Is busy-ness avoidance? The threat of rest.
Rest is entirely counter-cultural. When status is correlated to the extent of our busy-ness, and the ‘being in demand’ dopamine hit feeds our attachment to busy, it’s natural that consciously choosing to rest - proper rest - would feel like a guilty secret.
Exploring busy-ness as a survival strategy of avoidance
What’s your relationship to rest? For a moment, close your eyes and contemplate: “what does rest mean to me?”
I’m interested in your initial reaction to that. Even now - after years of trying to unpick this go-to reaction - rest can still feel like a cop-out, an indicator of the weaker of the species, a failing. It’s a visceral reaction, a prickle of shame. Have you ever had that rare moment of putting your feet up with a hot cuppa, only for someone to arrive home early and you spring to your feet to make yourself look busy? I can definitely put my hands up to that one. And sitting down in the daytime, well, that’s a whole other level of shame!
Rest is entirely counter-cultural.
Even our downtime can have a productive undertone to it - #NetflixAndChill binge-watching, catch-up, on-demand, FOMO on the latest pop culture hit of the moment. So unfamiliar, rest can feel hugely confronting.
When status is correlated to the extent of our busy-ness, and the ‘being in demand’ dopamine hit feeds our attachment to busy, it’s natural that consciously choosing to rest - proper rest - would feel like a guilty secret.
But busy-ness can also be an act of avoidance - a survival strategy of the nervous system.
Slowing down creates space. Slowing down creates a quietening. With space and quiet, what’s been resisted is heard and felt.
I see the practice of yin yoga as a mirror to this.
Yin yoga invites a slow, soft and still practice. There’s often a moment of ‘what now?’ for people new to this style, their busy mind searching for (craving, even) the next thing to do…. In yin yoga, the only ‘to do’ is to be. No pose to ‘achieve’ outwardly - with eyes often closed or gaze lowered, attention is drawn to the internal landscape - and that can be a disorienting and, for some, scary place to be.
If keeping busy, striving and escapism have been a survival strategy, then slowing down (even slightly) can feel like a very real threat to the sense of self. The nervous system will, of course, respond to that - fight, flight, freeze or fawn.
That internal response - of threat - may be so subtle or habitual that it’s barely even noticable - more of an impulse to move back to the ‘safety’ of the known (the ‘doing’) rather than an overt reaction. Coming back to the micro view of a yin yoga class, it creates an opportunity to notice - emotions, thoughts, any impulses and behaviour. In a moment of stillness, what is noticed? What happens on the mat will reflect what happens off the mat too.
As I write this, we’ve just observed the clock changes here in the UK, shifting us into the darker months. Nature has shifted to a season of hibernation and replenishment. A reminder that we too can be ‘wintering’, tending to the roots ready for more growth and blossoming ahead.
While a whole season of hibernation isn’t realistic, moments of tending to your roots can be. If an hour’s yin yoga class feels too slow, too confronting, micro-moments to pause can begin to build this muscle of rest - one that is essential to wellbeing and connection, both to others and to our truest self.
Tell me, what slow and mindful act can bring you a micro-moment of pause today? I’d love to know what that is for you…
“In an age of acceleration, nothing can be more exhilarating than going slow. And in an age of distraction, nothing is so luxurious as paying attention. And in an age of constant movement, nothing is so urgent as sitting still.” - Pico Iyer
2021 Wellbeing Trend Report
2021 wellbeing trend report that takes an overview of the themes affecting us, predicts the top five trends to affect the wellbeing space, and offers tips on how to incorporate the trends into your lifestyle.
Welcome to the wellbeing trend report for 2021. I’ll start with a quick overview of the big themes (can you guess?) and then introduce my top 5 predictions of how these will affect the wellbeing space in 2021. Each trend will summarise the ‘big picture’, anticipate where the trend might lead and offer a simple tip to incorporate the trend into your lifestyle.
