Take time out in 2022 to look after your BODY & SOUL

Sasha van Niekerk

SELF-CARE is always in fashion, but these wellness trends for 2022 are all about mindfulness, manifestation and living clean.

Emotional escape rooms

Yoga and meditation are ancient art and disciplines that originated over 3 000 years ago. By practising it, you can reconnect with your body. Through meditation, one learns how to focus, think more clearly and become less reactive. As you gain awareness of the impact of your actions on your life, you are more likely to refine your choices.

This means that you do not act out of compulsion but rather out of choice. As a means to achieve this inner peace whilst many people continue working from home, emotional escape rooms are growing in popularity. Having a quiet spot with a soft, cosy rug, floor pillows, a yoga mat, natural lighting (possibly near a window) is the perfect indoor escape. The space is separate from the work and sleep areas so it remains a sacred spot dedicated to the practice of mindfulness.

Dry January-December

As a personal challenge, people choose to partake in “Dry January” where the aim is to abstain from alcohol for the entire month. It’s kind of perfect if you consider that it falls just after Christmas and New Year’s Day, two very indulgent holidays as far as feasting and drinking go.

But, in 2022, it is becoming more popular for people to extend the challenge until the end of the year. According to Business Insider, “Millennials and Gen Zers have been consuming less than older generations in recent years. Research also suggests that more Millennials participate in Dry January in larger numbers than their older counterparts.”

There are also plenty of benefits involved as outlined by Harvard Health Publishing, “Regular drinkers who abstained from alcohol for 30 days slept better, had more energy, and lost weight, according to a study in BMJ Open. They also lowered their blood pressure and cholesterol levels and reduced cancer-related proteins in their blood.”

Luxurious baths

Self-care routines are no longer about simply getting the job done, it’s about turning ordinary events into an experience. So, when it comes to baths, hopping in and out just won’t do it anymore. People are looking to transform this mundane activity into a luxurious escape to ease stress and treat themselves. Scented candles, bath bombs, lavender and salt tea bags as well as face masks and spa music are all part of the vibe.

A BATH can mean luxury in your own home. | YAROSLAV SHURAEV Pexels

Tracking our stress levels

Using smart watches or old fashioned journaling to lean into our mental mindsets to pick up on early signs of being overwhelmed or stressed is a very significant selfcare trend for the year. From being able to monitor calorie intake, sleep patterns, heart rate, and more, smartwatches are helping us keep a closer eye on our physical health and, in turn, even our mental health. If you prefer to go for lowtech, journalling is also on the rise as far as mindfulness trends go.

Writing down positive affirmations, goals, what you’re grateful for and letting go of some of the more challenging parts of life by putting pen to paper can be as cathartic as actually speaking the words out loud. On the Intermountain Healthcare website, they go into detail about how journaling helps keep your brain in shape. “Not only does it boost memory and comprehension, but it also increases working memory capacity, which may reflect improved cognitive processing,” they said.

Manifestation and mindfulness

The concept that your thoughts can influence your reality is known as “manifesting”. Lately, this mindfulness practice has received a lot of attention on TikTok so it’s no surprise that it’s been grabbing the public’s attention during such a challenging period. Social media users, celebrities and everyone in between swears by the idea that this continuous process of creation can help people build their dream lives. According to Insider, “Manifestation is the idea that you can turn desires and beliefs into reality through a mixture of writing, praying or affirmations.” There’s even research that suggests this form of positive thinking can lead to concrete results.

CREATE a mindful space for meditation. | SPENCER DAVIS Unsplash