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Wellness
Nature access requires attention when addressing community health needs
Nature is a tool to address deeply entrenched health disparities; health systems should work to increase nature access, as they have with other social determinants of health.
Philadelphia tax on sweetened drinks led to drop in sales
A new study indicates beverage taxes can reduce purchases among populations at higher risk for chronic diseases like Type 2 diabetes.
Coping with COVID stress: From pandemic brain fog to resilience
While feelings of anxiety and concern are normal during a crisis, stress can impact people in a variety of ways. Practicing mindfulness and increasing resilience can combat the physical manifestations of anxiety.
Chief Wellness Officer Dr. Benoit Dubé discusses hybrid plan for fall semester
A conversation with Penn’s Chief Wellness Officer about the public health implications of the plan to bring some students, faculty, and staff back to campus for the fall semester.
Negative financial shock increases loneliness in older adults
The conclusions hold even after accounting for changes in chronic health conditions and functional limitations, religious service attendance, and relationship strain.
With support from parents, teens forge a path to handle social distancing
Adolescents need and value their friends, relationships challenged by COVID-19 restrictions. By having explicit conversations and facilitating remote access to peers, the adults in their lives can help.
Continued CO2 emissions will impair cognition
Rising CO2 causes more than a climate crisis, according to a study from Penn and CU Boulder. It may directly harm our ability to think.
Six tips to stay calm, positive, and resilient in trying times
The situation around COVID-19 can be overwhelming, but experts from Penn’s Positive Psychology Center offer advice to get through—or at the very least, get by.
Domestic violence and gun sales in the time of COVID-19
In a Q&A, School of Social Policy & Practice researcher Susan B. Sorenson describes new challenges surrounding intimate partner violence and the uptick in gun purchases since this crisis began.
Penn’s wellness goals reach far and wide, together or apart
In just a few weeks, Student Health Service, Counseling and Psychological Services, and Campus Health revamped almost entirely, providing a full array of support for students on and off campus.
In the News
My brother’s recovery from a car crash became a lesson in how to talk to doctors and nurses
Emily Largent of the Perelman School of Medicine writes that communication is part of healing, as she experienced when her brother was in a car accident and unable to notify family himself.
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Millennial HR professionals are entering the C-suite, and their priorities reflect their lived experiences: ‘We spend a lot of time getting to know folks deeply’
Matthew Bidwell of the Wharton School points to an uptick in student interest in employee wellness strategies.
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Stressed? Depressed? Mindfulness training could offer long-term relief
Yvette Sheline of the Perelman School of Medicine is quoted on how many cultures have used different variations of mindfulness, and that classes are generally affordable and accessible in most cities.
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The less college students sleep, the worse their grades, study finds
Two hundred Penn students and staff participating in a seven-week online course to build better sleep habits have reported an overall decrease in symptoms of insomnia, according to Rebecca Huxta of Wellness at Penn.
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New on the job: Penn director of well-being initiatives creates tools for success
As Wellness at Penn’s inaugural director of well-being initiatives, doctoral candidate Jackie Recktenwald of the Graduate School of Education is looking to improve student health and wellness across campus.
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The foods that keep you hydrated
Dan Negoianu of the Perelman School of Medicine says there’s really no data behind the eight-glasses-of-water-a-day advice.
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