{15-minute read: settle in with a cuppa}
“Man makes plans… and God laughs.” Well, that was certainly true of 2020 - a year of massive change to our priorities, to how we work, to how we socialise (or not, as it turned out) . I’m sure you don’t need reminding. And, it’s my belief that there’s more change to come.
I’ve been discovering and studying and practising a variety of healing modalities since my early twenties and this little ‘toolkit’ of mine became a lifeline last year. At a time when things continue to change rapidly on a global scale, taking care of our individual wellbeing will, I hope, move higher up the priority list to become small acts integrated into daily routine instead of token ‘self-care’ - as much a part of the daily routine as personal hygiene.
2021, I feel, will be a year when many of the centralised structures adapt. Last year opened my eyes to the reality that we’ve given away responsibility for our health to the medical community, the education of our children to the school system, and left our finances in the hands of banks. Trust has been lost in government and media. As individuals we need to have more input and take greater responsibility for our part.
Last year was the initial shock, the eye opener. The aftershocks will see some structures begin to fracture, as the foundations we’ve stood confidently upon, possibly obliviously, are shaken even further. I expect there to be collective anger and sadness and the ripple effect of all of that will be felt as individuals, in our bodies.
TREND 1: NATURE’S RESET
Image: Wild Eartha
Did anybody else take a crash-course in building immunity in 2020? I was starting my day juicing ginger root and lime juice, swatting up on gut health and serving up orange segments to the kiddos on the regular. Supplement sales were the highest in a decade, up almost 25% according to Nutrition Business Journal.
In a small way, this is a nod to this trend - one where individuals and communities rally to take ownership of preventative healthcare at a localised level, shaking up our reactive approach / dependency. A people-centred, community-centric system - possibly an infrastructure that draws in urban-farming and self-sustaining food supplies. Cherished medical practitioners will be an important part of a whole that will include, not only ‘mainstream alternatives’ such as homeopathy, acupuncture and chiropractic, but also herbal medicine, energy healing techniques, sound healing. I could go on. In short, ways to nurture your energy body as well as the physical.
With death tolls announced daily, the meaning of “your health is your wealth” has hit home. Public health messages at every turn are reminding everyone to “stay safe”, be on the defensive, with external habits like masks and sanitisers and a perception that the medical care system is unavailable, but little advice around working from the inside out - of nutrition or lifestyle habits or ways to ‘connect’ to stay well.
A supplementary approach has gained traction - one of preventative healthcare. While the allopathic community and alternative health modalities have been, apart from some overlap, pretty independent of each other, we’ve had a stark reminder that we need a proactive approach to our health and wellbeing and to take responsibility for staying well. Searches for functional medicine and holistic practices increased by 40% in 2020, and demand for Traditional Chinese Medicine - that includes herbals, acupuncture and Tai Chi - and Ayurvedic products have seen surges in demand too. Dabur saw a 400% increase in sales of its immunity boosting formulation in 2020.
The exciting thing with these traditional approaches is that, developed on ancient wisdom that pre-dates many modern interventions, they’re based on using ingredients from ‘nature’s larder’ - Mother Nature in her wisdom supplies a lot of what we need to stay well. As a complement to the science, reconnecting with these traditional ways to stay well is surely a good thing - makes us more empowered in determining our health, our true wealth.
This localised community approach to preventative health will look at the individual as a whole, keeping body, mind and soul in balance. As this trend grows within the mainstream, you may notice ‘alternatives’ like breathwork and bodywork and sound healing mentioned in lifestyle press. You may see more adaptogenic products available in health stores (or online for the moment). You may notice forest bathing becomes a ‘normal’ activity. It’s recognising that nature provides the elements we need to be well.
It’s not quite the village ‘medicine man / woman’ of our elders but remembering and utilising that wisdom as well as our medical advancements. It goes beyond popping a few supplements alongside your breakfast but looking at your body as a whole, integrated energetic system and using the wisdom of nature’s provision to stay well and feel vitality.
