The world in 2020 will be on thin ice—both in real terms (accelerating global warming, a US election deepening political tribalism, a hard Brexit, Hindu nationalism in India leading to national fracturing, etc., etc.)—but also metaphorically. This may be the reason why techniques related to positive psychology and destined to improve our feelings of wellbeing and our ability to make better decisions are gaining so…
Finland is considering a four-day week. Is this the secret of happiness? – The Guardian, January 6, 2020 The new 34-year-old Finnish prime minister has floated the proposal of reduced working hours to boost productivity and cut carbon emissions. This article presents the evidence behind the idea. In a nutshell: It works! Different recent studies conducted around the world show that working less enhances productivity…
The GWI just launched a new initiative that will focus on new metrics and ideas that go beyond GDP, to help businesses and governments shift toward a regenerative economy, an investment in planetary health, and to embrace the new science behind achieving world happiness, wellbeing and sustainable development. The chair is Davide Bollati, founder and chairman, Davines (Italy), and the vice chair is Alla Sokolova,…
A new study from Boston University indicated that yoga, combined with breathing exercises, really improves symptoms of major depressive disorder. It was the first study to try to identify the optimal “dose”/duration of yoga practice. Participants were split into two groups: one did three 90-minute Iyengar yoga classes and four 30-minute breathwork sessions per week, while the other did two 90-minute Iyengar yoga classes and three 30-minute breathwork sessions…
Green consumption is intensely on the rise, but where does consumption end and consumerism begin? Is buying green products “en masse” having a negative impact on the planet? And how does that affect our subjective wellbeing? To figure the latter out, new research was conducted at the University of Arizona with a group of 1,000 young Americans. It concluded that people who consume less are…
MONTHLY BAROMETER – WELLNESS EDITION A new study published by think-tank Rand Europe and commissioned by the Vitality Group states that being physically more active for a few extra minutes a day could give the global economy a boost in the hundreds of billions of dollars. This may sound excessive, if not slightly provocative or unrealistic (if it were that easy to engineer extra economic…
