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Going Beyond ‘Back to Normal’
You’ve been waiting… and waiting… and waiting for this amazing, magical day when you could return to “normal life.” For many people in the U.S., it feels like that dim light at the end of the pandemic tunnel is becoming brighter. My 12- and 14-year-old daughters now have their first shot, with the second one soon to follow. I was euphoric when the kids received their vaccinations, choking up under my mask at the relief that my family was now unlikely to get sick or pass the coronavirus on to others more vulnerable than we are. Finally our family could start returning to so-called normal life. But what should those of us fortunate enough to be vaccinated return to?
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How One British Isle Persuaded Its Citizens to Get Vaccinated
When you need to engage and persuade people on an issue or topic that matters deeply to them, it’s natural to leverage logic and reason as a way of ensuring your message is heard. However, there are limitations to a wholly rational approach. As members of a team responsible for leading the safe, rapid, and effective rollout of the Covid-19 vaccine in Jersey — a self-governing dependency of the United Kingdom — we experienced first-hand the success of an alternative method. We’re not saying providing clear and easy-to-understand information isn’t important; in fact, it’s crucial.
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Listening to Music Near Bedtime Could Lure Sleep-Disrupting ‘Earworms’
Earworms can sometimes interject themselves into our dreams, where they can negatively impact our quality of sleep.
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Midnight Attack of the Earworms! How Stuck Songs Sap Sleep
Michael Scullin from Baylor University talks to us about his research examining this phenomenon of sleep-disturbing earworms and how popular tunes can impact our sleep.
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Hug (Just a Little) Longer!
We’ve all missed connection — especially hugs. Today, try hugging someone a little bit longer than you normally would. When you’re ready to stop the hug, remind yourself to stay close for just five more seconds. Stay present, and tune in to all your senses as you enjoy the embrace. Why Am I Doing This? During the pandemic, we were cautious about hugging friends, strangers and even family members who didn’t live with us. But now, as more people get vaccinated, you can start to hug again. There is a surprisingly large body of science devoted to the health benefits of hugs. The broad conclusion is that hugs are good for you.
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Burnout: Modern Affliction or Human Condition?
Burnout is generally said to date to 1973; at least, that’s around when it got its name. By the nineteen-eighties, everyone was burned out. In 1990, when the Princeton scholar Robert Fagles published a new English translation of the Iliad, he had Achilles tell Agamemnon that he doesn’t want people to think he’s “a worthless, burnt-out coward.” This expression, needless to say, was not in Homer’s original Greek.
