As we dive headfirst into summer, there's often an intense wave of wellness trends, spanning everything from new exercise trends and worrying fad diets to actually useful tips to improve your everyday life.
Summer 2026 looks to be no different. Feeling (and, let’s be honest, looking) ‘well’ has never been more of a focus: there are six million posts tagged #wellness on TikTok (and counting); the wellness market is booming, set to reach $9.8 trillion by 2029; and everywhere you look, there’s another person sharing their morning/evening/all-day wellness routine online, from ‘morning sheds’ to the 356 supplements they take before bed.
So, in a world where everyone is telling you their way to be ‘well’, how do know which trends are right for you? While many of us would love to co-opt every healthy lifestyle move out there to feel our best this summer, we can’t be taking them all on – so which can we put to one side, and which are actually worth your time, energy and money?
Here, we’ve brought together 5 wellness trends we’re focusing on – and, in the interest of streamlining our outputs (more on that below), these are the habits we’re swapping them for…
In: Ikigai – the art of doing less to do more
Out: Habit stacking
The last few years have seen us all laser focus on how we can be doing more – whether it’s people sharing their extensive 5am-9am routine before the 9-5 grind begins or the mind trick that is habit stacking. For those who aren’t familiar, that’s adding a behaviour you want to start doing onto something you already do on the daily, to help ease it into your routine.
And while we all love the idea of being more productive, how much more are we actually able to take on? A recent poll found that the average millennial and Gen Z feels overwhelmed 17 days a month. So even adding one more thing into our days can feel like a lot.
Enter ikigai: the ancient Japanese concept that aims to help you find your purpose and lead a more joyful, meaningful life through refining your approach to everything from work to the hobbies you take on. It works by finding the intersection of four key areas: what you love, what you’re good at, what the world around you needs and what you can be paid to do (so your profession).
To help you do this, try Googling ‘ikigai diagram’ – a Venn-like graph invented in 2014 to help you visualise the one thing that brings these four key life ideologies together. (Also, this book by Héctor García and Francesc Miralles will tell you everything you need to know.)
The aim: to make you happier, less stressed and even find a sense of fulfilment and motivation. The perfect mindset for a chilled summer.
In: Slow, science-backed change
Out: Quick fixes (we’re looking at you, 75 Hard)
You’ll have seen our social feeds fill up with people attempting the 75 Hard challenge: 75 days of solid dieting, with two 45-minute workouts per day, a gallon of water consumed, 10 pages of a non-fiction book read and a progress photo taken each day. While the concept is designed to build healthy habits through daily repetition, it is, as the name suggests, hard – even the ‘easier’ spin-off challenge, 75 Soft, requires daily workouts without rest days.
But the tides are turning. Wellness in 2026 is all about honing our approach to this year’s buzzword: longevity. And while we can’t all fill our homes with hyperbaric oxygen champers or visit high-end medi retreats on the regular, a renewed emphasis on long-term health, not to mention preventative care, has seen a rise in science-backed approaches to wellness.
The global smart medical devices market has grown by 12% in the last year (take a look around your local coffee shop and spot how many people are sporting an Oura ring, for starters), comprehensive body scanning centres are popping up on the high street (hello, Neko) and brands such as ZOE will even send postable test kits to your home to track your gut health.
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While these options vary in price, there’s a strong case for using data to determine your wellness habits – so even if paid options aren’t for you, if you’re noticing a decline in your energy levels or overall health, rather than throwing yourself into another workout or taking supplements you’ve been served an ad for online, contact your GP for potential testing and use that information to determine exactly what your body is lacking, and let that guide your pursuit for wellness.
The scan mapped 50 million health data points on my body.
In: Chrononutrition – starting your sleep prep during the day
Out: Elaborate night-time routines (and the ‘morning shed’ that follows)
Currently, TikTok is awash with people prepping for their ‘morning shed’: lining up supplements, layering on skincare, applying castor oil packs and mouth tape and nose tape and chin straps and silk eye masks, just to name a few steps of these elaborate routines. But what if we didn’t need all that to feel our best the next day? What if all we needed was a bit of a sleep reset? (Because, frankly, who has the time?!).
We already know that good sleep is the key to genuinely living well. According to Bupa, it enhances brain function, meaning your attention span and ability to retain memories are improved, along with it boosting your immune system and heart health, and reducing stress levels.
So it might just be time to look into chrononutrition: “aligning what and when we eat with our internal body clock," says nutritionist Sophie Trotman. "Metabolism, hormone release and digestion follow a circadian rhythm, so eating in sync with this supports sleep-regulating hormones such as melatonin and cortisol.”
How do we go about this? Well, it’s not necessarily what you’re eating, but when – as Sophie explains. “Poorly timed meals – for example late, heavy dinners or irregular eating patterns – can disrupt blood sugar and stress hormones, making it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep.”
To combat this, she suggests prioritising a more substantial breakfast and lunch, packed with protein, fibre and healthy fats, keeping mealtimes as consistent as possible (to reinforce the body clock) and dining earlier in the evenings to reduce overnight blood sugar dips, which can disrupt sleep.
“From a nutrition perspective, foods rich in magnesium, B vitamins and tryptophan – such as leafy greens, wholegrains, dairy, pulses and nuts – support the body’s natural production of sleep-related neurotransmitters and help the nervous system settle as the day progresses,” Sophie adds. After all, “sleep affects almost every system in the body, so when nutrition supports good sleep, people often notice improvements in appetite regulation, hormone balance and stress resilience that are felt throughout the day.”
