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2021 is the year for redefining self-care. Our emotional, mental, and spiritual needs mean a lot more to us today than they did a year back.

The wellness industry is a peaceful elephant in our midst that cannot be ignored anymore. According to the Global Wellness Institute, only the Meditation and Mindfulness industry globally is valued at $2.9 billionwhilst the Global Wellness Economy is valued at a whopping $4.5 trillion. The importance of "wellness" in our life simply cannot be ignored.

Lee Whyberd, Founder of Lee Wellness Meditation Centre in the UAE, Energy Healer and Holistic Life Coach shares five wellness trends to watch out for in 2021.

Wellness Anywhere

2020 saw the trillion-dollar industry swiftly transform and gain momentum, virtually. Wellness is more than just an appointment squeezed into a busy day.47% of Americans surveyed attended a wellness event or experience last year—and 55% want to attend at least one this year. Late 2020 and now in 2021 we are seeing more people engaged in understanding the value of time and wellness therefore preferring virtual sessions of wellness in particular hypnotherapy, guidance readings, life coaching, meditation and breath-work sessions. Educational workshops, sensory immersion retreats, and other events that tie in multiple dimensions of wellness will be in huge demand.Learning and practicing wellness has instantly become a popular trend that can be practiced anywhere, and anytime.

Corporate Awareness

Corporates have shifted their focus from hiring by numbers to increase productivity to hiring quality employees and offering them training, enhancing their skills, now asking them to be creative, discussing mental health and emotional well-being issues, implementing ergonomic schemes at work and having corporate wellness days. A recent research conducted by MEED revealed that Middle East companies saw a return of investment by 300% on the amount spent on employee wellness programs. At the same time, according to APA study, 9 in 10 workers say they feel more motivated at their job if their leaders support well-being efforts.Employees are naturally becoming loyal to businesses, lovingly contributing to work and businesses are seeing steady and organic growth through corporate wellness schemes.

Mental Awareness

The shift hasnow happened from Mental Health to Mental Awareness as most of us are reading and understanding our bodies, habits and beliefs. Individuals are now keen to understand the issues in theirbodies and minds rather than relying on the temporary, easy solution of just taking prescribed medication. We are finally asking the right questions of "why is this happening" and " what is the cause". This is leading to an increasingly popular trend of people becoming focused on meditation, hypnotherapy, life coaching and even simple exercise to pro-actively take control of being mindful and being aware. According to a research by NCBI, mindfulness meditation may enhance visuospatial processing, working memory, and executive functioning and can reduce symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder 73% of the time.

Health and Nutrition

We have seen an increasing trend in individuals prioritizing eating plans that are simpler and more sustainable for themselves, our communities, and the planet.Our food choices in 2021 will be all about alignment—nutrition that aligns with our individual health needs, and food choices that align with values like sustainability and racial and economic equality. As we move towards trends like eating organic food, we are also seeing another increasingly popular trend where we are now focusing on growing our own fruits and vegetables in our backyard and engaging in healthy home composting processes to help contribute whatever little we can towards healing the earth and delaying the process of ozone depletion. Neighbourhoods are now focusing on plastic-free lifestyles, clean eating and developing nutrition focused menus for daily home consumption. Businesses like super-markets are also creating “green drives” fostering a non-plastic living model.

Hygiene and Cleanliness

In 2020, our homes became our sanctuaries—and our offices, gyms, classrooms, and so much more. Say goodbye to cluttered homes, unwashed clothes or dirty hands as we have now been trained for a good part of a whole year to frequently sanitise our belongings, keep our bodies clean and homes hygienically clutter-free. This has forced many to inculcate good habits which necessarily were not imbued in us due to tranquil living in the millennial era.In 2021, we will see individuals find creative ways to foster their wellness at home by maximizing comfort and flexibility.

If there is anything that these 5 upcoming wellness trends have taught us, is innovation is key and the only constant is change.