Must-Reads from the Wellness World (Week of March 28, 2017)

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New World Happiness Report – “Where Are the Happiest Countries?” – CNN, March 21, 2017

The UN’s latest World Happiness Report was recently released, and Norway took the “world’s happiest country” honors for the first time with Nordic/Northern European nations cleaning up: Denmark, Iceland, Switzerland, Finland and the Netherlands took the next five spots. The World Happiness Report 2017 ranked 155 countries with six factors explaining much of the difference in happiness among countries. Key finding: social factors like community foundations and trust play an underappreciated role compared to per capita income. For instance, countries like China and the U.S., which have seen recent significant economic growth, saw their happiness scores decline.

“Will 90 Become the New 60?” – Nautilus, March 16, 2017

As our lifespans have increased, so too have our active years. So much so that the issue has now become one of “health-span” (not adding more years to life, but more life to years.). The Oxford professor of statistics ponders for how long this can go on. In particular, he examines in quite some detail the “morbidity-compression” concept (youth should take up a greater portion of our lifespan over time) that has now become a target for future health policy.

“The Busier You Are, The More You Need Quiet Time” – Harvard Business Review, March 17, 2017

Recent studies show that taking time for silence restores the nervous system, helps sustain energy, and conditions our minds to be more adaptive and responsive to the complex environments in which so many of us now live, work and lead.

“Yes, Your Sleep Schedule Is Making You Sick” – The New York Times, March 10, 2017

This article is about fixing jet lag. If we travel east, we need morning light and evening melatonin; if we go west, we need evening light and morning melatonin.

“B Vitamins May Have ‘Protective Effect’ Against Air Pollution” – BBC, March 14, 2017

A small-scale human trial suggests that B vitamins may offer some protection against the impacts of air pollution.

A Striking Stat:

When it comes to happiness, humanity is only about halfway up the ladder, with an average global happiness score of 5.3 out of 10.

Source: UN’s World Happiness Report – March 2017