Mental Wellness: Born of Ancient Traditions, Commercialized as a Modern Industry

Mental wellness is neither a modern concept nor a new practice. Since the beginning of civilization, humans have sought out ways to understand and improve ourselves, to find wholeness and happiness, to comprehend and cope with life’s mysteries, to work toward a moral good, and to please the gods. Over the last 50–60 years, many of these efforts have come to be associated with the…

McKinsey: Consumer Prioritization of Wellness Rising Fast Globally

A synchronized global recovery—much stronger than was anticipated just a few months ago—is in the making. This year, barring the emergence of new COVID-19 variants that are vaccine-resistant, the global economy should grow by around 6%. Next year, by 4.4% (IMF forecasts). Industry reports from consultancies and investment banks point to the continued rise of the wellness market at a rate that will exceed (on…

Wellness Evidence Study: “Spiritual Fitness” Reduces Alzheimer’s Risk

” A new review of studies in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease found that “spiritual fitness,” a new concept in medicine interweaving psychological and spiritual wellbeing, reduces multiple risk factors for Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). Finds that individuals with high scores on a “purpose in life” (PIL) were 2.4 times more likely to remain free of AD than individuals with low PIL—and that Kirtan Kriya, a…

With Mass Tourism Being Denounced, Travel’s Future Is More Sustainable and More Unequal

Since the pandemic started, global consumers have amassed $5.4 trillion in excess savings (an estimate equivalent to 6% of global GDP, mostly detained by the wealthier households in high-income countries). As economies open up, demand will surge, releasing some of these excess savings, and just one-third of the total could be enough to boost global output by two percentage points this year and in 2022.…

Research: Moving from Wellness Real Estate to Wellness Communities: Four Key Pillars

The coronavirus pandemic has firmly demonstrated how our health and wellness are intrinsically linked to our and the broader built environment. Investors, developers and builders are awakening to wellness real estate as consumers increasingly seek out healthy homes and communities. However, the connection between wellness real estate and wellness communities is not automatic. Creating and strengthening this connection requires an intention to do so, coupled…

Wellness Evidence Study: Single Dose of Psilocybin Reduced Depression and Anxiety for 5 Years

In 2016, a randomized trial from NYU found that a single dose of psilocybin delivered rapid improvements in anxiety and depression in cancer patients when combined with psychotherapy. A follow-up study found that 71–100% of participants reported that the improvement in depression and anxiety had lasted five years—with participants “rating it among the most personally meaningful experiences of their lives.” ACCESS STUDY