Lifestyle Trends – What Might We See More Of

So as we all know most lifestyle trends are fleeting. They come and go. Some not to stay for more then a season, especially in the fashion world, but what about lifestyle trends?

They seem just as fleeting. Here today. Gone tomorrow. Nothing seems good enough to stick. It’s all just a novel idea for a little while and then fades away into some oblivion of ideas and trends that came and went all too soon.

Hence it’s called a trend I suppose. Trend by definition is something that is fashionable for a short period.

So here’s my breakdown of what we’ll see more of in the decade ahead. 2020.

1. Living With A Roomie – this seems to be the new norm and with the way the economy is headed and housing prices soaring most people in big cities are somewhat doomed. Even the suburbs can cost an arm and leg these days. Although there’s a strong sense the housing market probably will slow in 2020.

   Home prices are leveling off finally and we seem like this housing bubble is bursting or deflating for sure, but the cost of housing and rents are still astronomical. When you do the math inflation far out does pay raises. For more check out this article on Inflation vs. The Cost of Living.

   So partnering up with a pal seems to be the new norm. Living alone is just not feasible in most big cities unless you’re well into the six figure range. Here in the bay area the cost of living has sky rocketed while the unemployment rate is up and salaries are the same.

2. Less Is More – yes this is the new cool. We had the more is less trend, but that fell away some years ago and the less is more is making a major comeback. Down sizing, tiny homes, decluttering craze has even taken Netflix by storm as one it’s top features this year. And while the others on this list seem like trends that may or may not less and are again just that trends, very likely short term, this one here is my favorite. From an energetic stand point I love the notion of less is more. Simplifying brings an ease of calm and serenity to your dominion and will sure give you greater peace day in and day out. Less to contend with. It’s kind of like the Mark Zuckerburg or Jim Kwik (check out Jim Kwik’s morning routine here) theory of wearing the same clothes everyday. One less thought to expend. I like this one a lot.

3. Living Smart – Smart Homes The Wave Of The Future – now this is one I think just goes with the times. Everywhere we look we see the world changing before our very eyes. Unprecedented technological advancements. Smart homes that allow you to control everything from your phone even when you’re at work. Programming recordings on your tv, to turning off the lights or closing the garage, setting the alarm or starting your dishwasher. It’s where we are headed. And while the Jetsons might’ve seemed a little far reaching thirty years ago, we’re there. Autonomous vehicles and robots serving us our dinner and doing chores around the house are no longer far fetched ideas of some crazed scientist, but very much here and available to us. What will smart homes look like in the future? Read more.

4. More Conscious Living – I know I already said this, but this is also is one of my favorite trends that I think may actually last beyond 2020. More conscious living seems to be a real thing. I’m finding people becoming more aware about energy use, recycling, water conservation, occupying less space, hybrid and autonomous driving, solar and more solutions for the catastrophe happening in the ocean with contaminants from waste. And while a solution maybe far away there is most certainly more dialogue happening around it. And this is a huge first step. For a breakdown of what’s happening to the ocean, pictures, facts and figures check out this article on Marine Pollution in the National Geographic.

   And be sure to check back for my story on how to recycle with the Berkeley recycling center in the coming weeks.