Wellness | Penn Today

Two pairs of socked feet, up on a bench next to a steaming mug of hot liquid. In the background is a fireplace with a fire.

Four strategies to find joy in a very different holiday season

Experts from Penn’s Positive Psychology Center suggest tweaking traditions, acknowledging the situation’s highs and lows, and seeking help from people in your life.

Distressed person wearing a mask sitting on a couch looking at a phone, hand on forehead.

In the pandemic’s early days, a third of U.S. adults felt depressed, anxious

According to new research from Penn, those feelings worsened as the month of March progressed, and economic worries rather than social distancing or fear of the virus itself played the largest role.

Wellness resources at your fingertips

When facing the challenges of the current moment, Penn students, faculty, and staff have options to promote their emotional, mental, and physical well-being.

Young child on a laptop at the kitchen table.

Creating a positive home environment, and other tips for uncertain times

Experts at Penn GSE share ways to help parents and teachers care for their students and their own mental wellness during the pandemic.

Person wearing a face mask leaning against wall and checking their fitness tracker on their wrist.

Workplace wellness programs could improve if more personalized

In a program that used three different types of behavioral nudges, a Penn Medicine study showed significantly different results for people with different personal and psychological characteristics.

Person sitting cross-legged on an airport chair looking at a phone. A suitcase is in front of the image. A chair next to the person has a large, red X and read "Social Distancing."

How have new social norms emerged as COVID-19 has spread?

In a study of nine countries, researcher Cristina Bicchieri found that motivating people to modify behavior requires changing their expectations about the actions and thoughts of those who matter to them.

A dog sitting on a couch, with a kitten nuzzled in its lap.

Fostering kittens, plus more Side Gigs for Good

Around nearly any corner, the Penn community’s selflessness shines through, despite months apart due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

person in exercise gear looking at their phone with earbuds in.

What to know about this year’s Be in the Know campaign

The 2020-21 Be in the Know campaign, an initiative with rewards that promotes well-being among Penn faculty and staff, welcomes Virgin Pulse as its new wellness platform partner.

A person in a surgical gown, rubber gloves, face mask, and glasses holding hands in front of the face of a person whose back is to the camera. That person is also wearing a mask and has earbuds in.

Nursing student volunteers play critical role at campus COVID-19 testing site

For two weeks, 37 fourth-year nursing students checked people in, conducted screenings, and swabbed noses, contributing to the more than 13,000 tests completed at Houston Hall since early August.

Three images that are part of a virtual gallery, on left are two printed-fabric face masks, top right is a hand holding a pen over a handwritten journal, bottom is a pink sky at sunset through a screen door.

The unique pandemic challenges faced by immunocompromised individuals

A photo-elicitation study funded by a Leonard Davis Institute (LDI) COVID-19 Rapid-Response grant has found that immunocompromised patients face unique challenges as a result of both their heightened risk of infection and adherence to government pandemic guidelines.

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