Future Focus

It’s no surprise that many upcoming wellbeing trends have sprung from the seeds of COVID, but there’s also a strong sustainability focus. Sarah Owen, a futurist and social scientist behind global trend group Soon Future Studies, says, “We’ve realised the 2020s are a ‘make or break’ decade to mitigate humanity’s impact on the Earth, while the fallout from the pandemic means we’re looking for comfort, community and a sense of wellbeing.” Add a dash of innovative tech, and everything from working out to chilling out is getting a 2022 makeover. Your sneak peek is ahead.

Touchless Spas

Head to the Clockwork Spa in San Francisco and you’ll find a nail territory just yet, spa treatments minus the human therapist are on the rise. City Cave will have 50 float rooms, where you float with just your thoughts for company, around the country by early 2022. And solo spas like Bondi’s Slow House hand you a body scrub and massage oils before sending you off to the sauna or ice bath. Social distancing is the obvious trend trigger but Slow House founder Natassjha Higham adds, “We’re constantly surrounded by people nowadays so to have a place where you’re totally undisturbed by others is a real luxury.”