Survey shows Britons' ten most popular wellbeing activities

With the understanding around mental health increasing globally, 113% more people have been googling self-care techniques to support mental and physical well being, compared to February 2018. Ranging from exercises and changes of lifestyle to self-care routines, these techniques help reduce stress, recognise our feelings and form a healthier lifestyle.

Interested in finding out which wellbeing techniques Brits are interested to learn the most, The Knowledge Academy collected a list of 25 popular wellbeing techniques and investigated which tutorial has the highest search volume on Youtube via Ahrefs, revealing the most popular wellbeing trends in the UK.

Guided Meditation ranked as the No.1 wellbeing technique Britons are interested in. With an average of 14,000 monthly Youtube tutorials’ searches around the topic, video guided meditation gives those new to meditation something to follow, helping them to find calm and peace within a few minutes. According to a scientific report, 63% of respondents said meditation had helped “a great deal” in enhancing their physical and emotional well-being. There are five important goals in meditation, namely developing awareness of the present moment, subduing the negative mind, mindfulness of the meditation object, dawning awareness.and unwavering commitment.

Yoga for Beginners ranked as the second most popular wellbeing technique people wanted to learn, with 11,000 monthly tutorial searches on Youtube. Following yoga videos online has been seen as a great choice for anyone who doesn't feel comfortable taking an in-person class or wants an affordable alternative. Originating from India as a tradition focusing on mind, body and soul, yoga has become popular worldwide among 300 million pratitioners for building physical strength and easing anxiety. It aims to control (yoke) and still the mind, recognising a detached witness-consciousness untouched by the mind (Chitta) and mundane suffering (Duḥkha). There is a wide variety of schools of yoga, practices, and goals in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism.

In third place is Tai Chi for Beginners, with 6,100 average monthly searches on Youtube in the UK. As a form of Chinese martial art formulated from the 12th century, Tai Chi gained practitioners worldwide not only for its physical health benefits such as reducing blood pressure, but also for its significant impact on increasing psychological well-being, reducing anxiety and enhancing mood.

Positive Affirmations ranks in fourth position with 5,100 monthly searches in the UK. Practising positive phrases to challenge negative thoughts is shown to reduce high stress and promote positive coping, with Youtube being one of the most useful places to look for inspiration when building your list of affirmations.

Tutorials for Stretching Exercises ranked as the fifth most popular wellbeing techniques Britons wanted to learn on Youtube. This is followed by the time management method, the Pomodoro Technique, which helps prevent mental exhaustion.

If you have concerns about your mental health, apart from following online wellbeing techniques, visit nhs.uk or mind.org.uk for more self help resources. If you need help for a mental health crisis or emergency, don’t hesitate to ask for expert advice and assessment. You can find more on the NHS: Get urgent help for mental health.