If there’s anything that living in lockdown has taught us, it’s that wellness and health are crucial to living a good quality life. As more research delves into these areas, trends and terms you are unfamiliar with are bound to crop up.

 

When it comes to wellness trends, what was in last month is old news today, and you constantly have to be on top of what’s going on. Here is a comprehensive wellness dictionary to help you stay updated on what’s happening in the wellness world:

 

Alternativism (al-ter-nae-ti-vi-asm): A state-of-mind that embraces experimentation and speculation. It displays an individual’s commitment to change and innovate constantly. Recently, this term has been used a lot to address conventional solutions to climate change and how alternate lifestyles might be a better solution.

 

Bio-individuality (bai-o-in-duh-vi-joo-a-luh-tee): There is no one-size-fits-all, whether you’re talking about clothing or even diets. Bio-individuality is a term that recognises that each individual is unique with individual nutritional requirements. External and internal factors can have an important role in determining nutrition for an individual, and that’s what bio-individuality seeks to understand.

 

Biohacking (bai-o-ha-kuhng): It refers to hacking your body or brain and enhancing your performance. The methods used to hack your brain or body may not always be ethical and can also include the use of biochemicals. An example of a bio-hacking item are glucose monitor stickers, that can be attached to your skin and will monitor sugar levels throughout the day.

 

Crystal Bathing (kri-stl bay-thuhng): Practitioners believe that each stone has a specific energy, like an amethyst brings tranquility and healing. A crystal bath utilises different stones so you can absorb energy from them in the best way possible. Rituals around crystal bathing can be incredibly relaxing and can be great to help you set intentions in your life or day.

 

Dopamine Dressing (dow-puh-meen dreh-suhng): Dopamine is a hormone and neurotransmitter that can help us feel more motivated, competitive and inspires us to seek rewards. Dopamine dressing refers to a person’s motivation to dress in a way that will help them achieve a positive outcome. It can help them feel competent, happy, and confident. For example, if you liked the color red while growing up, you might associate the color red later on with happy memories and positive feelings. So, whenever you dress in red, it can automatically release dopamine.

 

Energy Healing (eh-nuh-jee hee-luhng): It is also known as a type of alternative medicine revolving around the premise that vital energy flows throughout the human body. There are many types of energy healing popular today, like reiki, EFT tapping, chakra balancing, and somatic experiencing.

 

Read More: I Met A Kinesiology Practitioner: Here’s What Happened Next

 

EMDR (ee-em-dee-ar): Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (a.k.a EDMR) is a type of structured therapy. It enables an individual to momentarily focus on a traumatic memory while experiencing eye movements (stimulation) at the same time. It can help reduce the vividness and emotion the traumatic memory may hold for the individual.

 

Esoterism (ah-so-tae-ri-asm): Being an esoteric person is what esoterism is about. It means that an individual only intends to be understood by a small number of people with the same values and knowledge base. It can refer to knowledge not accepted by the public but followed by those who believe in it.

 

Earthing (uh-thuhng): According to a 2012 paper published in National Library of Medicine, contact with Earth’s surface directly with the intention to absorb or transfer energy or power is known as Earthing or grounding. It can also include sleeping indoors but having a conducive system that transfers energy from the Earth indoors. Earthing can reduce inflammation, pain, stress, and improve blood flow. It can also promote better well-being

 

Flotation Therapy (flow-tay-shn theh-ruh-pee): Otherwise known as sensory deprivation tanks, this type of therapy helps your brain enter a deeply relaxed state. It is said to even produce hallucinations and enhance creativity depending on how long you remain in the tank. The tank is completely cut off from anything that could stimulate your senses and provides complete silence.

 

Faux-pology (fow-po-luh-jee): When an apology that is given is not sincere. It is also called a non-apology apology.

 

Read More: Gaslighting in Relationships: How to Recognise And Deal With It

 

Freeganism (fr-ee-ga-nee-asm): Alternative living philosophy that focuses on not being involved in capitalistic practices and emphasises minimal use of resources. Individuals who identify as ‘freegans’ are generally advocates against animal cruelty, human rights violations, and environmental damage. They often forage instead of buying and volunter rather than work for a job that pays money.

 

Full-body Biome (ful-bo-dee bai-owm): Full-body biome is the genetic material of all microbes like bacteria and fungi inside and outside the human body. The human microbiome has around 10 trillion symbiotic microbial cells. By understanding the microbiome of your body, you can make conscious decisions for a healthier gut. Your gut ultimately determines your overall health, so being aware of your biome can help boost overall health.

