16 Feb 3 Major Health and Wellness Trends to Watch Out For in 2021

With the pandemic striking the world with its drastic effects on health and lifestyle forcing everyone to quarantine themselves. Millions of businesses are affected along with the job market crashing down. 

Due to the pandemic, there has been a great amount of health research, vaccine development, global health and wellness needs and environmental and social impacts. 

These are mostly driven by the developing technological advances with the coming of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT) and a developing range of fourth industrial revolution technologies. 

As the arrival of vaccines in 2021 brings in new hope and success in the health and wellness field, the technological advances in the previously fast-paced year can serve as a future perspective in facing new challenges. 

1. Rise in Digital Health and Wellness

Earlier, there had been little dependence on digital tools for accessing health and wellness facilities but the pandemic period definitely brought light to new digital aspects in health and wellness. 

For minor appointments, checkups and consultations, online platforms such as Zoom and Facetime opened doors to virtual doctor visits. 

This facilitated the adoption of more number of consultations even on a busy day. Apps have further facilitated home delivery of medicines and other equipment. 

AI technology and robotics will further enable assisting healthcare workers in reaching out to a larger number of patients without fearing the spread of infections and viruses.

2. Including Health and Wellness in all Aspects of Life

2020 has taught us that health and wellness must be and compulsively added to all aspects of our personal as well as professional life. 

Companies must take responsibilities and strict measures in protecting and safeguarding employees.

This includes regular health check-ups, biosafety measures, sanitization stations and quarantine facilities for on-site staff works. 

Work from home must be prioritised throughout the year possibly. Along with physical health factors, mental health must be considered important. 

Technology plays a role here as well by providing the platform to launch self-care apps to ensure proper organization of work balanced with breaks and exercise.

3. Surge in Blockchain Information

Blockchain is simply a technological method to safeguard personal information making it almost safe to avoid cheating, stealing or hacking the system. 

In recent years, health and wellness systems are extremely splintered with the database of patient information from physicians, doctors, labs and pharmacies. 

Patients get the primary right over their medical and personal information. This way they are able to own, manage and monetize their information for the use of research and other purposes.

Blockchain solutions remove the middlemen and securely accelerate data sharing. 

In 2021, there is expected to see a surge in applications with blockchain solutions to ensure safety and transparency of medical records leading up to extensive and useful clinical research. 

4. Prioritizing Self Care

Amongst the pandemic, a lot of people have got time on their hands for self reflection and practice self care. 

This includes looking after what they eat, mindfulness about what media they consume, look after their appearance, set goals and finally opt for wellbeing therapy if required. 

All these actions have been popular as well as necessary for the wellbeing of our body and mind. 

The interesting aspect of this trend is how it is going to benefit the retailers in the market in the upcoming year of 2021.

Self care is subjective and unique to different individuals. 

This opens up vast and diverse market opportunities to create products for different kinds of customers. 

This also opens up prioritization of customizations that is becoming a key for marketing. 

Service sectors that include the existing demand for life coaches, health coaches, nutritionists and wellbeing coaches are being influenced with a high demand as the Health and Wellness industry has risen over $4.2 billion in 2020 according to the Global Wellness Summit. 

The Takeaway

In the coming year, we are expected to see a great improvement in health and wellness sectors both in the terms of technology as well as research. 

With the strike of the pandemic, one thing has been clear cut that global health and wellness has not been as efficient as it should have been. 

Healthcare workers who have spent their days in vulnerable situations must not be left unnoticed, the following year must also aim for providing health facilities and resources to keep them safe. 

With the uprise of insurance and technology, affordable, good quality and customer-oriented health and wellness facilities will be made possible.