What does the future of wellness hold for us?

As we approach the end of 2024, it is natural to reflect on what has happened over the year and begin looking ahead to what the next 12 months might bring. We wonder about the future of fashion and beauty, but particularly about wellness, a global market projected to grow from $5.6 trillion today to $8.5 trillion by 2027. For people, wellness has never been such a significant priority as it is now. The rapid evolution of trends in the sector increasingly shapes our approach to health and self-care. With cutting-edge technological innovations, wearable devices offering real-time coaching, and a quest for a lifestyle prioritizing long-term health, wellness is entering a new era where the boundaries between holistic health and advanced technology are blending like never before. Attention: this does not mean there is a singular wellness narrative or a unifying trend. On the contrary. Two opposing but equally relevant approaches are emerging, defined by the Global Wellness Summit as “softcare” and “hardcare”.

What is softcare wellness?

Many of us grew up adhering to a work ethic akin to a hustle culture, which mandates working harder and longer, aiming for perfection that offers not only financial rewards but also a form of social validation. New generations have realized that this total devotion to work only leads to burnout and that, instead, if we want to safeguard our physical and mental well-being, a balance between work and private life is necessary. This concept is also promoted by soft living, a trend amassing millions of views on TikTok, encouraging self-care time and relaxation through regular routines and activities that bring joy and ease, without the constant pressure of showcasing oneself or achieving results. Softcare is precisely this: prioritizing emotional and social well-being. It is a low-fi, gentle, introspective approach favoring soft practices such as candlelit yoga, meditation exercises, the Lazy Girl Workout, journaling, and silent walking. Even Bed Rotting, spending entire days lounging in bed, falls under softcare wellness, if interpreted as an opportunity to slow down and reclaim one’s time.

What is hardcare wellness? 

While softcare wellness focuses on processing thoughts and feelings often ignored or unexpressed and fostering connections with oneself and others, hardcare wellness represents an approach strongly influenced by technology and results-oriented. It is the antithesis of tuning into one’s feelings and emotional needs. The priority is to optimize every workout, treatment, diet, or medication to maximize performance and achieve goals, whether weight loss or longevity. Those embracing this trend love high-tech, biohacking, and wearable health technology, from trackers aligning fitness and nutrition plans with DNA, lifestyle, and health goals, to fitness coaching powered by artificial intelligence, virtual reality meditation, biofeedback devices, neurostimulation headsets, and NAD+ boosters. This need to constantly monitor personal metrics—be it step counts or stress levels, often stemming from a perceived distrust in national healthcare systems post-COVID—fuels the market for wellness-focused gadgets and apps, encompassing the entire realm of physical health.

What does the future hold for wellness?

Despite their differences, the ultimate goal of these wellness approaches is the same: longevity. Whether one prefers softcare or hardcare, it is possible to take the best from both. What truly matters is living well and as long as possible. Consumers are increasingly aware and informed, favoring proactive approaches and seeking activities and treatments with data-backed efficacy. They want to scrutinize product formulations and every step of their “wellness journey,” even going so far as to self-diagnose in extreme cases, with all the risks this entails. As highlighted in the Top Global Consumer Trends 2025 by Euromonitor International report, a profound shift in the perception of wellness is reshaping the sector. Wellness is no longer synonymous with spa days, expensive scrubs, or obsessively sculpted fitness bodies—or, at least, not just that. It has acquired a more nuanced, personal meaning, appealing to those seeking inner and outer evolution as well as those turning practices like Pilates or the hot girl walk into a performance to attract likes.