We may have forgotten that we need to take care of ourselves after a year of extreme stress; worry; limited-to-no travel – limited-to-no leaving the home! – of fretting; comfort eating; doom-scrolling; mask-wearing; yearning; lost relationships; of simply Way Too Much.
“This year has emphasized the need of caring for your health and wellbeing more than any other,” says Paul Joseph, Founder of Health & Fitness Travel. “Various worldwide limitations, along with the threat of a pandemic in 2020, have only increased people's appreciation for any chances to improve their physical and mental health.”
Many have already begun: according to a Fitbit study, the number of individuals meditating this year has risen by 2900 percent; Asos reports a 219 percent increase in sales of sleep aids, and Joseph adds that inquiries for health vacations have surged as well. Treatments and getaways intended to help us recover after a long, difficult year is among the latest health industry trends. Here's what to anticipate.
In a forest, a line of individuals sits on yoga mats. They're all reaching up to the heavens with both arms.
1. Treatments that enhance the immune system
A healthy immune system is essential to optimal health because it works as an antibody factory and automatically filters out any undesirable invaders. Immune-boosting therapies aren't new, but they've become more popular as a result of COVID-19, as visitors look for methods to enhance their bodies' natural defenses.
The Indian subcontinent's Ayurvedic retreats achieve a nice mix of a nutritious diet, frequent exercise, plenty of sleep, and stress reduction. The Galo Resort, located on Madeira's southern coast, provides 10- or 20-day programs that include daily consultations with Ayurveda physicians, customized treatments, dietary counseling, and vistas of the Atlantic that would make Christopher Columbus weak at the knees.
2. Therapy in the natural world
During lockdown, many of us could only see the Great Outdoors and all of its nourishing beauty through whatever technology we had at home – the whipped peaks of the Rockies; the tranquil sinfonietta of a pine-shaded Great Basin stream; the vast Saskatchewan skies as deeply hypnotic as Sintara's blue eyes.
However, research indicates that being in a real-life, touchable nature is good for our mental health. So expect to see shinrin-yoku (forest bathing) anywhere from Japan to California to the Alps; wild swimming in the sea, lakes, and rivers; or just being at one in the Himalayas with Shakti Himalaya, which provides trek-and-tent vacations in isolated Ladakh with a personal chef.
3. Combating Anxiety and Stress
According to studies, anxiety instances have risen dramatically since the outbreak, with almost half of the UK population reporting high levels of worry. Stress management vacations are intended to decrease tension over time by combining natural and medically-backed therapies, such as counseling.
Absolute Sanctuary in Thailand provides a de-stress and relax package that includes bio impedance analysis and 15 various treatments, including a Reiki session, only minutes from Koh Samui's beautiful beaches. Alternatively, visitors may relax amid 2700 acres of Tuscan vineyards, olive groves, and sparkling lakes at Toscana Resort Castelfalfi, an eco-retreat that offers Brainkinetik® sessions to encourage optimism and stress management.
4. Deep relaxation and sleep
According to the Sleep Council, the uneasiness around COVID-19 has affected the sleep of up to 75% of the UK population, with complaints of vivid dreams and laborious episodes of heavy-eyed sleeplessness. Experts at the November Global Wellness Summit recommended that we use our circadian cycles to find solutions for improved sleep.
Chablé Yucatán blends tranquility, sustainability, and traditional rituals such as temescal (steam house) treatments intended to relax, all based on Mayan well-being methods. It also provides flotation treatment, which allows visitors to achieve a profound level of relaxation comparable to eight hours of sleep.
There are alternative solutions accessible for people who suffer the most yet earn the least, such as Black Americans, who are 10% more likely than white Americans to have chronic symptoms of mental distress. Rest for Resistance offers free meditation workshops for LGBTQ+ persons of color in New York City, while The Nap Ministry, which organizes Collective Napping Experiences in safe places for the Black community, has gone virtual.
A tiny cottage nestled in the woods, with a beautiful starry sky above.
5. Isolation from the internet and loneliness without a screen
This year, we spent more time in front of the television. The typical American spent four hours per day on their smartphone prior to the epidemic. This increased to six when stay-at-home orders were implemented, with studies indicating that 53% of Americans were suffering from "screen weariness." Increased screen usage has been linked to anxiety, sadness, and physical problems in studies.
Digital detoxes – or circuit breaks, as some in the business call them – will be important to combat screen fatigue, especially in distant, internet-free locations. Your phone is taken away from you at the Digital Detox Cabin in Essex at the start of your stay, leaving you with just the fields and woods of Essex. Black Tomato's Get Lost escapes, on the other hand, are for the more daring: you're dumped at a distant, unknown area anywhere in the globe and must find your way back out.
6. Traveling around the area
We may not have gone crazy in 2020 if we hadn't traveled locally. Travelers seem to have found the pleasures awaiting them on their own doorsteps, with rental firms reporting a spike in domestic reservations and record numbers of tourists rising to beauty places - a trend that is expected to continue in 2021.
Original Travel has developed a series of "Local Frontiers" excursions in Europe that highlight lesser-known aspects of short-haul locations, such as road drives through Norway's Lofoten Islands and bison tracking in Transylvania's wilds. Meanwhile, Contiki is one of a number of companies that offer slow-paced domestic vacations in the UK, like foraging walks in the Welsh countryside and surf-and-yoga courses in Devon.
7. Holidays that are both active and low-impact
As a result of global lockdowns, carbon emissions fell to new lows in 2020, giving nature a chance to recover its breath. They also provided an opportunity for humanity to rethink how we want to engage with the natural environment in the future in order to better preserve it. Travelers on cycling and walking vacations have the flexibility to explore places at their own leisure. They are also better for your physical health and emotional well-being since they are carbon-neutral modes of transportation.
Ramblers will find solace in guided walking tours through the wild, melancholy landscapes of the Scottish Highlands, while budding cyclists will go into a spin over the prospect of meandering through Sicilian vineyards in the shadow of Mount Etna, retiring each night to a 19th-century villa that served as a guesthouse. The steep plains of Rwanda and Nepal's legendary Himalayas are also excellent walking and biking destinations.
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