Taking care of self is a natural process and a matter of consciousness. However, nowadays wellness trends have amalgamated in mainstream society with more holistic approaches which we can’t simply ignore. The wellness industry is comprised of wellness design and architecture, wellness lifestyle, wellness tourism, sleep, CBD and cannabis, aging well, sexual health, and much more than worth almost US$4.5 trillion as per the report in Global Wellness Summit. Take a look at the top 15 wellness trends 2021 that are expected to lead the society and market.
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Wellness trends 2021
- Mental Health
For a long time, society has ignored the importance of mental health and considered only physical health as a criterion of wellness. But now it is an undeniable fact that the overall wellness of a human depends on both his physical as well as mental health. Hence, people are putting more emphasis on minds being as healthy as their bodies. In addition to that, with technological advancement, now mental therapy has been pushed to the forefront of convenience. Everything is within our reach now. From social media to modern tools like digital support groups, chatbots, and various apps are handling modern-day issues like anxiety, burnout, and loneliness.
- True Circadian Health – the new focus area
We all know that sleep plays a vital role in our daily wellness. At the same time, it largely impacts our productivity. When a healthy sleep routine is disrupted it drastically impact our overall wellbeing. But wellness trends 2021shows an additional focus on sleep and that is on Circadian Health optimization which is nothing but retaining the balance of circadian rhythms. Now, what it is?
In a simple way, this is the natural cycle of the body. Every day we go through different physical, mental, and behavioral processes that are largely controlled by the hypothalamus. But the study shows these natural body processes are also impacted by light and darkness. For example, when we sleep the digestion process slows down. This is a form of the circadian rhythm. Most importantly the circadian rhythm impacts all organs of our body. Our body and organs work most well when we follow the natural rhythm of this cycle.
Modern studies show that the circadian rhythm cycle decides the sleep pattern of a person because this cycle controls the production of the sleep hormone melatonin. By natural circadian rhythm, we produce more melatonin at night to fall asleep. However, this natural process can be largely impacted by some factors like light, diet, and temperature. That’s why wellness trends nowadays follow some guidelines for healthy sleep patterns like getting disconnected from electronic devices before sleep, using an alarm clock to follow the sunrise pattern, avoiding caffeine in the evening, having dinner at least 1 hour before sleep, and many more factors.
- Vegan diet – Plant-Based Living
A vegan diet is a hot topic in wellness trends 2020. With the passing days, people are discovering the amazing benefits of vegan foods cum plant-based living. This has also become a part of the global environmental movement. Based on the vegan diet, plant-based meats have gained exponential popularity in 2019. Many popular fast-food restaurants like Burger King, Del Taco, TGI Fridays are adding meat alternatives to the menu. Even thousands of supermarkets are selling such alternative meats.
The wellness trends for a vegan diet and plant-based living are not only an indication of our seriousness towards wellness but also eco-consciousness. This is also saving animal lives. Furthermore, plant-based meat is also a better choice with fast food considering health angle.
- Aging Positively Cool
With advanced medical facilities, health awareness, and nutrition the average longevity of aged people has radically changed than previous generations. Besides they are aging in a different way than usual. This opens up better market prospects for multiple industries that target the 55+ generation for product sales. This also enhances the scope of global innovation.
- Limiting Screen time
As the overuse of smartphones and TVs are in place, at the same time people have observed the harmful effects of screen time. Hence, limiting screen time is a growing wellness trend over the last couple of years. With more and more campaigns and awareness messages, now we are well aware that how longer screen time can badly affect our body and mind.
Nowadays, parents are more conscious to limit the screen time of their children especially if they are at tender ages. Some schools are placing bans on the phone. For the same reason, many products are hitting the market such as protective blue light glasses, screen time apps, and devices to measure radiation.
- Energy Medicine – a new approach to wellness
Optimizing energy levels in the human body is one of the new wellness trends 2021to watch for. It is a joint effort of the medical, wellness, and technology world to implement innovative new methods to optimize human energy in the body. Many techniques are being deployed for this like reiki, acupuncture, chakra balancing, qigong, shamanism, or sound bath. Most of these are ancient techniques remodeled in a modern way. No doubt, ancient medicines proved their intervention in the energy fields of our body. Not only ancient methods, but medical science also embraces the biomedical model for this ancient wellness.
- CBD
Cannabidiol (CBD) is an oil that is derived from the cannabis plant. Initially discovered as a pain reliever, CBD has been found to have many benefits like skincare, as a sleep aid, a component for relaxation and de-stressing when infused into tinctures and tea.
