Culture—a defining element for containing the pandemic—explains why East Asian nations (where community acts as a collective agent for the common good) have done much better than individualistic countries characterized by a “to each his/her own” mentality. The reason is the following: the lower the level of social cohesion (or the higher the level of social inequality), the stronger the incentive for individuals to compete…
“What’s nurtured slowly grows well.”—author Haruki Murakami Wherever you are on our planet, happy November! We’ve traveled a journey together for almost a year, exploring the qualities of effective wellness leadership. When we look back on 2020, we’ll always remember the global pandemic, social unrest, economic strife, climate challenges and other major issues we’ve faced together. We’ll also remember this year as the time when…
A majority of scientists and pundits now predict that COVID-19 will be with us well into 2021. Its enduring presence is psychologically taxing, and anxiety is an ever more permanent feature of our lives. It creates stress, which in turn constrains our ability to make the right decisions. It also narrows the range of options we are capable of considering when making a decision. In…
Persistent infections mean that the bifurcation of the global economy will accentuate, making the rebound ever more asymmetric. First, the largest companies will continue to do better than the small ones. Second, those sectors and industries with wind in their sails (like e-commerce and tech) will thrive, while for those already hit hard (like travel and tourism), the decimation will continue. In the coming months,…
New research enabled by giant data sets shows that the effects of air pollution are probably twice as bad as previously estimated. Air pollution also exposes people to a greater risk of catching COVID-19 and dying from it. In the US alone, quantifying the benefits of air quality through avoided deaths, avoided healthcare spending, and the concomitant increase in labor productivity would lead to $700…
Funding for mental health-focused startups rises in 2020–TechCrunch, August 26, 2020 This is a summary of research group CB Insights’ recent analysis of venture capital funding trends for wellness-focused start-ups. While in the tough economic climate of the pandemic, sleep and fitness tech saw fewer deals and dollars in the first half of 2020 than they did at the same time last year, one sector…