 

Hormone Hacking (haw-mown ha-kuhng): Refers to hacking hormonal activity inside the body for better performance, mood, and emotions. Hormone hacking can be done naturally by getting more sunlight and laughing more. It can also be done by using specific supplements.

 

Read More: Hack Your Happiness Chemicals

 

Integrative Quantum Medicine (in-tuh-gray-tuhv kwon-tm meh-duh-sn): Combines energy mastery with anatomy, physiology, and quantum theory. It requires no tools and merely seeks to restore the energy balance within the body. It can be both mental and physical and helps you release old patterns and limiting beliefs. It mainly achieves this through a combination of practices, which can include breathing exercises and guided meditations.

 

Nervine Herbs (nuh-ar-va-in huh-ar-b): Edible plants and herbs that help support the nervous system. There are various categories within it like nervine stimulants and relaxants. It includes herbs and plants like catnip, chamomile, and valerian.

 

Nootropics (noo-tro-pic-s): Refer to natural or man-made supplements that can be taken to enhance mental performance in people. You don’t need to have an ailment or sickness to be taking the help of nootropics. Depending on where you’re looking, you can find various plants and chemicals functioning as nootropics. Nootropics include Panax quinquefolius and Gingko biloba.

 

Microdosing (mai-krow dow-suhng): It is a technique where individuals administer supplements or drugs in low doses to monitor the effects on the human body. It is usually done with psychedelics but has been studied on various other substances.A 2021 study published in Scientific Reports shows that adults who microdose psychedelics had lower levels of reported anxiety and depression.

 

PEMF Therapy (pee-ee-em-ef theh-ruh-pee): Pulsed Electro-Magnetic Field (PEMF) therapy utilises technology that stimulates and exercises cells to help with cellular dysfunction. It also helps support overall wellness and can trigger repair activity within the body continually.

 

Pranic Healing (puh-ra-nee-ic hee-luhng): A holistic solution to treat various ailments It taps into pranic (‘ki’) energy, which is the life force behind an individual. It is basically a ‘no-touch’ healing system as the concept is rooted in the belief that the body can heal itself. It teaches methods and practices to accelerate the body’s natural healing system.

 

Shaking Meditation (shay-kuhng meh-duh-tay-shn): The body begins to relax once you get into traditional meditation, but shaking meditation is meant to help you release bad habits and trauma. It is also known as trauma-releasing exercises. The meditation involves staying in one position as your muscles begin shaking. It enables you to understand how to respond to these tremors and shakes without feeling stressed.

 

Shamanism (sha-ma-nee-ism): A Religious practice, shamanism is related to communicating with spirits through an altered conscious state. Shamans may take hallucinogenic and other substances to strengthen their connection with the spirit world and reach an altered conscious state.They are also the traditional guides for the Ayahuasca ceremony (where individuals consume plant-based psychedelics)

 

Qigong (qee-goh-ng): Developed as a part of traditional Chinese medicine centuries ago, Qigong uses exercises to optimise energy throughout the body. It can help strengthen the connection between the body, mind, and spirit to maintain well-being.

 

TLC Diet (tee-el-cee dai-uht): The Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes diet is recommended for those struggling to control their cholesterol levels, and is recommended for those with high cholesterol. Foods included in this diet include whole grains, vegetables, nuts, and seeds with high fibre content.

 

Trauma-informed (traw-muh uhn-fawmd): Trauma-informed care talks about the pervasive nature of trauma and how to promote an environment of healing. Many practices can re-traumatise, even without meaning to, and being trauma-informed can help prevent it.

 

Learn more through trauma-informed therapist, Michele Paradise’s videos:

How to Become the Best Version of Yourself with Paradise Process

Getting in Touch With Ourselves and Our Inner Child

Different Attachment Styles with Michele Paradise

Seven Archetypes of Personality with Michele Paradise

Havening Techniques with Michele Paradise

Guided Meditation with Michele Paradise

Healing with Michele: The SBS Technique

 

Volumetrics Diet (vo-lyoo-meh-truhk dai-uht): A diet that emphasises consuming low-calorie density foods that have a high volume. It includes oats, Greek yoghurt, eggs, chia seeds, and cottage cheese. The diet is aimed for those looking to lose weight without feeling hungry.