Energy, and How to Get It–The New Yorker, November 8, 2021
Some people possess seemingly boundless reserves of mental and physical fuel, giving the impression that energy, more than talent or luck, results in extraordinary outcomes. Why do some have it and others not? And what can we do to get more? Energy is both biochemical and psychophysical, and as elusive as grace. You know it when you’ve got it, and even more so when you don’t. What we call energy is in fact our perception of the body metabolizing carbohydrates or fat as energy. It’s therefore a metabolic mood. The science of the phenomenon is just coming into view. Read on to get a good grasp, it’s long but rewarding.
The Pain Brain (The Quiet Revolution in Pain Research and Treatment)–The New York Times, November 9, 2021
Many, many millions of people live in chronic pain, and a new understanding of how pain works–leading to new treatments–are creating revolutionary ways to heal. This is a whole series of articles on new pain approaches: from one on the glia, a long-overlooked nerve cell that quietly controls chronic pain from the shadows to the importance of curating your own treatment to how to use a pain psychologist to how exercise works as pain medicine.
The Great Resignation’ Misses the Point (A Radical Rethinking of Work and What Matters Is Going On)–Wired, November 1, 2021
The article argues that the expression “The Great Resignation,” which has come to describe record levels of job turnover, overlooks the bigger story: a radical rethinking of our relationship to work. The phenomenon is global but particularly stark in the US, where a dramatic realignment of values is fueling people to confront and remake their relationship to life at home, with their families, with their friends, and in their lives outside of labor.
In Portugal, It’s Now Illegal for Your Boss to Call Outside Work Hours–CNN, November 11, 2021
With work-from-home further destroying the boundary between life and work, Portugal just created new laws to regulate that relationship. Employers can no longer contact workers (by phone, message or email) after regular hours, and if they do it can result in fines. Employees can opt to return to the workplace and also for remote work if it’s compatible with their job. Employers must reimburse workers for increased expenses (such as utility bills) from working from home. More countries should follow suit.
A Striking Stat
The sleep industry will be worth $585 billion by 2024.
