here's the twist—while I used to be a vaper, a weekend drinker, and someone who lived for the buzz, becoming a wellness girl didn’t feel like some huge, dramatic shift. It felt natural. Like the next chapter was writing itself.

I didn’t have to force myself to let go of stimulants. The vapes, the booze, the rushed nights out to the same cramped local, they just stopped hitting the same. I stopped searching for my snus before leaving the house and started falling asleep on the sofa at 10:30pm watching a feel-good series with my diffuser on full blast.

The real high? Waking up early to work out with my mum and eating a protein-packed breakfast with zero hangxiety.

What changed? Maybe my frontal lobe finally finished development—painted the skirting boards and gave the place a once-over with the Henry Hoover. Or maybe it was deeper than that. Maybe switching careers, prioritising purpose, and craving real fulfilment made me want peace over a pint.

Don’t get me wrong, I still scroll. I still crave the dopamine. But these days, it comes from different things: consistency, connection, clear-headed mornings.

Turns out, boring is actually delicious.

🏋️‍♀️ FITNESS REALITY: Are Cheaper Gyms Actually Costing Us More?

Recently, I joined a more affordable gym near my new place—mainly for the weight floor and convenience. But here’s the truth: I’ve barely wanted to go. It’s cramped, chaotic, and somehow drains my energy before I’ve even touched a dumbbell.

Before this, I was a member at David Lloyd. Yes, it was pricier—but I actually wanted to be there. The experience felt elevated, calming—even motivating. Now I’m questioning: are cheaper gyms actually the more expensive choice when we factor in how often we skip them?

The Third Spaces and fancy fitness studios of the world get written off as luxury—but what if they’re actually investments in consistency, joy, and well-being? If a space inspires you to show up, sweat, and reset, isn’t that worth something?

My take: movement shouldn’t feel like punishment—or a chore you dread walking into. If your environment drains you, it’s okay to admit that. The right space might just be the key to showing up at all.

⏳ AGEING: The Weird Pressure of Two Years

The other day I was talking to my sister—she’s 22 months older than me—and I declared that 26 felt chic. Like, it’s the new number I associate with my identity. Driven. Still chasing big dreams. Living in the city. Doing the work.

But she, turning 28 this month, said it felt… lame. Old. Like she should be engaged. Or pregnant. Or at least planning a wedding. And that made me pause. Because why is there still this sudden societal shift between “cool 26-year-old in her purpose era” and “28-year-old who better have her life mapped out”?

Two years apart, and yet the expectations feel wildly different.

Aging should feel expansive. I want it to be about more money (hopefully), better taste, clearer values, a more defined version of myself, deeper friendships, sharper instincts, and the ability to say no without guilt. That’s growth. That’s power.

But instead, we’re still taught to fear getting older—as if everything worthwhile is supposed to happen in our twenties. It’s subtle, but it’s there. That looming idea that time is running out unless we settle.

My take: I’m done demonising age. I want to celebrate every year I get to become more me. And if 28 brings more strength, softness, and style—sign me up.

🔕 SILENCE IS BACK IN STYLE

Silence is making a comeback—and not in a “ghosting your situationship” kind of way. I'm talking about the soft, sacred kind. The kind that doesn’t need to be filled. The kind that lets you skip that birthday party for someone you met once at that pub in Chelsea, through a mutual friend who you don’t even talk to anymore. No shame. Just space.

We’ve glorified busyness for so long. The back-to-back weekends. The "we should definitely grab a drink!" plans that no one really wants to commit to. But suddenly, there’s a shift—more of us are saying no without the over-explaining. Opting out without the guilt. Reclaiming time like it’s a luxury handbag.

Silence now looks like:

📚 Finally starting that book you bought during your solo “self-care day” date.

🍵 Taking yourself for a morning matcha and people-watching instead of small talk.

🛏️ Going home early, no excuse needed, and winding down in your own energy.

It’s not antisocial. It’s not boring. It’s protective. And maybe even powerful.

The version of wellness we’re moving toward doesn’t demand we be everything to everyone. It allows for slow Saturdays, solo hobbies, and full phone batteries because you left it untouched for hours.

So yeah—silence is back in style. And honestly? It might be the loudest act of self-respect yet.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

This week’s themes might sound subtle — silence, space, simplicity — but their impact runs deep.

We’re all trying to create lives that feel more aligned, less performative. That might mean rethinking where you work out, redefining how you age, or re-evaluating the plans you say yes to. It might even mean doing less — on purpose.

Wellness isn’t a checklist. It’s an ongoing relationship with yourself. And sometimes, the biggest shift is not what you add, but what you quietly let go of.

Here’s to romanticising slow mornings, small pivots, and the sacred art of choosing yourself — over and over again.

Until next Monday x

Stay well, stay you,

The Well Woman Project