lululemon (NASDAQ: LULU) today released its third annual Global Wellbeing Report which reveals the worldwide state of wellbeing has not improved since the company first surveyed in 2021, during the height of the pandemic.
Consistent with the global results, UK findings reveal that 1 in 3 respondents to this year’s survey said their wellbeing is lower than it has ever been before and—although more than 67% of people ranked their wellbeing as a top priority—only 11% said they thought theirs was where it should be.
This “Wellbeing Dilemma” is the result of a troubling paradox: the prioritization of wellbeing is not resulting in an improvement in wellbeing. While the Global Wellbeing Index score has remained stagnant at 66, there is hope and an opportunity to learn from those with higher wellbeing.
“Insights such as these help us to have a real conversation around the state of wellbeing so that we can better understand how to support people and communities in their efforts to be well,” said Susan Gelinas, Chief People & Culture Officer, lululemon. “Advancing wellbeing is not a solitary effort, it is a collective undertaking that requires commitment and compassion as we build a path towards positive change.”
lululemon is committed to advocating for and advancing greater possibility and wellbeing for all. The Global Wellbeing Report provides a glimpse into the world’s state of holistic wellbeing, across physical, mental and social elements, allowing the brand to assess the barriers and challenges to wellbeing and identify actionable solutions through advocacy efforts and key initiatives.
Why this is happening
While many pandemic era challenges are behind us, there has not been a post-pandemic morale boost, with 41% reporting they feel hopeless when they think about the state of the world. In fact, multiple barriers to wellbeing feel harder to overcome and social pressures make wellbeing feel harder to achieve:
- 28% don’t have the time to think about their wellbeing.
- 46% deprioritizing their wellbeing due to cost concerns. This is a slightly lower barrier in the UK compared to 51% globally.
- Social pressures make wellbeing feel harder to achieve and this is heightened in the UK where 66% believe that society is judgmental towards those who have lower mental wellbeing compared to 55% globally.
- 36% feel the pressure to conform to societal norms negatively impacts their mental wellbeing.
How it manifests
The report uncovered that everyone is struggling, one way or another, with certain groups feeling the impact of low wellbeing more acutely, creating a ripple effect of impact to both the individual and society.
- 67% cannot be the best version of themselves when their wellbeing is low. Mental health taboo is a significantly higher barrier for Gen Z and Millennial Men compared to older generations with 56% of Gen Z/Millennial Men wishing they could express how they actually feel, instead of always pretending to be fine (vs. 32% Gen X/Boomer Men).
- 54% of individuals identifying as men in the UK feel society has made it more difficult for men to speak up about their mental health than women.
A path to progress
However, there are signs of progress, as people take control of their wellbeing with small but powerful steps and call on institutions to help enact change:
- 46% wish it was more acceptable to express their full range of emotions, with 40% not feeling like it is widely acceptable in their community to talk about mental health challenges.
- 53% say they are now more vocal about their needs in friendships, relationships and with family.
- 75% of people feel that institutions are not doing enough to help with societal wellbeing, with only 36% turning to their community for physical wellbeing initiatives.
The report uncovers steps everyone can take to improve their wellbeing, learning from those with higher wellbeing:
- Prioritize your wellbeing over your career. 69% of those with high wellbeing are prioritizing their wellbeing over their career (vs. 54% of those with low wellbeing).
- Focus on areas of your life that bring you joy. 73% of those with high wellbeing are more likely to focus on areas of their life that bring them joy than 38%.
- Prioritize spending time with your loved ones. 39% of those with high wellbeing are prioritizing spending time with loved ones more now than pre-pandemic (vs. only 25% of those with low wellbeing).
“Far too many people, one in three, feel their wellbeing is lower than ever before,” said Daniel H. Gillison, Jr. CEO of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and lululemon Global Mental Health Advisory Board Member. “That’s why NAMI is proud to work with lululemon and lead the conversation to help anyone who is struggling reach compassionate, equitable support and resources.”
As part of its Impact Agenda, lululemon and its Centre for Social Impact have made significant progress toward its goal of providing access to wellbeing tools to more than 10 million people globally (5 million reached since 2021) and investing at least USD $75 million (USD $25 million granted to date) by 2025 to advance equity in wellbeing. Additionally, this August, lululemon announced the creation of its inaugural Mental Wellbeing Global Advisory Board to help the company develop best practices and influence a global conversation to improve mental wellbeing outcomes for both employees and communities around the world.
This World Mental Health Day, October 10, lululemon will be hosting a series of activities around the globe supporting physical, mental and social wellbeing. From community sweat sessions to interactive pop-ups, a list of activations and how to participate by region can be found here.
To view the lululemon 2023 Global Wellbeing Report, please visit here.
