While millennials are sometimes described by previous generations as being self-absorbed, lazy and entitled, where they undoubtedly shine is the attitude they’ve adopted towards health and wellness. The evidence for this is everywhere; organic produce has seen a sharp rise, and the demand for more fresh food is at its highest for more than a decade. Overall, the population is talking about health more than ever before, but what has led to this healthy revolution among millennials?
Instagram culture
While the internet connected us to an extent we had never before known, Instagram allowed us snapshots into people’s lives on a much more visual, visceral and personal level. And with the advent of Instagram came with it millions of different people who were keen to showcase their lifestyles to the world. One of the more prominent lifestyles to have arisen out of this was that of health and wellness bloggers and influencers. These “Fitspo Instagrams” have a direct influence on their viewers and have helped to nurture and foster a culture of wellness and health. And since they’re able to make a living doing it, and their influence inspires other people to do the same, it has created a self-perpetuating cycle of health awareness, information and advice.
They’ve realized the importance of sleep
Whereas in the past sleeping was often seen as a sign of laziness, millennials have realized that sleep is vitally important to maintain physical health and mental well being, and as such have prioritized it to the same degree as nutrition. They know that getting enough sleep is important but also that the quality of sleep is crucial, and so they invest a lot more money into the best sleeping gear. For example, they prefer quality when deciding to buy a new mattress, favoring one with a considerable amount of testing and with good reviews.
They embrace exercise
Alongside sleep, millennials everywhere have realized how important exercise is to maintain your body into old age as well as a good overall sense of health. Millennials have been at the forefront of starting and perpetuating trends regarding fitness and health. They also use technology to bolster their workouts and as additional motivation to workout. There are hundreds of fitness apps across a multitude of platforms that people can download easily and be hooked into a workout program within minutes. It doesn’t matter if you’re looking to do yoga, get toned on weights or are interested in learning proper running techniques; if there’s a workout discipline it’s almost guaranteed that there’s an app out there for it.
They understand the importance of a work/life balance
Millennials are also very aware of the importance of having a balance of working as well as enjoying life recreationally. Whereas previous generations were focusing on grinding relentlessly, millennials understand that it’s important to have a cut off time, a period to spend with friends and loved ones, and a time to calm down and recharge. In recent years there has been a greater push for flexible working hours at offices, additional holiday time as well as the choice to work remotely, rather than commuting and sitting in an office all day.
The psychological and physical benefits of this mean that workers can recharge efficiently and focus more effectively on work when they dedicate themselves to certain tasks at respective times. The overriding ethos here is that millennials would rather build a lifestyle and career that is able to be maintained for the duration of their working lives, rather than working inexorably to be able to retire and enjoy one’s free time after the career has run its course.
Featured image via Carl Barcelo on Unsplash
