If you spent any part of this past year on TikTok, then you’re likely aware there’s no shortage of viral health-related hacks including habit stacking, sleep-inducing tricks, and everything in between. But what stood out in 2024 were all the wonderfully weird wellness trends that had people stepping outside the box.
When it comes to getting creative, social media users have no limits. That’s what makes TikTok and other apps so great — it’s a way to connect and see what everyone likes to do behind closed doors to sleep well, feel good, and thrive in every possible way. And you know what? Sometimes it really is the oddest tricks that work best.
The start of 2024 saw many people lying on the ground in what’s been dubbed “floor time,” which entails basking on the floor to ground yourself, relax, and process racing thoughts. It seems strange, but it works.
Later in the year, many creators went to bed covered in mouth tape, heatless hair curlers, eye masks, and more for the “morning shed” trend. Others worried about “dead butt syndrome.” And now we’re ending the year with everyone practicing “airport rules” as they drink protein Diet Coke and talk to themselves out loud.
Keep scrolling below for the weirdest wellness trends of 2024.
Hurkle-Durkling
It’s one thing to engage in a bed rot sesh on a lazy Saturday afternoon. It’s something else entirely to “hurkle-durkle.” This phrase went viral on social media early in the year thanks to its weird name and cozy vibes. ICYMI, it’s essentially the Scottish art of sleeping in.
To hurkle-durkle is to stay in bed long after you meant to get up, especially in the moments when you’re well aware you should be doing something else. It’s all about prioritizing your urge to snooze.
In creator @_thesunalsoreads’s comforting video about hurkle-durkle season one person commented, “I’m all about hurkle-durkle.” And honestly? Same.
Floor Time
With millions of posts about floor time on TikTok, it’s clear people feel a lot of joy and relaxation when they give into their urge to lie on the ground. It’s an ideal way to cope with stress, prevent a meltdown, or simply relax and have a think — though not many people would openly admit they enjoy it.
When creator @loewhaley posted about her floor time, her comments flooded with fellow floor-lovers who were shocked to learn it’s A Thing. “Thought I was the only one who did this,” one person wrote, while another said, “This is literally me after every meeting.” With weird trends like this one, you can’t knock it ‘til you try it.
Getting Rejected
Instead of meditating, taking deep breaths, or journaling, many TikTokers were practicing “rejection therapy” throughout 2024 as a way to get over their social anxiety.
It typically entailed doing something entirely humiliating, like @anamarcks who asked a flight attendant if she could make an announcement of the plane’s PA system on her flight.
The goal? To put herself out there in such a big way that nothing could ever make her blush again. No matter what happens, it’s said that the rejection makes you stronger.
The Morning Shed
“The uglier you go to bed the hotter you wake up.” That’s how creator @virtualkayla explained the viral “morning shed” trend that took off this past summer. Instead of just throwing on pajamas and hopping into bed, she coated her face with moisturizer, slugged her skin, used a gua sha, set heatless curls, and pulled on an eye mask.
The “shed” part of the trend refers to the act of peeling everything off in the morning to reveal a more glowing version of your former self. Others go even further, like @najmastoriii who applied mouth tape and an eye mask. While it makes sense to protect your hair and cover your eyes at night, dermatologists weren’t thrilled with the skin aspect of this trend.
“Skin needs time to breathe and recover and piling on numerous products can clog pores, cause irritation, and disrupt the skin's natural barrier,” Dr. Hannah Kopelman, a dermatologist at Kopelman Aesthetic Surgery, previously told Bustle. “Additionally, using too many active ingredients simultaneously can lead to over-exfoliation, redness, and sensitivity.” Oopsie!
The Sweatshirt Sleep Hack
If you were to walk in on your partner sleeping swaddled with a sweatshirt on their head you might think they were weird, but it’s honestly one of the best ways to catch some Zzzs, at least according to creators this year.
It all happened after @calliegaley shared her go-to sleep trick, which involved strategically wrapping the arms of a big, fluffy sweatshirt around her head at night to block noise, muffle sound, and hold her head perfectly in place. Others jumped on board — and it quickly became the strangest way to snooze.
Sitting In Your Car
Sitting in your car — a topic with over 300 million posts on TikTok — became one of the most relatable forms of self-care in 2024. According to many people on social media, your car is a safe place to rest, laugh, cry, and eat takeout without interruption.
Creator @andi.renay2 said she likes to sit in her car for 30 minutes to decompress after work, while @dalaniedisabato says her car is a “safe spot” that she could easily sit in all day. Their comments sections blew up with thousands of others admitting they love it, too.
Talking To Yourself
Just like lying on the floor, talking to yourself out loud seems wild until you realize many people do it daily. Some, like creator @y0rubangel, will put in headphones and talk to themselves while walking. Others will ramble like they’re on a talk show while home alone.
It might seem like an embarrassingly quirky habit, but according to Lauren Auer, LCPC, a therapist and founder of Steadfast Counseling, it’s pretty good for you. “It’s one way your brain can make sense of things — it’s like thinking out loud,” she previously told Bustle. Instead of keeping it all inside, speaking up helps you process ideas, vent stress, and give your thoughts and feelings a place to go.
Being “High Maintenance”
While simple habits, like drinking water and moisturizing, will always help you feel good, sometimes you really need to go hard to feel your best. Enter: the high maintenance to be low maintenance trend.
Throughout the year this side of TikTok was filled with girlies doing the most. The idea was to add a few fancy, time-consuming habits to your self-care routine so you could ultimately buy yourself a few days without having to do too much.
Instead of waking up early every morning to complete your full face of hair and makeup, you might spend a weekend lasering, moisturizing, and applying face masks, like creator @allisonhoeller. Sure, it might seem intense, but it does save you extra time and peace of mind.
Protein Diet Cokes
It might sound nasty to pour a protein shake into a bubbling, fizzing Diet Coke, but anything goes in 2024. The protein Diet Coke trend was popular on the app after those amongst the #MomTok crowd made it viral.
It quickly spread to people like @wishbonekitchen, who tested the recipe in a viral video. She noted how strange it looked as the liquids separated in an unappetizing way, but then quickly fell in love. “Yup. Yeah. Oh my God,” she said after her first sip. “That is phenomenal.” And just like that others had to give it a try, including Diet Coke stan @hauskris.
“Airport Rules”
One of the most unique ways to deal with negativity in 2024 was (and is) the “airport rules” trend. To cope with upsetting current events and other daily stressors, creators say airport rules are in full effect until further notice, meaning everyone gets to drop the pretenses and act exactly how they would while waiting for their flight.
In other words? It’s OK to buy whatever you want, eat whatever you want, and nap at random hours — all things you might do to find comfort at the airport. If you’re stressed or overwhelmed, enact your own airport rules. Eat pizza for breakfast, wear pajamas 24/7, and do whatever feels right — even if it’s kind of gross.
Sources:
Dr. Hannah Kopelman, dermatologist at Kopelman Aesthetic Surgery
Lauren Auer, LCPC, therapist, founder of Steadfast Counseling