How to try out this trend: This trend is a reminder that, just like the natural world, your body has an innate intelligence and often knows what you need for the season you’re in. What has been that niggling voice been asking of you lately? What does your body need right now? It’s not prescribing the superfood of the moment, it’s knowing your body.
Self reflection: What’s your heritage? Think about your roots and ancestry, your bloodline. How might your elders have looked after their health? For example, the Celts would have foraged wild garlic and juniper berries for their remedies. Getting back in sync with nature - your nature - starts with recognising the magic of your body’s natural intelligence.
TREND 2: CONSCIOUS REST
Image: Yoga by Candace
In a culture where working hard, being busy and having jam-packed schedules are seen as a status symbol or a reflection of your worth - both societal and self - rest can be a modern act of rebellion. This trend is about active rest - which I’ll explain in a moment.
The first lockdown of 2020, for many, was a moment of pause - the whole world stood still, the usual distractions stripped away. But slowing down, for many, wasn’t an easy switch. Busy social calendars were replaced with Zoom quizzes, daytime hours were filled with home improvements, new hobbies and physical challenges, and not to mention the work/home-schooling juggle many parents faced. While, for some, lockdown forced a ‘pattern interrupt’ (an NLP technique that’s purposely used to change a habit), for many others a personal identity built around ‘being busy’ was difficult to adapt.
That was then. Normal life hasn’t returned. We’ve lived in a state of uncertainty and unpredictability and, for some, extreme fear for almost a year at this point. There’s been a lot of false hope and broken promises and tormenting double standards. It’s already creating distressing projections of an “unprecedented” mental health crisis looming and, heartbreakingly, children’s wellbeing increasingly recognised as collateral damage.
I know that makes for dire reading but this will force a trend towards people needing tools to relieve chronic stress or possibly even a trauma response. According to expert Peter Levine, trauma is less about the actual event but the perception of the event. If you feel your health or livelihood or way of life is threatened over a sustained period, that too can be perceived as trauma in the body - fight. flight, freeze.
Of course, dealing with serious mental health issues will always be the domain of a professional. My point in mentioning this is to highlight what is a collective need right now to move the body from heightened response (the sympathetic nervous system) into a place of rest and repair (the parasympathetic nervous system).
This trend is about active rest. Coming back into your body. It’s not “Netflix and chill”, it’s not a couple of glasses of wine, it’s not even an early night (although I’ll mention sleep hygiene next). These can all keep you distracted and dissociated.
The conscious rest trend will bring to the fore mindful ways to BE. Less of the dynamic yoga and more of yin, restorative and yoga Nidra (yogic sleep!). Breathwork practices. Sun gazing and moon-bathing rituals. Trembling therapies for trauma release. Walking meditation groups. Without the luxury of spa days, it will mean creating your own sanctuary of rest with essential oils blends, herbal salt baths, self massage practices and playlists featuring gongs and Himalayan singing bowls.
As for sleep. Yes, that is of course the body at rest but this trend is about using some of your waking hours to induce that ‘rest and digest’ mode in the body.
How to try out this trend: Try out padabhyanga. This is an Ayurvedic practice done with warm oil. You can simply indicate to your body that it’s time to rest by introducing a nightly massage of your ankles and feet before sleep - most important here is doing it mindfully, fully absorbed into the practice. As well as showing your feet some love, you’ll be gently massaging lots of reflexology points to affect the whole body system.
Self reflection: How often do you actively rest? What stops you from BE-ing? What’s at the root of your busy-ness?
TREND 3: NEXT GENERATION WELLNESS
Image: The Colour Monster board game c/o Toy Ideas blog
An extension of the previous trend, but worthy of its own place on the mantle, this trend is about the children - developing in them all the wellness tools we wish we had had sooner, so that we’re raising a resilient, balanced generation.
