How Wellness Trends Are Shaping The Way We Socialize

Socializing used to mean late nights, endless drinks, and probably at least one or two regrets come the next morning, but times really are changing, and more people are looking for healthier, more balanced ways to connect with friends - and its wellness trends that might be helping this actually happen.

From alcohol-free nights out to fitness based hangouts with friends, the way we socialize is totally changing (often for the better), and the fact is that wellness is no longer just something we try to do when we’ve got a minute to ourselves - its changing everything we do in life, including how we spend our times with others. So with that in mind, let’s take a look at just how wellness trends are shaping the way we socialize - read on to find out more. 

More Mindful Socialising

A few years ago - and you might even remember it yourself - a typical Friday night might have meant meeting friends at a bar, ordering rounds of drinks, and feeling bad the next day (even though you may well have had fun when you were out). But now people are choosing activities that don’t leave them feeling drained and unwell the next day, and that’s interesting. 

Of course, it’s not about taking all the fun out of life - that would be terrible and not worth doing - but instead, it’s about changing what your idea of fun looks like. So perhaps it was alcohol in the past, but now it’s mocktails, or maybe rather than partying you’d rather spend time at a painting class with your friends, or perhaps you want to eat more healthily when you do go out, even if nothing else changes… It’s your choice, and even changing just one thing means you can still have a great time without damaging yourself in the process. 

Places For Wellness

If you want to meet up with friends and have a great night out, or even go out for a date with one person, but you don’t want to go to a noisy club or busy bar (especially if you’ve decided to cut down on alcohol or ditch it altogether), are there are alternatives?

The good news is there are plenty - you don’t have to just stay at home or end up going somewhere you’re not going to enjoy because it’s not the kind of thing you’re looking for. True, people do love catching up over drinks, but there’s nothing to say those drinks have to be alcoholic ones - you can find a lovely coffee shop, matcha bar, tea house, and so on, that offer the perfect setting for some great conversations without feeling obliged to have any alcohol at all. In fact, you can even switch to decaf drinks, and have alternatives to dairy in them, so they can be as healthy and as good for your lifestyle as you want and need them to be. 

Or why meet for a drink at all when you could meet for a yoga class, a group hike, or a spin session if you’re really feeling brave? You could definitely change things up and opt for movement-based socializing rather than sitting around, and these can be fantastic options because they’re great for your health, they’ll boost your energy, they strengthen friendships, and you’ll feel amazing afterwards. And if you always feel as though you never have time to see your friends and exercise, you can do both at once, which is ideal. 

Want something that lasts a little longer? Well, if you normally go on weekends away with your friends, why not go on a wellness retreat instead? You’ll get so much more out of it, and you still get to spend time with the people you love, so it makes a lot of sense. You could pick from all kinds of retreats, like detox weekends (including digital detoxes), going to a spa, or having some outdoor adventures - whatever works for you and makes you feel good. 

Why Have Alcohol?

Once upon a time, everyone was expected to drink - a lot - when they were socializing, and that wasn’t all that great. Yes, you might enjoy it, but too much alcohol is bad for you, and far too much can be dangerous. And for those who didn’t want to drink at all, it became awkward and even embarrassing because it was just something that was expected. Today, however, attitudes are changing, and not only isn’t alcohol expected, but it’s also something people understand not everyone wants, and they’re learning not to ‘force’ others to have it if they don’t want it. 

A lot of people are actually experimenting with having more sober lifestyles, and that’s changing how social events are taking place - for example, you’ll often find plenty of alternatives on menus these days, which could be fun mocktails or more interesting soft drinks rather than the usual boring ones you used to have to make do with if you weren’t drinking. 

The fact that smoking isn’t allowed indoors anymore has really helped to change people’s perception of nicotine and tobacco as well, but if you are a smoker and you want to try something different so you can enjoy a night out without worrying, brands like Nordic Spirit offer nicotine pouches that are sure to hit the spot. 

Why Has It Changed?

So what is it that’s made all this happened and why have these changes taken place? There are actually a few reasons, and when you add them all together, you can see how it makes sense and why it’s a good change all round. 

For one thing, people are looking for deeper connections these days, and they don’t want just surface level meetings and conversations. So wellness-focused activities can help that happen because there won’t be so many distractions and, as we’ve mentioned above, there won’t be so many body and mind-altering consumption taking place. 

But it’s also about health. For years it often felt as though you had to choose between having fun and being healthy, but these days people want both, and they don’t want to have to compromise unless it’s absolutely necessary. Wellness-based socializing means you don’t actually have to compromise because you can go out, have a great time, and still feel good the next day - what could be better than that? 

 Plus, life is pretty stressful when you think about it, so the last thing you’ll want is to get exhausted over the weekend when you could have been getting refreshed ready for the week ahead. But going out and clubbing or spending hours in a bar just wears you out, and you’ll never get a chance to de-stress and relax. Unless, of course, you opt for things that lower your stress instead of adding to it, like meditation meetups, nature walks, creative classes, and so on. Doesn’t that sound better? 

How To Include Wellness Socialising In Your Own Life

Maybe you’ve read through all this and liked the idea of combining wellness and socializing and making some changes in your life, but you’re not sure where to start or how it would fit in with what you like to do. Don’t worry - we’ve got lots of options to get you started, and if you have a look online or on social media, you’re sure to come across more. 

To begin with, swap one night out for a wellness experience instead. So rather than your usual drinks with friends, suggest something different like a group cooking class, an evening walk, or whatever else sounds good. And be careful about who you invite - you should only surround yourself with people who are supportive and understand what you’re trying to do (plus, you’ll want them to enjoy the experience as well, so it’s wise to invite people who you think will, rather than run the risk of people not having fun and bringing the whole group down as a result). 

Or what about hosting your own alcohol-free event? You can show your friends that it doesn’t take alcohol for you to have fun together, and even if you don’t do it every time, they’ll have a better understanding of what you’re trying to achieve. 

Finally, look for new experiences and say yes to them! It might be a challenge, but why not? You could do all kinds of exciting and fun things with your friends or partner that give you the chance to socialize in a different way that you wouldn’t have ever thought of before, and it might be that you find something you all absolutely love in the process - it’s worth a try, at least. 

Final Thoughts 

Wellness trends aren’t just there to change things for the sake of changing things and making life hard - they’re there to make life better, which is why it’s so important to take notice of them and take part in the ones that work for you. And it’s so refreshing to see these changes that gives everyone the opportunity to do things in the way they want, that it’s exciting to see where it goes next.