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The Epidemic of Isolation Is as Harmful as Smoking
Your doctor’s orders for staying healthy might include a daily routine of eating your broccoli, going to the gym and getting a good night’s sleep. Now, the US surgeon general would like to add another action item to the list: Reach out to a friend. In a new report, Vivek Murthy says that the US is experiencing an epidemic of loneliness and isolation that can be as harmful to our health as smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day. Murthy also offers practical fixes: public policies and spaces that bring people together, as well as simple things like texting a friend or volunteering.
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Your Brain Has Tricked You Into Thinking Everything Is Worse
Perhaps no political promise is more potent or universal than the vow to restore a golden age. From Caesar Augustus to the Medicis and Adolf Hitler, from President Xi Jinping of China and President “Bongbong” Marcos of the Philippines to Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” and Joe Biden’s “America Is Back,” leaders have gained power by vowing a return to the good old days. What these political myths have in common is an understanding that the golden age is definitely not right now. Maybe we’ve been changing from angels into demons for centuries, and people have only now noticed the horns sprouting on their neighbors’ foreheads.
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New Content From Current Directions in Psychological Science
A sample of articles on emotional disclosure and social judgment, reconceptualizing recurrent depression, the role of choice in childhood development, and much more.
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Could Procrastination Actually Be Beneficial? Some Experts Say Yes.
I'll be honest: When I’m facing a difficult work task that requires real focus and deep concentration, you’ll find me scrolling through Instagram, reading a random article, checking my emails, and making a(nother) cup of coffee. By the time I’ve completed these time-sucking rituals, there’s no time left to do my actual work. A panicked feeling ensues, and yet, the whole cycle repeats over again. Welcome to procrastination. Typically, procrastination is viewed negatively. It’s understandable: research shows procrastination can be associated with mental health problems, physical pain, and reduced movement.
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Job Satisfaction Is Rising: What’s Behind the Surprising Trend
Well here’s some good news: Job satisfaction is increasing. In fact, it’s at a peak in 36 years, and almost 20 points higher than its lowest levels in 2010. Amidst all the bad news about work—from layoffs and downsizing to plummeting motivation levels—this data suggests reasons for optimism (and who couldn’t use some of that?). Job satisfaction drives all kinds of positive results for people and companies, so it’s worth tracking the metric. And perhaps more importantly, it’s a good source of insights about what kinds of factors create the conditions for engagement, motivation, happiness, effort, outcomes and great work experience.
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A Personality Test Can’t Tell You Who You Are
Juanita Hernandez is a 25-year-old Miami-based anxiously attached Aries (Scorpio moon, Taurus rising), ENFJ, Enneagram Type Two. Until recently, she considered quality time her love language, but after listening to an episode of the podcast If Books Could Kill, she now thinks love languages are “kind of bullshit.” Her path toward inner omniscience first began with a foundation in astrology, which Hernandez says she discovered as a child. Then came Enneagram — a personality test labeling respondents with one of nine types — which predated learning her attachment style at the behest of her therapist. Later, she took the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator.
