The pandemic has changed our reality, and we learned to adjust and maintain our wellness. As for the UN report, lockdowns helped us develop mental health awareness and spend more time treating mental issues. Besides, more people turned to meditation as a solution to stay calm & balanced in stressful situations.

When the initial panic and fear of the pandemic have passed, it's time for us to learn from this experience. Now let's discover which wellness trends will emerge in 2023 and should stay with us. Maybe some of them will help you welcome the upcoming year as a whole new person!

What does "wellness" mean?

In a nutshell, wellness is the state of your body & mind, when you feel healthy and content. Besides, it can also be a pursuit of healthy living with a balance in the mental, physical, and social dimensions. So when we're talking about wellness trends, we mean certain habits, practices, or rituals that may help you feel healthier and happier.

Since the pandemic changed our core meaning of "wellness," nowadays, wellness trends reflect a new reality of our habits. Learn more about how people see their helpful habits now, and it could help you alter your daily routines for the better.

Wellness trends of 2023: which one should you try?

Recent years have brought many changes to our lives, but as you know, they're always for the better. New wellness trends appeared in various spheres, including tech devices, nutrition, active rest, and supplementation. Dive in and see how these trends help people go through hard times, improve their well-being, and reach their goals.

Mindful eating is a new post-lockdown miracle

In recent years, we've spent more time at home. So our relationships with the fridge have become tighter - no wonder since you can reach your leftovers and snacks anytime. Although some people gain extra weight because of low activity and frequent eating, this situation creates a wellness trend that benefits you. Meet our first guest - mindful eating! After those long weeks at home, we've no choice but to learn how to eat mindfully, without rushing anywhere. So family dinners are back, with even more warmness and enjoyment than ever before. Besides, mindful eating is helpful for your digestion!

According to Harward's School of Public Health research, mindful eating promotes awareness of your eating experiences and sensations from your body. It helps you focus on the tastes and flavors of the food you're eating, so you're becoming full without overeating. Your stomach produces more digestive acid when you eat mindfully, improving nutrient absorption.

Functional foods as a way to make the most out of meals

When we already have smart homes and cars with AI, why should we opt for less in our nutrition? The craving for more nutrient-dense food spawned a new trend - functional foods. Functional foods are naturally or artificially fortified foods that offer health benefits beyond their nutritional value. The survey claims that 65% of consumers were seeking functional benefits in their food & beverages, and now this number has only increased.

Some popular functional food types include omega-3s, probiotics, and vitamins. Manufacturers usually define them as "a food that provides a health benefit beyond basic nutrition," emphasizing benefits such as blood sugar control or weight loss. Yet, these functional foods can become your savior if you struggle with maintaining a balanced diet. Examples of functional foods could be fortified cereals that include vitamins, vitamin D-enriched milk, and nutrient-rich drinks. Easy to add to your diet, delicious, and nutrient-rich - isn't it a perfect combo?

Stress tracking to keep your mental health in check

With the increased stress from the pandemic and hectic schedules, naturally, more people are more willing to measure their stress levels. That's how stress-tracking - another well-being trend - appeared. With devices like smartwatches, wearables, and stress balls, you can learn how your body responds to stress and discover different stress levels. Besides, these tracking devices can help you understand which activities & routines are more stressful for you than others to manage stress better.

Stress-tracking devices can help you measure mood, fatigue, and recovery, so you'll be more aware of your mental health than ever. This wellness trend could be a real lifesaver since it allows you to detect mental issues like depression before they become too severe.

Forest bathing for de-stress

Finally, people are more prone to flee from the concrete jungle to natural forests! After spending too much time locked in at home, people now understand the value of walks in nature. The related wellness trend, born in Japan, has recently hit the western healthy lifestyle seekers. It's called Shinrin-yoku, which in Japanese means "taking in the forest atmosphere" or forest bathing. It's a practice of taking walks in the forest to reduce stress, improve productivity, and increase creativity.

We can claim forest bathing is more than a trend - it's a practice to support your mental health, and it will stay with us. This simple yet effective wellness ritual can help keep your immunity, enlighten your mood, and reduce your cortisol - the stress hormone - levels. Besides, even a short mindful walk in the forest may help normalize your blood pressure. So maybe it'd be a more worthy option on how to spend your evening instead of watching another series?

Next-Gen wearables to track your wellbeing

With the evolution of tech devices and people's mindfulness of their health, the creation of next-gen wearables was just a matter of time. This trend has already won its place on the market and, more importantly, in many people's hearts. Smart rings that look just like your stylish jewelry can track your heart pressure and monitor your chronic diseases. Stylish fitness wearables sometimes do better than personal coaches, offering personalized workouts and useful tips.

So next-gen wearables are an optimal solution when you enjoy your devices' high usability, stylish look, and useful functions to track your health. So why don't you try it and see if the trend to use next-gen wearables can become your new healthy habit?

Stretching is more vital than ever

Recent years made us rethink the way we live. We chose to adopt a more mindful and intentional approach to exercising. People in remote positions started to feel the new muscle tightness from working on makeshift desks. So we needed a solution, and we've got it - stretching! It will help you achieve much more through fitness than just feeling sore and sweaty after a workout.

So it's more than just a routine to warm up before exercising! The advantages of stretching include:

• Improved posture and sleep.
• Better athletic performance.
• Less risk of injury.
• A clearer mind.

