In a society obsessed with wellness, you’d think we’d be all reaping the benefits of self-care and exercise. In reality, plenty of us are as unwell as ever. At least, that’s according to Lululemon’s third annual Global Wellbeing Report, which suggests the UK is stuck in something of a ‘wellbeing dilemma’.

It’s not like we don’t want to do wellness; more than 67% of people in this country rank wellbeing as a top priority. We know it’s vital, but nearly half of us feel that wellbeing is impossible to achieve. And the report has found that on a worldwide scale, wellbeing hasn’t improved at all since the height of the Covid pandemic. In the UK, one in three respondents even said their wellbeing was lower than it had been pre-pandemic.

So why are so many of us struggling to look after ourselves? After the challenges and fear of Covid, there hasn’t been a proper break from the torrid news cycle. Rather than a post-Second World War ‘You’ve never had it so good’-style morale boost, we jumped straight into the Ukraine war, a cost of living crisis and political meltdown. And the news doesn’t look like it’s going to improve any time soon.

It’s understandable, given the current squeeze on finances, that nearly half of us have had to deprioritise our wellbeing due to cost concerns. 28% don’t have time to think about their wellbeing, which is understandable if you’ve got dependents and/or a demanding job.

But it’s the 66% who believe that society is judgmental towards those who have lower mental wellbeing and therefore find it harder to take active measures to improve theirs who we should really worry about. Mental health has become such a mainstream concern in recent years, but it seems clear that fact isn’t improving the lives of regular people. 

And it’s Gen Z who seem to be the group struggling with mental health stigma the most. The report found that just under half don’t seek help when they need it because they’re not comfortable talking about mental health. This follows a report from Les Mills that came out earlier this year that found Gen Z was the generation most concerned about working out for their mental wellbeing. Having taken the brunt of pandemic disruption, it’s perhaps not surprising that younger adults are feeling disconnected now.

All of this is pretty bleak, but Lululemon’s research did have a few glimmers of hope. It found that marginalised groups were more likely to be taking action to protect their mental wellbeing, with 50% of people of colour now investing more time into their mental wellbeing.

And nearly one in two participants look to their local community for a wellbeing uplift – something we could all do. That might be as simple as going to a local Parkrun on a Saturday morning, attending a cheap and cheerful yoga class down the local leisure centre or being part of religious group that meets weekly. 

The report also looked at practical solutions for solving this crisis. They looked at the habits of the highest wellbeing-scoring respondents and found that the top three were:

Prioritise your wellbeing over your career

69% of those with high wellbeing said they were more concerned about their own health than their 9-5.

Focus on areas of your life that bring you joy

 73% of those with high wellbeing are more likely to make time for the things that make them happy. That might be painting, going on nature walks, reading, going to galleries, working on a side hustle, cooking. It doesn’t have to be big or profound; joy is often free and simple – we just don’t recognise it as being vital.

Prioritise spending time with your loved ones

39% of the highest-scoring participants said they spent more time with loved ones now than pre-pandemic. That might be hard if you’ve always got to book in time to see your ultra-busy mates or your family lives miles away, but a phone call can be a good substitute.

While there are no quick fixes to improving mental health and wellbeing, it’s clear that finding connection is key – as is homing in on the things that actively improve your life. That’s easier said than done if you’re knackered after a long day at work, but even making tiny tweaks can help. 

Can you, for example, try active commuting – the perfect opportunity to listen to your favourite podcast without having to smell someone else’s armpit? How about carving out a weekly, non-negotiable hour every Sunday afternoon to do a hobby? Rather than spending £20 on the odd reformer pilates class in a fancy studio, why not see if there’s a local Zumba or mat pilates class that costs less?

Ultimately, we don’t have a lot of control over the bigger stuff… but we can prioritise our wellbeing in other ways. And the best bit is that you can make dramatic improvements without spending a penny on vagina-scented candles or infrared saunas. 

Images: Getty