Globally, 41% of people say thinking about the climate crisis makes them feel anxious, while 52% admit the same about the news (Lululemon, 2023). Socially aware brands are helping these world-weighted consumers find a moment of peace with spaces, programmes and messaging that teach them skills for coping with big problems.

Despite a global increase in wellness-related spending, 33% of people worldwide say their wellbeing is the lowest it’s ever been (Lululemon, 2023). This proportion is even higher among marginalised communities. New services are making it easier for consumers often overlooked by the wellness industry to integrate self-care practices into their daily routines.

Health-obsessed high-income consumers are at the forefront of prestige wellness trends that merge pampering with cutting-edge medical interventions. They’re splashing out on in-depth preventative medicine, as well as devoting holiday time to wellness retreats with a clinical bent.

By 2028, the global market for wearable health devices will be worth $63.68bn, up from $31.06bn in 2023 (Research and Markets, 2023). Although these devices already have a foothold among health and fitness enthusiasts, new supportive features and functionalities – from stress tracking to artificial intelligence (AI)-based personal health coaches – are amplifying their utility.

Brain function is the second biggest wellbeing concern for Europeans, only behind heart health (MMR, 2023). There’s growing momentum to discuss everything from migraines to dementia and brain fog. Brands are responding to consumer interest with products and services that make cognition-supportive habits easy to practice.

Clinically minded fertility start-ups are booming – a shift from the female-targeted lifestyle interventions we covered in Fertility in Focus. As people become parents later in life or through unconventional means – alongside outcries over falling global fertility – investors are eager to fund these once-niche businesses.

Coaching services that leverage the language of therapy (but without the credentials or cost) will become commonplace in 2024, helping high achievers advance self-actualisation across work, relationships and emotional management. Expect a boom in nimble self-help apps, guided journals and instructive books that promise to unlock new realms of self-insight.

Globally, 87% of workers would leave an employer that doesn’t support their wellbeing (WellToDo, 2023). While this is driving some people to frequent the office (for the socialising), companies also need to care for employees’ mental wellbeing: research shows a global rise in sick days (and lost productivity) due to poor health.

As we explain in Cohesive Communities, 33% of people worldwide report feeling lonely at least some of the time (Statista, 2023). Brands are helping consumers push through socialisation roadblocks with services that fine-tune their conversational skills or throw them together for impromptu casual chats.

Globally, 49% of people want brands to bring them a sense of joy (Wunderman Thompson, 2023), and the wellness industry is well-positioned to meet this demand. New approaches to exercise, sleep and even therapy are embracing this concept of pleasure and fun to make it easy for consumers to stick to feel-good habits.