Feeling Lonely? Perhaps You’d Like to Talk to Some Strangers – The New York Times, July 18, 2019
To fight isolation, several groups are working to create in-person connections by bringing total strangers together. One is the international movement (now in 15 cities) called Tea With Strangers, which invites five strangers to chat for two hours over tea. Another is the Chatty Cafe Scheme, where cafes designate special tables for strangers seeking conversation, no hosts needed—now in 900 cafes in Britain and four in Canada, and hoping to soon expand in America. It’s a trend aimed at fighting a rising loneliness epidemic with terrible health consequences.
Niksen Is the Dutch Lifestyle Concept of Doing Nothing—And You’re About to See It Everywhere – TIME, July 12, 2019
Here’s the newest example—like hygge before it—of the world’s fascination with wellness and cultural practices from those happy Northern European nations. The Dutch concept is called niksen, and it’s as simple as…doing absolutely nothing. Whereas mindfulness is about being present in the moment, niksen is more about carving out time to just be.
Your Professional Decline Is Coming (Much) Sooner Than You Think – The Atlantic, July 2019
This is the story of Brooks’ academic quest to figure out how to turn an eventual professional decline from a matter of dread into an opportunity for progress. Professional decline starts earlier than almost anyone thinks and is inevitable, but misery is not. Accepting the natural cadence of our abilities sets up the possibility of transcendence because it allows the shifting of attention to higher spiritual and life priorities. As we age, advises Brooks, we should resist the conventional lures of success in order to focus on more transcendentally important things. And we should, of course, nurture relationships: Happiness is tied directly to the health and plentifulness of one’s relationships.
The Reason Anxious People Often Have Allergies – The Atlantic, July 10, 2019
There might be a hidden link between seasonal sniffles and mood disorders.
A Striking Stat:
Fifty-eight percent of Gen Z (oldest now aged 24) choose a brand’s purpose, values and mission as its most important trait.
Source: PSFK’s “Gen Z Playbook,” July 2019
