Wellness Trends for 2023: From healing sound to cryotherapy, five holistic science-backed trends

Check out some science-backed holistic wellness trends that will define the way we live, heal and thrive in 2023.

New year brings with it the promise of opportunities but also uncertainties. Taking control and care of our well-being is an opportunity that can help us cope with the uncertainties of life. In recent years, wellbeing has emerged as a definitive global trend which has been picking pace and is expected to continue to do so in 2023 as well, say experts. People are prioritizing their personal wellbeing as well as that of the planet and their communities. Overall, people are becoming more mindful and aware of what their bodies and mind need to live life to the fullest. Allow your bodies and minds to guide you to live a life of wellbeing with some judicious help from technology to make 2023 a healthy and happy year.

In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Prakriti Poddar, Mental Health Expert and Global Head, Mental Health and Wellbeing, and Dr David Vago, Lead Research at RoundGlass dived deep into wellness science research to pick these and more awesome trends that will define the way we live, heal and thrive in 2023:

1. Immersive and Healing Sound: Soundscapes, including binaural beats, 3-D spatial audio, and isochronic tones are expected to emerge as a strong wellbeing modality as they help stimulate and entrain brain rhythms to reduce anxiety, facilitate relaxation, improve concentration, and promote healing. Therapeutic playlists are being specially created and curated for clinical healthcare settings and even in the hospitality industry.

2. Rise of Rest: 2023 is going to be about slowing down and taking a pause. People will choose soothing sound baths and restorative yoga over HIIT (high-intensity interval training) classes and hustle culture. There is also an ever-greater emphasis on sleep as the ultimate form of self-care. If it is a technology that has robbed you of your sleep, it is sleep technology with its aides and gadgets that will help you get eight hours of restful slumber. Choose from a wide variety of apps that offer sleep stories and sleep meditations and download them to rest, reset and revitalise.

3. The Emotional Side of Fitness: There’s been a positive shift in the ethos of today’s fitness world, from “how will this workout make me look?” to “how will this workout make me feel and live a better life?” People are becoming interested in workouts that support their emotional wellbeing and mental health while helping relieve the effects of day-to-day stress.

4. Mind-Body Therapies: Some of these have lingered on the fringe of wellness spaces but are now gaining credibility with new evidence supporting their impact on health and wellness.

a. Float tanks: Remember the “sensory deprivation” tanks in Stranger Things? Well, they are having a moment. These tanks contain water mixed with Epsom salt that makes it easy for the bodies to float in them and can help you improve your mental wellbeing. A study found that participants reported significant reductions in stress, muscle tension, pain and depression, accompanied by a significant improvement in mood after one hour of floatation session.

b. Cryotherapy and cold-immersion therapy: Athletes have used ice baths for years to deal with inflammation and muscle aches. Recent studies are now showing that they are also effective for reducing cardiovascular strain, decreased blood flow and reduced tissue metabolism. Cold immersion therapy is being used for the treatment of migraines and mood disorders, for reducing dementia and for enhancing immune system responses.

5. Meditation for Physical Wellbeing: We all know that meditation helps our mental wellbeing but now a growing amount of scientific data is showing that this wellbeing practice is also helping people manage pain and physical ailments. A recent study published in July 2022 in the journal PAIN, showed that mindfulness meditation reduced the perception of pain.

Follow more stories on Facebook & Twitter