5 Wellness Trends for 2022
I love looking at wellness trends, and if you’ve read this blog for a while or know me, you probably know I’ve tried my fair share over the years. Some I’ve kept up with and others have just fallen to the wayside or weren’t for me. With the start of the new year, I thought I would take a look around at what some experts were saying would be the next big thing this year. I saw everything from vitamins to mushrooms, and sometimes I saw some trends I just couldn’t believe anyone would get behind. That said, wellness trends aren’t for everyone and to me, are more of a reflection of where one stands on their own journey to better health - mind, body, and soul. Meaning, I may not rush to mushrooms anytime soon but a more curated vitamin experience might be just the ticket to treating what ails me.
Of course, I am no expert on mental or physical health. The following is not intended to be advice of any kind, but rather just my thoughts on five trends I think are cool and worth examining in 2022.
Full Moon Baths
When reading that you may think complete mumbo jumbo and honestly, when I first read about it I thought so too. As someone who nearly set their bathroom on fire a couple of years ago doing a Moon Cycle ritual, I completely get the appeal. The moon has an impact on a lot of what we do and gives us an opportunity to draw in what we need and release what we don’t through the various cycles. One thing the moon impacts is our sleep patterns and during the full moon, we spend less time in deep sleep. Bathing during a full moon, we can restore the much-needed energy that is taking over. While it may sound like you need to take a bath outside in the moonlight, apparently that isn’t necessarily the case. According to experts, just any time spent relaxing in the bath can have a big impact.
Mindful Workouts
Every day you’ll find me busting my butt at the gym, but after the last couple of years, the trend in workouts has gone to being more mindful. Workouts that are more low impact and intentional like yoga, tai chi, and pilates. Workouts that focus on breathing, stretching, and the like to help manage stress. I absolutely love a good pilates workout or doing yoga when I get a chance. Over the pandemic, after a brisk walk outside I would always finish my workout with a virtual pilates class or yoga practice. Everything I’ve read about this trend makes it seem pretty simple. Any activity that is mindful from a walk outside or any of the listed activities counts and can reduce stress while leading to better well-being.
Photo by Max van den Oetelaar on Unsplash
Focus on Breathing
This one kinda goes in line with more mindful workouts but goes one step further. This one involves either using apps or techniques to meditate and focus on the activity of breathing. Activities like the 4-7-8 method which I’ve used during therapy sessions to help with my emotional states. Essentially you breathe in for a count of 4, hold it for a count of 7, and breathe out for a count of 8. It helps me focus more on what I’m doing at the moment rather than letting my mind run rampant with unfortunate thoughts or anxious feelings. Some meditation apps have specific practices that focus on breathing and teach the user how to use the activity in times of need. There are even tools and apps to help with breathing practices that relax the body and use science to gauge heart rate and more.
Crystals + Energy Readings
I’ve never been shy about owning a couple of crystals (which I got in Sedona on a retreat) or being bombarded with tarot card readings while endlessly scrolling Tiktok (and every once in a while I always wanted them to be legit). I’ve even had my aura reading and real tarot cards read a couple of times (all eerily correct in some way) so it’s not really a surprise this is one of my favorite 2022 trends. Although I will say you won’t see me running out to get a crystal-infused yoga mat any time soon. Crystals absorb positive energy, expel negative energy and help protect from certain things depending on which stone or crystal you’ve chosen. Energy readings differ from tarot card readings in not only symbols and imagery, but they don’t “predict” the future. Instead, energy readings focus on issues and situations currently happening in one’s life and help them to access the inner tools one has to deal with or reflect on the situation.
Photo by Jonas Leupe on Unsplash
Virtual Therapy
I am happy to say this was one of my main goals for 2022 and I hope that many others join me, trend or not. With the slew of apps, websites, and healthcare providers offering more virtual therapy it’s become even easier to take part. Not just easier but it’s helping to normalize the practice. Just as we pay for gym memberships or streaming services we should also be investing in our mental health. The pandemic severely began shining a light into some thought processes, unhealthy behaviors, and experiences I should start to manage better - and I’m sure I’m not the only one that has happened to. Luckily, there are just so many different options and new ones appearing every day it’s become easier to find the perfect match depending on one’s needs and budget.