Three Wellness Trends to Say Goodbye to This 2023

Not all wellness trends should come with you this new year.

Social media came up with so many ways in 2022 to inspire the public to start and build that healthy lifestyle. However, if the ways and the trends are deeply evaluated, they would be revealed to be not for the better. People were trying to turn to "Dr. TikTok" over and over for health regimens that are said to focus too much on body image.

Thus, as a new year starts, experts are encouraging that this is a perfect opportunity to check these supposedly "healthy habits," and filter out what works and what does not.

Time has come up with a list of the wellness trends that deserve to be ditched this 2023 and are providing healthier options.

Say goodbye to...

1. Weight-loss shots

In 2022, Ozempic and Wegovy became too popular. These two are weight-loss injections supposedly for those with Type 2 diabetes and obesity. However, they have become "hot commodities'" even to people who are not diabetic and obese.

These weight-loss injections can temporarily reduce one's appetite, allowing people to eat less without feeling hungry. According to the New England Journal of Medicine, an average individual can lose up to 15 percent of body weight in 68 weeks. However, because the treatment is designed for the long term, one needs to maintain it. Once stopped, the lost weight will come back.

But here's the real problem, due to their popularity, these products are experiencing a shortage in the market. The doctors worry that people who need the treatment are not getting their medicines because others are using them to lose weight. Many patients are already frustrated, they say.

Dr. Stephen Kopecky, a cardiologist at the Mayo Clinic, encourages people to go back to the basics when trying to lose weight, and basic means looking after what you eat - emphasizing vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and lean proteins and sustaining it. Consistency is key.

2. Overdoing Melatonin

Most of the American population is getting less sleep compared to pre-pandemic. Thus, melatonin usage has increased steadily, and doctors are again worrying that people are relying too much on over-the-counter sleep aids to doze off.

Melatonin is regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration strictly for medicinal purposes. Alarmingly, research published last year revealed that kids have been on melatonin overdose during the pandemic, and the cases increased by 530 percent from January 2012 to December 2021.

Kopecky cannot help but stress the importance of shifting the mindset about melatonin.

"People think it replaces their bad sleep hygiene. But a pill doesn't replace a lifestyle," the doctor emphasized.

Kopecky suggests reserving melatonin for special occasions, such as traveling in different time zones, and only for emergencies. He encourages us to go back to the basics - have a consistent bedtime, dim the lights, and get away from devices an hour before sleep.

3. Quiet quitting

Quiet quitting got so loud in 2022, and in 2023 it should be on zero volume for good as it has become one of the most unhealthy wellness trends so far.

Quiet quitting, as NBC News defined it, is a growing workplace conflict avoidance trend. The term refers to doing just the bare minimum at work instead of doing one's best to be efficient and effective.

And why is this unhealthy? People say that it is about setting boundaries between personal life and work. However, Susan Albers, a clinical psychologist at the Cleveland Clinic, sees it as a danger where society "normalizes staying stuck in a job that doesn't feel satisfying or suit you." This is the real cause of stress, anxiety, and burnout.

Albers advises that instead of quietly quitting in 2023, take the time to look into one's self, talents, skills, and passion and find a job that aligns with them, a position that energizes them. She reminds people that with the amount of time work takes from us, "it's worth the effort to figure out what might make us happiest."