Feeling good as an obsession, Generation Z rebels - Lifestyle

The pandemic's focus on wellness and self-care originally promised to give consumers relief from the culture of burnout, stress and anxiety.

However, many of Generation Z ((digital natives, born between 1997 and 2012)) are decrying how

.

Carl Cederström, an associate professor at Stockholm University, calls this phenomenon

," in which obsession with health, happiness, and optimization often makes people feel worse.

This could be, a WGSN report points out, a product of the wellness industry's focus on i

.: Prioritizing self-care over relationships perhaps not the best move for 53% of US Gen Zers who they have felt more alone during the pandemic.

A scene from the cult series Euphoria details a character's manic 4am self-care routine, sampling popular wellness trends that demand time and attention.

The well-being syndrome may also indicate the studied mental health impacts of excessive obsession with achieving maximum well-being.

During the pandemic, doctors have reported global spikes in eating disorder diagnoses and severity, particularly

It's important to note that Gen Z aren't trying to get rid of wellness — improving their health and wellness continues to be their top priority.

However, their changing attitudes towards wellness culture are giving f

As much as Generation Z invests in their health and well-being,

most or all of the time.

Many brands show what “wellness” looks like, but creators like TikToker @whatsonvisface focus on the sentiments behind these images.

In his video series "Overcoming Depression," he observes how he deals with anxiety and chronic depression moment-to-moment throughout his day.

His accounts are specific, ongoing, and contrast with other portrayals of online vulnerability that can sometimes appear to perform.

This focus is also emerging in the fitness space.

When it comes to wellness, young and old generations are adopting this kind of mindset.

New wellness-focused social platforms are launching with image-free or audio-only content.

For example, the Chill Pill app takes a different approach: the

information about their mental health only through voice recordings and anonymous avatars.

The extra time spent at home and alone during lockdowns has ignited a desire for wellness and wellness routines.

That Girl is the TikTok trend that describes this lifestyle - a girl who wakes up at 6 in the morning to do yoga, who writes a few pages in her diary and then prepares a smoothie to start the day right, makes her bed, comes out and is ready to start work.

hashtag

has become a way for young women to document this research, sharing videos of their hyperproductive, health-focused agendas, it has amassed 5 billion views on TikTok.

It also aligns with a global study that found 60% of Millennials and Generation Z say the most lasting change from the pandemic will be

.

But according to 2022 data, young people are more likely to experiment with a wider range of self-care practices than to follow a rigid routine.

Lululemon's Global Wellness Report found that consumers have not only increased the number of self-care tools in the past year, but have focused specifically on less regulated practices, such as being outdoors (10%) or watch a movie (+7%) .

These changes point to a new approach to wellness that doesn't just exist in a simple routine, but rather

.

Rather than preaching a set routine, brands will need to encourage less traditional versions of self-care, where there is no one version of "perfect health."

British department store Selfridges leans into that mindset with its

selling wellness outside of an 8am skincare routine, with a focus on sleep, sex and hangover repairs. hangover.

“Wellness has really become performative and can become more stressful, in a way,” said Sabrina Sadeghian, the 24-year-old co-founder of 4AM Skin. chaos and humor to portray a memeified version of Gen Z health.