Eighty nine per cent of people are taking more action than a year ago to improve their wellbeing, according to Lululemon's Global Wellbeing Report 2024: The pressure to be well.

Earlier this year, the athleisure brand commissioned a survey from Edelman Data & Intelligence (DXI) to provide a glimpse into the worldwide state of wellbeing.

The survey was conducted in 15 markets where Lululemon operates between 22 April – 30 May, 2024, with 16,000 respondents in total, who were asked about their physical, mental and social wellbeing.

The results showed that many people, especially among the younger generations, are feeling the pressure to be well which is leading to wellbeing burnout. Forty five per cent of those questioned reported experiencing wellbeing burnout – where they feel powerless to improve their wellbeing, but also pressure to be, and appear, well.

The three main stressors cited were unrealistic societal expectations (61 per cent); conflicting information (53 per cent) and going it alone/loneliness (89 per cent.)

Those who feel the most wellbeing pressure are 55 per cent more likely to experience wellbeing burnout. Forty four per cent said the pressure to conform to societal norms negatively impacts their mental wellbeing.

Climate change and the global news are also impacting wellbeing levels, which could be an explanation for the stagnant global wellbeing levels of 66: this is the same as last year and one point higher than 2022 and 2021.

Encouragingly, the report found that a mixture of movement and community was shown to have a positive impact on wellbeing levels. Those who participate in a team sport reported a 14 per cent increase in wellbeing and people who felt connected to their community were 28 per cent more likely to feel a sense of purpose.

Other key takeaways were that small steps towards better habits all count: there's a trend towards walks of 15 minutes or less throughout the day. Men are leaning into lower-intensity forms of movement, with 46 per cent more likely to try yoga or Pilates than in 2023.

“Life is full of ups and downs, and it’s easy to get swept up in the whirlwind,” says Lululemon director, Paul Villanti. “It’s important to take time for yourself, spend time with people who make you feel good, tackle those important conversations and move more.”

Those who reported better wellbeing levels also used the following strategies:

• Stretching for 30 minutes or less each day (57 per cent).
• Finding purpose through little things (22 per cent).
• Doing small things throughout the day to boost wellbeing (20 per cent).
• Spending time outdoors with others (18 per cent).
• Practicing self-love and acceptance (16 per cent).
• Slow living (15 per cent).
• Setting personal boundaries (13 per cent).
• Combining low-intensity exercise with comfortable home activities (13 per cent).
• Practicing meditation (12 per cent).
• Taking social media breaks (9 per cent).

You can read the full report here.