A ten-minute practice can alter your mood for the day and set you up for an energized, productive day.

Mushroom coffee as a new health trick

Mushroom coffee sounds a bit crazy, but don't make quick assumptions. The latest London Coffee Festival has shown that we have way more coffee options than just mochaccino and latte - healthier ones! If you have already imagined a coffee cup with mushroom swimming in it, forget this idea since mushroom coffee works differently. Manufacturers have rolled out their new shot - mushroom coffee mixes that feature blended dried mushrooms combined with grounded coffee.

This coffee includes different types of mushrooms, such as Chaga, Reishi, Lion's Mane, or Cordyceps, packed with nutrients. They can help increase your resilience to stress, add antioxidant protection, and support your overall health. It also helps to regulate your mood to be at peace while sharpening your focus to keep you productive. And the only reminder that your coffee includes mushrooms will be a slightly earthy taste that's delightful. Don't be afraid to try new things - especially if they can help you become healthier!

Adaptogens to fight stress

Meet the new superfoods that are in the spotlight! Adaptogens are known for their stress-busting properties. These substances help your body resist external physical, mental, and environmental stresses that can decrease your immune protection and worsen your mood. They may help by augmenting immunity, impacting the release of cortisol in your body, and boosting your resistance to physical exertion. You can get them as supplements or as a delicious adaptogen drink, like kombucha.

There are plenty of adaptogens you can opt for: turmeric, ginseng, Rhodiola, Chaga mushrooms - and that's just the beginning! Substances in these herbs and botanicals affect your hormones and receptors, bringing balance to your system. Add more of them to your diet and see if your body needs a boost in the fight against stress!

Collagen to save your skin & health

Well, it's hard to find anyone who hasn't heard about collagen. But lately, it was mostly all about beauty creams and hair treatments. Collagen has had a place in the success of skincare brands for years, and now it's coming into the food supplement industry and bridging the wellness-beauty gap. It's hard to underestimate this nutrient's role in supporting our health since it's present in almost every cell of our bodies.

Collagen is a necessary protein that supports the health of our muscles, bones, tendons, and ligaments. But it'd be such a waste to take collagen only in the form of hair or skin treatment! 2023 will put everything in its place, creating a new trend for collagen supplements. They help provide moisture, structure, and elasticity to our skin and joints while making you look great from the outside. Taking collagen supplements may leave your skin glowing and your hair shiny while making your cartilage a little bit more flexible. Add a scoop to your fruit smoothie or coffee to power your body and shine!

High-protein snacks to replace your junky ones

 

We barely balanced our approach to food nutrients before. Carbs have been taboo for years, and fiber has been the 'solution' to all your problems. It's about time protein got some love too! The first thing to consider is that protein is helpful, not just for athletes to grow muscles. It's also a long-term energy source to keep you active throughout the day. Besides, protein is essential to keep your bones, joints, and cartilage strong and healthy. It digests slowly, so it's also a great solution to keep you full for a long time.

But the main issue of taking the protein is that it's mainly available as a powder, which isn't so convenient to use when you're on the go. Our trendy-rich 2023 will change that - introducing high-protein snacks! Do you love grabbing Mars or Snickers bars to refuel your body? Now you can do it way healthy since the brand started to produce these snacks in high-protein and low-sugar options. So you'll get the taste you enjoyed since childhood while your body gets the protein it craves. A total win-win trend, huh?

Personalized supplements subscriptions

Probably the most tiring thing about supplements is to stick to the right dosage and pick what you need to get. Keeping all these things in your memory is almost impossible. Luckily, upcoming trends are mostly about making our lives easier (and healthier, of course). So now, instead of messing around with pill boxes, dosages, and different supplement bottles, you can subscribe to a personalized supplement plan! When subscribed to such a supplement plan, you'll receive a box with daily supplement packs adjusted to your body's needs. You don't need to pick supplements or worry about the dosage; grab your daily packet and enjoy the effect! Suppose you'll take a quiz and tell about your weight, age, and allergies. In that case, your supplement package will perfectly fit all your unique requirements while targeting your desired goals. Well, how not to love these trends when they make life so easy?

Immunity supporting massage

What can be more excellent than a combo of relaxing rituals with health support? Recently, social media started to boom with trends that can make you relaxed, happy, and healthy. So immunity supporting massage isn't an exception! Massage effects include:

• Improving lymphatic, circulatory, and hormonal systems
• Regulating your nervous system
• Reducing joint pain
• Fixing poor posture and alleviating other pains.

Lymphatic drainage, invented by a Danish physician, is a gentle massage technique that helps move the lymph fluid around the body and remove toxins. It will help you keep all your body energized, power up your immunity, and reduce swelling in your limbs. Now you can call it a trend because post-covid syndrome and a sedentary lifestyle made more people turn to this kind of massage. As you can see, 2023 will bring so many wellness trends to our life, with some of them staying with us forever. Now it's up to you - see which trends correspond to your needs & goals and try them to make your life easier (and, of course, healthier).

Resources:

• How has the pandemic changed our behavior? (2022)
• Mindful Eating (2022)
• Functional Food Ingredients Global Market Report 2022 (2022)
• The physiological effects of Shinrin-yoku (taking in the forest atmosphere or forest bathing): evidence from field experiments in 24 forests across Japan (2009)
• Mushroom Coffee: Should You Be Drinking It? (2020)