“Bitwalking Dollars: Digital Currency Pays People to Walk”
– BBC, November 21, 2015
An intriguing idea at the intersection of technology, wellness, finance and retail! With the help of Japanese investors, two entrepreneurs have launched a new digital currency (Bitwalking) that will allow walkers to earn 1 BW$ (or $1) for each 10,000 steps (verified by an app). Their idea is to take advantage of the trend for fitness trackers by offering an additional incentive to keep fit, and to partner with sportswear brands, health services, health insurance firms, environmental groups, and potentially advertisers, who could be offered unique insights into the audiences they are targeting.
“Choose to Be Grateful. It Will Make You Happier”
– The New York Times, November 21, 2015
There is evidence in medical and psychological literature suggesting that we can actively choose to practice gratitude, and that doing so raises our happiness. In particular, acting happy, regardless of feelings, coaxes one’s brain into processing positive emotions. But in addition to building our own happiness, choosing gratitude can also bring out the best in those around us.
“Everything You Think You Know about Happiness Is Wrong”
– Quartz, October 25, 2015
The pursuit of happiness is everyone’s holy grail and a policy goal for many countries and organizations around the world. This short piece says that we have it all wrong by repeatedly making five big mistakes: (1) Not thinking about what happiness means; (2) Looking for happiness in the wrong places; (3) Wishing things were different; (4) Thinking we should be happy all the time; (5) Pursuing happiness at all? (It’s better to ask: What do I ultimately care about and want to achieve in life? And what kind of person do I want to be?)
“Why Too Much Choice Is Stressing Us”
– The Guardian, October, 15, 2015
This is a great article, based on the latest academic research, which shows why too much choice is bad for wellness! Some companies have now understood this, and therefore restraining the choice they offer to their clients.
“Faurecia’s Self-Driving Car Seat Knows When You Need a Massage”
– Wired, November 17, 2015
A new autonomous car developed by Faurecia and Stanford University (production planned for 2018) will feature an “Active Wellness Seat” combining heated and cooled seating, plus massage functions. Also, the seat will be rigged with sensors that read heart and respiration rates and that use that data to monitor stress, energy, and drowsiness levels.
A STRIKING STAT:
While more than half of U.S. workers have a
workplace wellness program, only 3 in 10 use it,
and a cynical 1 in 10 think it actually improves
their health.
– Global Wellness Institute, “The Future of Wellness at Work” finding, 11/2015
