Stress Less

stress less

Rebecca Green N0739091 Word Count: 7698

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I confirm that this work has gained ethical approval and that I have faithfully observed the terms of approval in the conduct of this product Name: Signature: Date:

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How does a holistic lifestyle aid the Pivotal generation to mitigate and manage stress in an era of pressure and demands?

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contents 7 7 8 9

1.1 introduction 1.2 rationale 1.3 aim 1.4 objectives

10 2.0 literature review 13 2.1 the misconceptions of stress

2.1.1 defining stress

2.1.2 causes of stress

2.1.3 effects of stress 15 2.2 holistic wellness

2.2.1 holistic well-being defined

2.2.2 hettler’s model

2.2.3 spiritual well-being 18 2.3 pivotal stress management 20 2.4 wellness tourism

2.4.1 what is wellness tourism?

2.4.2 the four pillars 23 2.5 eco-wellness as natural stress reduction 24 2.6 literature review summary 25 2.7 research gap analysis 26 28 28 28 30 32 33 33 35

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3.0 methodology 3.1 research approach 3.2 sample 3.3 secondary research 3.4 questionnaire & poll 3.5 structured interviews 3.6 in-depth interviews 3.7 expert interviews 3.8 observational study

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4.0 discussion 4.1 the melancholy generation

4.1.1 frequency of stress

4.1.2 stress management for pivotals 4.2 spiritual stress management: FAD or function

4.2.1 spirituality: FAD or function

4.2.2 the influencer effect 4.3 ecological stress management 4.4 stress management: fight or (first-class) flight 4.5 case study 4.6 brand identity prism 4.7 critical reflection

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5.0 the future 5.1 key insights 5.2 pestle analysis 5.3 scenario planning 5.4 conclusion 5.5 recommendations

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6.0 references

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7.0 image references

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8.1 appendix survey 8.2 appendix poll 8.3 appendix interview 8.4 appendix interview 8.5 appendix interview 8.6 appendix expert interview 8.7 appendix expert interview 8.8 appendix observations 8.9 appendix consent forms 8.10 appendix diagrams 8.11 appendix models 8.12 appendix scenario maps

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Bibliography

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1.1 introduction This Stage 1 report intends to answer the following question; “how does a holistic wellness approach aid the Pivotal generation to mitigate and manage stress, in an era of pressure and demands?” The ‘Future Thinking’ Report, completed prior to this research, disclosed an emergent consumer fascination with personal health and well-being. Concepts like preventative health and the mind-body connection are receiving cumulative attention as “more people [start] to discuss the potential to achieve “positive health” rather than just the absence of illness.” (Mehlman Petrzela, 2015) Taking this into account, secondary research allows for common themes and current trends to be identified within this domain, revealing gaps in existing knowledge.

Consequently, areas for further investigation are highlighted, in which primary research is undertaken to contribute to a wholesome awareness of this chosen subject. The outcome of the research conducted will be reviewed, and conclusions drawn in order to create a foundation for the fashion and lifestyle industry to provide marketable solutions with.

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Consumers are living in an environment saturated by hyper-connectivity, urbanisation and taxing global affairs; at the expense of their own health. This inescapable stress is oppressing the well-being of individuals, as a result of busier lifestyles. Simultaneously, the National Health Service currently faces a lack of trust and funding meaning that medical solutions become harder to access. The meaning of health and wellness has evolved prominently in recent years; developing from simply “a lack of illnesses”. A revived focus has since become apparent regarding alternative therapies for stress management and holistic well-being: the synchrony of physical, mental and emotional health.

With a particular focus on the ‘Pivotal generation,’ (Pivotals) the generation who are considered to be rewriting the rules and currently falling between the 18-30 age bracket (Kirkpatrick, 2017), research uncovers that some have engaged with this holistic movement, others still remain oblivious to the rewarding health benefits. The purpose of this report is to reveal the interest with holistic wellness and mind-body connections, and how consumers can use this in order to manage their stress effectively, taking pressure off the medical industry and opening individual’s minds to alternative therapies.

1.2 rationale

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1.3 aims

The aim of this research is to understand how Pivotal consumers can manage their stress and unwind effectively from a busy lifestyle with a holistic approach.

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To explore the harmful effects that stress can have on the psychology and physical health of consumers.

To understand the importance of stress management and how this can positively impact the health of Pivotal consumers.

To recognise the Pivotal consumers’ current understanding of ‘holistic wellness’ and how they interpret this within their life.

To discover the different holistic methods of managing stress and their effects on consumer health.

To explore industry solutions to holistic well-being and current levels of engagement with this.

1.4 objectives 11

2.

2.0 literature review

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To contribute towards the extensive research, it is imperative for a review of literature to be executed to provide a wholesome understanding of the field being explored. A thematic approach allows the research to be examined from several diverse angles: split into five broad topics including the misconceptions of stress, holistic well-being, Pivotal stress management, ecological wellness and tourism as stress therapy. Throughout the thematic review, comparing secondary data and findings as well as relevant models and concepts will form judgement on the impact stress and holistic well-being has on the Pivotal generation, forming the foundation of this report and recognising gaps for further primary research to solve.

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2.1 misconceptions of stress 2.1.1 defining stress

2.1.3 effects of stress

Stress denotes the disruption of mind and body harmony (Edlin and Golanty, 1992) There are many misconceptions surrounding stress, in spite of consumers treating it as a guarded topic. It is a common issue that every consumer will face at some point in their life to various different degrees.

Perceived by many as just a temporary emotion, the detrimental physical effects are commonly overlooked or even unheard of. It is known that as the human body experiences stress, many hormonal changes occur that in turn can provoke physiological disorders.

(Bergquist, 2015) Many consumers are unaware of the damage that can occur within the immune system, stemming purely from a change in thought, attitude, behaviour or mood. When a person experiences stress, the nervous and endocrine systems are activated to deal with current and short-term stressful situations in which the body decides to consequently fight or flight. Yet, when these stress-responsive reactions are continually in use and overworked, organs can wear down and disease can ensue, thus resulting in lower immunity. To have a damaged or diseased immune system exposes stressed people to the heightened susceptibility to infection and even cancer. (Edlin and Golanty, 1992; Cammarata, 2007).

2.1.2 causes of stress

The causes and affects differ as “stress is a highly personalized phenomenon that varies between people depending on individual vulnerability and resilience, and between different types of tasks.” (Fink, 2016, p.3) ‘Stressor’ is a term that will be used throughout this report in order to signify a circumstance or event that disrupts mind-body harmony and provokes one to feel stressed. There are many different stressors that exist in the modern world.

Events such as death of a loved one, divorce, illness and disease, relationships, education and work are all situations that possess the capability to provoke ones emotional or mental state to deteriorate. However, it should be highlighted that humans all react differently to these activators of stress: as one may react strongly to a particular event, another may not take any notice at all (Edlin and Golanty, 1992). To explain this principle, the stressdiathesis model (see appendix), developed in the 1960s by Meehl, Bleuler and Rosenthal, is used to assess the vulnerability of an individual when in certain stressful situations. The term diathesis has been used in psychiatric context since the 1800s and stems from the Greek idea of predisposition (Dwivedi, 2012) and clarifies the various outcomes of stressful environment or experience for those who are vulnerable compared to those who are resilient.

Research from another perspective in order to support this finding, in which it was found that “people who journal their thoughts uncensored actually have a higher white blood cell count. It’s as if the active expression, privately and for purposes of release, actually enhances the blood in the body for immune system markers” (Cammarata, 2007) A higher white blood cell count enables a person to be able to fight infection without relying on medication, thus indicating that addressing stress through alternative methods of treatment, betters the overall health of consumers.

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2.2.1 holistic well-being defined To have a holistic view of health is to consider the totality of one’s existence. This view is one that encompasses the psychological, physical, social, emotional, spiritual and environmental factors that contribute to the overall quality of life (Edlin and Golanty, 1992). Holistic well-being is gaining wider acceptance throughout even the medical industry, proving the ability each person has to optimize their well-being, for self- healing and to instil feelings and conditions within that are able to prevent disease (Edlin and Golanty, 1992).

2.2.2 hettler’s model

Explained through Dr Bill Hettler’s “Six Dimensions Of Wellness” Model, holistic wellness involves the following six elements: Physical, Occupational, Emotional, Spiritual, Social and Intellectual. Hettler argues that by applying the holistic model

interconnectedness of each dimension and how they contribute to healthy living.” (National Wellness Institute, 2019) When compared to Edlin and Golanty’s research it is made apparent that Hettler disregarded the ‘environmental’ element of well-being when evaluating holistic wellbeing. As explained by Edlin and Golanty (1992, p.371), “in order to survive, all animals, including humans, have certain basic biological needs that must be met, including adequate air, water, food and shelter.”

Should an individual be deprived of any of these factors, their health would be affected significantly; thus, highlighting a gap in Hettler’s model when defining holistic wellbeing.

2.2 holistic wellness “a person becomes aware of the

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2.2.3 spiritual well-being Spirituality, one of Hettler’s six dimensions of holistic wellness, is a term used to recognise the third element of the body-mind-soul triangle. Spiritual wellness involves elements such as happiness, stress management, mindfulness, meditation, self- actualization and transcendence (Brantley, 2005). As stated

by Edlin and Golanty, (1992) the importance of spirituality in regard to health is not the belief in suprasensory forces, but that a person should feel harmony between their inner and outer experiences in order to achieve good health.

Hettler’s model corresponds with Edlin and Golanty’s (1992, p.15) understanding, stating that “[spirituality] includes the development of a deep appreciation for the depth and expanse of life and natural forces that exist in the universe..[leading to] a peaceful harmony between internal personal feelings and emotions.”

There are several different spiritual, holistic well-being methods originating from all over the world that consumers are familiar with and adapting their lives to. Research informs that techniques such as yoga, mindfulness, and meditation teach people to foster inner peace and harmony which are both considered as cornerstones to good health. Findings infer that the previously stated exercises are

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important skills for individuals to learn in order to disconnect from the digital world and instinctive thoughts and to disengage with unhealthy behaviours (Brown and Ryan, 2003).

In agreement with this Brantley (2005, p.131) explains that these such “classes” exist which are considered as “vehicle[s] for training individuals to practice mindfulness meditation and mindful yoga for reasons of health enhancement and stress reduction.”

The term “health enhancement” denotes an overall betterment of physical and mental health. As a result, highlighting the multitude of benefits accessed through spiritual well-being exercises that treat one’s healthcare concerns such as stress, pain, illness and even disease.

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2.3 pivotal stress management Research declares that millennial consumers, also referred to as ‘The Melancholy Generation’ face the most stress that any generation have yet (Bland, et al., 2012; Carter, 2018). Influencing their rising stress levels are external forces such as the media, technology and their education. The younger millennial consumers are facing pressure throughout their education as they are the “first generation since 1945 to face a more stringent set of academic standards that the generation before did” (Bland, et al., 2012). In this age, students are being scrutinized by their parents, the media and the education system regarding their results and capability; thus, resulting in an uncomfortable amount of pressure placed upon them, hence the rising stress levels.

Furthermore, the ever-developing ease of communicating through technology, aggravates this generation further. Due to continuous technical advancements, millennials have access to the media at the touch of a button, subjecting them to distressing news stories, worldwide catastrophes and on-going political deliberation that previous generations have not had the opportunity or ability to spectate (Bland, et al., 2012, p.363) This is also referred to by Vahedi and Saiphoo (2018) as “communication overload” and denotes the constant need to be available and the fear of missing out (FOMO) that causes this generation stress. In contrast to the finding by Bland, et al., (2012) it is suggested that this correlation between the accelerating progress of civilisation and climbing stress levels is a common misconception. Fink (2010: p13) poses an alternative hypothesis; “perhaps there is something fundamental about the human condition and psyche that fosters a

perception of the world as a place rife with unrelenting demands that can never be fully met, resulting in subjective states of fatigue and distress and eventually leading to ill health.”

Thus, inferring that each era suffers from time sensitive stressors relative to their generation, arguing that there is no such ideal of a more “stressed out” age. It can be viewed that the reason for the Pivotal generation to feel as though they are the most stressed is because they are able to constantly compare their lives with one another due to social platforms and other digital media.

When identifying how this generation combats health issues like stress, interestingly, a report by The Future Laboratory (2019) states that many young people are opting for a ‘spiritual’ lifestyle.

