Wellness is something that’s been on all our minds lately. In an ever-changing world that continues to throw new curveballs, society has pushed back with a mission to prioritize health in every sense of the word. Here are some of the physical, mental, and spiritual wellness trends we’ve got our eyes on for 2021.
Digital Cleanse
So-called “digital detoxes” have been en vogue even since before the pandemic. But since the stay-at-home lifestyle came about, sometimes our only portal to the world feels like the digital one. Now more than ever, it’s so important to manage digital input. While the affordances of social media have the ability to connect us to each other, digital input can quickly become overwhelming, isolating, and exhausting. In their Almost 30 podcast, wellness experts Krista Williams and Lindsey Simcik advocate for consciously setting boundaries: “A digital detox can be devoting a week, weekend, or even just a day to living without your phone, social media, and TV.” Taking the time to put your devices away, setting screen time limits, or temporarily deleting certain apps can go a long way in reconnecting with the present moment.
Augmented Tech Use
While digital cleanses are a straightforward way to provide tech-life balance, augmented tech use is a newer trend that addresses our needs to still interface with our electronics in a more mindful way. To combat fatigue and burnout, but still keep the practicality of staying plugged in, we look to the trend of using software extensions and accessories to improve our user experiences. This can be as simple as buying blue-light glasses to preserve vision and optical health, using adjustable or standing desks to improve our posture, and switching to ergonomic home office chairs. In terms of browser extensions we’ve been looking out for, apps like Oasis and Fresh Air offer guided wellness reminders every time you open a new tab.
Intuitive Eating
Dieting trends rise and fall away like the seasons. In 2021, a practice that we see outlasting temporary fads and trends is the practice of intuitive eating. Rather than quick fixes or monolithic ingredient binges, intuitive eating is a gentle approach to nutrition — it’s a patient and attentive process of listening to your body and understanding its unique needs. In an interview with Kitchn, certified dietician and eating counselor Christy Harrison explains, “I always say that intuitive eating is the default mode, the way we’re born knowing how to eat, before diet culture and its fatphobic and food-phobic beliefs take hold and mess up our relationships with food and our bodies.” Rather than a ‘miracle’ trend, intuitive eating is meant to be a natural state of honoring your hunger, forgoing calorie-counting for a healthy means of fullness.
Health Starts at Home
While self-care routines have been in the spotlight for the past couple of years, we’ve kept an eye on the growing popularity of “home-care.” The environmental equivalent to self-care, curating physically and spiritually comfortable living spaces has skyrocketed in importance after being under shelter-in-place orders. While residents of The Harrison already have aesthetics nailed down with posh interiors and luxury finishes, a way to take home health further is to invest in embellishments that meet spiritual needs. Decking out relaxation spaces with plantlife to clear the air, warm aromas from candles, cool scents from diffusers, and healing crystals are all popular ways to lean into home health. Ambient lighting setups also sets the mood of home health as well.
Proactive and Preventative: Herbalism
Western medicine as we know it tends to be treatment-oriented and finding curative drugs after the health issue surfaces. Lately, with health and safety on the mind, folks are looking more towards Eastern medicinal approaches of preventative treatments and overall immunity-boosting herbalism. Eastern medicine is very holistic — rather than focusing on treating illness pharmaceutical drugs, preventative practice builds immunity by emphasizing stretching and exercise, sleep and rest, and body-fortifying supplements like ginseng, turmeric and spirulina.
Wellness Travel
Looking towards the latter half of 2021 and beyond, once people are able to safely trot the globe once again, we foresee an uptick in wellness-focused travel. Travelers will be seeking more retreat-oriented trips to trek in natural splendor, meditate in gorgeous locations and soak in world-famous hot springs. While the word “travel” may evoke international sentiments, many will grasp opportunities for wellness tourism in their own locales. For residents of The Harrison, getting ahead of this trend is as simple as taking advantage of the building’s five-star amenities at your fingertips and venturing into the countless nature-steeped locales of the Bay Area.
