- Wellness may be a worldwide priority, but a recent survey shows people’s state of well-being has not improved post-pandemic, with one in three saying it is lower than ever before
- Startling data emerges from Lululemon’s third annual ‘Global Wellbeing Report’, conducted by the athletic apparel brand to advocate and advance well-being for all
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Amid countless diet fads, more creative workout routines in gyms and studios, and the rise of “therapy speak” in everyday conversation, it seems that most people are on board with achieving better physical, mental and social health. But despite this widespread focus on wellness – which, arguably, can verge on obsession – a new report shows that our collective well-being has not improved since the Covid-19 pandemic.
Released September 21, this year’s “Global Wellbeing Report” by the popular athletic apparel brand Lululemon – its third since launching the annual report in 2021 – reveals that one in three people surveyed worldwide said their well-being is lower than it has ever been before. In the Asia-Pacific region, more than 60 per cent ranked their well-being as a top priority, but 90 per cent said they could not achieve their desired state of wellness.
While the report showed that the global well-being index score was 66 (out of 100), several Asia-Pacific countries fell short of that benchmark, including Japan at 58 and South Korea at 63. However, Hong Kong and Singapore landed above the global average, with scores of 75 and 70, respectively.
The figures for the 2023 edition of the “Global Wellbeing Report” were gathered from online surveys fielded in 14 markets around the world in May and June, with a total of 14,000 respondents taking part.
The report spotlights a troubling paradox that Lululemon calls a “well-being dilemma”: the prioritisation of wellness is not resulting in an improvement in well-being.
So what is actually preventing people from achieving their optimum state of wellness? The reasons vary. In the Asia-Pacific, survey responses pointed to lack of time and resources, societal pressures and workplace demands as barriers to better well-being.
One in three respondents in the region said they do not have time to think about their well-being or to seek help, according to the report. Nearly half of the people surveyed in South Korea admitted to deprioritising their well-being due to “cost concerns”. Furthermore, 35 per cent across the Asia-Pacific claimed they do not feel comfortable talking about their wellness, with more than 40 per cent even feeling pressure to suppress negative emotions and appear more joyful instead.
Ironically, societal pressure to be well has caused many people to feel the opposite. Respondents worldwide said they felt overwhelmed by the idea of achieving the ultimate state of well-being, which has made them increasingly anxious about potentially failing themselves as well as people around them.
Lululemon’s report highlights Gen Z and men as the two demographics that have experienced the impact of low well-being most acutely. It notes that this is the result of underlying fears of judgment stemming from societal and gender norms.
In the Asia-Pacific, 61 per cent of Gen Z respondents said they wished they could express how they felt instead of pretending to be fine, pointing to social media platforms as creating pressure to present only the perfect life. Among the region’s surveyed individuals identifying as men, 47 per cent indicated that societal expectations made it more difficult for them to properly and authentically express their emotions, with 44 per cent wishing they would not be judged for showing an interest in improving their mental health.
“Insights such as these help us to have a real conversation around the state of well-being so that we can better understand how to support people and communities in their efforts to be well,” says Gareth Pope, senior vice-president for Asia-Pacific at Lululemon.
Based on the discoveries from this year’s “Global Wellbeing Report”, Lululemon aims to tackle the challenges to well-being and identify actionable solutions through advocacy efforts and key initiatives. As part of its Impact Agenda, the brand is working towards providing access to well-being tools to more than 10 million people globally, in addition to investing at least US$75 million by 2025 to advance equity in well-being.
In August, Lululemon also announced the creation of its inaugural Mental Wellbeing Global Advisory Board, which will help the company develop best practices and influence a global conversation aimed at improving mental well-being outcomes for its employees as well as communities around the world.
In Asia, Lululemon is planning to host a series of activities in order to bring greater awareness to World Mental Health Day on October 10. The activities include a four-day event in Seoul, called “Find Your Wellbeing”, that is aimed at creating a space for inspiration and discovery of physical, mental and social well-being, which can be experienced with friends and the community.
The immersive event experience will feature activities that encourage attendees to embark on their own personal well-being journeys through simple acts of mindfulness, connection and movement. “Find Your Wellbeing” will be open to the public in Seoul from October 12 to 14.
Pope says: “Advancing well-being is not a solitary effort; it is a collective undertaking that requires commitment and compassion as we build a path towards positive change.”