Saturday 11 June 2022 will mark the 11th anniversary of Global Wellness Day (GWD), an annual event hosted to emphasise the importance of wellness and taking care of health and wellbeing.

Belgin Aksoy founded GWD in 2012 and it has since been celebrated annually on the second Saturday of June with free wellness activities across the globe and the guiding principle that ‘one day can change your whole life’.

Following on from live stream events in 2020 and 2021 in the face of the pandemic, this year’s special day will be celebrated with in-person activities, workshops and talks across the globe incorporating the theme #ThinkMagenta, which recommends simple but effective affirmations to remind people that living well begins in the mind.

GWD ambassadors around the world have organised free activities such as free mental health assessments, online parent and child support groups, laughter therapy, sunrise yoga, nutrition seminars and much more to help increase people’s spirits in a positive and healthy way.

Alongside this, a free three-hour live stream celebration featuring world-renowned wellness experts, performers and athletes will take place.

The line-up includes industry figures such as Susie Ellis, chair and CEO of the Global Wellness Institute and Global Wellness Summit; Anna Bjurstam, wellness pioneer Six Senses & Raison d’Etre; and Jeremy McCarthy, group director of spa and wellness of Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group.

A number of other wellness professionals will also be showcased during the event on GWD’s YouTube Channel and Facebook Page.

Among other international brands, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, Accor Hotels and Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts are once again supporting GWD.

Since its inception, the event has grown from being celebrated in one country to being observed in 170 countries in tens of thousands of locations. Senegal, the Czech Republic, Algeria, Jordan, Guiné-Bissau and Zambia are new to the roster this year.

All in-person and virtual events organised this year continue to hold three main attributes: educational, non-commercial and complimentary.

Aksoy said: “Thanks to the pandemic, the world is waking up to the importance of what we pioneered 11 years ago.

"GWD 2022’s theme, Think Magenta, is not about being optimistic – it is about being realistic. Things happen in our lives and we have the choice to call them good or bad things. Sometimes difficulties, failures or illnesses become the greatest teachers. No matter what’s happening, we can always find a way to choose joy. In this respect, although GWD lasts for 24 hours, our message is intended to last a lifetime.”

Aksoy explained that her long term goal for the event is to have GWD accepted into the United Nations Official Calendar.

“This will be the ultimate celebration day for me because it will mean GWD will continue to be celebrated by future generations,” she said.