Safa Arshadullah is a behavioural analyst at Canvas8 with a background in organisational studies and strategic communications. To her, exploring behavioural and cultural insights is a means of learning nuances to better foster equity and justice in the world. Outside of work, you can find her tinkering with her chai recipe, taking meandering walks in neighborhoods she’s never been to, or analysing one of the multiple TV series she’s watching.


We’re witnessing the ‘wellnessification’ of absolutely everything. Beyond boosting their physical health with fitness and nutrition, people are looking for a path to being well in all aspects of their lives, including their finances, careers, activism, spirituality, home design, tech usage, and so much more. The global health and wellness market is expected to reach over $8,945.3 billion by 2032, while self-improvement and the quest for reprieve and relaxation have become integral to all areas of our lifestyles.

Wellness was once for the elite, expressed through a Goop-like look and lifestyle. But now a more fragmented definition of wellness is on the rise, encompassing people’s diverse backgrounds and distinct needs. In a society ruled by high stress and burnout, what was once considered a baseline are now status symbols: sleep is a luxury, glucose monitors signal exclusive healthcare, and sob parlours offer curated spaces for catharsis. People are embracing more radical forms of wellness, employing minor plastic surgery and weight-loss drugs as a means of control over their lives.

Wellness is rapidly reaching new demographics across generations. Exhausted by the permacrisis, Gen Z is rejecting more traditional, buttoned-up wellness movements in favour of little treats, girl dinner, ‘bedrotting’, or ‘rat snacking’ as forms of self-care with a sense of release. At the same time, longevity is becoming a priority as Gen X and Boomers rethink wellness to suit their needs. Some are taking up clubbing as a way of keeping an active lifestyle, while others are looking for nuanced approaches like menopause diets to support the changes that come with age. A desire for more bespoke wellbeing is driving an increase in health hacking – whether through technology or prioritising socialising with peers.

Being+

Speed and convenience have become the consumer norm. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, when people worldwide were introduced to instant access to goods and services via apps and digital platforms, the supply and demand considerably grew and splintered. The 'I need it now' culture shows no signs of slowing down, yet the complexity around it is becoming more apparent.

Hyper-fast digital services appeal because they fulfil a ballooning desire for instant gratification – contemporary convenience hinges on easy-to-use interfaces that help consumers seamlessly meet their needs. However, the mechanics of consumerism are complex. People are becoming aware of global supply chains, especially in the wake of wars and escalating global conflict. As many brands are cracking down on immediacy (introducing higher delivery fees or offering it as a premium), people are turning to local and smaller-scale shopping for more mindful, slower, grounded spending.

The cost of living crisis makes people reconsider which of their needs are truly immediate, but it's not the only reason some crave a slowdown. The hyper-fast society enables our desires to be fulfilled instantly but might be too fast for our mental health. While convenience used to be a cool thing to have, now it has become essential to function in the current attention economy. People are tormented by a lack of patience and chronic dependency on stimulation from platforms like TikTok – yet the rewards of convenience easily outweigh the concerns.

Compulsive Convenience

United States

Eating and Drinking

Health and Fitness

General food

Physical health

General Mills launched a protein-boosted Cheerios line to make breakfast cereal more nutrition-focused. This move illustrates how brands can respond to people's increasing desires for accessible ways to enhance their wellbeing and lifestyle through food and drink.