Wellness And Our Fabric Of Life
According to various publications, the wellness industry has grown over the last few years at a rate of 7-10% annually, and since it is generating billions of dollars, it arouses a great deal of interest in the various areas related to it.
“Wellness” is one of the trendy words we learned to roll over our tongue, but I’m not sure we know exactly what this mega-trend truly means.
Wellness is part of every aspect of our lives, and I will try to define it here in a slightly more precise way.
We may begin by noting that it is a refined and tightened variation on the concept of being “green.” Essentially, it translates to “green for those who do not live in mud houses.”
Today, being green has received a slightly more approachable interpretation also to those who live in the city. Being green has broken from the boundaries of the basic definition and expanded, becoming a broad philosophy that also includes the soul. A calm soul enables a convenient and comfortable mental climate that can be merged with the materialistic world as well. Green is a balanced, calmer, and saner lifestyle, in areas culinary, artistic, fashion, and home. We are more aware and more self-conscious; we do not want to waste water and electricity, discard leftover food, pollute, or consume toxins. The community is more important to us than before.
I don’t waste water—not merely because I’m paying a lower bill, but because the environment, the natural resource, is important to me. The data about global warming and the disasters it portends are not new to us. The change is that we start to feel them more and more—severe waves of rain, a significant increase in fires, all the radical climate changes that inspire the wellness trend. Once the situation becomes noticeable and reduces our life quality, we operate.
The textile and fashion industries have considerable power and influence; soon enough, more and more companies will become sustainable, and we will feel the change in our lives in a more meaningful way. Companies like H&M and Zara, seen as leading the change in the fashion industry, are committed to adopting more sustainable production. In the home design market, as well,
design companies like IKEA are beginning to introduce a growing variety of recycled products; a kitchen made of recycled bottles is one prime example.
The online revolution and social networks have changed behavioral codes and the rhythm of life. The pace is faster in all areas: in the way information and messages pass through, we read less, we watch more, we use Emojis instead of writing words, and there is a feeling that if we stop, the train will pass and leave us behind. Besides, the world of sharing information changes our concept of “intruders;” we see our friends from the office documenting vacations, happy smiles, happiness in exaggerated doses, and more. This process empties us because it makes us consumers who are busy outwardly, while we forget to look on the inside.
If we make an interim summary we have every reason to be in stress; we inhale contaminated air, the next summer will probably be warmer than this one, and when we open Instagram we will always see people who are more beautiful and happier than we are. It seems at this point we want to retire, and this is exactly where wellness comes to balance us. Wellness aims to balance and connect physical health to the sense of personal wellbeing, and everything that may contribute to this kind of wellbeing is considered: a healthy diet, exercise and relaxation, a wide range of wellness-related consumer products, and architectural perceptions that vary respectively. The Millennial generation seeks to acquire products from companies that have social and environmental value. All studies show a connection to value and meaning, and this is typical WELLNESS behavior. If I know H&M manufactures sustainably, I would prefer to purchase a product they offer.
In this context, the patriotic value of purchasing products from local industry is another value that is important for the younger generation. Beyond being an important trend, WELLNESS is a spirit, or, if you prefer, a new balance. It balances the consumption of food, our work-life balance, and the selected products that define us. WELLNESS is linked to the health trends, the nontoxic, the comforting, and has a hand in every trend that informs our lifestyle. We are experiencing one of humanity’s most fascinating episodes today—more than the transition from watching black-and-white to color, or from riding horses to motorized vehicles. Humanity is undergoing an essential change, and that is why, in the coming years, we will experience a deeper sense of wellness within our fabric of life.
