How are we trying to keep healthy and well in 2023? Wellness seems a consistent goal for many of us, as we attempt to place our physical and mental health front and centre. Here are some fitness, mental health, and dietary trends you can expect to see as we head into the new year.
Walking
There’s been a rise in the popularity of lower intensity workouts as many of us realise that we don’t need to push ourselves to the brink of exhaustion when we exercise in order to stay healthy. In line with this has been our rediscovery of one of man’s most simple forms of exercise (and transportation): walking. While many of us enjoyed the benefits of walking during the pandemic, this form of exercise has only grown in popularity, with various walking trends springing up on TikTok (think #hotgirlwalk or #stupidwalkchallenge). Whatever motivates you to get those 10 000 daily steps in, it’s true that walking holds benefits for both mind and body, plus it’s free, easy and convenient, plus gentle on the body too.
Mindful drinking
From dry January to ‘sober curiosity’, there’s no doubt that there’s been a mainstream shift in how we approach alcohol consumption. Drinking less, but enjoying it more, seems to be the order of the day now – and there are many reasons for people choosing to do this. Whether it’s the way alcohol disrupts your sleep, how it gets in the way of your fitness plans, or whether you simply cannot handle a hangover anymore – we’re becoming less judgemental about how and what people choose to drink, if they even drink at all. These days, the alcoholic-free drinks category is flourishing: think delicious mocktails, non-alcoholic gin and tonic mixers, plus alcohol-free beers and wine.
Early dinners
5pm dinners used to be the reserve of toddlers and pensioners, but many people are now linking earlier dinners to improved weight loss and better sleep. The Guardian and the NY Times recently reported on this ‘early dinner’ trend, based on findings from a Harvard medical study which investigated why eating larger meals later in the day leads to higher rates of obesity, lower energy and increased hunger levels generally. With more of us working from home these days and not having to spend hours getting home in long commutes, we have all the opportunities to get prepared and give early suppers a try.
Phone-free
Taking social media breaks and disconnecting from technology regularly is not only calming, but also a very real form of self-care. Putting your phone on airplane or do-not-disturb mode for periods during the day or in the evening, muting social media notifications and reverting to real life clocks in the bedroom (and banishing your phone next to your bed) are all measures we’ve been taking to safeguard our health and sanity. If you’d like to access other mental health resources, Fedhealth now offers free access to the Panda app, where you can read educational material and get a better understanding of your current mental health status.
Supporting local
The pandemic isolated us all to a certain degree, from the literal isolation during lockdowns, to the reduction in things like trade, where countries and communities were all forced to shop local and be more self-sufficient. Nearly three years on, this trend isn’t going anywhere. From supporting our local family-run coffee shop, to buying vegetables from the farmer at the market, to heading back to the owner-run gym on the corner – we’re all aware how small businesses in our neighbourhood need our support, and we’re happy to give it. Going forward, we should see a continued focus on the importance of supporting local, instead of handing over our hard-earned cash to global conglomerates, without a thought to who will benefit.
Whether it’s becoming more mindful about our social media use, cutting back on alcohol or eating dinner earlier, wellness trends seem to be about slowing down, reprioritising what’s important to us and cultivating a sense of balance. As we move into 2023, let’s hope we can shift towards a happier and healthier society overall, as a result of the challenges of the past few years and all we’ve learned in the process.
