Ask most people their current life goals, and they’ll tell you they’d like to be healthier — whether that means improved fitness, better sleep and relaxation, or more nutritious eating habits.

And yet, as modern humans we often find ourselves too busy to focus on wellness. We dream of a moment when we’ll have the time and resources to flee to an all-inclusive month-long wellness retreat.

This is where one of the latest wellbeing trends comes in: say hello to wellness snacking.

what is wellness snacking?

Wellness snacking springs from the philosophy that we don’t necessarily need to completely withdraw from our lives and immerse ourselves in wellbeing for extended periods of time. Of course, if you are able to take off from your regular life to experience a 28-day health cleanse or a 10-day silent retreat, that’s great — but it’s not always possible when you’re juggling the demands of work and family.

Wellness snacking is exactly what it sounds like: taking bite-sized pieces of wellness and incorporating them into your life, as opposed to adopting an all-or-nothing approach. Or, to use another popular term in the wellness world: it’s essentially a means of micro-dosing wellness. Wellness snacking often refers to travel-related wellness experiences, but it can include anything from cold showers to short retreats.

A key benefit of wellness snacking, apart from the fact that it stops us from thinking of wellness as some distant goal, is that the behaviours we incorporate into our lives and practise regularly are more likely to stick.

our favourite ways to snack on wellness

Obviously the way we choose to “snack” on wellness will differ from person to person based on our needs and likes. Most of us know those things that make us genuinely feel better when we do them: it’s just a matter of scheduling them into our days. Often, it helps to do this literally, by carving out time in our diaries for wellness pursuits.

Practise yoga

Or whatever style of movement class you prefer as often as you can fit it in. Yoga offers us the opportunity to put aside our devices and withdraw into our own inner worlds — like a miniature retreat!

To get even more “snacky” about it, those who are time poor could practise a 10- or 15-minute yoga sequence online, or even just choose one pose to practise for five minutes (for example, legs up the wall pose, child’s pose, or downward facing dog). If you’re struggling with sleep, Restorative Yoga or Yoga Nidra can provide deep rest in a short space of time.

Meditate for five minutes in the morning.

Often, people assume that meditation has to involve sitting down for 30 minutes or longer — which can seem overwhelming. Instead, try to meditate for just five minutes. There are plenty of five-minute guided meditations out there, and even this short bout of mindfulness will help set you up for your day.

Or, you could set an alert on your phone to sound every hour as a reminder to pause, notice how you feel and focus on your breath for one minute.

Sweat it up in a sauna.

As far as wellness activities go, saunas certainly pack a punch. Whether you choose a wet, dry or infrared option, the benefits of saunas range from detoxification, improved skin health and better cardiovascular performance to relaxation and sounder sleep. Depending on the style of the sauna, you can reap massive rewards in as little as 20 minutes.

Hang out in a hot spring.

Our entire facility is built on our understanding of the wellness benefits of hot springs bathing! These benefits include better sleep, mental health and circulation, plus a reduction in chronic pain (among many others). If you spend an entire day exploring hot springs, you’ll experience some of these benefits — but if you’re busy, even an hour in a hot spring can work wonders (which is why we now offer an express “Recharge” bathing option).

Get a massage.

Massages can seem like indulgences that we reserve for special occasions, but taking an hour or two out of your week or day to switch off your mobile phone and have a massage therapist help release tension from your body can be a boon for both productivity and creativity. Again, it’s a little wellness “snack” — but it counts for a lot.

Start taking cold showers.

As far as wellness snacking goes, this is one of the fastest and simplest activities (which doesn’t mean it’s easy!). Taking a five-minute shower, or finishing your regular shower with a blast of cold water, can help boost your energy, mood and mental resilience, as well as encourage lymphatic flow.

Go for a nature walk.

Walking is one of the most straightforward ways to move our bodies, clear our heads and connect with nature — and yet we can easily underestimate the power of the humble walk in favour of indoor exercise regimes. You might have half a day for a proper bush walk or 10 minutes up your sleeve in the morning or after dinner for a walk around the block. Either way, let it be a time to look up from your phone and notice the natural world.

Book in for a Peninsula Hot Springs overnight wellness retreat.

For a wellness snack that’s a little more immersive (but still only involves one night away from home), book into one of our forthcoming wellness retreats. These retreats span two days and one night and include all of the best wellbeing experiences Peninsula Hot Springs has to offer: yoga, meditation, nourishing food, a nutrition workshop, spa treatments, geothermal bathing and luxury glamping accommodation.