This research explains that “teenagers with a spiritual connection are known to be 60% less likely to be depressed,” (The Future Laboratory, 2019) with this up-todate information, there has consequently been a surge in engagement with spiritual social media accounts and social influencers who share their views and practises in order to inspire the Pivotal generation to adopt a spiritual lifestyle as a means of stress management, some even promoting their own programmes and rituals. However, it has not been stated by which means this generation is becoming more spiritual and in what sense they are adapting their lifestyle to become more spiritual, highlighting a gap in research.

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2.4 wellness tourism 2.4.1 what is wellness tourism?

Consumer interest in health and wellness is growing at a rapid rate.

With an increasingly hectic pace of living, escalating stress levels, and rising disbelief in western medical treatments, there has been a spike in engagement with a concept known as ‘wellness tourism.’ A study, researching into the travel motives of yoga tourists, informs that there are four main benefits sought when visiting a spiritual retreat, those being: to attain spirituality, to interact with like-minded people, to enhance mental well-being and to enhance their physical condition.

(Voigt, et al., 2011) The literature reveals that the wellness tourism industry is being largely driven by Generation X and Millennials with their focus being on self-improvement; improvement of their physical and emotional states (McGregor and Smith, 2018; Voigt, et al., 2011); stress reduction and relaxation being the main cause for people seeking wellness vacations, hence the desire to ‘self-improve’ and better their mentality (Lebe, 2006; Voigt, et al., 2011) However, in contrast to this, trend reports explain that Generation Z are becoming more connected with spirituality and the mind-body connection (The Future Laboratory, 2019), a notion that drives wellness tourism, indicating that the targeted demographic of this wellness pursuit is potentially lowering in age.

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2.4.2 the four pillars

After conducting extensive research, Lebe discovered that there are four main pillars of wellness tourism; “(1) Physical activities – fitness programmes as well as indoor and outdoor recreation; (2) Vital cuisine – based on supreme foods..prepared in a vitamin and mineral friendly way; (3) Programs for “pampering” guests..; (4) Leisure- including programs..[such as] cultural events.., excursions.., wellbeing counselling.”

(Lebe, 2006) With the younger half of the millennial generation being within the centre focus of this research, (people who were born in the time period ranging from the early 1980s to the mid-1990s and early 2000s) (Barr, 2019), it is important to consider that the ‘pillar’ of significant interest to this generation is that of the pampering kind. The term ‘pampering’ denotes activities and treatments such as saunas, relaxation rooms, massages, alternative therapies like thalassotherapy, aromatherapy and chromotherapy, and treatments such as Wai-Thai and Reiki (Lebe, 2006).

Further research, into tourism of the pampering kind, discovered that modern adaptations to this consumer demand have since developed as a result of the rising population of consumers indulging in self-care and holistic wellness. Moving away from the typical spa connotations, wellness retreats are subsequently offering more than an archetypal sauna and steam room, instead considering all elements of well-being like nutrition, physical fitness and mental health. (McGregor and Smith, 2018) Particularly in eastern areas, McGregor and Smith state that wellness resorts are adapting by offering experience packages, like ‘Medi-Spas,’ in collaboration with local hospitals to target mental well-being whilst simultaneously offering

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tangible results. This development within the pampering field appears to target an older generation despite being a benefit desired also by the younger demographic (Voigt, et al., 2011; Hudson et al.,2017).

2.4.3 younger travellers

More recent research by McGregor and Smith (2018) suggests that “younger travellers are more inclined to seek out experiences that integrate spa treatments with a sense of adventure.” By combining both the pampering and leisure ‘pillars’ to suit their needs, a more bespoke wellness experience has been created for the younger demographic.

The term ‘adventure’ denotes an induced adrenaline rush; a biological function that triggers the release of hormones; endorphin, serotonin and dopamine that initiate an analgesic effect. During which, the body is provoked to nourish, regenerate and heal itself thus, ameliorating the health of those younger, thrill-seeking consumers through an amalgamation of adventure and spa-like therapies.

This form of wellness tourism relates very much with the concept of experience economy (Szymanska, et al., 2017) is very much in the introductory stages of the ‘Trend Lifecycle’ (see appendix 8.10), highlighting a gap for further research into their specific desires and the psychology provoking this.

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2.5 eco-wellness as natural stress reduction 2.5 eco wellness as natural stress reduction A crucial element of holistic wellness is environment: in terms of both nature and built environment (Anttiroiko, 2018) As a result of urbanization around the world, an array of environmental issues has surfaced; as Edlin and Golanty explain (1992) these problems are no longer restricted to smaller areas and specific countries. Consequently, people are facing health issues due to unwanted environmental forces such as pollution in the air, water and land. In solution to this twenty first century concern, to take care of one’s health in a holistic way, is to consider all external forces that may affect overall health and well-being.

As told by Anttiroiko (2018), improving a person’s environment, including their access to nature, surrounding architecture and urban design, and cleanliness and safety, further enhances the liveability of an area, ensuring its’ inhabitants are living a healthier life. Further explored by Smith (2018), biophilic design is a product of this contemporary health dilemma.

Research by Smith (2018) confirms that, “architecture is beginning to move away from its preoccupation with surface aesthetics to focus on creating buildings that have a positive impact on human health,” ww this entails utilising nature in architectural

design and real estate to aid physical healing, respiratory and improve mental health (Smith, 2018; Global Wellness Summit, 2018) This is something desirable not only in a medical environment, but in workplace and living environments too. Easy access to nature and fresh air, is a paramount aspect of holistic wellness and a generally healthy lifestyle.

Yet, when one exists in an ever-industrialising atmosphere, specifically those living in the city, easy access to fresh air and natural surroundings is gradually diminishing. This signals a steadily intensifying need for architectural design developments, such as biophilic design, in order for one to achieve optimum health, both mentally and physically.

In regard to the chosen topic of stress, when studying the relationship between nature and one’s stress levels, it becomes clear that there is a firm link between one’s natural surroundings and their stress response. Existing confirm that an individual’s stress response is lowered when in a natural environment, for example, a national park. This finding is explained by findings that confirm stress response hormone ‘cortisol,’ was significantly less present in the human body after visiting a natural environment surrounded by wildlife, in comparison to when situated in an artificial and built up environment (Ewert and Chang, 2018).

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2.6 literature review summary Throughout the literature review various themes are explored in order to form a broad understanding of stress and holistic treatment methods. In regard to stress, it is apparent that physical effects may be more severe than consumers are aware of, thus highlighting the importance of addressing it. Stress is a health concern that can be effectively managed by holistic lifestyle adaptations and treatments; taking into consideration all aspects of life and how they can improve health. This includes Physical, Occupational, Emotional, Spiritual, Social, Intellectual and Environmental. Environmental wellness is something that has gained further awareness since the start of urbanization, consequently becoming more important to consumers. This concept applies in two contexts; the surroundings of a consumer, and nature. It became apparent that environmental wellness has a similar impact on the Pivotal generation to that of wellness tourism, as access to nature is one of the most sought-after mental health benefits of tourism. It can be concluded that stress can be managed in various different holistic ways, with more innovative concepts such as eco-wellness and wellness tourism gaining momentum with the Pivotal generation.

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After studying several key themes relevant to the outlined topic, extensive secondary research and an analytical review of literature emphasis that there are still areas for further probing.

The literature review provides academic perspective on the effects of stress, specific to the Pivotal generation, and holistic well-being as a form of stress management, in particular holistic wellness through tourism and one’s environment.

However, authentic information, such as individuals’ opinions and experiences, are not easily accessible via secondary research; something that is produced using different primary research methods. The identified gaps in knowledge urge exploration into the pressures that drive the Pivotal generation toward holistic healthcare techniques, which approaches appeal most to this demographic for stress management, and whether the younger consumer is becoming involved in holistic well-being because it’s a fresh trend and perceived as fashionable?

2.7 research gap analysis 27

3.0 3. methodology

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3.1 research approach Primary and Secondary research is necessary to attain a deep knowledge about stress management and holistic well-being. A multimethod approach was used in order to broaden the data collected; both qualitative and quantitative research was executed in order to attain a wide variety of insightful results to form valuable conclusions in response to the aim and objectives outlined previously. Qualitative research, in most cases,

is useful for “formulating general research problems, and for asking general questions about the phenomena that are being studied” (Muratovski, 2016, p.48). On the other hand, quantitative research is defined as “an empirical research that uses numeric and quantifiable data to arrive at conclusions” (Muratovski, 2016, p.106), useful for gathering statistical data to simplify or generalize.

3.2 sample When collecting quantitative research, a particular population must be chosen; a group or community that is of particular interest (Muratovski, 2016). Secondary research informed the sample selection, it was discovered that the millennial generation have higher stress levels than any other generation have (Carter, 2018). For the purpose of this report, the millennial age bracket includes those who were born between 1981 and 1996; the younger half being most relevant for this research. Furthermore, the older bracket of generation Z, born between 1997 and 2002, who it can also be

argued belong to the younger millennial demographic, also pose to be very influential throughout this research as they begin the stressful life experiences that have largely affected millennials. The crossover between these two generations, who are most insightful when studying stress management and holistic wellness, are those currently aged between 18 to 30 years old. This generation have been previously named as ‘the Pivotal generation,’ (Pivotals) as they reflect a shift in traditional notions (Kirkpatrick, 2017). This sample will be referred to as the Pivotal generation throughout the report.

3.3 secondary research In order to gain a wholesome understanding of stress management and holistic well-being, it was crucial for a vast amount of secondary research to be completed in a thorough manner. It should be noted that both academic and non-academic resources were viewed to form a rounded and realistic comprehension of the specified topics. The resources used include; books, journals, website articles, reports and expert lectures.

Using these sources permitted access to existing data that was created with a larger budget and longer timescale that would not be realistically attainable

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through the primary research executed, proving very advantageous for this study. On the contrary, the use of existing literature and data can be disadvantageous due to the relevancy of the findings: they may be dated and therefore less reliable (Saunders, et al., 2012). However, “the number of secondary literature sources available...is expanding rapidly as new resources are developed and made available via the internet,” (Saunders, et al., 2012, p.304) providing unlimited access to an extensive range of useful and informative resources to further enhance the understanding.

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3.4 questionnaire & poll

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To begin the primary research, an online survey was created in order to address the immediate and obvious gaps in research. This survey was then followed by an Instagram poll to gather more quantitative data. By using these methods to conduct primary research, a large amount of responses can be collected from a sizable sample. (Muratovski, 2016; Saunders, et al., 2012) This is an efficient research method that typically incurs little to no cost, with this comes the benefit of being able to use social media pages such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter to target specific groups within society, to attain the most relevant data (Muratovski, 2016). Measurable data is subsequently produced and can therefore be interpreted easily to draw justifiable conclusions from.

Although there are many benefits to this method, there are also several restrictions. Answers to the survey may not always be factual, so therefore unreliable. This occurs when participants misapprehend the questions asked, or misstate their answers; for instance, when a participant wants to portray their self in a certain light, or hide something (Muratovski, 2016).

There was a sample size of 147 respondents on Instagram and 101 participants for the survey, 84 of which were female; having a sample of this number proves this research to be valid. Although there were not many male participants, the large number of female participants nonetheless does indicate that mostly females are addressing stress and participating in holistic wellness.

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3.5 structured interviews Three structured interviews took place to gain an in-depth understanding of different holistic methods of stress management. This research technique involved “a predetermined... or identical set of questions,� (Saunders, et al., 2012, p.374) and allows for the data to be collected consistently and in a controlled environment.

The answers provided by the participant will typically be impulsive; therefore, this method requires little to no prompting throughout the process. Consequently, structured interviews eliminate the possibility of clarification or further discussion (Muratovski, 2016) accordingly, this potentially hinders the depth and detail of the answers due to the controlled circumstances and lack of conversation.

The three structured interviews that were executed involved asking the same identical set of questions, to individuals that had recently been on holiday to combat their stress. These interviews were completed via email, ruling out the opportunity to analyse body language and intonation; two elements that could have provided valuable and deeper insight into how the individual truthfully responds to a question.

Utilising email permits the contributor to veil their self behind a computer screen, thus disguising their true emotions.

On the contrary, this technique incurred no fees and could be completed at the leisure of the individuals: no time constraints allowed more time to be spent on providing detailed answers.