Our children have faced a challenge unlike any since wartime babies. Their little lives have been up-ended in the past year and, worst of all - as it stands - with no silver lining. A year of childhood is a long time. Like many other parents, the lasting impact on our children of the changes to our society and humanity as a whole is concerning. What effects will the ‘habits’ we’ve adopted have in their forming construct of the world? How will it affect their development and their beliefs about health, security, how society works?
While wellness for little people has been creeping onto the agenda in schools over recent years - with daily miles and yoga and mindfulness present in PSHE lessons - this past year has supercharged it.
The children’s obesity epidemic forced awareness of children’s diets (and school meals thanks to Jamie Oliver) and exercise habits - fighting against the rising gaming culture and sedentary lifestyles. It has evolved to include awareness of cyber-bullying and the effects of social media. This past year Joe Wicks took on the role of school PE teacher in his daily online classes. But while diet and exercise habits are clearly important, the upside to this shitshow of a year is that it offers the opportunity to do things differently.
As well as their physical health, this is an opportunity to foster in our children habits for emotional health - the ability to explore emotions, to find ways to express what they’re feeling - whether that’s by talking or through a creative outlet, and finding ways to sit with things that are uncomfortable. While amazing brands like Cosmic Kids Yoga have flourished in the past year, this trend will go beyond one-off moments on the mat and into everyday.
Mattel has partnered with the meditation app Headspace to create a Breathe With Me Barbie that features guided meditations, clouds to label emotions, and supporting videos on the app. Moshi Monsters created a similar partnership with the Calm app to create a sleep and mindfulness extension for children called Moshi. As well as brand extensions, there are new and emerging brands that see the potential in this space such as Meddy Teddy who teaches yoga and mindfulness, Max Mindpower the cuddly bear that has integrated body scan and mindfulness meditations, and the Happy Self Journal that helps children to develop gratitude and growth mindsets.
It goes to show how wellness will be more of a norm for our children.
How to try out this trend: As a starter, try a few books to introduce the themes of wellbeing. I’d recommend You’re a Star which is described as a “guide to self-esteem” but it’s gently done and I found it creates lots of talking points to open the conversation with your child.
Self reflection: As we know, little eyes are watching all the time. How are you taking care of your own wellbeing? What is it that you do, or plan to start doing, that you can role model the way for them? Whether that’s yoga together or sharing what you’re grateful for as part of the bedtime routine, or simply just having a mindful, present cup of tea!
TREND 4: MINIMALISTIC SKINCARE
Image: Ascension Kitchen
This trend is about simplification - simplified routines, scrutiny of ingredients and overall attitude to use of beauty products for wellness.
Make-up sales plummeted in 2020. Foundation and lipstick sales fell by 70% as people shunned the heavily-layered face of the insta-glam crowd and opted to either go bare-faced or for a simplified, natural look. As most of us only saw the people we live with day-to-day during the first national lockdown and, thankfully, we were enjoying some balmy weather at the time, make-up bags began to gather dust. The habit of, possibly, decades had been broken.
Instead, that “lost” spending on make-up switched into skin, body and hair care products as beauty salons closed their doors and we were forced to go the DIY route. John Lewis saw sales in this sector rise by 234% according to The Guardian. But, is this a temporary shift in priorities or a behavioural change?
The Minimalistic Skincare trend is influenced by three main things: we’re much more health aware, we want to know the provenance of what we consume, and we became a lot more ‘hands-on’ during our time at home (baking, gardening, crafting).
As we begin to seek out more natural approaches to our diet and healthcare, then that same mindset will extend to other areas too - the air we breathe, the products we use inside our homes and, also, what we put on our skin.
Our skin is our body’s largest organ and, as it’s porous, absorbs everything put onto it. It makes sense that while we become conscious of the toxins we consume into our bodies, we think about the concoctions we layer onto it too. This will drive demand for a simple skincare routine and ‘clean’ beauty products. Also, just as the trend of Nature’s Reset showed that previously-implied trust in ‘those who know best’ has been shaken, the ripple effect will see us look at other areas with fresh eyes and scrutiny.
