What would become Mindful Wellness began as a crisis in 2020. As an introvert, I felt like I was supposed to love this unexpected time of seclusion. I pretended everything was fine—great, even. My role as a counselor and a counselor educator had me playing cheerleader, problem-solver, and lighthouse in a storm. I believed that if I could be everything to everyone, my worth would grow from there. In the meantime, I told myself that no one would see through the smile frozen on my face to realize I was drowning. 

Eventually, I acknowledged that I had completely disconnected from myself. But not to worry! There were a plethora of exciting aesthetic products available to fix that: notebooks, candles, pens, pairs of leggings. Social media presents self-care as making problems and uncomfortable feelings go away by covering them up with lots and lots of stuff. Every purchase was a promise—that this new object would be The Thing that finally made me feel better.