From immune health to breathwork, we explore the top trends for 2021 to help you achieve total wellness for physical and mental support during the pandemic.
The COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly taught us that we should never take our health for granted. Now more than ever, we have seen an increase in people turning to total wellness practices for physical and mental support during this difficult period. Whereas before self-care often took a backseat to busy schedules and hectic lives, it has now become an integral part of our daily routines. As we face the new year, it is time to take a closer look at how we can take better care of ourselves in the future. With that, we explore how you can achieve total wellness in 2021 according to the Global Wellness Institute Future of Wellness Trends report.
1. Stop Boosting, Start Balancing
In 2021, we say goodbye to quick fixes and health fads and usher in a new era of expert-based immune health science. This year personalized nutrition, metabolic health, and a greater emphasis on the microbiome will rule the day. Thus, total wellness starts from within, literally. With “70% of the entire human immune system found in the ‘gut,’” many have been inspired to take a closer look at their health on the microscopic level. Viome, an at-home microbiome testing company that “gives scores for measures such as metabolic fitness and inflammation levels” is a promising leader in the field. Intermittent fasting for immune system regeneration and “positive stress” experiences, like high-intensity, short burst workouts, are also on the rise.
2. Seek out spiritual and numinous moments in nature
The pandemic has forced us to spend a lot of time inside, so much so that the architecture industry is now reexploring the very purpose of space itself. 2021 will see a shift towards designs that imbue a sense of identity and place as well as reflect one’s personal priorities, whether that be creativity, health or spirituality. Since 2020, the collective desire to reconnect with the natural world has never been stronger and travel is often how we do that. While journeying to a bucket list destination is on hold for now, let the natural designs of Malaysia’s Datai Langkawi and Bio Habitat Hotel’s jungle views inspire your next home makeover.
3. Practice breath work and meditation
Simple, effective and accessible to all, breathework has become a serious game changer in the world of total wellness. Respiratory fitness is increasingly being recognized as a valuable tool in reducing stress, anxiety and even chronic pain. Clinal psychologist and breathe expert Dr. Belisa Vranich has even created a test where you can calculate your “Breathing IQ” at home. The hospitality world has begun to catch on as well with many resorts incorporating breathing classes into their wellness programs.
If you are looking to strengthen your breath while you relax, apps Calm and Headspace provide free guided meditations and breathing exercises from experts and even some celebrities. In the wake of Covid-19, everyone has grown conscious of others’ breath. We must remember to take a closer look at our breathing and how it can help us find clarity in uncertain times.
4. Prioritize your self-care
Of all the changes inspired by the pandemic, the convergence of healthcare and total wellness has been one of the more positive developments. For so long the world of self-care and healthcare have been rather disparate, even at odds with one another. Since the coronavirus, healthcare systems are beginning to understand the need for preventative care in medicine – personalized nutrition plans, more access to counseling services, routine screenings for cancer, high blood pressure, etc. – while the wellness industry is starting to incorporate more established methods of care into its ethos. The development is exciting as it signals a shift to a more holistic approach to health.
5. Improve your relationship with money
Money is the number one stressor globally, yet is still widely considered a taboo subject at most dinner tables. But mass unemployment and the financial anxiety it brings demand a real solution to our money troubles that do not involve avoidance. Our newfound awareness of the connection between money and mental health has led to an increased interest in financial wellness – the relationship we have with our money. 2021 will see financial therapists help us demystify our spending habits so we can have a healthier relationship with our finances.
6. Seek out regenerative travel
The pandemic has given the travel industry a rare opportunity to reevaluate the future of hospitality and tourism. With travelers still rightfully wary of the coronavirus, tentative tourism is to be expected in the next year or two. It is also expected that the regenerative movement will move the industry in a new progressive direction with Regenerative Travel leading the way. Environmentally conscious, regenerative, purpose-driven travel is set to define the next decade of tourism.