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3.6 in-depth interviews This interview took place in order to gain insight into a millennial’s reasoning for tackling stress through exercising holistic wellbeing within their lifestyle. An in-depth interview allows for a meticulous examination of how the participant truly feels about a certain situation or topic; they are flexible and are executed with a conversational manner (Muratovski, 2016) Due to the nature of this interview the process was very informal, therefore some answers became elongated and snowballed slightly off topic, negatively impacting the relevancy of the outcome. However, due to the participant being part of the desired demographic, and also very willing to share detailed information and experiences the qualitative data produced is valid for this research.

3.7 expert interviews Two expert interviews took place for this research. One of them was with Robyn Harris, who states on LinkedIn that she is a holistic well-being coach. The second was involving a Tai Chi instructor, Kumiko Richards. Both expert interviews allowed for reliable qualitative data to be collected, which in-turn gave valuable insights in which justifiable conclusions could be drawn from. A limitation to this research method is the difficulty of actually contacting and conversing with these people as they have busy lifestyles. Both interviews took place over email due to cost and time implications, consequently making it harder to ask further questions for more detailed answers, after the initial response was collected.

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3.8 observational study Observations were executed in order to gather an understanding about an individual’s engagement within particular environments; structures and settings, and behaviours and interactions were observed (Muratovski, 2016). This research method is time consuming and requires a high level of commitment and concentration in order to rigorously examine the participant’s actions and extract valuable insights from this. Moreover, due to only having one participant involved in this research method, the data may not be accurately representative of the whole sample that is being investigated through this research. The participant’s behaviour was very insightful and offered different information to that produced through surveys and interviews: heightening awareness of significant social processes (Saunders, et al., 2012).

In spite of this, the individual’s conduct was open to the observer’s interpretation, and could therefore have been perceived differently to how another might have viewed it, producing slightly biased information. Despite this, all conclusions drawn from this research method will remain valid and useful due to the interesting data collected and the minimal amount of interaction that the observer had with the participant during the process.

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4.

4.0 discussion

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frequency of stress

4.1 the melancholy generation very frequently occasionally rarely always very rarely 0

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number of people

4.1.1 frequency of stress After literature revealed that the demographic of interest is also referred to as ‘the melancholy generation’ due to having higher stress levels than any other generation (Carter, 2018), primary research was undertaken to confirm whether or not Pivotals correspond with this finding. An instagram poll, completed by those aged between 1830 years, corroborated with the research by Carter (2018) however in some ways opposes the theory of Fink (2010). When asked if as a generation, they feel more pressure from society and are consequently more stressed than those belonging to older generations, 86% of the participants said ‘yes.’ This finding is further validated by the outcome of the survey conducted where Pivotals expressed during the survey that they feel stressed always or most of the time, leaving roughly 10% of the generation rarely feeling stressed. The prime motives behind Pivotal stress are finance (69%), education (48%) and personal relationships (42%) according to the survey conducted, this result was expected due to the literature review revealing that education caused millennials stress due to standards being raised, and higher expectations of academic success from parents and society (Bland, et al., 2012). With this information, it should be questioned if this generation is opting for a spiritual lifestyle specifically with the intent of managing their stress.

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4.1.2 stress management for pivotals Valuable insights were discovered when the following question was articulated in the survey: “How do you manage your stress?” One unanticipated finding is the learning that the second most common way for the Pivotal generation to manage their stress is participating in activities that they believe to be ‘coping’ mechanisms but are actually methods of overlooking and concealing stress.

These activities include sleeping, consuming alcohol and using recreational drugs to avoid stress, all of which are in-fact strongly linked to clinical depression (NHS, 2019), also a known consequence of severe stress.

Participant 22 explains that to cope, she “smoke[s] weed,” this connotes that some of the Pivotal generation have not discovered a practical and permanent stress management technique which they can apply to their lifestyle and to actually manage stress. Alternatively, these individuals resort to unhealthy substance misuse or sleep, both of which conceal stress, opposed to treating it. A possible explanation for this unanticipated finding is the lack of awareness this generation has in regard to holistic stress management practices.

However, consistent with the literature, a much larger percentage of respondents stated that they engage in both physical and mental exercise to cope with stress.

Participant 82 explained that they participate in “yoga, meditate and go to the gym” to manage their stress. This was a similar method used to that of Kelly Alexandra, who explained during the interview that “meditation and breathing exercises” are her favourite coping mechanisms for stress because they “allow [her] body to respond [to stress] in a biological way.” Kelly Alexandra’s personal experience, regarding meditation as a technique for controlling stress, also accords with Edlin and Golanty’s research that informs spiritual exercises as such lead to a mirrored harmony between the mind and body.

After also admitting she does not perceive herself to be a person who regularly suffers from stress through telling that “when I’m not at uni I literally do not have a care in the world,” this denotes that regularly practised spiritual exercises have a positive impact on stress levels. It is also encouraging to compare this finding with that of The Future Laboratory (2019) who found that there was a strong link between adopting a spiritual way of life and the absence of depression. Hence, it can conceivably be theorised that the Pivotal generation are adopting a spiritual lifestyle with the primary intent of lessening the burden on their mental health, including issues like stress.

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4.2 is spiritual stress managem a short-term FAD or permen lifestyle chan

4.2.1 spirituality: FAD or function Disclosed by The Future Laboratory (2019), younger generations are becoming more involved with spirituality and adopting a lifestyle that allows them to regain control.

This literature reveals that there has been a surge in engagement with spiritual influencers online, suggesting that spiritual practices like yoga, reiki, and other forms of self-care are becoming a fashionable lifestyle adaptation, instead of an authentic and purposeful coping mechanism. It is highlighted throughout the expert interview with Harris, that after experiencing various physical and mental health issues stemming from stress “complementary ways to support [herself] and to learn how to address stress” enabled her with the tools “to be able to experience greater balance, well-being, freedom and joy,” thus communicating that in her experience, holistic therapies were not a fashionable ritual, and instead are implemented in order to heal her illness and effectively manage stress. This opinion is also similar to that of Tai Chi coach, Kumiko Richards, who explains that “one of the main aims, and benefits, of practising Tai Chi is to learn how to relax. It’s a combination

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of slow, conscious movements and deep breathing which helps you to train how to calm down. Quite often stress comes from a bit of panic, so being able to calm your brain down whenever needed is very effective in stress management.” This confirms the functionality of spiritual exercises, although some may perceive it to be an ontrend activity, this perception should not undermine the utility of the exercise.

It can be argued however, that the Pivotal perspective matches the previously stated theory that this form of stress management is adopting a fashionable status. 62% voted ‘yes’ when asked if they thought holistic wellbeing methods were a trendy and fashionable ideal. This finding could reason the sudden attraction to follow spiritual influencers and partake in exercises like yoga and meditation, in order for consumers to feel as though they are on trend and up-todate.

fig. 14

ement menant ange?

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4.2.2 the influencer effect Another significant finding is revealed, in the results of a structured interview with participant B, regarding wellness tourism. Although wellness tourism is not strictly a spiritual concept, it is linked heavily with spirituality and self-care. Interview participant Callum Williamson discussed “[I’d] seen lots of similar spa therapies on instagram, some of the influencers that I follow had been to like really luxurious medi-spas and retreats abroad, and they looked amazing on their instagram so wanted to try it out for myself.”

(Williamson, 2020) It can be disputed that this participant partook in a spa treatment by reason of being inspired by social media and fashion influencers endorsing their own experiences.

This insight potentially demonstrates that the primary motivation for visiting this wellness destination was not for the self-care benefits, but because it is newly fashionable.

In contrast with this finding, alternative data infers that the suggested theory is false, and consumers are not jumping on a bandwagon. When the Pivotal generation were asked if they follow any influencers that share their holistic wellbeing methods or spiritual views, the majority (62%) responded ‘no’. It can be justified that this data is reliable as the question posed is neutral and does not influence a specific answer. In spite of this, the response gathered can alternatively be perceived as unconvincing, somewhat aligning with The Future Laboratory’s research. Although more than half of respondents do not follow spiritual influencers, the 38% that do, remain a significant portion of consumers. Furthermore, the previous survey informs that less than half of the sample (47%) do not engage with holistic well-being and spirituality, thus presenting that the majority of respondents have engaged with holistic wellness before. With the survey sample being 84% female, it should be noted that, in contrast, the instagram poll obtained a larger amount of male responses than that of the survey. With this information, it can be concluded that female Pivotal consumers are in fact engaging with holistic influencers subsequently influencing a trend in spirituality. However, analysis regarding whether or not this engagement is genuine or solely a fashion, is necessary; the qualitative responses from the survey reveal further insight regarding this uncertainty.

Participant 82 shares that she regularly practices holistic well-being, she further explains that, “mindfulness is great for getting to sleep when you have a lot on your mind, meditation is good during the day when u have a million things [your] thinking about.” (Participant 82, 2020) This response denotes that her participation in such rituals is purely to reap the tangible benefits. A similar reasoning is shared by participant X. When asked why she decided to begin yoga she said,

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“I just thought, do you know what, I thought this is a good skill to learn and to be there in the moment, stretch, just for improved health I suppose.”

(Participant X, 2019) Both female participants mention nothing about being influenced by fashion trends to begin their holistic wellbeing methods, indicating that the tangible benefits are the most attractive reason to adopt a holistic, spiritual lifestyle. It can be argued therefore that The Future Laboratory’s report is inaccurate as the trend lies with the Pivotal’s genuine desire to self-care and that spirituality is a product of this, rather than the source of a fashion trend.

do pivotal consumers practice holistic well-being methods?

yes, regularly tried it yes, rarely yes, sometimes no, not at all

4.3 ecological stress management An aspect of a healthy lifestyle that is often ignored, is one’s environment (Hettler, 1977) There are two ways in which the term can be interpreted; the first being the surroundings or conditions in which one operates, the second being the natural world or a geographical area. Taking this into account, literature revealed that both have an influence on an individual’s mental and physical health, a reality that is often overlooked. This finding is evident throughout the primary research findings where investigations lead to insightful conclusions drawn in regard to both meanings of the concept.

The findings from the survey reveal that surroundings are commonly acknowledged by the Pivotal generation as they are in fact aware of what makes them feel stress and what counteracts their stress. Participant 9 stated that “cityscapes/chaos/mirrors and flashing lights/bright primary

colours/ cold concrete walls/ dirty unhygienic surfaces” make them feel stressed when asked about the correlation between their surroundings and their stress levels. This demonstrates that the more artificial and manmade the environment is, in which one is situated, the more pressure they feel.

An unforeseen response, regarding the use of primary colours and the effect they have one an individual’s mentality, was something that was not found within the literature review.

Interestingly, the connotations of primary colours, red, yellow and blue stereotypically suggest feelings of anger, happiness and sadness. It can be concluded that this juxtaposition of colours, and therefore moods, invokes feelings of confusion and stress. Thus, denoting more neutral, pale colours will supposedly have the opposite effect and reduce an individuals’ stress levels.

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4.3 ecological stress management The same participant then explained that “clean surfaces/pale natural colours in home and natural textures/wood/ outdoor scene i.e. sunshine/grass/ flowers/seashore/waves sounds” had the opposite effect of those listed above. Notably, in correspondence with the findings of Anttiroiko, (2018) and Ewert and Chang, (2018) the participant reveals that natural textures and elements contract their feelings of stress. This infers that one does not have to be outside in order to feel the benefits of nature. Bringing natural features from the outdoors can stimulate the same calm feeling that can be obtained from being situated outside, this concept brings an array of physical health advantages also. As found through academic research and explained in the literary findings, biophilic architectural design, an innovative conception entailing elements from nature used within construction design, offers an array of physical as well as mental health benefits.

Furthermore, consumers have identified the need for being in a completely natural environment in order to manage stress.

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Observational studies allowed for the theory suggested by Ewert and Chang, (2018) to be validated. When the study participant was working in three different environments, it became clear that they excelled in the conservatory location. Although this was different to the wholly natural environment used in Ewert and Chang’s observation, it was similar in that the conservatory allowed for the participant to be surrounded entirely by nature, with the use of windows.

The windows were open, enabling the participant to be exposed to fresh air and natural sounds like wind, rain and wildlife.

Whilst the participant completed work from her laptop, she was relaxed, less agitated and comfortable, demonstrating the absence of stress. However, demonstrated by the use of the conservatory location, access to nature is often limited, particularly during stressful times like being at work or in university. This infers that innovations such as biophilic design, and the use of nature as décor when in built-up surroundings, is paramount for Pivotals to manage stress.

This insight supports the findings of both Smith (2018) and Global Wellness Summit (2018) in particular.