In: Maintaining your oral microbiome
Out: Prioritising your gut microbiome (but, of course, we’ll still be looking after that, too)
It’s safe to say that 2025 was the Year of Gut Health. Probiotics became a part of our daily lexicon, ‘fibremaxxing’ took over our feeds (and meals) and everything from our low moods to lack of energy was (often fairly) blamed on an unbalanced gut.
But there’s another microbiome that deserves your attention: your mouth. Yes, it’s the second most diverse microbial community in your body, and maintaining the careful ecosystem of 700 different kinds of bacteria in there is more important than you might think.
Of course, keeping your oral health in check is always important (nobody wants to start the year with gingivitis or with a bill for a new filling), but research is showing the ripple effect that a compromised oral microbiome can have on the rest of your body, too.
Studies have shown that digestion begins in the mouth. “When oral health is compromised – for example through gum disease or untreated decay – the balance of bacteria in the mouth changes and higher levels of harmful bacteria may be swallowed,” explains Dr Sheena Tanna, principal dentist at Billericay Dental Care Clinic and winner of The Next Top Digital Dentist.
“When oral disease develops, this balance can be disrupted, leading to inflammation and infection," she continues. "Increasingly, research is highlighting the wider health implications of this process. What we are seeing more and more in practice is that poor oral health is associated with poorer diabetes control, adverse pregnancy outcomes such as low birth weight and premature birth, and an increased cardiovascular risk.”
This low-grade inflammation can also present as “symptoms such as bloating, digestive discomfort, fatigue, increased insulin resistance, or flare-ups of existing inflammatory conditions,” explains Dr Tanna.
So, what can we do to reduce this risk? “Treat your mouth like part of your immune system – bleeding gums and untreated decay aren’t just dental issues, they’re signs of inflammation and infection. Regular dental and hygiene visits, alongside good daily oral hygiene, help reduce inflammatory burden on the body,” says Dr Tanna.
She also explains that it’s not just what you snack on, but how often – “frequent snacking and sugary drinks keep the mouth in an acidic state, disrupting the oral microbiome. Fewer eating occasions, more water and balanced meals make a real difference,” she adds. Not only will your teeth be sparkling, it might just improve your physical and mental health, too.
In: Cognitive fitness (via nootropics)
Out: Physical fitness (OK, it’s not out, but our brains are the focus right now)
When it comes to fitness, many of us place all the emphasis on the physical – how far we can run, how many reps we do in the gym. But what about our brains? While we can’t exactly take our grey matter to a spin class, what we can do is support, preserve and even optimise our brains to increase our cognitive abilities – particularly in our fast-paced, always ‘on’ culture. And that, in turn, has myriad benefits on our physical health.
“I think most of us realise now that cognitive health is no longer a nice-to-have – it underpins mood, productivity, and long‑term brain resilience,” says Rhian Stephenson, nutritionist and founder of ARTAH. She’s right – putting our brains first is catching on quickly, with the cognitive wellness market set to reach $26 trillion by 2040.
Turns out, more of us are in need of cognitive support than you’d think. “When chronic stress is layered with long work hours, late‑night screens, poor diet, and erratic sleep, most people are functioning in a state of low‑grade cognitive fatigue,” says Rhian.
And one route to ensuring a healthy brain? Nootroptics, AKA cognitive enhancers or ‘smart drugs’ (set to be worth $11.17 billion in the next five years alone). You can also just call them supplements. "Nootropics can help support the biological foundations of focus, memory, and mental stamina in an environment that constantly challenges them,"explains Rhian. “Thoughtfully formulated nootropic supplements can help close nutritional gaps, support stress and sleep pathways, and protect long‑term brain function, provided they are used alongside the basics: sleep, diet, movement, and emotional health.”
So, which brain-supporting ingredients should we be looking out for? Rhian suggests four key ones to try…
- Creatine: “It can improve aspects of memory and cognitive processing – studies have revealed it can reduce cognitive decline during periods of sleep deprivation. In simple terms, it helps the brain cope when we’re overtired and over-stressed.”
- Ashwagandha: “A well-known adaptogen for stress, sleep and cognition, which makes it particularly relevant at a time of year when our nervous systems are taxed. Clinical research shows that ashwagandha can lower cortisol, reduce perceived stress and anxiety, and improve sleep quality.”
- Ginkgo Biloba: “Trials suggest that ginkgo can support aspects of memory and cognitive performance. It enhances blood flow and has antioxidant and anti‑inflammatory effects, which can support mental clarity and overall cognitive health.”
- Fish Oil/Omega‑3s: “Most of us know that fish oil is often supports heart‑health, skin and overall wellbeing, but it’s also a foundational nutrient for brain health. EPA and especially DHA are structural and functional components in our brains, which makes a high‑quality omega‑3 one of the most underrated nootropics we have.”
However, Rhian notes that it is important to check our micronutrient status before introducing nootropics into your routine. “Adaptogens and nootropics can only go so far if we're lacking Vitamin D3, magnesium and potassium,” she says. “A good quality catch-all with specific cognitive ingredients [like ARTAH’s Advanced Multi-Nutrient], can make a big impact. From there, you can layer in fish oil, nootropics or adaptogens as needed.”
So be sure to identify your needs, learn what each ingredient actually does, find a quality formula and build up your dose gradually, for a cerebral approach to wellness in summer 2026.
