A dose of optimism, as the pandemic rages on–New York Times, October 12, 2020 Since he began covering the pandemic, the NYT science reporter has been consistently gloomy, but events are now moving faster than he thought possible, and he’s become “cautiously optimistic.” He now believes, like many experts, that the pandemic will be over far sooner than expected—possibly by the middle of next year…
A new study from the University of California, San Francisco found that people consciously aware of the vistas and objects around them on a walk—researchers call these “awe walks”—reported being more hopeful and upbeat than walkers who did not. Study participants were older men and women, and one group was instructed on how to cultivate awe (i.e., look at the world with fresh, childlike eyes)…
CB Insights, a major tech industry analyst, recently released a report on global wellness investment trends for the first half of 2020. It paints a picture of which tech-enabled wellness solutions are rising fastest in the wake of coronavirus, including business models focused on mental health/wellness, fitness, women’s health, sleep, beauty and personal care, and new wellness platforms for parents and kids. A few key…
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…
The Global Wellness Institute just released reports on the physical activity and fitness economies for six world regions: Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America-Caribbean, Middle East-North Africa, North America and Sub-Saharan Africa. Each report is packed with data on consumer participation rates and market sizes for all six industry segments: 1) sports and active recreation; 2) fitness and gyms; 3) mindful movement; 4) equipment and supplies; 5)…
Laughter may be effective medicine for these trying times —New York Times, October 2, 2020 Some enlightened doctors, nurses and therapists have a prescription for helping all of us to get through this seemingly never-ending pandemic: Try a little laughter. Studies show laughter releases nitric oxide, which reduces blood pressure, and people who laugh more have a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and live longer.…
