You’ve probably heard people say the online wellness industry is shifting, but almost no one is explaining what that actually means for you as a practitioner, coach, or expert.
Today, I’m unpacking exactly what’s changing, why it matters, and how to adapt in a way that makes your business feel clearer, simpler, and more profitable.
If you’ve been feeling like old strategies aren’t working anymore, or you’re noticing that clients are becoming more overwhelmed and more selective, you’re not imagining it.
These trends are already unfolding, and the entrepreneurs who learn to simplify, personalize, and focus on real transformation are the ones who will thrive in 2026.
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The Online Wellness Industry Is Changing… Are You Adapting To It?
If you’ve been feeling like the online wellness space is shifting under your feet… you’re not imagining it.
Something is changing — and honestly, it’s been building for the last couple of years.
The stuff that worked even two or three years ago? It’s already losing steam.
And the people who keep trying to run their businesses the same way they always have are the ones feeling like they’re pushing uphill in the wrong direction.
I don’t say that to scare you. I say it because I’m watching it happen in my own life, in my own business, in my clients’ businesses, and in the actual conversations people are having online.
And 2026 is shaping up to be a year where the gap widens between the wellness entrepreneurs who adapt and the ones who resist the shift and end up burned out, frustrated, or stuck.
So today, we’re going to walk through the 10 biggest trends I’m seeing for 2026 that actually matter to your business success.
Not the fluffy “AI wrote these predictions” nonsense.
These are the trends shaped by real people, real frustrations, real consumer behavior, and real conversations happening in the places your ideal clients are hanging out.
And I’ll also share why these trends actually create huge opportunities for you if you’re willing to simplify, clarify, and build a business that supports the way people want to buy in 2026… not the way they bought in 2018.
Let’s dive in!
Trend #1: The Great Opt-Out of Traditional Healthcare
This one is already happening, and honestly, it blows my mind how quickly it’s accelerating.
So many people — especially middle and upper-middle–income families — are opting out of traditional insurance.
Not because they want to, but because the math just isn’t mathing anymore.
Premiums have gotten insane. Deductibles are laughably high. And people are finally asking, “Why am I spending $30,000+ a year on healthcare I barely use?”
I’m experiencing this personally. Our family is switching to a health share and concierge care because our premiums for 2026 were going to be absurd.
And guess what? When you’re already paying cash for almost everything anyway, paying cash for quality care suddenly makes way more sense.
And here’s why this matters for you:
Clients who are already paying cash don’t care whether you take insurance.
They care that you listen, that you personalize, and that you actually help them get results.
This is great news for anyone running a cash-pay wellness business — because the number of people who are comfortable, willing, and even prefer to pay cash is about to skyrocket.
Trend #2: The Death of Session-by-Session Care
Session-by-session care is on its way out. People don’t want to buy sessions anymore. They’re tired of piecemeal support. They’re tired of short visits where they barely get heard.
And they’re totally over the model where they have to figure out how all the pieces fit together in their own lives.
Even practitioners who genuinely care — dietitians, PTs, coaches, therapists — can’t do much in one-off sessions without overwhelming people or giving them a firehose of advice that doesn’t stick.
Clients want a transformation.
They want to know exactly what you’re helping them accomplish.
They want a clear plan that fits their life and actually moves them forward.
And that’s why structured, transformation-focused programs are becoming the standard in wellness.
They give you room to teach what matters without drowning people in extras. They give the client a predictable path. And they give you stable revenue and fewer headaches.
This shift is exactly what we help you implement inside the Nourished Business Accelerator (NBA).
You simply cannot build a sustainable business in 2026 around session packages and insurance reimbursements. That’s the old way. And it’s fading fast.
Trend #3: People Want Less Information and More Actual Help
This is a big one — and honestly, one that a lot of practitioners don’t realize they’re getting wrong.
Your clients are overwhelmed. Their brains are fried. They do not want a program that feels like a full-time job.
They don’t want to get through 85 modules or a 100-page PDF before they can start improving their health.
And they definitely don’t want to attend three calls a week just to stay “on track.”
All they want is the simplest possible path to the outcome they want.
That doesn’t mean “dumb it down.” It means simplify. Curate. Cut out the noise. Give them less but make it count.
When someone opens your program and sees 30 hours of content, do you know what they think?
“Ugh… when am I ever going to get through this?”
And overwhelmed clients don’t take action. They disappear, they shut down, and they definitely don’t get the results they came for.
The programs that will thrive in 2026 are the ones that deliver the minimum effective dose of information with maximum support and accountability.
It’s not about teaching everything you know. It’s about delivering what they need to create the transformation they’re paying for.
Trend #4: Personalization Isn’t a Bonus Anymore, It’s the Standard
Trust in healthcare is at an all-time low. And honestly, it’s not hard to see why.
People feel dismissed, ignored, and talked at instead of talked with. They’re sick of feeling like they’re getting the same protocol as the last 50 patients who walked in the door.
They want to feel like someone actually sees them.
This is where you, as an online wellness expert, can shine.
Because you can personalize. You can listen. You can create nuanced plans that fit real lives.
And here’s the thing: Personalization doesn’t mean reinventing everything for every client. That’s not scalable.
It means having a clear framework and knowing how to tailor it to each person based on what they actually need.
This hybrid model — a structured core paired with personalized touches — is exactly what people want in 2026.
It creates better results, happier clients, and stronger referral streams. And it’s the structure we teach inside NBA because it just works.
Trend #5: On-Demand Access Beats More Calls
This trend keeps coming up in nearly every conversation I have with higher-level clients, moms, business owners, and honestly anyone who has a full plate.
People don’t want more calls. They don’t have time for more calls. Calls feel like work.
