The Evolving Travel ‘Experience’: Virtual, Actual and In Between–New York Times, November 12, 2020
Guided excursions have long been at the heart of travel, but like everything else, the pandemic disrupted such experiences, and many went virtual. But as travel begins to tick up, tour companies are adapting to social distancing in numerous ways. Some are complementing virtual experiences—for instance, guided chocolate tastings with chocolate shipped before the tour—and tailoring closer-to-home actual adventures like kayaking and hiking. Others are making groups smaller or private and moving outdoors.
“Tech workers are never going back to the office”: The pandemic housing-market explosion could upend Silicon Valley as we know it–Vanity Fair, October 22, 2020
US-centric but relevant globally! This article argues that US start-ups realize that they don’t need to be in the same place all the time. As Brooklyn and San Francisco empty out, Los Angeles, Palm Springs, and Miami are booming, thanks in part to tech workers’ hunger for more space and amenities. Might this shift become permanent and be global? Possibly, and the key reason is this: Now that tech employees are working remotely, they are finding new problems in the work-from-home lifestyle and creating new solutions to allow them to be more productive.
How to boost happiness hormones like serotonin and dopamine in everyday life–CNET, October 29, 2020
There are four main hormones that trigger feelings of happiness—dopamine, serotonin, endorphin and oxytocin—each connected to specific events or rewards. Understanding these chemicals and how they work can help us figure out some small but effective ways to feel better in such stressful times. This article shares simple tips on how to boost these feel-good hormones.
I’m a survivor! How resilience became the quality we all crave–The Guardian, November 24, 2020
During the pandemic, resilience has become a buzzword for successfully steering through adversity—touted as a protective talisman against the effects of trauma, which individuals, communities and even economies are told to cultivate. But what exactly is resilience—and is it possible to cultivate more of it? This article dives into the current scientific literature to answer that.
WHO to set up center for traditional medicine in India–The Week, November 13, 2020
The World Health Organization just announced that it would create a Global Centre for Traditional Medicine in India to strengthen the research, training and awareness of traditional medicine. The new center supports WHO’s traditional medicine strategy 2014–2023, with its goal of helping nations develop policies to strengthen the role of complementary medicine as part of their journey to universal health coverage. The WHO said that traditional medicine systems such as Ayurveda can play an important role in integrated people-centric healthcare, but they have not received enough attention.
A Striking Stat: Wellness Apps Will Skyrocket
Over 870 million consumer wellness apps are forecast to be in use by 2024, generating $5 billion in revenue. Employer wellness apps will be worth $20 billion by 2024.
Source: Juniper Research, November 2020
