Must-Reads from the Wellness World (Week of April 7, 2020)

Could We Come Out of the Coronavirus Crisis with New, More Healthful HabitCs? – Washington Post, March 27, 2020
Written by a US doctor, who looks at how, among those lucky enough to have access to food and safe housing and not be sickened by COVID-19, there are indicators that the pandemic itself, and the massive shutdown it has triggered, is forcing the adoption of more healthful behaviors.

The Virus Is a Reminder of Something Lost Long Ago (An Unhurried Life) – The Atlantic, April 1, 2020
The physicist and author of In Praise of Wasting Time ponders whether in rebuilding a broken world, we will have the chance to choose a less hurried life. He argues that we’ve become slaves to our “urgent” appointments, to-do lists, and addiction to nonstop stimulation by the external world. But now, he says, we (those who are not on the front line in hospitals and shops) have a chance to notice: We have been living too fast, having sold our inner selves to the devil of speed, efficiency, money, hyper-connectivity, and “progress.” When the pandemic and its economic devastation are a thing of the past, can we perhaps adopt a more contemplative, deliberate way of living?

Why the Global Recession Could Last a Long Time – New York Times, April 1, 2020
This is an article for those who still doubt that the global economic recession triggered by the pandemic will be long and painful. Ken Rogoff, the Harvard economist who is one of the world’s foremost authorities on financial crises, has it absolutely right: “This is already shaping up as the deepest dive on record for the global economy for over 100 years. Everything depends on how long it lasts, but if this goes on for a long time, it’s certainly going to be the mother of all financial crises.” Every country will suffer, but the situation will be most dire in emerging markets.

COVID-19 Is Killing More Men Than Women—Here Are Some Theories – WIRED UK, April 3, 2020
Scientists can’t say for certain why the current pandemic is discriminating by sex, but it likely comes down to biology, lifestyle and behavior.

Stuck Inside? Keep Walking – New York Times, April 1, 2020
Taking an extra 4,000 steps a day, even if it’s around your living room, may lower your risk of dying prematurely.

Some Wellness Influencers Sell False Promises As Health Fears Soar – WIRED, April 3, 2020
Tips and platforms for staying active or de-stressing during the pandemic are one thing. But some influencers are pushing unscientific, dangerous claims about “immunity-boosting” merchandise.

The Salon Comes to Your Home, and to Your iPad – New York Times, March 25, 2020
For those used to luxuriating in spas and salons, now that we’re all stuck at home, waxing, hair dye and facials have all come online.

A Striking Stat:
Searches for “home workout” grew around 500 percent in the month of March.

Source: Google, worldwide search traffic trends