Is our obsession with the gym making us boring?
Wellness culture has turned exercise into a personality, as young people trade in joy, spontaneity, and a social life for punishing self-optimisation. We’re living through a fitness fever dream. Scroll any social feed and you’ll see it: a never-ending carousel of cold plunges and step counts. For many young people,...
Current in Wellness
Ultra-processed foods sabotage weight loss on even ‘healthy’ diets
When ready meals nick scraps of time, they may also rob us of fat‑loss – according to a groundbreaking new study, at least. The other evening I found myself perched on my kitchen floor, surrounded by grated parmesan, a pot of burnt chickpeas, and more dishes than I care to admit. I’d...
What is the Japanese walking trend?
Health experts are torn on this popular wellness routine. But is it worth the hype? Self-optimisation might be the biggest trend of 2025. Whether it’s journaling, cutting down on screen time, or feeding your gut, everyone is obsessed with their wellbeing. This fixation is at times – ironically – unhealthy....
Do we know how to let go?
As we grow, we often let go of things – whether it’s a material object, a friendship, or something more. But do we know how to survive the loss? For the first time in a while, I had no doubts that this was going to be an amazing year for...
Are you ageing rapidly or simply living in the modern world?
Recent studies have found associations between inflammation, environmental circumstances, and lifestyle factors. While this research has reconceptualised the link between inflammation and ageing, it has also revealed how a lack of choice for young working-class people will result in negative health consequences not just now, but in the long...
The rise in ayahuasca tourism is colonising wellness
How tourism centred around the popular drug is wreaking havoc for Indigenous communities. Ayahuasca has become a wellness darling in recent decades. The hallucinogenic plant is native to the Amazon basin, and as more of us embark on quests for healing and personal transformation, it’s exploded in popularity. Framed as a...
The niche supermarket is the new mecca of luxury
Gen Z are redefining everyday spaces as indulgent outposts amidst a rising cost of living. From bespoke suprettes and deli’s, to viral institutions like Erewhon and Daylesford, walking into a supermarket these days feels more like entering a wellness spa. Influencers sip $18 smoothies next to yoga instructors perusing adaptogenic mushrooms, while tote bags branded with minimalist serif fonts signal allegiance to the church of curated wellness. This is not just...
Biohacking has emerged as a prominent Gen Z wellness trend
What lengths are young people going to in pursuit of a healthier life? The pursuit of wellness used to come in the form of a yoga class, a green smoothie, and maybe even a juice cleanse if you were feeling particularly radical. But for Gen Z, whose health anxieties are born from a perfect storm of pandemic trauma, climate dread, and relentless digital overstimulation, wellness has escalated into something...
Are ‘divine feminine influencers’ actually anti-feminist?
Social media loves a good portion of cosplay. First, it was 50s family values, and now we are back in ancient times. Do you remember tradwives? The familiar soft voices and long dresses are back. This time, though, the kitchen has been swapped by nature, adhering to mostly Western influencers' reinterpretation of spirituality to empower women. They're easy to spot if you still haven't met divine feminine influencers. Just type words...
Why are we still so hung up on feminine muscles?
Women are building strength for themselves, but a culture still rooted in fear of female power isn’t ready to let go of patriarchal body ideals. The female body has long been asked to shrink. That demand was both physical and philosophical. As a culture we’ve prized quietness and smallness in women, with the latter becoming somewhat of a shorthand for virtue – i.e, the less space you occupied, the more...
