Refinery 29
These are the biggest health and wellness trends for 2021
According to the Global Wellness Institute, the wellness industry is valued at $ 4.5 trillion – and has been growing continuously for some time. Each year, we see certain wellness trends taking off: wellness tourism, sleep health and even “wellness fashion”. But the COVID-19 pandemic completely changed the face of the wellness industry in less than a year. Changed, but not diminished. “[Wellness] it is one of the strengths of the economy at the moment, ”Beth McGroarty, vice president of research at the Global Wellness Institute, told Refinery29. While there are many wellness trends that we are eager to leave behind in 2020 (detox, fad diets and anti-masking, to name a few), there are a few that have emerged and we are more than happy to maintain. Here, McGroarty gives us an insight into the main wellness trends that you can expect to see gaining momentum in 2021. Virtual wellness surprise! Online, well-being at home will continue to be a big trend in 2021, which you have probably seen coming. “It’s almost a cliché, but everything that was delivered digitally just took off,” says McGroarty. “Whether it’s telemedicine, virtual therapy, meditation apps, digital fitness platforms – even reiki classes are moving online. As soon as the pandemic hit, we saw an immediate and exponential explosion of people taking some kind of online class. ”Sales of fitness equipment also increased by 170% during COVID-19, as we with space and means transformed our homes into makeshift gyms. Although the move to virtual platforms that allowed us to bring wellness practices to our homes was driven by need, it has had a very positive residual effect: virtual wellness makes services much more accessible to everyone, including those who can live in areas where certain classes or practices are not offered. “We will see a return to school someday, but most people predict that there will be a very strong digital component or a mixed digital, face-to-face component,” says McGroarty. For almost a year, people were very comfortable taking classes in gymnastics, yoga, meditation – you name it – classes at home; this is a permanent behavioral and cultural change. Preventive treatments Traditional Western medicine often takes an approach to wellness solutions. Meaning: Focuses on treating health problems after they arise. But recently, consumers have stepped back, demanding a more preventive approach. We want to know how to stay healthy to avoid problems in the first place. And the pandemic accelerated that change. “This immediately strengthened the case for what I would call preventive and responsible welfare,” McGroarty told Refinery29. With that, she refers to an emphasis on exercise, healthy eating, sleep and stress reduction, which she refers to as “the pillars of well-being, which have this huge evidence-based impact in preventing underlying diseases”. So less powders and potions that vaguely claim to “boost immunity” and more science-based strategies that meet your body’s individual needs. As McGroarty says, “I think the healthcare industry needs to wake up to the fact that we need a lot more preventive well-being if we are to survive things like this pandemic.” Radical self-care This is another trend born out of necessity. After a year full of trauma, our mental health was threatened. “There is much more anxiety [because of the pandemic], ”Mary K. Alvord, PhD, psychologist and director of Alvord, Baker & Associates in Maryland, previously told Refinery29. “There was a wave of sadness – and I am concerned that it is turning into depression for many people – because they are at home and cannot really go anywhere. And then there is the family dynamic that creates difficulties and increases stress. In addition, there is economic stress. ”Putting us back on track will be what matters most as we move into 2021. As a result, you will hear the term“ radical self-care ”a lot this year. Indiana University defines it as “the statement that you have a responsibility to take care of yourself before trying to take care of others”. This goes beyond bubble baths. We are talking about really doing what you need to do to protect yourself and your mental health before you exert energy on others. Radical self-care will look different to different people – not everyone can take a day off for mental health or visit a therapist, for example. You may notice a renewed interest in spiritual practices this year, from meditation to traditional religious activities and manifestation. One study found that Google searches for “prayer” increased amid the pandemic. Drug-based therapies In 2020, Oregon legalized and Washington DC decriminalized psilocybin, the active ingredient in magic mushrooms. Experts hope that these moves will further legitimize the growing field of drug-based therapies: ketamine is already gaining ground in a possible option for treatment-resistant depression, for example. This is a trend that may not directly impact your life. You won’t be buying mushrooms without a recipe anytime soon, for example. But decriminalizing or legalizing ingredients like psilocybin helps to open the door for more research on the compound, which will help us discover all potential uses. Stay tuned! Dying well This trend has been gaining momentum for a while. In 2019, the Global Wellness Institute launched what they called the “Dying Well” Initiative, which intended to open more conversations about death, and the pandemic brought the issue back to the surface due to the overwhelming amount of losses we experienced this year. . Talking openly about death to loved ones may seem uncomfortable at first, but it can end up reducing stress. Joel Rowe, MD, an emergency physician from Mount Sinai, New York City, wrote an article for The Atlantic last summer about how we talked about death, and recalled his own mother’s death from liver disease six years ago. . He had already talked to her about how she wanted to end her time on Earth – comfortably, and not with life support devices. “For the rest of my life, I will be grateful for your last and priceless gift – preparing for your death before it happened,” he wrote. More of us can have conversations about death next year and we can start to see tools designed to help us do that. “There’s a lot of innovation going on in the way people are trying to help them face death and their fear of death,” says McGroarty. “These new advanced care planning companies, often started by women, are seeing a lot more activity.” Death doulas also appear to be becoming more common. Respiratory well-being Although much attention was paid at the beginning of the pandemic to cleaning the surface – so much so that hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes were scarce – the revelation that COVID-19 is in the air turned our attention to the purification measures of the air. “Many people have been buying very sophisticated air purification technology or air monitoring systems, be it HVAC purification, HEPA filters throughout the house, UV air treatment inside the home,” says McGroarty. “I mean, this is the most pressing health and wellness issue, period.” Clean air is likely to become more important when people start returning to work. Another reason for overall respiratory well-being may be a hot topic this year: COVID-19 can cause lung complications, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. Coughing and shortness of breath are among the most common symptoms of the virus and can persist for weeks or even months after recovery. It is no wonder that people are more concerned than ever with air quality. No one could have predicted all the ways in which COVID-19 would change well-being in 2020. Many of the innovations have the potential to be good – high-tech air purifiers, a return to the fundamental pillars of well-being, products that help make well-being more accessible at home, focus on radical self-care. But if we consider something from 2020, it is the importance of keeping an open mind. Nothing can happen. Like what you’re seeing? How about a little more R29 goodness, right here? Feel Good Diary: Chloe Ting & Key Lime PieSleep Yoga could be the answer to your insomniaThe wellness products we tried and loved in December