4.4 stress management: fight or (first-class) flight When faced with stress, as formerly mentioned, one’s automatic response is to fight or flight, thus denoting the action of managing stress by. A form of stress management, deriving from the same principle as ecological well-being, is wellness tourism. The consumer desire to escape city landscapes and industrial areas often prompts the desire to fly overseas; to utterly immerse one’s self amongst nature for self-care and relaxation purposes.

Revealed through several interviews, with both Pivotal consumers and experts, the ability to reside by natural places lessens the burden on stress levels. Olivia Thomas, a Pivotal consumer, explained her reasoning for choosing her holiday destination (Penang, Malaysia), “we wanted somewhere relaxing [where we] could take a week of just relaxing by the pool/beach and having an easy-going evening with dinner and drinks, so we preferably wanted a beach break instead of a city.”

This reason to travel is not previously highlighted within the literature review findings, which infers that the natural location is not so much of significant importance to the Pivotal generation. As supported by Olivia Thomas, this is one of most worthwhile health benefits accessed through tourism yet, is now an often-neglected advantage of travelling abroad to a spiritual destination due to the modern concept of experience economy; consumers wanting meaningful excursions (Szymanska, et al., 2017). Despite this, it is evident that Thomas connects the feeling of being relaxed, with being situated by the beach further justifying the conclusions made, drawing links between nature and stress response, by Ewert and Chang (2018).

Alternatively, a second participant, Callum Williamson, who also took part in a structured interview after visiting the Caribbean coast, explained that although “it was nice to be breathing real fresh air, not being in a busy city environment, being surrounded by nature and tranquillity,” he still participated in “a spa treatment and intensive hydrotherapy to relax.” This information demonstrates that although having unlimited access to a natural environment is crucial for a stress-free state of mind, alternative therapies are still sought by Pivotals to further embed the feeling of relaxation.

This is supported by Lebe (2006) and also by McGregor and Smith (2018) who state that younger consumers desire innovative activities that amalgamate a sense of adventure with spa-like therapies, as explained in the literature review.

The hydro-therapy session as mentioned above involves, “a journey/course, moving through different ‘obstacle’ type treatments or activities, all revolving around water.”

The participant used the nouns ‘journey’ and ‘course’ to describe the activity, both of which have connotations of an adventure; this sense of pursuit is further apparent when Williamson tells that there were several ‘obstacle’ treatments involved. This confirms that although Pivotals do take into consideration the environment of their holiday destination, and the calming effect it has on their mental health, they crave excursions that further assure tranquillity and stress reduction.

fig. 16

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4.5 case study: Amatara Wellness Resort , Phuket The award-winning Amatara Resort situated in the peaceful southeast part of Phuket Island boasts itself for offering a perfectly tranquil wellness experience. As stated on their website, they create, “atmosphere, services facilities and activities to cater to each group of guests,” (Amatara, 2020) to ensure their consumers achieve healthy happiness. They offer a vast range of experiences at the resort. This includes programmes such as ‘Amatara Detox,’ ‘Amatara Yoga,’ ‘Stress and Burn Out Recovery,’ ‘Holistic Vitality Program,’ ‘Spa Revive’ and more. In particular, their ‘Stress and Burn Out Recovery’ does the following: “health and well-being experts are here to listen to your situation and guide you through destressing treatments and activities.

Along with daily yoga practices, mindful meditation, and beneficial supplements to rebalance the healthy and happy hormones, you will be able to get back to your everyday life happier and healthier.” (Amatara, 2020) With a holistic approach, an experience at this resort covers all aspects of wellness delivering advice and therapies regarding fitness, nutrition and mental balance. The holistic treatments on offer are handpicked based on their benefits, with the intention of energising natural healing forces within the body and relieving consumers of any obstacles stood between them and complete health. These treatments can target weight-loss, depression, insomnia, stress management, detox and rebalancing energy, demonstrating that a consumer may visit this resort in order to address several health issues, rather than just one.

One consumer wrote a review, “Three day/night Wellness Yoga Retreat on the beautiful island of Phuket. The room was exquisite - beautiful view of Panwa Bay. The resort is surrounded by water including the infinity pool that looks over the Andaman Sea. There are different restaurants, all are excellent - healthful meals, delicious variety.

My program included daily yoga sessions, a private yoga instruction, personal health consultations, a 48

mindfulness class and two spa treatments! The yoga instructor and all staff were exceptional - well trained, professional, masters at their craft. The resort is great whether you’re traveling solo, with a friend/ partner or with family” (TripAdvisor Member, 2018) This review interestingly shows the consumer paying attention to the natural environment that surrounded her on the trip, justifying previously mentioned theories that nature aids consumer well-being.

She also highlights that this experience is suitable for different types of consumers; those travelling alone, in a pair, or in groups and families, inferring that there is a large consumer base for wellness tourism and demand for several types of wellness experiences and therapies.

fig. 17

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fig. 18

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4.6 brand identity prism: Amatara Wellness Resort, Phuket

Physique: Sleek, natural, clean, elegant

Culture Thai, South East Asia.

Escape/Haven

Reflection Affluent yet valuable, willing to learn and adapt

Personality Honest, friendly, caring, classy

Relationship Equal, worthwhile, reliable, authentic

Self-Image Breath-taking, beneficial, inspiring

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reflection reflection reflection reflection 52

4.7 critical reflection The research, including both primary and secondary, was executed with the intention of highlighting the current holistic lifestyle adaptations the Pivotal generation are making in order to evade and effectively manage stress. In retrospect, this research could have benefitted from additional observations of the Pivotal generation. A diary study was previously completed by a Pivotal consumer that travelled abroad for a relaxing holiday (see appendix 8.8). This research was however inconclusive and therefore discounted as the consumer forgot to keep a regular diary for everyday and didn’t document her emotions in examinable detail. This type of study would have provided further insight into how different environments effect stress levels, the value of wellness tourism and whether relaxing excursions like medi-spas were visited and potentially how they made the Pivotal consumer feel. In hindsight, more people should have been asked to participate in the diary study in hope that some data could have been collected, assessed and subsequently included in the research findings. Furthermore, timing difficulties meant that the expert interview answers with Kumiko Richards were received at a later date than expected and therefore although some of her information has been interpreted within the report, there is still a lot of unused information from her response that could have helped form more well-rounded insights. Despite these hindrances, the research aim and objectives were successfully met because of the research methods undertaken, however some to a greater extent and validity than others. With a greater time, allowance, budget and extra resources, all objectives would be met to the same standard.

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5.

5.0 the future

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fig. 19 56

5.1 key insights • Both chapter one and two highlights that It is obvious that the Pivotal generation have a variety of coping mechanisms for stress; some of which are further damaging to one’s health and well-being. This highlights that although a large majority of Pivotal consumers are aware of holistic stress management methods and perceive it to be something that is on trend, the extent of the tangible benefits redeemable are still unknown to a lot of people.

• Research informs that the most effective stress management methods are those that involve nature in some way; whether this is through biophilic design or travelling to a different part of the world where there is unlimited access to different elements of nature.

• Pivotal consumers crave experience when they are partaking in wellness methods; this varies from medi-spas, to hot yoga classes. This satisfies their need for adventure whilst aiding their journey to better health: mentally, physically and emotionally.

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P E S T

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• According to the labour leader, the National Health Service is suffering due to being “understaffed and underfunded.” (BBC, 2020) This informs that there are not enough doctors and nurses to treat all patients. This worry could subsequently result in more people approaching a “positive wellness” approach, implementing a healthier lifestyle to prevent themselves from becoming ill in the future.

This could potentially influence consumers to invest time into spiritual exercises like meditation and yoga that promote whole-body health, bettering both their mental and physical health.

• It is apparent that due to meeting certain government enforced criteria, a quarter of young people are being turned away from the NHS Mental Health services (Rose, 2020). With a decreasing number of patients being treated for mental health issues like stress and anxiety, it means there are more consumers facing stress on their own with no support.

• The Office for National Statistics (ONS, 2019), informs that household spending “grew by 1.1% in Quarter 3 2019 when compared with Quarter 3 2018” showing that consumers are spending more money now than before. This finding reveals that consumers would potentially spend money on therapies and treatments to manage stress. It also connotes that financial stress influence could decrease as consumers are more willing to spend their money despite the uncertain economic backdrop.

• Experience economy is a macro trend that attracts a large amount of consumer expenditure (Szymanska, et al., 2017) It can be argued that this trend projects a bright future for the wellness tourism industry as consumers are willing to spend their money on valuable, worthwhile experiences

• The “Fear Of Missing Out” is a common feeling faced by the majority of society in this connected era. It is found that “social media can often perpetuate this anxiety” (Dodgson, 2018) This concept is a new type of stress within society and the majority of Pivotal consumers will feel it at points in their life. As well as influencing the rising amount of stressed Pivotals, this also has a knock-on effect on the number of consumers participating in experiences and excursions, in order to evade this feeling. Thus, it can be perceived that this stress could benefit industries like wellness tourism.

• Consumer lifestyles are busier than they ever have been, meaning that consumers have less time to themselves. Innovative ideas are being adopted in order to maximise the productivity of a consumer’s day, to make sure they are getting the most out of life and saving time. Day-to-day chores like travelling are seeing advanced ideas to drive consumers away from wasting this time scrolling through social media, and instead using their time for something useful like improving their well-being. An example of this is the collaboration between Uber and Calm, where guided meditation and breathing exercises are offered to aid their consumers with unwinding during their commute (McGregor, 2020); something that can often be stressful.

• The personal wearable technology market is growing at a fast pace. Devices like these give consumers unlimited access to their health data, allowing them further control over their own wellbeing (McGregor and Smith, 2018). Interestingly this advancement provokes some consumers to visit the doctors more often with their health data, as the close monitoring creates a hypochondriac effect. This is due to the minor changes within their health being magnified, causing this generation to be consumed by health anxiety, subsequently adding to their stress.

• According to LSN Global (McGregor and Smith, 2018), those aged between 16 and 24 years old in particular are choosing to invest their trust in health websites and apps; thus, reflecting the convenience culture that they are living in. This finding connotes that if consumers are preferring to diagnose and address health issues themselves from home, they would prefer to treat themselves from home also, instead of venturing out to chemists and doctors’ surgeries. This infers that health remedies and health rituals like exercising should be suitable for home use, thus potentially increasing engagement with holistic exercises like yoga and meditation that are suitable to practise from home.

L E

• Despite the accusations made by the leader of the Labour Party, the Prime Minister has defended the government and argues that record amounts of funding are going into the NHS as new laws are currently being passed in order to guarantee this (BBC, 2020). With several debates surrounding this topic, consumer trust in the NHS is consequently at an all-time low. Thus, potentially influencing more consumers to guarantee their personal health by adopting a holistic healthcare and wellbeing approach, using alternative therapies and treatments.

pestle key conclusions

• The surroundings in which Pivotals are growing up in are becoming very effected by urbanisation.

While this creates greater job opportunities, easier access to education, healthcare and other important services, it is having a huge impact on the natural environment surrounding consumers, as well as their health and quality of life (Boyle Torrey, 2004) This is due to increased land, water and air pollution; with large amounts of the population living in urban, city landscapes, “nine out of ten people are inhaling polluted air” (Chiu, 2019) Research explains that specifically air pollution has recently been linked with poor brain health, this includes increased psychological disorders like dementia, depression and anxiety, all issues that go hand in hand with stress.

The above highlights the most prominent macro trends that will affect stress management and holistic well-being the most. As discovered, the more influential trends lie within politics, social changes and the environment. The unstable political environment in which the Pivotal generation live amongst could influence their engagement with holistic stress management. As the constant debate surrounding healthcare investment prevails, more consumers could turn to finding alternative methods of treating their health concerns, in this instance their stress. Furthermore, with urbanization affecting the world on a global scale, there are many consequences that follow, such as busier lifestyles and a damaged environment. Busier lifestyles have inflicted a convenience culture apparent amongst Pivotals, this could again spike an increase in involvement with holistic well-being, and the number of consumers participating in spiritual exercises that are both suitable for external classes or home practice, like yoga and meditation. This will help to manage their stress instead of arranging to spend time with therapists. As mentioned, damaged environment, another product of urbanisation, will also influence consumers’ stress levels to some degree. The atmosphere that has become saturated with pollution will influence the majority of consumers’ mental health to various degrees. This could potentially harm stress levels and prompt consumers to invest in biophilic design or partake in wellness tourism; venturing to places across the globe surrounded by nature and escaping the harmful air in order to wholly detox themselves. Technology is very influential to the macro health and well-being trend. However, in relation to holistic stress management, it has less of an impact as typically holistic therapies avoid technology in order for the mind to reconnect with the body. The legal influences are also less impacting due much political debate and the time it will take for new laws to be passed. The economic environment may influence stress management and holistic healthcare due to finance being the most common stressor. However, with the average household spend growing, it connotes that consumers could become more willing to spend their money on holistic treatments such as wellness excursions.

