Adobe Stock has released its first 2019 Visual Trend - Natural Instincts - which explores how consumers are embracing the natural world to seek balance in their chaotic lives.

Those of us who spend hours in the digital realm each day are feeling a strong pull toward nature as an antidote to high-tech, high-speed lifestyles, and the anxiety of always-on news and social networks. People are seeking wellness through natural ingredients in everything from foods and beauty products to textiles and organic mattresses. They’re also looking to nature as a sanctuary and choosing brands that provide for their material and spiritual needs.

These widespread trends have made their way into stock photography as well; in the last year, Adobe Stock users explored the search term 'introspection' 80 percent more frequently than the year before, 'self-care' jumped 78 percent, and searches for 'veganism' spiked by 93 percent.

In a time of digitally driven alienation and anxiety, nature is our refuge — we’re turning to it for health and spirituality. Brands can join the trend by being mindful of consumers’ desires for safe, natural ingredients, and their longing for an emotional connection with the earth. Imagery that evokes nature — everything from panoramic landscapes to the smallest, most meditative details — will resonate.