9 WELLNESS TRENDS THAT COULD ACTUALLY CHANGE YOUR LIFE

The global wellness industry is currently worth $4.5 trillion, and there certainly hasn’t been a shortage of wellness trends that have come and gone over the last decade.

Breathing is one of the most basic and unconscious functions of life, and yet the mind-body health benefits of deep, diaphragmatic breathing are profound. Breath-work is an old practice, but it’s growing in popularity because of the power it has to improve your state of mind, even throughout the most stressful times. 

With as little as 5 minutes a day, breath-work can shift your awareness and transform your life. In addition to simply taking deeper breaths through the day, there are several different breath-work practices that alter your breathing patterns to modulate brain activity, putting practitioners of this effective wellness trend into a state of healing.

Not only can breath-work help you get back into your body to experience grounding, peace and clarity, there is also the potential for huge psychological breakthroughs with this practice.

Intuitive eating could actually change your life

By now, most of us are fed up with diet culture, so it makes sense that intuitive eating is on the rise. This wellness trend throws all the ‘rules’ of healthy eating out the window so that we can decide what, when, and how much to eat by listening to our own body's unique needs and natural cues. 

This anti-diet may be one of the most popular nutrition trends in 2020 - and about time! It’s based on listening to your body for physical cues like hunger and satiety, as well as your daily energy levels and moods. There are many proven benefits for your physical and mental wellbeing, from improving your metabolism and lowering stress, to boosting your body image and self-esteem.

A welcome change from adhering to unnatural, external goals like calorie-counting and aesthetics, intuitive eating could actually change your life. Will 2020 be the year you focus on how you feel and what your body needs so that you can build a healthy and sustainable relationship with food?

Although sleep tracking has been one of the most popular wellness trends in recent years, circadian health optimisation is beginning to take over. This new wellness trend involves adjusting your daily schedules, diet and environment to sync with your body’s natural rhythms. 

Whether you’re a night owl or an early bird is known as your chronotype, and your genetics play a part in determining this natural tendency. Since our sleep routines have such a big impact on our health and productivity, circadian health optimisation can easily make up for the limitations and potential problems associated with sleep tracking. 

In addition to your sleep patterns, your circadian rhythm influences many bodily functions, including your hormones, digestion, body temperature and eating habits. In the coming years, we’ll see more rhythm-friendly lighting, personalised jet lag plans and intermittent fasting, among the rise of other circadian solutions.

Amidst the recent outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic, ways to stay well from the safety of your own home are more welcome than ever! Self-myofascial release (SMFR) is a form of self-massage that uses equipment such as foam rollers, lacrosse balls, and trigger point wands.

Not only is SMFR accessible and time-saving, but it can also help you feel more open, free and energised as a result of the increased blood flow to your muscles. It’s a quick and easy way to reverse the damage caused by too much sitting, but it’s also a great way to reduce pain and tension, improve muscle function, and even boost your exercise performance. 

Self-myofascial release (SMFR) is a ticket to physical and mental relaxation through increased parasympathetic activity, but it can also facilitate better emotional awareness and connection with your inner Self. In other words, giving yourself a massage can help you get in touch with your deepest, often suppressed emotions, which is one of the most healing things any of us can do.

Hippocrates, the father of medicine, famously said, “all disease begins in the gut.’ Although he didn’t know about bacteria or the gut microbiome in 400B.C, he did know that taking care of your gut was the key to good health.

While the Hippocratic view of health and disease certainly isn’t a new wellness trend, getting to know your gut microbiome is a fairly new concept. Since discovering that we’re far more bacteria than we are human, and that most of this bacteria lives in our stomach intestines and colon, many products and protocols have popped up with the intention of restoring balance to the gut.

Gut health is one of the most legit, science-backed wellness trends there is, so be sure to order your Sarah’s Day Body Bloom and get on board if you haven’t already!

Your ability to clearly communicate what you want in life directly relates to the success of your relationships and your emotional wellbeing. Conscious communication skills aren’t something we’re born with, so we must deliberately learn as we go.

Conscious communication is not only essential for a thriving romantic relationship, but it also applies to business relationships, co-workers, friends, family and children. It’s all about being present with the people in your life and making it easy to meet each other's needs. It takes some extra mindfulness and effort, but the positive outcomes make it so worthwhile.

Here’s are some basic principles of conscious communication you can use when you’re upset:

• Objectively identify and describe the event that triggered your emotional upset.
• Take responsibility for your feelings, but avoid using terms that reinforce a sense of victimhood. Instead, express sensations such as sadness, jealously or frustration.
• Identify what you need that you are not receiving, rather than expect people to know what you need automatically.
• Ask for what you want in the form of a request, rather than a demand.  

Use body language that says you’re open to dialogue and other ways of thinking.

Make some time to switch off and reconnect with the real world

How would you describe your relationship with social media? If you frequently find yourself aimlessly scrolling social media, the next step in your wellness journey may be a digital detox. 

Self-care and wellbeing could be just one tech-free day away, so make some time to switch off and reconnect with the real world. It’s not just about spending less time on your phone; it’s about spending more time on your life.

These days it almost feels as though we’re expected to stay connected to devices and technology all day, every day. This trend is all about using technology to create healthy boundaries and encourage mindful usage, and you’ll be amazed by what it can do for your mind, body, and soul. 

So - here are a few tips for improving your digital wellness: 

• Commit to a disciplined morning routine to focus your mind and move your body before checking your phone. 
• Get an old-fashioned ‘dumb’ watch for checking the time.
• Charge your phone outside the bedroom and use an alarm clock instead. 
• Put your phone on flight mode and spend at least an hour each day doing something that brings you joy.
• Pick up a physical book to read, and write with pen and paper.

There’s been a big shift if the way women view their period, from an embarrassing monthly nuisance to a powerful natural cycle that can offer wisdom and insights into our overall health and wellbeing. 

Good riddance to the days when periods where discussed in secret! There’s an emerging wellness trend focused on the sacredness, creativity, and wisdom embedded in the feminine monthly cycle, as well as how to harness its power. 

Throughout the month, women experience fluctuations in energy levels, while a physical and physiological cleansing takes place during menstruation. Listening to our bodies through these changes and honouring our natural processes can help us tune in to our lives. When we do tune in, we can recognise anything that is out of balance and bring it back into harmony with our highest selves.

Exercise is great for your physical and mental health, but like anything in life, there's potential to overdo it. Without enough rest and recovery during a workout, as well as between workouts, we’re at risk of overtraining. 

As overtraining can have an extremely negative impact on your mind, body and soul, getting amongst the rising fitness recovery trend really can change your life for the better. 

Taking your rest and recovery seriously leads to better hormonal balance, faster progress with your fitness, reduced risk of injury, better mental health and a more sustainable fitness journey. 

There has never been a better time to change your life for the better, and this list has you covered for a healthy mind, body and soul. Unlike many of the hyped-up fads we’ve seen over the last decade, these 9 wellness trends are here to stay for one reason; they really do improve your health and wellbeing!