Lessons from Daoism
Lessons from Daoism
What we’re listening to this week…
We should be more like water.
That, at least, is what this excellent podcast from The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos is telling us. This is a fascinating talk with author Solala Towler. Towler has studied the principles of Daoism – a Chinese philosophy that, broadly speaking, links human activity with the flow of nature – for over 30 years. He explains how retaining our childlike sense of wonder and appreciating moderation in everything can help us lead more thoughtful, fulfilling, and ultimately longer lives.
What are we reading this week?
We recently came across this piece about Zoom fatigue and the negative effects of frequent videoconferencing. Since COVID-19 has left many of us working from home, our only means of communicating face-to-face with our colleagues has been through video calls. These calls can cause us to feel more self-conscious, reduce our mobility, and lead to a heavier cognitive load. They can also, at a very practical level, result in dry eyes. Reducing these calls, in duration and number, is crucial when it comes to diminishing both burnout and mental health problems. And remember, if all else fails, look away from the screen and blink regularly to moisten the eyes.
Something a little bit different
