As we start the new year, there’s a distinct vibe shift in our midst – and it’s showing up across the board in wellness. For many, the effects of Covid-19, lockdowns and increased stress totally changed the ways in which we prioritise both our physical and mental health. But now the question is: how do we do that? As such, TikTok has become a hub of hacks and routines all designed to help us live our best lives in a daily vortex of viral content. But is this always a good thing? And which of them should we be trying? These are our predictions for the year in wellness according to TikTok, and the ways to include them in your daily life.
Everyone’s going wild for ancient wellness practices
Over the last few years, TikTok has been the hub of columbusing (the discovery of something that has actually existed for ages). But, finally, it’s looking like TikTokers are now paying homage to the roots of some of these ancient practices they employ as ‘hacks’ like face rolling, which is derived from the traditional Chinese medicine practice of gua sha for example.
Ancient wellness has 4.6 million views on the platform, encompassing almost every kind of indigenous healing practice you could imagine. But why are we looking back in time to find the answers? It’s an odd juxtaposition of two worlds – one fast-paced and algorithm-based, and the other far more mindful and slow. Perhaps in a world that is so frenetic, reconnecting to ourselves through collective, ancient wisdom is our way to regain some balance.
But, it’s also the case that there’s a lot more interest from western science in giving ancient practices a sense of legitimacy rather than casting them off as woo woo. Take turmeric for example. We’re already well-versed in the anti-inflammatory benefits of it with scientific studies galore, but it has long been used in Indian ayurvedic medicine for wound healing. Likewise, increasing clinical studies have found stress-relieving benefits in the Indian ayurvedic herb Ashwagandha (also huge on the ‘Tok) – with one study suggesting it can also aid sleep.
As always, the key is partaking in ancient wellness practices via ethical brands and practitioners that honour those ancient roots. Viridian’s ashwagandha uses responsible harvesting practices in Rajasthan to ensure minimal disruption to the ecosystem. Meanwhile, Sandra Lanshin Chiu is an acupuncturist, herbalist and traditional Chinese medicine expert whose online tutorials and gua sha tools are first-rate and super effective.
Mushrooms are about to become the next CBD
You may loathe them on your pizza, but consider mushrooms the new wellness buzzword for 2023, replacing the much-loved CBD. You’ll increasingly see functional mushrooms on the wellness and beauty shelves, with TikTok’s wellness fans lauding the benefits of mushrooms like the antioxidant-rich chaga (92.8 million views) and energy-boosting reishi (954.6 million views.)
Parallel to the ancient wellness trend mentioned above, the discovery of mushrooms (the shroom boom) isn’t new either – but rather the newest western wellness acquisition. In fact, mentions of reishi date back to China’s Han dynasty some 2000 years ago, with mushrooms forming a large part of traditional Chinese medicine practices. But modern wellness brands are giving mushrooms a millennial upgrade, like Dirtea – which comes housed in minimal, picture-worthy packaging – whilst Four Sigmatic’s mushroom-infused powder sachets can be added to your morning smoothies. The Duchess of Sussex even invested in a mushroom-based coffee company in 2020 called Clevr. And, while some skincare brands like Origins (who have a collaboration with eminent functional medicine practitioner Dr Andrew Weil) have been on the mushroom bandwagon for aeons, many skincare brands like REN, Drunk Elephant, Paula's Choice and Youth To The People are also including mushroom-derived ingredients in their skincare offerings.
What's true is that the functional mushroom category is set to rise, with more research and a slew of products likely following in the next few years. But TikTok’s fans don’t need stats or studies – they’re clearly already converted to the benefits of a ‘shroom.
Disconnecting from tech… sort of
Like the original Nokia 402, our batteries are running out fast. There’s an odd irony in posting about a #digitaldetox on social media but with 49.9 million views, this hashtag – and its intent – is top of people's minds for 2023.
Part of this could be due to the increasing rates of burnout – which describes a state of physical and emotional exhaustion from continued stress – we’re reporting. The Global Workplace Burnout study found that almost 34.7 per cent of 3,273 people surveyed were experiencing burnout in 2022, a 29.6 per cent increase from 2020. A likely impact of the pandemic, financial worries, the environment and the housing crisis (do we need to go on…?)
So, how do you digitally disconnect when so much – including our wellness routines, via fitness trackers and meditation apps – is controlled by our tech? One way might be to book a tech-free holiday; there’s an increasing amount of ‘detox breaks’ aiming to help you to do just that. Villa Stephanie in Baden-Baden has a designated button that turns off all the Wi-Fi/power to allow you actual tranquillity, whilst cabin-holiday company Unplugged has woodland cabins near London and Manchester, designed to help you power down (your phone is locked away for three days ). In the meantime, the two books that might inspire you to chill and reevaluate are Burnout: The secret to solving the stress cycle and Take it in: Do the inner work. Create your best damn life.
Finding your fitness community is key
Gone are the days of solo workouts posted on social media as community-based fitness is set to become a huge trend for 2023. Increasing numbers of gyms and fitness studios hold social events, or have chat groups for clients to interact and having a gym crew has become part of the allure of getting your burn on.
On TikTok, it seems that solo workouts are a thing of the past. Increasing numbers of people are posting more group-led activities, and, it appears, just having more fun as they exercise (Gym Friends has 87.4 million views and is pretty heart-warming viewing.) What’s the reason for this shift? Perhaps it’s due to the very singular way people exercised during the pandemic (often alone or at home via a screen) and the boredom of that setting in. But perhaps it’s also the recognition that the interaction of being part of a group can boost endorphins and could be an added mental health boost too.
As a bonus, having a fitness community could have an added accountability factor – studies show that gym-goers are much more likely to stick to exercise if they have a community. If all of that feels too much, you could pair your fitness app or devices with a friend (Apple Watch lets you buddy up) to keep you accountable. Or, if you love flying solo but still want accountability, invest in a wellness or health coach, which is another burgeoning trend. Whatever you choose, having somebody there could make all the difference.
Going analog and journaling it all out
The simple life harks back to a time when we had a mere four TV channels and wrote actual letters. But with 504 million views on TikTok, it’s evident that simplifying our lives – across the board – is going to be huge in 2023. What’s the reason for this? Maybe we are missing part of the simplicity some experienced during the pandemic, with a slower pace and more time for homely pursuits like bread-baking. And the time to stop, think and write it all down.
While it’s long been a practice in the wellness community, the sheer scope of how popular journalling has become is evident on TikTok with a giant 4.3 billion views. Wellness writing trends have come in the form of gratitude journals and the ever-popular bullet journals. But really, there’s no right or wrong way to do it. But, if the idea of being faced with a blank page to fill terrifies you, there’s an increasing amount of designated wellness journals designed to help guide you through the process. MindJournal was created for men (although they’d benefit anyone) with science-backed exercises and mood trackers, while The Positive Planner has a variety of journals that allow you to track your thoughts, wellness habits and much more.