5.2 pestle analysis 59

5.3 scenario planning

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5.4 conclusion It can be concluded from insights within the literature review that stress is something that effects everybody in different ways and to a variety of degrees. Specific to the Pivotal generation, who live in an era of constant communication and ever-developing urbanization; access to natural and holistic well-being methods can be limited, hindering their stress management. Living in built up areas has influenced the need to escape to natural resorts and immerse oneself in a natural haven, whilst concurrently experiencing innovative treatments and excursions in order to manage stress.

Further primary research justifies this and reveals that as the notion of self-care continues to grow, awareness of holistic stress management methods grows simultaneously. However, some of the Pivotal generation have not yet discovered effective stress coping mechanisms, inferring that awareness levels and engagement need to grow in order to prevent the mental health of the “melancholy” generation further deteriorating. Both “fight or flight” mechanisms can be affective if executed in the right manner. To fight the stress, meditation and mindful exercise are efficient for any generation. On the other hand, it has been learned that, “flight” methods can also be successful; escaping industrial, urban environments through accessing nature and travelling.

Both coping methods bring a variety of tangible benefits for the health of the Pivotal generation.

5.5 recommendations A PESTLE analysis and a scenario planning map enlighten possible different directions for stress management and holistic well-being to move forward into.

In urban areas where lifestyles are busy, and time is limited, a healthy and happy state of living is harder to access and maintain when taking pollution and the lack of leisure time into account.

This suggests that the path forward for this type of lifestyle, is to escape. Wellness tourism will effectively manage the stress of the Pivotal generation living in an urban environment; innovative, adrenaline enhancing excursions and inviting treatments will drive consumer engagement and contribute to a positive mind.

In geographical areas where nature is harder to access, and stress levels are high, nature should be controlled in strategic ways such as biophilic design in order to relax consumers and promote better health. This is still a very new concept and should be further developed in pioneering ways, within different surroundings.

The notion of convenience culture and busy lifestyles should also be noted as holistic well-being moves forward. Making use of consumer time in efficient ways in order for consumers to maintain good health, creating solutions for non-productive time like travelling, to become valuable selfcare time. This should be something that requires little effort and produces tangible benefits in order for Pivotal consumers to engage.

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Eat Clean or self care Read Gym Spend time with friends and family Scream Go for a walk or practise Tai Chi Be alone for a while Sleep, clean, watch tv Understand what is making me stressed and come up with ways to minimise it, eg, if it’s money - break down how much I have for that amount of time and then what I can spend on what Sleep Gamble Sleep It’s generally work related so being organised and adjusting priorities as needed.

Reflexology Go for a long walk with my dog Take a break, get support from friends/family and tackle the problem with a clearer head Go for a run.

I take time to myself or talk it out with my family of my counsellor.

Meditating Breathing exercises, talk to someone, listen to music, figure out how I could resolve the stress Take a day off to rest and recharge if I feel really overwhelmed Exercise Concisely changing my thoughts, guided relaxation, yoga, talking to my husband I run to reduce my anxiety and clear my head Make a plan of what I need to do Relaxing hobbies e.g. art I try and rationalise and prioritise what matters the most particularly if it is due to a deadline. I sometimes feel overwhelmed with the amount I have to do which contributes to my stress Try to relax by taking a bath or removing myself from the stressful situation for a bit I often exercise List tasks from most to least important, remind myself I can only try my best and that is enough Take a break do something to relax Exercise/Listen to music/Speak to friends By simply sleeping Try not to focus on negatives, put things in perspective Think about another situation Go to the gym Go to gym and do work Tea “Go to the gym or Spend time with family” Stay quiet Sleep Marijuana Do relaxing things e.g. take a bath Nothing Watch movies Vent/chat to a friend or my partner about what is stressing me. I sometimes just have a cry (letting the emotions out makes me feel better than trying to bottle them up). I go have a workout and walk things off.

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Vent/chat to a friend or my partner about what is stressing me. I sometimes just have a cry (letting the emotions out makes me feel better than trying to bottle them up). I go have a workout and walk things off.

Sometimes I just take a step back from whatever is stressing me, have a few hours/ a day to just treat myself to little things, like watching a good movie/series and having a nice meal.

Exercise Watch tv, do something different to what is stressing me out Walking Listen to music Try to do something relaxing Think of ways to minimise or deal with the things stressing me Smoke, drink tea, walk Listen to music, paint, write, talk walks, make food, go to therapy.

Go for a stroll, listen to music sometimes i draw or just keep out of social media for the meantime. Doesn’t work really as often or effectively because i get burnt out when my thesis is about drawing.

Eat junk food Smoke Have a drink or spend time on own for a bit Try to plan ahead Take time out talking to the people I feel can help me or at least support me with what is causing my stress, workout, finding some time to chill/do what I enjoy to temporary isolate myself from stress, getting enough sleep and making sure I have nice and calm pre-sleep time, some aromatherapy, sometimes alcohol/weed Look at holiday to go on Sleep Go on a walk or bake nice food Take a logical approach to it, manage it in small chunks Distract myself Change of environment, talking Sport Exercise, running helps me to relieve stress Rationalise what I’m thinking about or change things which cause me stress Let it all out so it’s out of my head and write a list Gym Do something I enjoy and find relaxing to help take my mind off the situation and to calm myself down Speak about my problems and deal with the things which are stressing me out for example; an essay Therapy, reflection, yoga, animals, self awareness Relax for a night in eg movie Take myself away from it and watch documentaries or bake cakes and write đ&#x;“?

See my therapist The gym Go on walks or have a hot drink, write things down to prioritise distract myself from the thing causing me the stress, try and do calming exercises go to therapy, exercise, sleep, stress eat, take breaks, play video games, go outdoors Walk out and of the situation I take deep breaths and I try to take my mind off things by doing something I enjoy instead Take steps to manage yoga, meditation, distraction, walks Go to the gym Sleep Making sure everything in my life is planned out and organised Retail therapy Tension I often don’t manage stress well and take it out on friends who try and organise plans with me. but to change this I remember to stop and sit on my own for a while and just be calm. But I mainly just try and crack on with life Music and drink Meditation, yoga, music rest, yoga, meditation, taking walks Think it through in my head as to whether I need to be stressed/doing more Making a list of what needs to be done

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Rationalise Manage my time effectively (for uni stress) Gym or just go for a walk Avoid people that bring stress i Go for a walk/listen to music Keep healthy Avoid doing the thing that is making me stressed ie hold off on doing work until the last minute Sleep Be organised, pro active and ask for help when required Do everything that makes me happy or what i know will make me happy / relaxed Stay at home Tell myself most things aren’t worth stressing over!!

Sleep Stay off Phone Sleep I don’t take work home with me. Plan and keep organised.

To focus on the good things Keep deadlines and be organised Trying to keep a positive state of mind rather that worrying about what if this happens or that happens. If I can’t change the outcome of something, I try not to stress about it.

Try and talk it out before hand Avoid situations that would make me anxious and promote unhappy feelings and memories.

Smoke weed Try and get whatever the thing that is stressing me out gone or done Try to keep on top of things if its uni related or just try and talk to friends and family if it’s personal Be organised/pro-active Above Eat healthily, get a good nights sleep and do exercise Try and stay on top of work Avoid certain social media/online things that I know will cause me stress, time management Make sure I think ahead and know what matters and know that I will get something done I like to keep to do lists because I like the satisfaction of ticking it off and knowing I’m on top of things Drugs Not set time limits on tasks Do things often that make me happy - spend time with friends and family. Have trips/holidays booked to look forward to Make a plan of jobs I need to get done Try to stay calm Organise workload, deal with potentially more stressful issues first so they’re out the way Do things that aren’t going to make me stressed Write things down to clear out your head Trying to keep on top of work Tick lists Relaxing, taking time out to yourself or with loved ones Dont know how to avoid Forward think Just not think about it Keep things to myself- don’t tell everyone my business so nothing can be spread/twisted. Also stay out of drama Nothing Block it out my head 70

Procrastinate Working out and exercising is one of the best ways to help prevent myself from getting stressed. Another thing is to keep in regular contact with friends and family so I know I have a good network of social support.

Start assignments etc. As early as possible, maximising time Plan things out in advance Reading mindfulness Stay away from the problem Preparation, don’t postpone tasks needed to be done Remove myself from the situation which is stressing me out Prepare as much as possible to remove as many factors as possible Go to therapy.

Think positive not lurk on certain social media sites or stop overhtinking. usually avoid myself from having to unhealthily keep tabs.

Try and do my work before the deadline Moan Avoid people or situations known to cause stress Step away trying to prevent what causes stress: planning ahead, taking action (procrastination enhances the stress), talking to people who might know better (it can make me realise it’s not necessary to find the thing stressful or how to deal with it so it doesn’t cause stress) Relax and have a bath maybe a face mask Sleep Try to think of solutions before I panic Take time out at the end of the day / have some quiet time Take myself out of situations I know will cause me stress Prepare for all things that could happen Sport Plan ahead, not leave things to the last minute Remove things which cause me stress, or try and improve situations e.g. saving money stops stress about money Be organised and on top of everything all the time Gym Just ignore the situation and try to move on Spend time with people that make me feel happy or complete my work before the deadline Plan, self aware, cut toxic people out of my life, don’t do things I know will cause me pain Don’t leave things to the last minute Give up alcohol in 2010 cut losses with toxic people and focused on my education and building my own life Yoga, meditation and gym (and therapist) Take time to myself Be organised try and do work due in advance, try not to overthink go to therapy, exercise, sleep, take breaks, go outdoors, practice good time management Don’t talk about how I’m feeling I try to stay on top of things such as work to prevent me getting overwhelmed Plan ahead breathing exercises, keeping a diary to monitor feelings and limit caffeine intake Take tablets Nothing Keeping on top of my life and ensuring I have everything organised Spend time with family Nothing I try to make a plan, not go out drinking too much, and speak to family Noting meditation mindfulness, working with thoughts, Keep on top of my work load, be selfish during stressful times Gym

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Meditation Meditation- helps me sleep better when I am stressed. Yoga- helps me relax.

Yoga Mindfulness, not very helpful Tai Chi helps me to relax tense muscles and allow me to reflect on issues on my mind Tried yoga Reflexology Meditation keeps me calm as well as Bud because they keep you mellow.

Yoga makes feel the balance, relaxation to remember not everything so shitty, talking with husband to be positive Yoga Mindfulness is shit Mindfulness Mindfulness it helps you relax and it gives you tools to cope with stresses I practice the 5 ways to wellbeing when I remember to. I try to make my routines based around them Meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, yoga.

Medication App on phone before sleep yoga or meditation/breathing exercises; it’s great to make you feel more relaxed, calm, grounded Mindfulness Yoga andmindfulness Mindfulness is great for getting to sleep when you have a lot on your mind, meditation is good during the day when u have a million things ur thinking about Yoga Mindfulness app that helps me to stay on top of my emotions mindfulness regularly in terms of self-awareness and self-reflection, which are helpful. meditation sometimes, which is calming.

I have tried mindfulness and meditation meditation, yoga, spirituality, crystal therapy Medication is helpful but can become dependant on it at times Yoga & relaxation before bed I tried the breathing apps, and meditation before Mindfulness course Yoga and meditation. Very helpful yoga, meditation, Mindfulness it helps me to get a grasp on everything I’m feeling and why and try to change any negativity

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Thailand All inclusive holiday to Lanzarote Spanish beach holiday for warm sun, sea and relaxation Nottingham Nottingham Lanzarote I went to a caravan in Yorkshire with my friend and I also went to Edinburgh festival.

Either take a city break to indulge myself in something different or get away to the slopes to do an activity Magaluf Back home from uni Halifax (city break) Croatia London to see family Spa break Spain Amsterdam Delhi London home Dominican Republic, California, were the last two trips recently booked Mexico for next year Lanzarote Lots of places maga zante sunny beach Budapest recently Day trip to Manchester Maga 3 weeks in Thailand Magaluf Lodge, really quiet and an easy place to destress I went volunteering with animals for 6 weeks Cape verde Amsterdam Barcelona spain Ragdale hall spa Portugal Faro Portugal Canada 74 small city 2 hours away

I would like to experience this because I feel that it would be very beneficial Not experienced it and partner probably not interested. Wouldn’t go alone Not at the moment I wouldn’t want to, it doesn’t appeal to me.