But what they do want is access.
They want to know they can reach out, ask a question, and get support without rearranging childcare or squeezing a session into an already packed week.
Asynchronous support — like messaging, voice notes, quick check-ins — has become one of the most valuable parts of any premium offer.
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It’s efficient. It’s personal. And it meets clients exactly where they are.
This doesn’t mean “be on call 24/7.” It means create boundaries and systems so clients feel held, but your life doesn’t get consumed in the process.
Trend #6: Long-Form Content Is Back (and Honestly, It’s About Time)
Social media is a dumpster fire right now. You know it. I know it. Your clients know it.
AI content is everywhere, and you can absolutely tell when someone has copy-pasted straight from ChatGPT.
People are tired of scrolling. They’re tired of shallow content. They’re tired of feeling like every post is saying the same thing.
And when they actually want help?
They go to Google. YouTube. Podcasts.
They go to long-form content written by real humans who actually know what they’re talking about.
Long-form content builds trust in a way that short-form reels never can.
It shows depth, thoughtfulness, and the nuance behind your expertise.
And it attracts the serious buyers — the ones who are ready to invest.
Trend #7: Buyers Are More Discerning Than Ever
Gone are the days when someone saw a pretty Instagram graphic and immediately bought a $2,000 program.
People are smarter. They’re more cautious and taking longer to make decisions.
They want to understand what makes your program different from the last five they’ve tried.
This is where your messaging becomes absolutely everything.
It has to be clear, specific, and deeply aligned with the people you want to attract.
And you have to be able to articulate not just what you do but why your approach actually works.
When your messaging isn’t clear, everything becomes harder: selling, marketing, content creation, delivery.
When it is clear, people feel like you’re speaking directly to them — and the decision to work with you becomes easy.
This is one of the biggest transformations people experience inside NBA.
We help you articulate exactly who you serve, what you do, and why people should choose you over anyone else. And that clarity changes everything.
Trend #8: Ethical, Thoughtful AI Use Will Be a Competitive Advantage
People have a lot of opinions about AI.
But here’s the truth: If you’re not using it, you’re going to fall behind.
Not because AI should replace your voice — it absolutely shouldn’t — but because it can support your brain in a way that makes content creation, communication, and organization so much easier.
As a mom, a business owner, and a person who does not always have her best cognitive days (hi, sleep deprivation), I use AI all the time.
Not to think for me, but to help me communicate what I’m actually trying to say. It’s like having an executive assistant living inside your phone.
The people who learn how to use AI ethically and intentionally are going to run circles around the people who refuse to adapt.
Trend #9: Hyper-Specific Niching Is No Longer Optional
If there is any trend you take seriously from this entire list, let it be this one.
You cannot help “everyone.” You cannot speak to “everyone.”
And you definitely cannot market to “everyone.”
The wellness entrepreneurs who are thriving right now are the ones who have narrowed their niche, clarified their messaging, and committed to serving one specific type of person really, really well.
Hyper-specificity is the shortcut to getting clients in 2026.
It helps you know what to say, iIt helps clients feel seen, and it helps you design a cleaner, simpler offer.
Most importantly, it dramatically improves your marketing and sales.
I spend so much time on this inside NBA because specificity is the foundation of every successful online business.
If your niche is fuzzy, everything else becomes harder.
Trend #10: Simplicity Is the Only Sustainable Strategy
If there’s one thing I’ve learned — especially now that I’m running a business while raising little kids — it’s this:
Your business cannot depend on you doing everything.
Not anymore. Not in the world we’re living in. And definitely not with the mental load most of us are carrying.
If your business requires your best energy every single day just to function, it’s not sustainable.
You’ll burn out. Your creativity will tank. Your results will suffer. And your clients will feel it.
Simplicity is not optional in 2026. It’s the only way your business stays profitable and enjoyable.
This means:
- simple offers
- simple systems
- simple processes
- simple messaging
The more streamlined your business becomes, the more space you have for the work only you can do — coaching, content, creativity, long-term vision.
This is where your energy should go. Not into reinventing the wheel every time you do something.
Inside NBA, we help you build a clean, sustainable business that doesn’t run your life.
You get to grow without sacrificing your family, your health, or your sanity.
How to Prepare for These 2026 Trends in Your Business
Trying to navigate these shifts alone is exhausting. And honestly? Not necessary.
To grow in 2026, you need:
- a premium, transformation-based offer
- a niche and message that actually convert
- a sustainable enrollment system
- marketing that builds trust
- support and systems that protect your life outside your business
And you shouldn’t have to figure all of that out by yourself.
Why the Nourished Business Accelerator (NBA) Is the Best Way to Prepare for 2026
NBA is the mentorship space where we build all of this together step by step in a way that feels grounded, ethical, and aligned with your real life.
Inside the program, you learn how to:
- build an offer that truly reflects the transformation you provide
- streamline your business so it feels spacious instead of chaotic
- create messaging that attracts dream clients effortlessly
- sell in a way that feels honest and not gross
- market your business without burning yourself out
- develop systems that allow your business to grow sustainably
You get real mentorship, real strategy, real community, and real support.
And that’s exactly what you need to navigate the shifts coming in 2026 without constantly second-guessing yourself or trying to duct-tape everything together.
If you’re ready for a business that feels aligned, profitable, and actually manageable, NBA is your next step.
Apply for the NBA program here
Or DM me “NBA” on Instagram @lauraschoenfeldrd
Your business doesn’t have to feel heavy. It doesn’t have to feel confusing.
And 2026 can be the year everything finally clicks into place. Are you ready to lock in and have your best year yet?
Then join me inside the Nourished Business Accelerator!
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