You Won’t Find Wellness in a Bottle: The Truth Most People Don’t Want to Hear

By Dr. Tomi Mitchell

There’s something we need to settle before we go any further: you won't find wellness in a bottle. Not now, not next month, not when life finally “slows down,” and not after you’ve tried every supplement the internet tells you to try.

Not in the alcohol bottle.

Not in the supplement bottle.

Not in the prescription bottle.

And as a physician who prescribes medication, takes supplements, and fully understands the value of targeted support. I also say it as someone who watches people look for wellness the same way they search for misplaced keys: somewhere outside themselves, instead of where the real issue resides.

Here’s the truth most people avoid because it feels inconvenient. Wellness is not something you can purchase, swallow, delegate, download, or outsource. It isn’t a gift that arrives neatly packaged with a tracking number. It is a practice, a mindset, a lifestyle, and a commitment.

There it is. That word. Commitment.

A word that makes people uncomfortable because it implies responsibility, consistency, effort, and follow-through.

Many people want to feel better. They want energy. They want calm. They want clarity. They want change. But they want these things without the ongoing work that sustains them. The moment they hear that part, they quietly back away and hope no one notices.

As a physician, wellness coach, and a woman who has learned many of these lessons personally, I can say with confidence. If wellness were as easy as swallowing a capsule twice a day, we would be living in the healthiest generation in human history. But we’re not. Because wellness isn’t found in a bottle, wellness is an inside job.

The Myth of the Magical Bottle

Let’s talk honestly about where people turn when they feel overwhelmed or unwell. They reach for bottles. It’s almost reflexive.

• The wine bottle to relax

• The vitamin bottle to correct

• The prescription bottle to compensate

And look, I’m not judging. I prescribe medications. I recommend supplements. I even enjoy taking supplements myself on the days I actually remember to do so. I’m not against supportive tools. I’m against magical thinking.

• Magnesium cannot repair the emotional fallout of a toxic relationship.

• Vitamin D will not protect you from the consequences of scrolling until two in the morning.

• Ashwagandha cannot erase the stress created by a job you refuse to leave despite the warning signs.

• Ozempic will not transform your health if the rest of your lifestyle reflects chronic neglect.

• And alcohol—if alcohol truly relieved stress, there would be no stressed people left.

These tools can support wellness, but they cannot substitute for it. Supplements help. Medication helps. Therapy helps. Movement helps. But if you have convinced yourself that these tools can carry the entire load, you have misunderstood the assignment.

The Uncomfortable Truth: Wellness Takes Work

This is usually the point where I lose a few readers. That’s okay. Growth is uncomfortable. Clarity is uncomfortable. Accountability is uncomfortable.

There is a part of wellness that is simply work. Daily work. Steady work. Sometimes tedious work. Work that cannot be handed to your doctor, your therapist, your spouse, your boss, your children, or your supplements.

And it certainly cannot be handed to me. My role is to guide, teach, encourage, challenge, and empower. But I cannot follow you around and enforce habits. I cannot control your bedtime. I cannot force you to drink water. I cannot lift your legs to take your steps for you. Even if I could, you would fire me very quickly because I would definitely have opinions.

Your wellness is built by your actions, not your intentions. Not your hopes. Not your “I’ll start later.” Later is not coming. Life does not pause. Wellness is built in real time, in the messy middle of everyday life.

The truth is simple: the work is yours. The responsibility is yours. The outcomes are connected to your commitment.

Wellness Is Not a Destination: It’s a Daily Practice

Many people treat wellness as a destination they will eventually reach once they have enough time, energy, or motivation.

“When I’m less stressed.”

“When the kids are older.”

“When the workload eases up.”

“When things return to normal.”

“When it’s a better season.”

These are the promises that stretch across years without movement.

Wellness is not a vacation destination. It’s a culture you build within yourself. It shows up in the choices you make when no one is watching. It shows up in the invisible moments of your day.

It is found in:

• How you start your morning

• The tone you use when you speak to yourself

• The boundaries you maintain

• The food you choose

• How do you wind down

• The thoughts you nurture

• The standards you uphold

• The company you keep

• The courage you show when changes need to be made

• The way you self-correct without spiralling into shame

It isn’t glamorous. It isn’t photogenic. Instagram can’t package it. But it is powerful.

Wellness Is a Mindset—Not a To-Do List Item

Here’s something I return to again and again with my patients: wellness isn’t something you do when you have time. It’s someone you become.

You can memorize every guideline. You can recite every recommendation. You can list foods, supplements, exercises, and routines. But if you don’t shift your identity, nothing sticks.

Identity always wins.

If your internal narrative is:

“I’m too overwhelmed to be healthy.”

“I’m too tired to change.”

“I’m too busy to take care of myself.”

“This is how my family is.”

“Wellness isn’t for people like me.”

Then nothing I prescribe, suggest, or recommend will have a long-term impact. It will feel like swimming against your own current.

