Making Sense of "Wellness"

Moringa? Nootropics? Collagen Peptides? These are some of the biggest trends that are hitting the wellness scene for 2018. To be honest, they sound more like they could be street names for a new line of psychedelic drugs.

So what do you need to know about these trends and more importantly, should you even care? If you are a strong, independent person who lusts for good health and fitness, a cohesive and empowering community, and a clean environment, the answer is yes.

The world of wellness is changing and it’s changing fast. So whether you’re just beginning to explore what it means to live well or you’re already well versed in the industry, chances are you’re feeling overwhelmed. However, I’ve found that there are three simple underlying themes to all the trends that have emerged: clean mind and body, clean relationships, and clean environment.

CLEAN MIND AND BODY

It seems almost impossible these days to avoid images on the Internet of young millennials wearing yoga pants and drinking smoothies, or of lifestyle/food bloggers promoting the newest superfoods like turmeric. What gives?

The explosion of these kinds of social media posts is bolstered by an underlying concept: self-care. If you haven’t heard this term yet, get used to it because 2018 is the year of self-care. The move towards a clean mind and body are key players in self-care, which simply put, describes any activity that boosts your mental health and physical health.

Yes, for some individuals that does mean getting a yoga session in and following it with an acai bowl. But self-care is more than getting a great picture for the ‘gram. It’s about creating the happiest space for you on a daily basis. For me personally, my daily self-care routine is the one hour I spend at the gym in the morning where I can focus all my energy on myself.

CLEAN RELATIONSHIPS

It’s no secret that our society is drastically changing the way we look at others. From the women’s movement to accepting the diversity that exists in America, we as a country are slowly working to foster clean relationships amongst each other no matter how difficult the process. Still, a clean relationship with yourself is probably the toughest relationship you’ll ever have to build. Luckily there are ways to improve your ability to love yourself. I’ve found that the most effective way of achieving a healthy relationship with myself is by saying “bye Felicia” to all the toxic relationships that exist in my life and instead surrounding myself with other badass individuals that support and empower me. I realize this is easier said than done, but those “other badass individuals” are usually pretty awesome at helping through the process of cutting ties with the people you don’t need to have ties to.

CLEAN ENVIRONMENT

Let’s face it; our global environment isn’t doing so great. From climate change to air pollution to the decreasing availability of our Earth’s natural resources, Mother Nature is struggling and the human race is totally to blame for it. Now we have the chance to right our wrongs, both in the interest of preserving our planet and of keeping ourselves healthy, by staying aware of our environmental impact. These include simple tasks such as being mindful of whether companies you purchase items from sell eco-friendly products, composting and recycling, walking or biking instead of driving, or planting a small garden. This can benefit your overall wellness and Mother Nature’s too.

Of all the trends that have emerged this year, not one of them evades these three themes. The world of wellness is being centered on the idea that to live well, we need to work on ourselves from the inside out and wellness for the rest of the world will follow.

“Nisha Patel is a marketing professional in the health and wellness industry and has a strong passion for fitness. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology from the University of Maryland, College Park and is currently pursing her MBA. She lives in Washington, D.C. where she enjoys touring local distilleries and exploring for new running trails. Her life’s mission is to find the world’s best cup of espresso.”

Find Nisha on Instagram HERE!