Must-Reads from the Wellness World (Week of April 21, 2020)

The Cluster Effect: How Social Gatherings Were Rocket Fuel for Coronavirus – Guardian, April 9, 2020 This article explains how social gatherings of different sorts (religious, social, cultural, etc.) helped spread the virus. This is the so-called “cluster-effect” that turbo-charged the spread of the pandemic. It begs the fundamental question of whether governments, when they start relaxing social distancing measures, will allow large social, cultural…

April’s The Wellness Moonshot: BREATHE

Strengthening our lungs and practicing conscious breathing (one of the most potent, accessible wellness tools) is more critical now. Controlled or mindful breathing can reduce chronic pain; lessen symptoms associated with anxiety, insomnia, PTSD, mass disasters and depression; and positively affect your immune system. Mindful breathing is also linked to increases in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and a better cortisol awaking response (CAR)—each a physiological key for meeting challenges with…

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…

8 Wellbeing Leadership Strategies for Responding to COVID-19

Out of the 7.8 billion people living on our planet, at least 3.5 billion are employed. In the coronavirus crisis, employers have an extraordinary impact not only on the people that work for them but their families and friends. Because employers’ responses to COVID-19, large and small, have such a ripple effect, Renee Moorefield, chair of the GWI’s Wellness at Work Initiative and CEO, Wisdom Works Group, has…

Online Wellness Surges – We’re Working Out, Meditating & Studying Happiness Online

As the world goes into home lockdown, and as coronavirus closes gyms and fitness, meditation and yoga studios, the wellness world has responded fast, with a proliferating array of new (and often free) virtual classes. The examples are countless, and new announcements are made daily. For instance, At Home with Six Senses just launched, helping people that can’t hit a wellness resort to stay well—with…

New World Happiness Report: Finland Remains #1; Superpowers Not So Happy

The 2020 World Happiness Report was just released, ranking the happiness levels of 153 countries. It may not seem like a banner moment to release the report, given the mass global misery from coronavirus, but it’s actually an especially important moment to analyze why the happiest nations are happy (and the Nordic nations, as usual, grabbed 4 out of 5 of the top spots) and…