Would try but too many time constraints I haven’t experienced it but I would like to because I believe this can help give you a new outlook on light.

I would be interested in it as I haven’t tried to use it as a solution to try and make me feel better before.

Yes I would like to go on a yoga retreat one day Haven’t experienced it, but I would be interested in seeing how it actually influences your stress levels Interested because I like experiencing new things No I do not think I would be interested in this Would be interested, good to focus on your mental health and give your brain time off as well as your body I would be interested as I love travelling in general I would possibly be interested in it depending on the cost.

Not yet, I’d be open to it Haven’t experienced it but would like to Yes would be nice anything that helps destress yes; I assume I’d be in a thought over environment (a place picked/designed for wellness) and provided with a variety of options to distress/feel better (hence I wouldn’t have to figure it out myself) Yes I would be interested and I like to travel and relax Yes I would be interested as it would open my mind to other cultures and perspectives.

Yessss i want to go on a yoga/fitness retreat I would be interested as I did take a city break for myself would be interesting to see if it benefited me I wouldn’t typically choose to travel for wellbeing reasons, I normally travel to go sightseeing and experience a different culture I’d love to know what it is, I have a brief idea however would live to try Only learning of it today , looking at doing a mindfulness retreat Yes, helps take mind off of stress. yes - change in environment helps perspective

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mess, bright colours and clashing patters make me feel more stressed, and nature and cleaner colours make me feel relaxed Nature and certain colours are relaxing Colours Non matching colour schemes Na tidy bedroom Candles, lots of natural light, soft pillows A - textures b - colours “a) Cityscapes/chaos/mirrors and flashing lights/bright primary colours/ cold concrete walls/dirty unhygienic surfaces b) clean surfaces/pale natural colours in home and natural textures/wood/ outdoor scene ie sunshine/grass/ flowers/seashore/waves sounds” Messiness Clean house relaxes me, clutter stresses me Very busy environments make me stressed but mainly from frustration. Being by the sea makes me feel relaxed, probably because of the relaXing sounds Interior Colours Interior I like being outside and that helps with stress levels. Having a tidy house helps to calm.

Fragrant candles help me relax Too much clutter - stressed I get a bit stressed by too much mess, I need organisation in my life! Also find that getting out and about into nature for fresh air helps clear your head to de stress Things being messy makes me anxious, order keeps me calm. Running helps me relax.

When my surroundings are untidy and cluttered I feel stressed, when things are complimenting colours and tidy I feel relaxed.

“Stressed in work De stressed wherever because it’s a mindset.”

Interior decor, if somewhere is looking cluttered or messy or dark it could potentially make me more stressed “A: interior decor if its messy or untidy makes me feel stressed B: a tidy environment helps me feel less stressed and warm colours make me feel calmer “ Stressed - messy/untidy/loud surroundings. Relaxed - peaceful/tidy surroundings If no physical space available Messy surroundings make me feel stressed especially a messy kitchen. Room sprays and candles and fresh bed sheets make me feel relaxed A) Hectic colours/patterns make me feel slightly more stressed Crowded/messy interior decor can make me stressed, nature makes me feel more relaxed, soft textures and colours are more relaxed Stressed - no daylight, dull colours, miserable weather b) sun, bright and light natural colours Interior 76decor makes me relaxed when there’s moody lighting / colours Colours natural air flow etc

I like organisation, tidy areas and calming neutral colours N/A Dark and dirty environments make me stressed. Nature, sun light help me relax N/A If workplace is untidy, can make me feel like I have a lot to do when sometimes I actually don’t, not affected by by colours or textures personally but I have worked with people who are Tidy room, calm colours Wall colour, amount of natural light in a room Messy room means I’m more stressed Bright colours Leicester atmosphere A - red B - Blue Nature and the world around. If I’m in a city/busy places I feel more stressed and if I am in the countryside/around nature I feel more relaxed Brightly coloured surroundings such as walls may make you feel less stressed and more happy Bright colours make me happy, being outside helps too If a room has no natural light in it (lack of windows or just dark in general) it stresses me out. I get stressed out if I’m in a place that smells bad (whether it be a house or out and about in town). I feel relaxed when I’m somewhere with lots of greenery and trees (like the woods, or big spacious parks).

Noises can be stressful Nature and the listening to rain makes me feel more relaxed A bright colours and mess b pastel colours water fish tank / water fountain Less stressed out with family around Messy environment stresses, neatly organised environment is relaxing My house and decor makes me feel relaxed with the colour pallet I enjoy countryside outdoors A) Overcast, heavy snow or rain, extreme heat, jagged or uneven textures. B) Light rain, sunny days, light jacket weather, soft textures. a. Noise, gaudy/ gloomy colours. b) plants, trees, lakes, sky blue i dont know how to answer relaxed since im in the living room often when working but for sure when it comes to a.) its how packed the living room is that makes me a bit stressed because it gives the illusion of uncleanliness and i can’t work steadily in a unclean environment.

Rented house troubles with damp and my bed makes me feel relaxed Relaxed Like to be comfy the feel of fleecey clothes or blanket etc “Stressed - cluttered environment Relaxed - outdoors in open space with views. Light colours. No dramatic decor “ Unsure a) artificial lighting, clutter b) earthy colours (especially light), plants, natural lighting (ideally sunlight) Mess around the house makes me stressed and candles and neutral tones make me relaxed When colours don’t match A horrible and old decor makes me so much more stressed. B nature and colours make me a lot more relaxed Dark colours feel harsher and having more windows and light just lightens the mood.

Interior decor and colour Home Messy surroundings make me feel more stressed. If the environment is clean then I feel more relaxed places which make me feel comfortable take away stress as well as more neutral colours Just a clean space, mess = stress Pub A) somewhere that’s not warming B) a homely presence, friendly environment Nature makes me feel relaxed, ie going on a walk The feeling of being near nature and natural things groundsyou My bedroom decor The colours I have painted my home make me feel more relaxed and in my own space. The nature views calm my mind when it feels it is rushing with thoughts or triggered emotional states. Warm cosy clothing like fluffy pj’s can lift my mood Darkness, small spaces and when there isn’t green in an area Cool colours make me relaxed Being near a window with a view makes me less stressed a) messy rooms b) nature noises (ocean crashing, rain sounds) Stressed: loud noises, multiple types of noises, too cold or too hot, overwhelming smells; relaxed: quiet noises or nice music, smells that I like (certain candles, flowers, soaps), soft textures (blankets, sweaters, animals), natural sunlight, beautiful scenery, water “A - being in the same room for too long. Dark rooms B- outside in the sun Bright colours “ Dark enclosed spaces can increase stress where as being out in open natural spaces can make you feel relaxed Light/Air quality a) uneven textures, bright colours, mess b) cool colours, soft textures, matching interiors and any natural elements The interior decor and the garden A) messy room etc b) the sunset I have to make sure wherever I am sitting, living, working, being is tidy, relaxing colours/appropriate colours for the right room and activity otherwise I feel unmotivated and unsafe.

Stressed If my room is messy I get stressed I feel like I can’t work (ie clothes, general room mess) but if my room is clean and bright and full of plants I feel very relaxed Messy environment, cold wet Clutter makes me stressed clutter makes me stress, nature makes me relaxed A) being around other stressed people, staying in the same place to do work regularly b) relaxing in my room, at home, with friends doing something social 77 a) messy environments and loud block colours b) candles, plants, and muted tones

8.2 appendix instagram poll

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instagram poll

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8.3 appendix consumer interview: Kelly Alexandra BECKY: What are the biggest external influences on your stress levels currently? And do you think stress affects your physical health..how?

KELLY: Ok currently I wouldn’t say I was that crazy stressed at the moment because exams have just been finished at uni, see the things that stress me out the most is probably uni at the moment. When I’m not at uni, I literally do not have a care in the world, as in, since leaving school, no drama, no stress because I started, wait that’s a complete lie. When I left school, that summer, I was completely fine, went back to uni, stress. That stress started because of who I was living with at uni as in I’m a very very tidy clean person and they just weren’t, which consequently meant that for my second and fourth year I live on my own just to avoid that stress. And secondly just like being away from home but not necessarily stress its more just being left out. I kind of look from the exterior, like I wish I was home kind of thing but apart, but stress levels, what, like I said, just uni. But do I think it affects my physical health? Oh My God, when I’m stressed, I lose my appetite, I’m moody, I’m very negative, but not in a way like I fucking hate life, just I’m very pessimistic . It also, I don’t know, physically it makes my skin really bad, obviously I lose a bit of weight cause I lose my appetite at the same time it can go from like the polar opposite where I absolutely binge, like fuck this whats the point, let me just indulge on absolutely everything. And also when I’ve had like anxiety before like I’m constantly shaking, still really nauseous all the time, so that’s like probably another physical element of how it can be shown, when I’m feeling stressed.

BECKY: How would you define ‘Holistic Wellbeing’?

KELLY: Isn’t holistic when you’re I don’t even know how to explain it, it’s like everything as one kind of thing, I don’t know. Like you don’t just – not like you blame it on mental or social health, mental or physical health, you kind of take it all as a whole so like if I improved this then I know I’m going to be in a better mood and that will eventually make me go to the gym again or kind of like so if you don’t just focus on one thing you kind of improve everything to make everything better or you like start on one thing to improve everything. So I feel like that’s what holistic wellness is so an approach where its not just going to the gym but its going to the gym and looking at your own, like eating well, you’re fixing your relationships with people, making sure that you take some time for your like mental health, whether it’s colouring in or I don’t know or doing dot-to-dots or something just to rest your mind as much as your body needs resting.

BECKY: Okay, and what made you decide to begin Yoga?

KELLY: I decided to do yoga because to be honest I don’t really know – I wasn’t exactly stressed or anything I just thought do you know what I thought this is a good skill to learn and to be there in the moment, stretch, just for improved health I suppose but it’s different to like cardio or its different to weights it’s like a different kind of health where you are very aware of what’s going on, you’re stretching, you’re relaxing, you’re breathing how you should, you’re focusing on your breathing XYZ and I feel like that’s a skill that not many people have. Like I know sounds yeah breathing is innate but there’s a certain way to breath that will calm you down, like if you’re having a panic attack , there’s a breathing technique that will help to calm you down, do you know what I mean, there’s different ways so I thought, yeah, Yoga’s very peaceful, it’s probably like an escapism kind of thing.

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BECKY: Do you take classes or practise on your own? Do you use any apps or anything?

KELLY: So I don’t take any classes at the moment because I’m broke, I’m a student and Yoga is very expensive, very expensive which is a bit annoying, I mean the gym does do yoga but I’m a bit fussy about where I go to Yoga. So when I was back home I did Yoga classes at a Yoga studio, like hot Yoga and vin yasa and loads of other stuff and it was really good and I really thoroughly enjoy it, there are some offers going on in Leicester but I still don’t know if I can afford it to be honest. But I do like meditate and stretch and stuff and I put something on YouTube just so it can help me out cause I’ve got a Yoga mat in my flat and I’ll do some if I’m feeling a bit stressed or after the gym just to help me cool down or whatever. No I don’t use any apps, I do have YouTube in the back ground sometimes because I like the freeflow of vin yasa and I definitely do not know that off by heart, but no tutorials.

BECKY: What would you say are the most valuable benefits of yoga to you as a person and why?

KELLY: Do you know it’s actually made a change of many increments to be honest because I can see the difference and I think my friends can see the difference as well because when I’m in a certain situation where maybe someone might react quite abruptly or in a quick manner I just take my time to just slow down, think, be aware of how I’m actually feeling and react to that instead of , its hard to explain, I think this is more meditation to be honest than it is Yoga but Yoga definitely goes hand in hand with meditation so I’m going to put it under one hat. I think definitely the most valuable benefits are definitely health wise and just again like in a holistic way in that its helped me not just with the demons in my head let’s say but in general with life and health and stuff.

BECKY: So do you consider yourself to be a spiritual person?

