“The Future Is Emotional” – AEON, June 24, 2017
Across the economy, technology is edging human workers into more emotional territory, meaning that many of the most important jobs of the future will require soft skills or “emotional labor”, currently undervalued and underpaid, but invaluable. A growing real-world demand for workers with empathy and a talent for making other people feel at ease requires a serious shift in perspective. It means moving away from our singular focus on academic performance as the only road to success.
“Work and Reward: The Great Disconnect” – The New York Times, July 6, 2017
Findings from new research show that the twin scourges of poor wage growth and income inequality, left unaddressed, will only worsen, exacerbating the un-wellness epidemics in the U.S.
“’Forest Bathing’: How Microdosing on Nature Can Help With Stress” – The Atlantic, June 30, 2017
Forest bathing, very popular in Japan, is gaining real traction in the U.S. as a way of harnessing the health benefits of being outdoors.
“The Mental Health Email Shared ’Round the World” – Washington Post, July 14, 2017
This week, an utterly human response from a CEO to his employee who was taking time off to cope with mental-health issues took the Internet by storm. It prompted thousands of re-tweets and garnered dozens of headlines – showing that the issue of employee mental well-being is a real lightning rod.
“Pay Attention: Practice Can Make Your Brain Better at Focusing” – The Verge, June 28, 2017
A very short but essential piece in our age of distraction! It states the following: the practice of “paying attention” can boost performance on a new task. When we learn to pay attention, the task at hand becomes more “natural” and our cognitive performance improves – plain and simple.
A Striking Stat:
In a comparison of 11 advanced nations, the U.S. ranked last in healthcare (also analyzed Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK). The U.S. ranked last in access, efficiency, equity and outcomes, although they spend the most money. The UK’s NHS ranked #1.
Source: Commonwealth Fund study, 7/2017
