Wellness

Closeup of a bottle of cola being poured into a glass with ice.

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.

person holding their head feeling overwhelmed while wearing a face mask.

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.

Black and white images of hands of an older person holding open an empty change purse of a wallet.

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.

A teenager stands outside and puts a mask on their face while a group of friends wearing masks stands behind them on the grass.

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.

Several smokestacks giving off smoke in a scene showing a top of a building and the skyline in the distance.

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.

You don’t have to be great right now. ‘Good enough’ will do

In an op-ed, Lisa Servon of the Stuart Weitzman School of Design wrote about letting go of perfectionism during the coronavirus pandemic and just striving to be “good enough” instead.

A close up of a plant growing from the cracks of a cement sidewalk.

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.

Black and white image of a person standing in front of an open blind, a hand held to the forehead in consternation.

Q&A

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.

Paper rainbows hanging in windows of a house with a spring blossoming tree branch in front

Parents asked questions about living in lockdown. Penn GSE experts answered

Stay-at-home orders, closed schools, and pandemic-induced anxiety are taking their toll on families. Penn GSE’s Caroline Watts offers insights and resources for families requesting online resources.

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