But when the narrative shifts:

“I am responsible for this body.”

“I can learn new patterns.”

“My choices matter.”

“I can honour myself.”

“I am capable of growth.”

“I am someone who prioritizes my wellbeing.”

Then everything begins to shift—behaviour, energy, mood, habits, and boundaries.

You cannot build a life that contradicts your identity. But you can build an identity that supports the life you want.

You Are Not a Victim of Your Genetics

Let’s address the misconception that keeps many people stuck: the belief that genetics determines everything.

I understand genetics well. I respect its influence. But genes are not dictators. They are possibilities, tendencies, and predispositions. Epigenetics teaches us that our environment, relationships, thoughts, diet, sleep, and stress levels all influence how genes are expressed.

You are not powerless. You are not doomed. You are not a passive observer of your health.

You are a co-creator.

When people move from “my family has it, so I will too” to “my choices matter,” their entire wellness trajectory shifts.

The Hardest Part of Wellness: Accountability

Accountability is the step people often avoid because it can sting. But accountability is not blame. It is not shameful. It is simply ownership.

Accountability says:

• My choices influence my wellbeing.

• My habits matter.

• I cannot pretend I don’t know better.

• I have the power to change what isn’t working.

Most people know what to do. Many simply don’t do it consistently.

That’s where accountability, paired with compassion, creates transformation. Not perfection. Not punishment. Accountability. It is empowering when you allow it to be.

Wellness Requires Courage

People sometimes think wellness is soft or gentle. They picture bubble baths, herbal tea, and quiet evenings. While those are lovely, the real work of wellness requires courage.

• Courage to leave relationships that harm you.

• Courage to walk away from jobs that break you.

• Courage to set boundaries with people who take more than they give.

• Courage to say no.

• Courage to start new habits.

• Courage to rest.

• Courage to stop numbing emotions with food, alcohol, or distraction.

• Courage to ask for support.

• Courage to admit when something isn’t working.

• Courage to see yourself clearly.

Courage does not come from supplements or medication. It is cultivated in moments of truth.

The Wellness You Want Is Built Through Choices You Avoid

If we are being sincere, the wellness people want is often behind the habits they avoid.

• Choosing whole foods instead of convenience foods.

• Going to bed rather than scrolling.

• Moving your body instead of making excuses.

• Having difficult conversations instead of bottling everything inside.

• Leaving chaos for stability.

• Listening to your body instead of dismissing warning signs.

• Being present instead of living on autopilot.

These choices rarely attract applause or attention. But they create profound change.

Your Wellness Is Not an Expense: It Is an Investment

I often remind people that wellness is foundational, not optional. Everything in your life is built on the foundation of your health.

Wellness is not expensive.

Neglect is expensive.

Illness is expensive.

Burnout is expensive.

Ignoring your health is expensive.

The cost of maintenance is always less than the cost of repair.

Wellness Is Also Joy, Pleasure, and Fulfillment

Although wellness requires discipline and boundaries, it also invites joy. People forget this part.

Wellness is not meant to feel like punishment. It is intended to bring you back to yourself.

Wellness includes:

• Laughter

• Movement

• Connection

• Nature

• Music

• Creativity

• Pleasure

• Peace

You know my motto: laughter is medicine. And I mean it. A healthy life is a joyful life.

Wellness cannot Be Outsourced.

Let’s circle back to the central idea: wellness cannot be found in a bottle.

You cannot delegate it to your physician.

You cannot hand it to your partner.

You cannot place the blame on supplements.

You cannot expect the universe to do the heavy lifting for you.

Support helps. Tools help. Guidance helps. But the execution is yours.

You Must Be the Captain of Your Destiny

You and I must both wake up each day and choose to be the captains of our own well-being. Not passengers. Not spectators. Captains.

Wellness is not an event. It is not accidental. It is intentional. It is consistent. It reflects leadership, courage, and self-respect. It is the daily practice of honouring the life you are building.

No bottle can give you sovereignty. Only you can do that.

Final Truth: Your Wellness Is Built by You

When everything unnecessary is removed, the truth remains simple: wellness is built by your patterns, your choices, your boundaries, your mindset, your courage, your values, and willingness to show up for yourself.

Yes, you can use supplements, medications, coaching, therapy, programs, and planners. I use some of these myself. They help. But they cannot replace the part of wellness that belongs exclusively to you.

So no, you will not find wellness in a bottle.

You will find it in your habits.

Your lifestyle.

Your mindset.

Your consistency.

Your commitment to living with intention.

Wellness is not something you buy. Wellness is something you become.

Disclaimer

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider for guidance on your health.

View our privacy policy here. 

© 2025 Dr. Tomi Mitchell / Holistic Wellness Strategies. All rights reserved.

This document and its contents are the intellectual property of Dr. Tomi Mitchell / Holistic Wellness Strategies. They may not be copied, reproduced, or distributed in any form without express written consent.