Published on
Updated
Reading 2 mins.
Fighting anxiety and depression by email is the ambition of Prism, a newsletter from the American start-up Parallel. A way to make issues related to well-being more accessible and less guilt-inducing.
Surprisingly, the founders of Prism do not really like the word “wellness”. They are the only ones: the hashtag #wellness is mentioned in more than 58 million posts on Instagram, he has 5.7 billion views on TikTok. These figures attest to the fascination of our societies for well-being, this concept which enjoins us to take care of ourselves and take responsibility for our happiness.
Good in your body, good in your head!
Well-being, a universal subject
Prism has another definition of wellness. “Wellbeing is not only about the individual, but also about the health of the community as a whole and our world. Because we believe everything is connected. We are all connected”can we read on his website. The editorial staff of Prism defends this inclusive vision in newsletters, or “plots” (“colis” in French) in their jargon.
Each contains articles and personal essays written by various journalists. Prism’s first newsletter is all about feeling better emotionally, mentally and physically. It’s not about detox diets and miracle tricks, but rather about the need to slow down. “While the word ‘balance’ (and all it entails) might make you roll your eyes, it’s actually essential for our health and happiness to assess how we spend our time – and to make sure that we are not going too far in one direction or neglecting another”states the newsletter.
According to Jocelyn Florence, partner at Parallel, Prism aims to raise awareness of well-being, not just fans of turmeric lattes and self-help books. “If wellness content still feels like medicine, you’ll have a core of people who identify as being very careful about what they eat, or exercising every day, etc.” , she explained to the specialized publication Nieman Lab. “But if you’re trying to introduce well-being to people who don’t necessarily always think about it, it’s important to offer content that’s a little more entertaining and a little less preachy, or even more open-minded”.
With this in mind, Prism uses journalists who are not necessarily specialized in health. Their articles and essays can be read by subscribing to Prism’s free newsletters. They are also published on a dedicated site a few weeks after arriving in readers’ mailboxes. Good news for posterity.