Thousands of CBD products have already hit the market and we have seen big categories of CBD applications like muscle balms, beauty products, vapes, tinctures which are also going to take a big market share. Interestingly, the edible market is also going to offer a new niche product based on CBD in the coming years. Already CBD apple cider vinegar and raw honey are in the marketplace.
- Gut Health
A new topic of discussion about wellness trends is gut health. Of course, the gut bacteria isn’t something glamorous to talk about but everyone’s talking about it. And the reason behind this is your overall gut health impact not only your physical health but also mental health and skin. That’s why people are seeking more guidance and tips on gut health from experts.
- Meditation
Meditation had shown its magic from ancient times and that is not a fad considering today’s wellness trends. Though in previous decades, it was practiced for religious purposes or spiritual practices, now it has gone mainstream for the wellness of body and mind. It gives an overall focus on wellness while improving the emotional state.
However, there are different forms of meditation and if you are a beginner you should try a guided method. Because first, you need to decide your purpose of mediation as the core purpose of meditation is to focus on your mind instead of paying attention to the thoughts in the head. Thus, choosing the right meditation that is most suitable for you is essential. For example, Transcendental meditation is a form of mediation that is practiced with the mantra. This serves you better to relax and reducing anxiety and stress. At the same time boost your brain functions.
There are a good number of videos present on Youtube on meditation, so you can learn them with the help of a certified instructor to get the best result
- Home is your new gym – Online fitness
Making gym a must-have in the fitness regime is now becoming an old concept with more sophisticated home fitness equipment in the market along with online fitness program facilities. With the blessings of the internet now you can turn your living room into a fitness studio. There are numerous fitness apps available in the market that include yoga, Zumba dancing, aerobics, power yoga, and many more which makes it a fantastic opportunity for you. Besides, there is state-of-the-art fitness equipment like Hydrow that combines physical equipment as well as hardware for streaming classes. So, making home the new place for a fitness routine is one of the new wellness trends of the year.
- More use of Smart devices for fitness
With the enhancement of the Internet of Things, more use of Smartwatches and other related fitness trackers are among one the wellness trends to watch for. Furthermore, as time goes on technology is getting cheaper making these smart devices more accessible to people.
- Zero waste movement
The Zero Waste movement is the new wellness trend that is slowly been taking over the world. As people are growing more concerned about the environment like plastic toxins and their adverse effects on the body and environment, the zero-waste movement is even growing more. Not only the replacement of plastic but also single-use of tea-bags, wool dryers, fast fashion, bamboo toothbrushes are going to be part of this movement in the coming years.
- The Wellness Sabbatical
The best thing about technology is, it has made our life more flexible. Today it turned us “digital nomads” Remote working is the new working model that is in place and maybe proliferate more in the coming years. But one thing in this mode is there is less chance of formal vacation and you need to be “always-on”. Wellness sabbatical is the new concept that is one of the wellness trends getting popular day by day.
In this concept you don’t need to unplug yourself from work totally, instead, you can blend your work and wellness leisure. You can go for a vacation and set up to work for a few productive hours a day. At the same time, you can schedule a lot of wellness activities like movement, sleeping, social networking, time in nature, and many more for the rest of the day. This lifestyle change will give you a complete reset of your mind. There are plenty of wellness resorts that are offering wellness sabbatical.
This new concept will shake up the future of wellness, travel patterns, and work.
- The Fertility Boom
Today fertility is no longer a taboo topic, neither a road blocker towards your “complete family” project. There is an increasing wellness trend in the fertility space where the IVF procedure is now commonplace. Besides, plenty of fertility products are in sell which is making women take ownership of their bodies. According to a Market Research report, the global fertility services market is expected to grow to $36 billion by 2023. Nowadays people demand more information, more innovation, and more studies to explore this wellness area.
- Wellness Music
The new inclusion in the wellness trends 2021is “well sounds”. No doubt, music works as a therapy and it is radically being reinvented as an intentional therapy. Scientific research on music’s structural properties is in its way to reveal its impact on our brain and biometrics like sleep patterns and heart rate. So, soundscapes can be developed as precision medicine for wellness. More wellness music studios will take place, no matter whether it is Ayurvedic sound therapy or CBD sound journeys.
Final Thoughts
In 2021, wellness trends show something accessible to everyone. Furthermore, there will be stress on smaller habits. However, you must remember that there is no single way to do better or do anything. It’s an individual choice of how we will improve our mental and physical state.