Small changes can add up to big differences in quality of life, but what happens when the nature of those small changes themselves is in a state of flux? In recent years things like wearable tech, the rise of plant-based diets and a greater emphasis on heading to the gym have all changed the face of health and wellness. But what’s driving it all?
To give you a better idea of the state of play, we’re going to talk through some of the key changes and how they’re taking shape.
One of the most notable shifts in recent years has been the move away from calorie counting and cutting out fat and sugar at all costs. A great example is the paleo diet which claims to get adopters back to their roots in a truly authentic way. Another prime example would be the keto diet — something that appears to fly in the face of more traditional weight loss theory.
The interesting thing here is that rather than being seen as a temporary necessary evil to lose weight, these new waves of diets are more billed as lifestyle choices. Followers are keen to keep them up and post regularly about them on social media. This is a rather interesting behavioral change that would have been hard to predict a decade ago. As well as being a change in the way we act, diet is fast becoming something people are proud to stick to. Binging on junk food on the weekend is being replaced by scheduled cheat meals that are designed to reward staying the course by providing a way to let off steam.
Another fascinating behavioral change is the way in which a growing number of people approach sleep. While we typically spend a third of our lives doing it, many people throughout history have seen surviving on minimal sleep as some form of badge of honor. You only have to look at the rise of the FitBit sleep tracker, and people like Jeff Bezos saying they prioritize sleep, to see that this is falling out of fashion. It may not be the status quo quite yet, but paying attention to your sleep health is growing in popularity.
There’s also a growing trend for people to talk more openly about their exercise and be open about the way it makes them feel. You only have to look at Instagram to see millions of people embarking on early morning runs and gym workouts with the aim of ‘anchoring’ their day to see what we’re talking about here. The idea that you can use exercise to improve your wellness, as well as your core fitness, is very much in the mainstream in a way that it wasn’t by any means 25 years ago. Now exercise and regular training are seen as essential components of a balanced lifestyle, not just something that only the super fit need to do.
The manner in which social media and the collective awareness of the masses is driving new behaviors in the health and wellness spheres is a truly fascinating development. On any given day there are hashtags going viral which urge as many people as possible to do something good or take action in a specific way. Simple things like getting people to do one positive thing a day so they feel good about themselves really help feed into the collective drive to help others.
Look on your Twitter feed and you’ll find positive messages that nudge people to do anything from run an errand for an elderly neighbor or provide a listening ear for an anxiety, to helping a problem gambler to reconnect with what really matters in life. This is a great example of the way in which the face of health and wellness has been rapidly transformed by the interconnectivity and constant feedback of social media.
In the years ahead it will be enlightening to watch these trends grow and evolve, and to see the next generation take them on in their own unique way. One thing is for sure, by being able to get people talking and connecting, the online world is a key driver in the growth of health and wellness awareness.