It’s seemingly everywhere these days. You probably listened to a podcast, saw a quote or even talked to your friends about it this week. While it might conjure up images of expensive fitness classes, face masks, and an Instagram feed of colourful smoothies, the dictionary defines wellness as: “the state of being in good health (both mind and body), especially as an actively pursued goal.”
Attending the Balance Festival in London this weekend and recent conversations with fellow entrepreneurs made us curious about the perception of the term ‘wellness’ and what’s ‘trending’ within this ‘trend.’ We put it in quotes because the concept of a holistic approach to health that connects mind, body, and spirit has been around for centuries. Think: Ayurveda, Chinese medicine, Homeopathy, and even Ancient Roman and Greek medicine.
To us, wellness means: we want to make intentional choices to wholly live our best lives. It might translate into not having digestive issues (i.e. paying attention to nutrition and diet), not being tired all the time (getting better sleep), or not feeling anxious or off-balance (which might tie into lifestyle and mental health). If we’re feeling lonely it might mean reaching out to a friend, or if we’re feeling overwhelmed, it might mean stopping and making a very detailed to-do list.
“Wellness” most certainly does not serve as an alternative to traditional healthcare, nor does it have to be reserved for the elite few. In fact, one could argue that little or no money is even required in pursuit of a ‘well’ life. It’s a complicated and evolving industry, but we believe by consciously living and being intentional with our choices, we can live a better life.
We’ll leave you with this interesting quote about the state of the industry.
“…If the movement indeed rejects the quick-fix products, which seems infeasible, it’s unclear what wellness is to become. If wellness is actually essentially the inverse of consumerism, and nearly synonymous with connectedness and wholeness and feeling complete, then the industry will need a new way to monetize.” – James Hamblin, The Atlantic
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