With many of the failed and obnoxious “trends” of the 2010’s also came a number of groundbreaking, progressive trends that have helped with much more than getting toned bodies or getting rid of the bags under our eyes.
Mental health awareness
As we’ve all witnessed firsthand, discussion of mental health has shifted from something that was once taboo to something that most of us now discuss on the daily. If someone had a gushing cut on their leg, no one would try to hide it, they’d try to get help; while for years we didn’t share that mentality about mental health, keeping things hidden has become a thing of the past. Through the 2010’s, more awareness surrounding mental health has come to the forefront of regular conversation and opened many up to the prospect of healing and exploring support systems for mental health. And in big part, we have athletes, musicians, movie stars and comedians to thank for this. Many have used their platforms to discuss their own experiences with anxiety, depression and the like, and have helped us realize that none of us are alone in our own mental health journeys.
Personalized health and nutrition
Health and wellness don’t come with a one-size-fits-all solution. We know, big shocker here, but not everyone's the same. No two people alike have the same physical builds, the same nutritional needs, digestive systems, or situational factors to take into account. For years, researchers, businesses and gyms have tried to clump people together and assume that one workout style or diet program will work for everyone. Funny thing though, they don’t. As it turns out, you really do need to get to know someone before you make a judgement about them or give them advice. With the 2010’s came an increasing realization that with every unique body comes unique diet, mindfulness and workout needs. And thank goodness for that.
Meditation and mindfulness
Before the 2010’s, it was a common belief that only the hippy-granola people cared about meditation and mindfulness and that they were crazy for it. This isn’t a new trend though; for hundreds of years meditation and mindfulness have been common practice in many parts of Asia, and we’re just now catching on. As we’ve discovered more recently in the U.S. tuning into our mind, our feelings, and our environment can be monumentally beneficial, especially given that we live in a time where work never stops.
Sleep habit awareness
Ahhh yes, the thing we all love so much but receive so scarce amount of. Luckily for us though, modern science has come to the rescue and shared its discovery of the importance of sleep habits with the world. The 2010’s shed new light on the importance of sleep habits in an era of constant access to electronic devices and an endless slew of new information. It also shed light on the importance of sleep in general, with some of the most noteworthy intel being that getting less than seven hours of sleep a night is linked to increased risk of obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes and mental distress. But don’t worry, you can sleep easy now knowing that the importance of getting high-quality sleep is at the forefront of everyone’s minds.
More inclusivity in sports
Lack of physical activity has been a growing problem throughout the 2000’s, especially in the 2010’s. With how expensive sports are, how accessible gaming and TV watching are, and how trendy eating Tide Pods for TikTok has become, sports participation has gone down.
But there’s hope. Over the past decade or so, the types of people who are participating in sports is growing. The increasing diversity in professional sports is having a seriously positive impact on young children who are looking to join a sports team. Young girls and children of color are seeing people like them in the professional world, and they’re realizing that they belong.
With events like the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup on display for the world, introduction of more black quarterbacks and players in the NHL, and more people of Asian descent playing in the NBA, girls and non-white kids alike are starting to take notice, and they’re gaining the confidence to play.
More plant-based diets
We’re not saying that you should go vegan, or even vegetarian for that matter, but we are excited to see that people have started to adapt more plant-based diets in the 2010’s. Not only do plant-based diets benefit our bodies, but they benefit the environment as well. The more plant-based people choose to be, the more we can help reduce the greenhouse gasses that are caused by the production of meat farming. On top of helping the environment, plant-based diets can help support a healthy weight, regular cholesterol and blood pressure levels, boost antioxidant levels, help to increase fibre intake and support gut health among many other benefits. A healthy gut and a healthy planet? Sign us up.
More flexible work hours
The days of traditional corporate environments are dwindling, and that’s what we love to hear. In addition to more casual apparel in the office, businesses are beginning to realize that the usual 8-4 or 9-5 doesn’t really work for most people. The world is a jumble of early birds, night owls, and every other species bird in between, and thus, in the 2010’s corporate spaces started to recognize the importance of letting people work when they function at their best.
Improved family leave policies
Another office-related trend that has made waves in the 2010's introduction of more reasonable family leave policies. Now to be clear, there’s still a long way to go in this department, but some companies are starting to offer more time off for new mothers and fathers. AGAIN, many places are just introducing the idea of modern family leave policies, but many are not yet implementing them, so our fingers are crossed that by the end of the 2020’s, we’ll be making an amendment to this lovely little editorial blog post.
Fixing the “sitting problem”
Once the world became aware that smoking is bad for you, it latched on to the newest, nastiest trend to plague of the modern world: sitting. Yeah, you read that right. It’s sitting. It sounds silly, but sitting around too much can lead to an increased risk of obesity and other undesirable diseases. While the era of gaming and access to new streaming services came to its peak in the 2000’s, with the dawn of the 2010’s came the rise of the standing desks, desk treadmills, yoga ball chairs and apps that remind you to stand up and walk around periodically.
Athleisure/eco friendly clothing
It’s the great debate of the 21st century: are leggings pants or are they not? The world may never know. But what we do know is that the 2010’s introduced us to athleisure and more eco-friendly clothing, and we’re here for that 100%. If you aren’t familiar with the term “athleisure,” it refers to clothing that can double as athletic wear and everyday wear that you can rock at school, out to brunch and maybe even to work every once in a while.
And then there are eco-friendly clothes. Climate change is destressing enough as it is, and then coming to realize that most of your daily habits are negatively impacting it makes it so, so much worse. Luckily, in the 2010’s a plethora of clothing companies have vowed to produce clothes in a way that’s much more friendly to the environment, and some companies have even been born with eco-friendliness as their platform.