Things that have before been a bit niche - such as gua sha stones and facial rollers, face yoga and organic beauty - were accelerated into the mainstream. Fab brands such as Evolve, a UK-based organic beauty company that makes its products by hand and uses natural oils, butters and extracts, will thrive as people recognise natural ingredients are better for both our bodies and our world. Evolve uses pulp obtained from the juicing industry, which is frozen and crushed at source - to create exfoliating particles for its scrubs. It’s this level of provenance that gives people the feel-good factor and confidence.
Products will sound more like food ingredients, such as the two-product range by Vintners Daughter, that includes superfoods, adaptogens and “ancient healers”, and the simple range developed by the sisters behind By Sarah London that features the full ingredient list on the front label.
But an extension of this trend is people being more empowered in their approach to health and wellbeing. Take a look at the bestselling books of the moment - in the top 20, nestled amongst handwriting workbooks and phonics flashcards (hello, home-schooling parents!), recipe books on the theme of ’quick, easy dinners’ and novels for escapism, is Caroline Hiron’s book Skincare.
What’s emerged (or emerging) is a shift in beauty away from it being a thing you do for others, but a thing you do for your own health, happiness and nurturing. Workshops have sprung up around making your own skincare and Google searches, such as ‘how to make your own deodorant’, have gone up by 140%.
It’s the usage of the products, as well as the ingredients, that is evolving. Skincare becomes as much about inner ritual as it is outer cleanliness. Products that create a ‘moment’ or ‘experience’ will fulfil a need created by our lack of social connection right now - the therapeutic effects of touch calm and balance the nervous system by releasing oxytocin, the ‘love hormone’ that drives our urge for social connection.
The outtake of all of this is, as everything was stripped away (quite literally, in our make-up habits), we’re consciously choosing what we add back in and choosing a deeper, more intimate connection to our health, our bodies and to our skin.
How to try out this trend: You might find some skincare ingredients sitting in your kitchen cupboards. Honey, yoghurt, avocado, oats - why not experiment with using a few of these natural ingredients to make yourself a little treat. For example, manuka honey and a few drops of lavender essential oil can make for a simple, warming DIY mask.
Self-reflection: How can skincare and beauty be more for you rather than your game face for the outside world? What does beauty feel like to you? How can it make you feel good?
TREND 5: MODERN BELIEVERS
Image: Yoga Journal
This trend is about people seeking more - more meaning and purpose to life, something beyond the self. Authenticity will become increasingly important and finding ways to connect to the self and others is at the heart of the Modern Believers trend.
2020 prompted a 70% increase in people searching the general term ‘spirituality’. This curiosity in seeking a connection beyond the body and mind, to soul or spirit or God within, will see a new wave of spiritual practices and communities emerge. With trend-lines for formal religion seeming to be on the decline, my personal belief (based on instinct alone, rather than data) is that the system of religion will need to adapt but the having of a belief or faith will appeal to increasingly more young people.
There are upward ticks in trends of crystal healing, manifestation, feng shui and various alternative practices, and I love these things too, but something feels off when there’s a commercialism of spirituality. Time in prayer or meditation needs very little. What people are seeking is the intangible meaning, substance.
What formal religion offers is group ritual and community and acts of devotion, something that is absent in modern society. The Modern Believers trend will see people seek out new ways to find meaning and form communities to share a very personal practice in union.
How to try out this trend: Find a quiet spot and set aside 5-10 minutes for quiet meditation or prayer. It can be as simple as closing your eyes with your awareness on breathing in and breathing out. You might like to sent an intention beforehand, or you might like to say a prayer. There is no structure, it is entirely personal, a relationship for you to explore in a way that feels right to you.
Self-reflection: Community is important. Do you know people who share your belief system? How can you come together to dedicate time to spiritual practice?