KELLY: Do you know what, to some extent because I’m definitely not religious, I’m an atheist, I’m probably like a secular being as well to be honest, I’m not sure how to define it but google secular and you’ll have a little bit more of an understanding. I just kind of think that ‘What you put in is what you get out’, so not necessarily like Karma and stuff, but if you’re a good person, good things will happen to you and if you’re a bit of a twat then don’t be surprised when someone’s a bit nasty to you kind of thing and it’s probably just by spiritual it’s just actually in the moment just think about everything instead of just reacting, like I said before BECKY: Do you have any other coping mechanisms for stress?

KELLY: Oh my god yes breathing. Meditation and breathing will change your life. When I went to therapy in the summer he taught me some really good breathing exercises and honestly it helps for absolutely anything. I used to get a lot of panic attacks whenever I’d be out cause I’d get really overwhelmed about being on the tube and stuff and literally just breathing in for four and out for seven or in for four hold, out for six or something, like honestly because it’s a panic attack is your body reacting to something physical, so even if your mind is going at 100 miles an hour, if you breath and concentrate on your breathing, the physical element of that helps so you might still be panicking in your head but the physical element of your body calming down, it has to because your breathing is allowing your body to respond in the biological way where your mind cant kind of thing. I don’t know if that makes any sense at all but if you breath, your body will calm down out of a panic attack at it is literally a physical thing, its biology - there you go, probably a bit of chemistry as well. And colouring in – Oh my God I colour in so much because when you are colouring in your mind is not thinking or wondering about anything else you are just literally colouring in, it’s so good, it’s a way to detach yourself away from everything if you re panicking, such a good way

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consumer interview: Kelly Alexandra BECKY: Have you ever looked into or practised mindfulness?

KELLY: Oh My God every single night before I go to bed. If I’m thinking a lot about something before I go to bed, so I will always read before I go to bed till I put my mind to calm my mind down cause if I’m on my phone my mind will be awake especially with the blue light, I don’t like to have technology at least half an hour before I go to sleep. But mindfulness, oh my God, so I do this exercise where you become really aware of your sensations so I’ll think of like my big toe and concentrate my thoughts onto my big toe and literally follow that thought all the way up to like my heel to my ankle, all the way up my leg, to my knee, keep following and concentrating up to my hip to my stomach onto my arms onto my fingers each finger and honestly by the time I’m onto my knee or my hip, I’m honestly asleep or I’ll do it with my hands like from my pinky follow the thought down onto my palm and up into the ring finger then onto the middle finger then the index finger then the thumb then all the way up my arm.

KELLY: And then also I’m a really slow eater and mindfulness has made me even slower because I love to think about like the flavours and everything that I’m eating. I feel like mindfulness has really just made me appreciate everything, like even if I’m going to try on a pair of trousers I want to buy like I really feel the texture when I try them on like I’ll think about how they feel on me like, I don’t know, like, yeah it’s made me more aware of things and honestly mindfulness is a bloody gem when you are going to sleep cause you are concentrating on following that little sensation all around your body oh my God you’ll be ‘soundo’ as you guys say in no time BECKY: Have you ever downloaded a mindfulness app?

KELLY: No I haven’t because since I was in school, like maybe year 11 I’ve done mindfulness cause luckily we had someone come in to tell us about it and then we managed to convince the teacher to teach us so like there was a group of us every week we’d go and practice mindfulness basically and when I was at work last year we had meditation and mindfulness people come in every now and then to just help us cause we had like wellness month and wellness weeks every now and then so they’d come in and help us and teach us so I haven’t really had a use for a mindfulness app I would say BECKY: Okay and finally what is your opinion on Wellness tourism and would you want the benefit from travelling to a holistic retreat?

KELLY: Oh my Bloody God I have been wanting to go on one for such a long time but they are extortionate and I also feel like it would be absolutely brilliant because obviously you have got someone shouting at you saying like ‘get up’ they’re making your breakfast and then you’re going out for like yoga or a run like it sounds amazing but at the same time I feel like I can probably just do that I just need to find someone to go with that would be up for it and yeah, get ourselves down to somewhere sunny do some yoga by the sea. Have some healthy breakfasts, go for runs meditate, I feel like I can definitely do that on my own, well not on my own, like with someone else. To be fair I could probably do that on my own but yeah I do feel like they’re a great idea but at the moment with my financial status seeing as I’m a student, I cannot afford a wellness retreat.

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8.4 appendix consumer interview: Olivia Thomas Olivia Thomas: Wellness Tourism Interview Stressors = a stimulus that causes stress e.g. finances, work, assignments, relationships etc 1. Before going on holiday, what were the biggest stressors affecting you?

Prior to my holiday to Malaysia I was stressed about when I was going to have time to finish my university dissertation work but also wanted to have a nice well-deserved relaxing holiday. My deadline is not far off from returning to Uni meaning I had to work through the holidays. However, going to a beach resort for a week made it unlikely I was going to carry on working. Therefore, I tried to get as much done as possible.

2. What were your reasons for choosing the holiday destination (location & hotel) besides price/ recommendations?

I went on a family holiday to Penang, Malaysia. We have been before, but 10 years ago and really enjoyed it, we were excited to return to see if the island had changed at all in any way. We travelled from Thailand (home destination) and usually holiday in Bali (4-hour plane ride and requires a 3am wake up) however as we were going away close to Christmas we wanted somewhere not too far and would not take too long to get to. Malaysia is only an hour’s plane journey hence our choice, mainly. We wanted somewhere relaxing and could take a week of just relaxing by the pool/beach and having an easy-going evening with dinner and drinks, so we preferably wanted a beach break instead of a city. This also influenced our decision on choosing Penang.

3. Were there any particular elements of your holiday that made you feel more stressed?

As mentioned before, the holiday was in the middle of ‘prime’ writing time for my dissertation so there was almost an element of guilt for going on a beach holiday during an important time for my university degree.

4. Were there any particular elements of your holiday that made you feel less stressed?

Aside from the obvious and being on a beach holiday so it was extremely laid back and relaxing, it was nice to know once I was back I had nothing else to do but to finish my work so it made me feel less guilty for not doing any. It was almost a sense of assurance to know once I was back, I was soon to be back at uni. Personal, but in terms of my relationship – the time difference between my boyfriend and I was only 3 hours (instead of 11, England to Australia) so it was nice to be able to talk to him much more  5.Were you more exposed to nature during this holiday than you would be at home? How did this effect your mood and stress levels, which elements of nature (e.g. fresh air, sea, beach, trees/greenery) made you feel calmer etc.

Yes! From being in Bangkok ‘the concrete jungle’ to Penang on a beautiful island surrounded by the sea, mountains and nature it helped me relax and was a refreshing change. The sea always makes me feel calm and I think even being surrounded by so much greenery which is often not seen in Thailand and England during the winter months made me feel happier and calmer.

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6. Whilst you were away, how often did you think about the ‘stressors’ mentioned in question 1?

I would say it was definitely on my mind but not to the extent that it was ruining my holiday. I think reminding myself of where I was and how privileged I was to be there helped me forget about it and enjoy my holiday guilt free. With it being uni work, I always know it will get done and has to be done so I could stress, but I also couldn’t do anything about it at the time as I didn’t take my work resources with me.

6a. And what did you do whilst you were on holiday in order to relax/take your mind off the ‘stressors’?

Read fictional books purely for pleasure rather than academic literature research. Listen to music, lie in the sun!!! Penang is famous for their street art scattered about their main town, Georgetown. Similar to bankys’s work. It was really interested and fun to tour round with a street art map to find all the street art, lots of it was 3D out of the walls so it was fun to take pictures of and with. And also a nice break out the sun.

7. Did you experience anything on holiday to better your physical or mental health? E.g. go to a spa, have a massage etc. (If not, have you ever experienced a treatment to better your physical or mental health on a previous holiday? If so use that experience to answer the question) I did not during this holiday but usually I will always have one or two massages. What I think is great about a massage is that is completely tech-free. You don’t have your phone with you to text anyone or scroll through social media, which is a major detox, especially for your mental health. In my opinion I think experiences like these should be extremely more promoted as a way to get people off their phones etc.

7a. If so, what did you experience and how effective was this treatment?

I think massages and spa treatments are extremely effective. They completely relax you. As for spa treatments they also make you feel better about yourself and positive after it so in that aspect they are positive for your personal wellbeing and mental health.

8. When you arrived back, how did you feel in regard to your stress levels?

It was almost a reality check when I was back, I knew from then I didn’t have any excuses to not do any work, so it definitely stressed me out a bit. For me, after my holiday I didn’t have left long until I had to fly back to England so then I knew from then I was even closer to my deadline. Also was expecting the holiday blues to hit.

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8.5 appendix consumer interview: Callum Williamson Callum Willamson: Wellness Tourism Interview Stressors = a stimulus that causes stress e.g. finances, work, assignments, relationships etc 1. Before going on holiday, what did were the biggest stressors affecting you?

Getting to the airport is probably the most stressful part of the holiday. Just in case we miss the flight.

2. What were your reasons for choosing the holiday destination (location & hotel) besides price/ recommendations?

The hotel is the most important factor. I like my luxuries and have to have the best service. I also prefer to be close to the sea when i’m abroad as this makes me feel as though I have really escaped from back home.

3. Were there any particular elements of your holiday that made you feel more stressed?

Not really I find holidays stress free.

4. Were there any particular elements of your holiday that made you feel less stressed?

Having everything done for me such as baggage when we get to the hotel and knowing I don’t have to any basic tasks like make my bed or do anything.

5. Were you more exposed to nature during this holiday than you would be at home? How did this effect your mood and stress levels, which elements of nature (e.g. fresh air, sea, beach, trees/greenery) made you feel calmer etc.

I was located right on the Caribbean coast so it made me very happy as my favourite thing is swimming in the sea and seeing all the fishes and sea creatures. Having easy access to the sea made me feel calm and happy a lot of the time whilst being away. It was nice to be breathing real fresh air, not being in a busy city environment, being surrounded by nature and tranquility.

6. Whilst you were away, how often did you think about the ‘stressors’ mentioned in question 1?

None at all 6a. And what did you do whilst you were on holiday in order to relax/take your mind off the ‘stressors’?

N/A

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7. Did you experience anything on holiday to better your physical or mental health? E.g. go to a spa, have a massage etc. (If not, have you ever experienced a treatment to better your physical or mental health on a previous holiday? If so use that experience to answer the question) Yes at the end of the holiday we treated our-self to a spa treatment and intensive hydro-therapy to relax before returning home. We chose to do this because it is something that we’d only really choose to do whilst we’re abroad as the facilities and environment are better than in the UK for a spa. I’d also seen lots of similar spa therapies on instagram, some of the influencers that I follow had been to like really luxurious spas, and they looked amazing on their instagram so wanted to try it out for myself.

7a. If so, what did you experience and how effective was this treatment?

We had a full hour of hydrotherapy which was basically like a journey/course, moving through different ‘obstacle’ type treatments or activities, all revolving around water. And then we moved onto a 80 minute swedish massage after. So, we started off in the sauna with eucalyptus and lavender infused towels (very nice, heightened my senses), then we moved over into the steam room where we had a sugar scrub. After that we went to this bucket of cold water that you had to pour onto ourselves which made us feel shocked and relaxed (funny). Then we had to walk over cold stones with freezing cold water being shooted onto our legs. After that we went into a jet shower that washed us completely before getting into a pool.

We were then taken over into two long pools, 1 was -12 degrees! We had to walk through this. Then after that we walked through the other which was hot tub temperature (40 degrees). Then we had to go into the pool which shot bubbles up to massage our legs (this was intense) before moving over to a neck and head massage with water, again this was high pressured jets of water. After, we moved over to seats that were in the water, made from heated rails which was sort of like a jacuzzi. Then we went into another jacuzzi where we were given champagne. This was before we went into the massage room where we had a full body massage with orange oil (naked massage). Relaxing music played throughout the whole duration. 80 minute massage in total. This relaxed me completely on the last day of my holiday before going to the airport. It was very expensive but very worth it and I would recommend to anyone else who needed a relaxing treatment to destress. (£200 each) 8. When you arrived back, how did you feel in regard to your stress levels?

Very stressed due to Uni work but didnt think about it at all whilst I was on holiday, it was a bit of a shock to the system, especially compared to how I felt right at the end of my holiday when I was receiving luxurious treatments. .

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8.6 appendix expert interview: Robyn Harris “There are five main aspects of personal health: physical, emotional, social, spiritual, and intellectual. In order to be considered “well,” it is imperative for none of these areas to be neglected.”

