Anastasia Achilleos On The Global Wellness Shift
Bazaar Arabia’s columnist Anastasia Achilleos discusses why wellness isn’t a final destination, but something to anchor your daily life around
When I began my career in 1994, wellness was barely spoken about. Early adopters of emotional wellbeing and nervous system health were so ahead of their time that they would have been considered Woo-Woo. Spa culture dominated. And yet, across the
world, wellness has always existed; in your grandmothers’ tinctures, in Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine, in European thermal towns and in the healing rituals of every culture around the globe. It simply had not yet found its modern language, its scientific validation, or its cultural relevance.
Medicine treated illness, and spas treated cellulite or surface-level concerns by prescribing massage, hydrotherapy, wraps, scrubs and facials rooted in beauty, not physiology. Stress was normalised. Mental health was private. Emotional wellbeing was not discussed publicly. What we now call ‘wellness’ was intuitive, fragmented, and largely invisible – waiting for its moment to be named, understood and integrated into everyday life. Wellness had no unified economic value, no global metrics, and no policy relevance.
However, in 2016, the Global Wellness Institute (GWI) formalised wellness as an economic sector. Even then, longevity, bio individuality and systems-based health were not yet part of public discourse. Research on stress, cortisol and the mind-body connection existed academically, but had not yet translated into consumer wellness, spa protocols, or hospitality design.
Fast forward 20 years, and wellness has become visible, measurable and aspirational. Year on year, the GWI has revealed its wellness trends. It predicted wellness real estate, clean beauty, forest bathing, mindfulness and transformative travel. It noticed the rise of silent retreats, structured water, urban bathhouses, circadian health, sabbaticals, and even the metaverse now sits within this expanding universe.
Biohacking has also entered the conversation. Once the domain of Silicon Valley futurists, it now quietly influences how we approach sleep, light exposure, fasting, breathing and recovery. Yet the most elegant biohacks are often the most ancient: sunlight, stillness, movement, touch and breath. The conversation is no longer about escape, but about regulation, resilience and longevity reflecting a global shift from reactive healthcare to preventative, human centred living.
Today, wellness is embedded in every economic sector: healthcare, tourism, fashion, hospitality, work, education and policy. Wellness is no longer episodic, it is continuous, personalised and systemic. In 2026, it is no longer a trend, a destination, or a discrete industry operating at the margins. Valued at over $6.3 trillion globally, its economy has become a force, reframing workplace wellbeing and shaping public policy. In the UAE, it now accounts for up to 7.6 per cent of GDP, supported by frameworks such as the National Strategy for Wellbeing 2031. Abu Dhabi’s Kayan Wellness Festival, happening 6-8 February, is expecting up to 15,000 visitors.
We have come a million miles since my journey began, and from my lens, we will make quantum leaps in the same amount of time. In my 30 years of navigating this realm, my prediction is that where wellness is headed lives in the nervous system’s ability to feel safe within our choices, environments and relationships. Some days feel heavier than others, and that’s ok too. Throwing a duvet over your head and sobbing in the corner of your room is wellness too. Listening to the body’s physical, emotional and mental signals is cultivating the deepest form of self-care available to us. What a privilege it is to be in service of this great global shift.
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From Harper’s Bazaar Arabia 2026 February Issue