The pursuit of wellbeing is making us unwell.

In 2024, wellbeing has reached new heights. In fact, the pursuit of staying well has become so ingrained in our daily lives that it's now having the opposite effect.

It's apparently making us… unwell.

According to a new global survey, it's been found that one in two (45 per cent) of adults are experiencing "wellbeing burnout".

The report, commissioned by activewear brand Lululemon, found that the constant pressure to improve our wellbeing is actually making us less well.

Because while the importance of wellbeing is stronger than ever, so is the pressure to keep up, with more and more people trapped in a stressful and exhausting wheel of inadequacy.

Watch: 10 scientifically-proven ways to help you feel happier. Post continues below.

And it makes sense really. When your social media is made up of other people posting about their run clubs, hikes, sunrise ocean swims, meditation, ice baths, hefty step counts and how healthy and mindful they are, it's enough to make anyone doubt if they're really doing… enough.

Because wellbeing has almost become a badge of honour on social media, and that means broadcasting every indication of health we possibly can.

These days, 'health signalling' has never been more apparent and we are constantly being bombarded with more and more people posting stories and pictures about themselves, showing how fit or skin-perfect they are, and it's almost created this copycat mentality of people trying to one-up each other to feel like they fit in.

In turn, however, it's only making us feel more and more inadequate, with respondents in the report saying they are overwhelmed by the social pressure to appear well, even when they don't feel it.

And that's only part of the puzzle.

It was also found people felt there was conflicting information about what wellbeing actually is, along with a looming sense of loneliness that makes the pursuit of being 'well' feel more stressful and exhausting than ever.

"There is a subculture that is focused on almost perpetual 'wellness' and 'optimisation' of the human experience," psychologist Carly Dober from Enriching Lives Psychology told Mamamia.

"For people who are influenced by this content, there can be a lot of stress and pressure to not experience the negative and challenging normal and very human feelings and thoughts that we will all have in our lives,"

"To always be well is not realistic and not possible. This discounts many external factors and puts the onus of well-being on the individual. We know that internal and external variables influence how well or unwell we are at any given moment."

As Dober shared, this isn't anything new — in fact, it's something she's seen in her clinical work, noting that different genders and cultures and ages experience the pressure to 'keep up' differently.

"Some men (especially men over the ages of about 40) can often feel like they can't be 'weak' and need to soldier on with everything. Some women of older generations feel like they need to 'keep the family together' and like they can't stop or slow down."

"Many young professionals talk about the pressure to always 'be on', and how they need to optimise their routines so this doesn't feel as challenging. It can be rough for everyone."

So, how did we get here in the first place? Is social media really to blame?

According to Dober, it's only part of the problem.

"I suspect that people are desperately looking for ways to make life feel more manageable," she told us. "Many of us are far busier than we would like to be, due to increased cost of living pressures."

This pressure is most keenly felt by younger generations, with 76 per cent of Gen Z, and 71 per cent of Millennials feeling pressure from others/society in the ways they are expected to support their wellbeing.

"Many younger people are trying to focus on careers in a context in which there is a highly casualised workforce/gig economy and they feel like they have to keep up at this frantic pace. There's also a huge market for wellness, and this billion-dollar machine will tell you that there is always an answer to these systemic issues — you've just got to try a little harder."

On top of this, Dober said rates of mental illness are continuing to increase. "This has been trending upwards now for years."

"There are concurrent global conflicts, misinformation, disinformation, and polarisation that we all need to consider and understand. There appears to be no respite from the current inflation impacts & this all plays a massive role in how exhausted we can feel day to day. Young Australians in particular are feeling very despondent about the future that they are inheriting."

So what can we do to break this cycle? Well, according to Dober you need to stop what you're doing and get back to the basics.

Wellbeing doesn't have to be complicated, intense or performative.

"Sometimes we can be so busy that we are on autopilot, and we mindlessly invite another routine or another product into our lives without critically analysing its utility."

Being aware of what makes you feel good and what you enjoy doing becomes a pivotal part of this — whether it be calling a friend, going on a walk or spending time with family — slow down, pause and look at the simplicities of life you genuinely love.

"It's really, really important to make time for fun and pleasurable activities. There is no well-being without joy and pleasure. When you are scaling back from time-sucking activities, ensure that you're adding space for things are genuinely make you feel happy, and not just like you "should" be doing them."

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Feature image: Getty.