“If you wanna feel better, all you need is this supplement, my app, and this personalized fitness tracker. The wellness industry keeps telling us what we need to buy, in order to feel better.” The wellbeing space often sounds like Jamie Cullum’s, “7 Days to Change Your Life,” where we are all “sad, fat, and bald,” without the life-changing program, for 49 low payments. I definitely can’t predict the future, but there are some 2025 wellbeing trends shaping up that I love. In fact, they represent a major shift. People are putting down their phones and stepping outside. They’re meeting up with neighbors to garden. We’re learning about the plants growing through sidewalk cracks. Folks are finding real connections instead of Instagram likes.
Why nature and community matter right now
The pandemic, coupled with the continued increase of remote work, changed how we connect with others. We spend more time alone, staring at screens. Our bodies and minds have noticed. Studies show remote workers often feel isolated, even with constant Zoom calls and chat messages. After all, seeing pictures of cake isn’t the same and licking the frosting, regardless of how beautiful the image. So what can we do instead? One of the anticipated 2025 wellbeing trends is reconnecting with nature and community. Ideally, at the same time and here is how you can incorporate it today.
Simple ways nature helps your health
In this issue, I really want to focus on small and actionable things you can do. The things that don’t require a huge investment, or effort, to benefit. Last week I talked about a 2024 Wellbeing trend called “sleep tourism.” The reality is that while that sounds dreamy and luxurious, it’s not really attainable for many, and I want this to be a space of variety rather than another Goop-y facsimile. So how can you use nature to support your health? Well, the good news is that you don’t need to move to a forest or become a master gardener. Small connections with nature make a real difference. Here are a few things to consider that are pretty foolproof:
- Growing mint on your windowsill
- Taking work calls while walking outside (My former boss and I would do this with our dogs, and our meetings were so rejuvenating)
- Meeting friends at a park instead of a coffee shop
- Starting a small herb garden with basic kitchen herbs like oregano and parsley
From solo wellness to community care
Most wellness advice focuses on what you can do alone. Meditate. Exercise. Eat better. However, one of the 2025 wellbeing trends that is surfacing is more focus on community care. After all, humans aren’t biologically wired to handle everything solo. From a more macro perspective, if we ever hope to move the needle on toxic capitalism and a failing healthcare system, we really need more community based care. Here are some things that actually work:
1. Start small: Text a friend to meet for a weekly walk
2. Join a local garden group (or start one!)
3. Share extra herbs or vegetables you grow
4. Create a tiny herb exchange in your community
5. Host a regular dinner or potluck. My partner and I have “Farm Fam Sunday dinner,” where we make dinner with our neighbor. This keeps us eating fresh, warm, and nourishing meals, rather than an alternative, plus it gives us community.
How to start a neighborhood herb exchange
This one won’t be for everyone, but it can be fun if you get a few people together. It can be intimidating for people that haven’t grown plants before, but you don’t need many to be successful. Just think of those how many leaves are in one of those tiny ass $1.99 plastic packages of herbs at the store.
1. Pick 2-3 herbs & start with easy ones
Here are a few of my faves:
- Mint (grows almost anywhere)
- Ginger (can sprout from grocery store roots)
- Turmeric (can sprout from grocery store roots and I think is even easier than ginger)
- Basil (quick to grow from seed)
- Oregano (quick to grow from seed and less fussy than basil)
- Rosemary (easily find starter plants – these are everywhere during the holidays)
2. Form the Group
Start with people you know or if you’re really ambitious, go to social media to find people close-by. Maybe you already have a neighborhood WhatsApp group you can ask.
- Ask 2-3 neighbors if they’re interested
- Pick an easy meeting spot
- Share basic growing tips
- Trade herbs monthly
Living with the seasons – Not just your calendar
Working remotely means many of us lost our natural rhythms. Heck, being in an air conditioned office with the blue light of screens in our faces all day and night has changed our bodily rhythms. Even still, our bodies need different things in winter versus summer, in spite of our temperature controlled environments. Nature can help us relearn these patterns. While this isn’t directly a 2025 wellbeing trend, this tip directly relates to reconnecting with nature, and here are some things you can try.
Seasonal wellbeing tricks that work
Winter
- Make ginger tea from fresh roots – This is great for keeping your digestion charged and will warm you from the inside out in those chilly temps.
- Find a walking buddy for accountability
- Create an indoor herb spot near a window that gets the Winter sun
- Eat lots of root vegetables which are grounding and warming
Spring
- Spot dandelions growing wild in your neighborhood – pick the whole plant and make a healthy tea from the roots, flowers and/or leaves. Make sure they are free of pesticides.
- Start a small container garden if you don’t have space in your yard to grow something
- Visit the prettiest tree in your neighborhood
- Meet a friend at a local community or botanical garden
Summer
- Drink lots of fluids and add some cooling citrus to your water
- Share extra herbs with coworkers
- Move team calls outside, weather permitting
- Try morning walks with local friends
- Put a blanket in the grass and look at the stars or clouds
Fall
- Collect herbs for winter
- Eat lots or root vegetables
- Plan an indoor growing space
- Put a potted plant on your desk, dining room table, or at your front door
- Go to bed earlier
Making time when you’re busy
The thing we most struggle with is that “I don’t have the time. I’m just too busy.” While we are very busy, chances are you have some time in your schedule. Maybe you spend 15 extra minutes on the toilet scrolling in the morning. Instead, take 10 of those and put your feet in the grass or go outside and smell the fresh air with some deep breaths. If you only have five-minutes, here are ways to get in some nature breaks:
- Water your plants
- Step outside between meetings and take a deep stretch
- Text your wellness buddies – even better, send a selfie outside
- Share a cutting from your herbs or ask for a cutting from a neighbor
- Go outside and see how many nature sounds you can hear (birds, wind rustling, dogs barking, etc.)
Small steps create big changes
The best wellness habits aren’t complicated, and fortunately, neither is this 2025 wellbeing trend. However, like all good gardens is but like a garden, they take time to cultivate. Not all trends warrant an Instagram montage, nor should they. They’re simple, social, and connected to nature. You don’t need fancy equipment, and no supplements required. Start with one small change this week. Which one might you try? What else should I include?
- Plant or buy one herb for inside
- Take one outdoor break
- Admire one tree, bush, flower, or “weed”
- Identify a potential wellbeing buddy
Keep it simple.
Stay connected.
Speaking of connection
Want more practical tips for bringing nature and community into your busy life? Sign up for Wellspiration, my weekly newsletter. I would love to stay connected with you. Issues may include:
- Wellbeing tips that actually work
- Occasional Herb guides and recipes
- Community success stories
- Simple ways to connect with nature
- Premium subscribers get extra bonuses and personal stories about my own wellbeing journey
If you’re ready to start making the more toward wellbeing, sign up for Wellspiration now. If you are ready to invest in your wellbeing, let’s chat. I have a variety of programs designed for all sorts of individual needs and price points.
Until then, wishing you abundant health and limitless joy!