Self-care is a growing and evolving trend. What started as something that seemed frivolous and pointless to most people has recently become more and more popular. It’s grown into green juices, Lululemon leggings, and expensive gyms. But now it’s beginning to shift even more; wellness has once again taken a turn, and it’s starting to become more grounded and mindful. People are starting to recognize that you don’t need to throw down ridiculous amounts of money to practice self-care and experience wellness. Sure, green juices and spas are a nice treat every once in a while, but they may not have as much of an impact on your wellness as you’d think. Wellness goes far beyond “instagrammable” moments and much deeper into our psyche, which people are now beginning to explore.
So what sort of wellness and self-care experiences are people starting to value more? And what’s going to be trending in the wellness world this coming year? Here’s what we’re predicting:
More sleep
We love it, we want it, but we’re probably not getting enough of it. Whether you’re a student, you’re working full time, or you’re a new parent, you’re probably getting less sleep than you should. And quite frankly, everyone’s getting a little sick of it. We quite literally NEED sleep to function, and function well, I might add. To maximize our days, our performance, and our quality time, we need to get more sleep than we are currently, so here’s how this might change in the new decade.
We can probably expect more people to be downloading apps that help you sleep, more people taking sleep-inducing supplements (natural, non-habit forming ones ideally), more clean, non-toxic mattress options, and more nap pods. On top of the trendy apps and items that will be created, we can expect that people will be taking more afternoon power naps, and that naps will become more acceptable during work hours, especially now that there’s research on the physical and mental benefits of a 20 minute nap.
Emotional wellness
Stigmas surrounding emotional wellness, getting in touch with your emotions, and exploring ways to get help have started to fade. AND THANK GOODNESS AM I RIGHT?! It’s about damn time. Millennials, Gen Zer, and Gen Xers have revolutionized the way we think about mental health: people who struggle are no longer confined to one “type” of person; people who get help are no longer considered “weak”; and talking about mental health is no longer taboo.
So this year and for years to come, it’s likely that we’ll see an increase in taking more time to focus on mental health. The number of people who participate in meditation and mindfulness will probably increase, the number of people who go to and openly discuss therapy and their personal experience will increase, and the amount of individuals who will turn to things like journaling will probably increase too.
Alternative medicine
For years, America has continually turned to mainstream western medicine like surgery and drugs to heal their bodies and solve their problems, but in recent years alternative medicine has been on the rise. As information continues to come out regarding the risks of different medications and ingredients, and as the cost of pharmaceuticals and procedures continue to go up, most people are looking for clean, natural, affordable ways to try to heal and improve their physical health.
As a result, more and more people will likely start to incorporate alternative medicine into their routines. The use of meditation, acupuncture, essential oils, and homeopathic remedies as a form of medication will continue to become less stigmatized and more mainstream– less for the “hippies” and more for the “average person.”
Experiential wellness
Okay, so instagrammable moments won’t be completely cut out, I mean what kind of a boring world would we live in if that were the case? In addition to the simple, daily things that you can do for your physical and mental wellbeing, people absolutely love to experience wellness. Through events like spa days, fitness retreats and yoga festivals, people can explore and experience wellness as a community, and a sense of community can be an essential part of wellness for some, so there’s a good chance we’ll see many more events such as these popping up. After a span of time where people cared more about Lululemon leggings and Ugg boots, people are beginning to value experiences over material goods again, and because of that, more wellness-oriented vacations and activities will be on the horizon.
Needless to say, wellness is evolving, but how quickly it will evolve, we aren’t quite sure. But from us to you, we think these changes are for the better, and we can’t wait to see the results in this positive shift towards genuine, grounded wellness.