1. Please can you share your own experience with holistic wellness and how you began your holistic well-being career/ journey?

When I was 13 I began to experience migraine headaches. I was put onto very strong painkillers (which have now been removed as they were then unsafe) and while these eased the pain, I was still unwell. A few years later I got glandular fever and I didn’t fully recover from this. I was exhausted and achey and couldn’t concentrate and I had to take the rest of the year off school.

My mum decided to take me to a complementary therapist who was the first person who seemed to really listen and believe what I was experiencing. He said he believed that I was suffering from ME. It was amazing to feel heard and understood! This was back in the 1990s at the time when ME was being called Yuppy Flu and dismissed by most of the medical profession, so to have someone listen, believe and understand was so reassuring! I wasn’t going mad or ‘putting it on’. I came to understand that I had become so ill due to stress and overwhelm. It was learning to deal with this that allowed me to become well again.

Later in my life, when I was again going through a very stressful period, I recognised that I was on the verge of heading down that same road as before. I also realised that the only person who could make any effective and lasting change in my life was me, and so I started to look into complementary ways to support myself and to learn how to address stress differently. This turned things around for me in amazing ways and I then wanted to share this with others, to give them the tools to make the changes they need in their own lives to be able to experience greater balance, wellbeing, freedom, and joy. I also came to understand the importance of being truly heard and accepted and, of having the time and space to explore issues in a safe and non-judgemental environment. We are social beings, but often stress causes us to feel alone and isolated. Re-establishing the feeling of connection, and knowing that it’s ok to feel these feelings – that we’re not crazy, or weird – is very healing.

2. From your own experience, and teaching your clients, which holistic well-being methods would you say are most effective for stress management in particular and why?

We’re all individuals, so this will vary from person to person, but in general I believe that learning to identify and address the things that we find stressful is the thing that makes the most difference to our wellbeing. Our stress can be unconscious as well as conscious. We can be holding tension in our bodies from childhood, and from conditioning, that we are unaware of, but that is still having an impact on our wellbeing. Acknowledging this and exploring what issues are triggering us, allows us to then take steps in releasing that stress.

I think it’s very important to look at our beliefs, our triggers, our reactions and our emotions / feelings. These can help us to identify the unconscious & conscious stresses and will also contribute to addressing them.

Also, when we can tune in to our bodies and really listen to what they’re telling us, we can begin to have a greater understanding of where they need support, and what form that might take. Our bodies have an inner wisdom and they know what they need in order to achieve balance and wellbeing, but often we have lost touch with this, and with how to interpret the signals. Also, medications can suppress symptoms (the signals) meaning that we no longer have the full information.

Our western view of medicine seems to be that the body has gone ‘wrong’, making us ill. To me, the body doesn’t make mistakes. It makes the adaptations it believes it needs to make in order to feel safe(r). These adaptations might work in the short term, but often lead to problems over the longer term, potentially actually making us ill in some way. But when we can tune in and listen, our symptoms will let us know what isn’t working, from which we can work out better ways to support ourselves, allowing us to return to balance and wellbeing.

Working with a therapist who can hold a safe, supportive and non-judgemental space, and who listens deeply, helping the person to interpret and understand what their body is showing them in order to identify issues and also tools they can use to address these, is – I believe – the most effective way to deal with stress. It also empowers the person to create a healthier and happier life for themselves, one that really works for them as an individual.

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3. In your opinion, which holistic well-being methods do younger clients (18-30 years old) best respond to? (If unsure, do you have an idea of which methods you think would appeal to them most?)

I think that the tools described above work for all ages, though obviously they need to be used in an age appropriate way, with age appropriate language, descriptions, strategies and examples to support the person’s understanding. The stresses experienced will vary from person to person. Younger people might be worried about exams, their friends at school, issues with parents, boy/girl-friends, their future in the current climate, etc, rather than mortgages, bills, job stress and so on, so the support needs to be relevant to their experience. Since the approach above is about listening to the individual and helping them to develop their own resources, with a younger person they might need more explanation / encouragement / support / examples / etc, and a simpler approach, depending on their age and life experience.

4. Does your physical health benefit from the holistic well-being methods you use and how?

Definitely. Our physical health is a reflection of the wellbeing of other areas of our being. We are made up of a wide range of elements which we might call physical, cognitive, emotional, spiritual, social or whatever. These need to be in overall balance in order for us to be well. If we neglect, or obsess about, any of the aspects of ourselves, then we lose our balance and this impacts on our health. We need to be holistic in our approach. Although I’ve labelled a range of aspects of our being (above) these are artificial distinctions where, in fact, there are no boundaries. Each threads through the others and all have an effect on each other. Using holistic well-being methods aims to ensure that the whole being is considered and supported enabling our physical health to be at its optimum.

5. How frequently should holistic well-being be practiced in order to reap the physical and psychological benefits?

For me it’s about it becoming a way of life, not an ‘exercise’ that we fit in from time to time. As I mentioned above, we are holistic beings. Any one thing impacts on the others. Just as dieting doesn’t generally help people to lose weight in the long term, and we need instead to think about changing our lifestyle, nutrition and attitude to food, so wellbeing benefits most from an overall review of all aspects of ourselves, and how we can change these to be more supportive of our whole being.

6. Have you ever been to a spiritual retreat/wellness retreat (abroad or in the UK) and if so please can you tell me about your experience and how valuable this was for you?

Yes, as a young adult I went on a couple of amazing retreats which really changed my perspective and planted seeds which I’ve been benefitting from ever since.

Since then, I’ve been on some day retreats which always help to re-centre, ground and re-focus me. It’s wonderful to get together with others in order to experience connection, the affirmation of being with like-minded people and also the expansion of listening to and learning from other people.

Retreats are great places to get away from everyday stresses and expectations and to be free to explore, re-evaluate and re-focus. They can be energising, relaxing, recharging, challenging. They can encourage healthy curiosity and questioning and help to broaden the mind and develop new tools and strategies.

7. Where were these retreats?

The early retreats were in Belfast. It was a group called ‘Choice’, aimed at young adults.

8. What sort of activities did you participate in?

We had group work, where the facilitators dived right in and asked us deep ‘existential’ type questions which seemed to bypass the usual ‘getting to know you’ phase. There was no gentle introduction or ‘small talk’, just going straight to the questions that we all as ourselves deep down, but don’t tend to share with others for fear of what they might think of us and that they might judge us. This was against a background of The Troubles and the religious and political tension of the time. It broke down those barriers, showing how similar people are underneath, how we worry about / care about / love the same things. It created strong bonds and connections very quickly as we were connecting on a much deeper level than would normally happen in such a brief period of time. We also had times of silent reflection which allowed space to ponder and process all that had been discussed and shared.

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expert interview: Robyn Harris 9. What did you learnt on these retreats that is still relevant in your life today?

That people are actually very similar underneath and that our worries and passions can be so similar. Differences can seem huge and insurmountable but perhaps this is because we focus on the surface issues and don’t look at the feelings and reasons behind our beliefs, which often turn out to be not so different after all. The group gave me tools that I still use today: the ability to be objective, to listen, to be open-minded, to stay curious, and to see things from another’s perspective. I also learnt about mindfulness, tolerance, patience, acceptance, compassion, understanding, empathy and non-judgement. It taught me that we can never really know what’s going on within another person, or the reasons that motivated their choices and actions, unless we ask them, and unless they feel safe enough to really open up and share.

Other retreat type things that I’ve done since have been similar. They’ve often been events that I’ve just seen at a time that felt right for me and that looked like they would offer space for reflection and also the opportunity to listen and share and learn from others. They’ve generally been related to the Mind-Body-Spirit-Wellbeing connection, as this is where my interest lies.

10. Do you believe that a person’s mental and physical well-being can be transformed through a short, intense holistic therapy course/retreat? And Why? I think it would depend on the person and where they are in their journey. Some people are on the cusp of change and ready to take that leap so might only need a short period of support. Others might need a much slower pace.

Also, we need to remember that change is always challenging, and we need time to adjust and to fully assimilate the new. It can take time to get to the point where we notice / accept that we need to make changes, and it will also take time to address the issues and to find our way back to balance. I’m wary of ‘quick fixes’ as often I find that they’re temporary and issues can return, as the underlying causes weren’t fully addressed in the first place.

I understand that people want to get results quickly, but it’s equally – if not more - important for those results to be sustainable. Also, there is great learning along the journey. As we explore our experience of stress and how it impacts on our wellbeing, we learn so much about ourselves, our needs, how to look after our health, and where our beliefs are not supporting us and would benefit from being reviewed. For me it’s about the journey and the process, as much as about the destination. Balance is a dynamic thing, so working through this journey helps us to learn the skills and ‘develop the muscles’ to be able to maintain this balance in the future.

It’s also worth mentioning that although there might not be a ‘quick fix’ in terms of an instant physical ‘cure’, the change of perspective from stress, worry and fear to understanding, acceptance, self-compassion and empowerment enables us to see the journey as an adventure to be en-joyed. By this I mean that we can bring joy to our experiences, or at least find purpose and meaning in them, even when they might not be comfortable – like being prepared to train in order to be fitter, or study in order to get the grades / qualifications we want, because we know that this will help us in the future and we will feel amazing when we achieve our goal.

Notes: (please leave any other information below that you believe is relevant to this project) I hope that the above is helpful and that it all makes sense. If you have any questions on what I’ve written, please feel free to ask.

This looks like a fascinating study and I hope it helps to make positive changes for Gen Z and Millennials. The world is moving forward so fast, but sadly I think that services aren’t really keeping up. I think this study could help to highlight areas of possible change which will benefit many young people.

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8.7 appendix expert interview: Kumiko Richards “There are five main aspects of personal health: physical, emotional, social, spiritual, and intellectual. In order to be considered “well,” it is imperative for none of these areas to be neglected.”

1. Please can you share your own experience with holistic wellness (tai chi or anything else you have also experience with) and how you began your holistic well-being career/journey?

I started practising it when I wanted a bit of indoor exercises and “me” time, and somehow, I got hooked and haven’t looked back since then. I was enjoying taichi so much and thinking it would be nice to share the experience with other people. Then I was made redundant, so I started running my own classes.

2. From your own experience, and teaching your clients, how effective is this technique in regard to stress management and why?

One of the main aims, and benefits, of practising taichi is to learn how to relax. It’s a combination of slow, conscious movements and deep breathing which helps you to train how to calm down. Quite often stress comes from a bit of panic, so being able to calm your brain down whenever needed is very effective in stress management. Another source of stress could be about dealing with people, and again, more relaxed you are, more likely that the person you’re dealing with can also relax. I think it’s a very good skill.

3. Do younger clients (aged between 18-30 years) respond well to Tai Chi? Is it popular amongst this age category? If so, why? And if not, do you think it should be? Why? Under 30 is very under-represented in my own experience and I don’t think it’s popular amongst this age group. But with any holistic exercises it’s not age-specific so it’s individual rather than any particular age groups that matters.

Regardless of age, if you correctly follow the practice both physically and mentally, you would respond well and gain health benefits.

4. Does your physical health benefit from the Tai Chi and how?

Yes, it strengthens your muscles gradually, increases flexibility of the joints, and help improve balance, coordination and control. It’s also said that it helps boost your immune system so for example, you may have less cold. Personally, I have much less cold now and even when I have it it’s only very mild.

5. How frequently should Tai Chi be practiced in order to reap the physical and psychological benefits?

It depends on the individual needs and abilities, but with any exercises more frequent, shorter sessions are better than, for example, 1 long session per week. Many taichi teachers recommend daily practice.

6. Have you ever been to a spiritual retreat/wellness retreat (abroad or in the UK) and if so please can you tell me about your experience and how valuable this was for you? Have you ever been to a Tai Chi course outside of the UK? What was this like?

No, I haven’t been to any.

7. Do you believe that a person’s mental and physical well-being can be transformed through a short, intense holistic therapy course/retreat? And Why? I think it’s possible to have an eye - opener in those experiences and start transforming yourself. For example, if you’re dealing with trauma, one big event may truly transform you. But with physical wellbeing, I rather think that you need to make it as part of your routine and keep on doing it regularly.

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8.8 appendix observational study: Hollie Sanderson

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observational study (unused/inconclusive): Gabi Howarth

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8.9 appendix consent forms

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8.10 appendix stress diathesis diagram

hettler’s 6 dimensions of wellness model

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trend lifecycle diagram

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8.11 appendix brand identity prism

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PESTLE analysis

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8.12 appendix

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