The Thing About Wellness Trends
I recently came across an article about wellness trends and thought it might be fun to discuss them with our readers today. While I am not one for trends, I am very open to learning new trends. We'll think about them as new things you might be able to learn or try to improve your health. There has been so much change in our world since 2020, especially when it came to our wellness. A lot of people have been thinking about trying to get back what we lost last year or even trying to latch on to a new wellness routine. Maybe you had a hard time not being able to go to the gym or do hot yoga at the beginning of the pandemic. While I look forward to going to the gym, I've really enjoyed going for those long walks outside and using fitness apps to ramp up my exercising. Let’s dive into these wellness trends and discuss which ones deserve the hype!
A Shift from Self-care to Community Care
COVID-19 really exposed us to so many systemic inequities and flaws in our society, so people have really realized the power within themselves to help others. Scientific research actually shows that helping others is the best way to be happy. People are starting to prioritize giving back.
COVID-19 has brought out the best in a lot of people. It's so beautiful to see people reaching out, especially in our community of elderly people. We need to reach out to our friends and family, just check in with them to see how they're doing because we can always be a help in hand to someone. If someone's behavior has changed, you can mention something and encourage them to get help or go with them. You know, there are lots of virtual therapy sessions that happen these days. So supporting our family or community members with their mental health is really important. We can always help others in very tangible small ways. It doesn't always have to be so grand and wonderful.
Digital Detox
So as you know, we're spending more and more time on our technological devices. They are not just tools for work, but our devices have become how we communicate with others. The problem is that there's so much negative energy that we can find on these devices. I think the good news is that we can turn that all off, you can turn your back away from negativity.
People are starting to devote entire days to no devices like “no devices Sunday”, or “no devices after dinner”. I think the good thing about disconnecting is being able to connect with the people who are right in front of you.
A digital detox can be hard, and might even be impossible for those of us who are on call 24/7. However, it is possible to impose a “no devices rule” during family or dinner time, and so forth. I really like the idea to not have your devices at the table and talking meaningfully with the people that you are with. There are so many things happening in our lives that there's not very much time for us to connect with one another in real life as opposed to on our devices right?
Being more flexible with your goal setting
The pandemic has really affected people's perspectives of the future, and this may have affected us in goal setting. People have moved away from big, grand goals into more flexible goals. For example, you might have a list of a whole bunch of smaller micro-goals instead of having one big one, and then you would pick and choose which ones you want to do throughout the year. When you are able to achieve smaller goals, it makes you want to continue and it can encourage you! Life is short, life is unpredictable, so don't keep chasing after your dreams without taking time to smell the roses. When you do make goals, it's important to make goals that are small, attainable, sustainable goals. Celebrating the small wins in life can feel good, and it’s all about gratitude right?
Walking and talking as therapy
During the pandemic, many have used their morning walk times to catch up with friends on the phone while walking their dogs. It's been a really great use of our time where it not only helps us be outside and get some fresh air but you also get some exercise and spend some time with your friends! For some of us, daily walks outside during this period of lockdown have kept us sane. Try going for a walk with a friend, in person or through the phone - it will be worth it!
Intention focused wellness travel
As the world is starting to open up more, people are really starting to think about travel again. Intention-focused wellness travel focuses on travel for yoga retreats, meditation retreats, or vacations where you intend to exercise more, be outside in nature and connect with people. Have you ever heard of a salt cave or a float tank? These things are part of a new trend of touchless spa services. The salt in Himalayan salt caves are supposed to have a calming effect on you. It can even treat depression and anxiety. Some people say that it can ease coughs and cure some skin conditions.
Cold therapy
Have you ever been to those Nordic spas where you are supposed to go from pool to pool? You start hot, and then a little bit cooler, a little bit cooler, but then ends like you're supposed to and always in the cold pool? In theory, cool sensations are good for you. Coldwater therapy can improve your circulation, deepen your sleep and spike your energy levels. It can also reduce inflammation in your body and therefore help protect your gut health.
I can't say that I love the cold but my naturopath told me about this thing where when you get out of the shower, always stand under hot water for about 30 seconds and then switch it to as cold water as you can handle it for like 30 seconds and go back and forth a couple of times, but always end in cold.
I hope our readers have learned one or two things from us or something that resonated with them. This past year may have been hard for a lot of people, however, we have built resilience and creativity, as well as invented ways to get by. That necessity is the mother of invention. These trends have allowed us to put our health at top priority this year. I'm not sure about you, but I definitely think some of these wellness trends have resonated with me. Try creating your own trends, and let us know about them for sure! As we continue to work with COVID-19, we do pray for better days to come really soon.
Listen to our podcast episode about this blog post below:
The Forever Young podcast is created and produced by Christiana and Cherrie Marie Chiu. Produced and engineered by Elisse Hill. The podcast represents our opinions and those of our guests. The content should not be taken as medical advice. It is for informational purposes only. Please consult your health care professional for any medical questions. If you like our show, please tell your friends and leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts. New episodes are available every other Wednesday. Have questions? Email us at ourforeveryoungpodcast@gmail.com.
