EDITION 764
6 MAY 2019

As another week slips by, here are 10 things which caught my attention and may have escaped yours. This newsletter is sent to 50,000+ subscribers each Monday. Please share on social media and forward to your colleagues and friends so they can subscribe, learn and engage. I'd be very grateful if you did.

1. How to use your phone less. Many of us rely on our devices for everything from rousing us in the morning to staving off boredom. But there are ways to break the habit. Here are five ways to cut down on phone use. [MORE]
    
2. Should hugging and kissing your colleagues be banned? According to a new survey, 76% of UK workers want physical contact reduced, 15% wish hugs were a thing of the past whilst 42% prefer a ban on some interactions including the workplace kiss (27%). A quarter have been trapped in an unwanted hug, 13% have had an accidental kiss on the mouth and 12% had a headbutt. The preferred choice of workplace greeting is a firm handshake. The Telegraph
    
3. Why we should try doing… absolutely nothing. Busyness has become an unhealthy status symbol, leading to burnout, anxiety and other stress-driven ailments. What can we do? Follow what the Dutch call "niksen". Essentially, niksen is the art of doing nothing: not meditating, not eating healthy, not being mindful but simply being idle. The upside of conscious boredom? It can lead to daydreaming, which in turn drives creativity and increases focus. The New York Times
    
4. Nearly a million more young adults now live with parents. The number of young adults in Britain who still live with their parents rose by one million between 2003 and 2017. Almost 26% of people between the ages of 20 and 34 have yet to leave home – a total of 3.4 million. The average number of people per household is now 2.39; in 1951 it was 3.3. The Guardian
    
5. Severely obese people 50% more likely to die early. Middle-aged people who are severely obese are 50% more likely to die early than those of a healthy weight, according to analysis of data from 2.8 million NHS patients. Those with the highest levels of obesity were found to have 12 times the risk of type 2 diabetes, 22 times the risk of sleep apnoea and four times the risk of heart failure, compared with peers who are not overweight. How long are you going to live? [MORE]
    
6. Take a breather from teamwork. When it comes to solving complicated challenges – the kind with many moving parts – teams perform best when they mix group discussion with breaks so individuals can think on their own, according to research from Boston University. Group work helps participants learn from each other, but too much of it can lead to groupthink. Making time for individual pondering gives people space to take what they have learned from others to develop fresh ideas. BU Today
    
7. Nearly a third of UK graduates are overeducated for their jobs. This is according to the Office for National Statistics, which defines "overeducation" as having more education than required or having unused skills and knowledge. That figure is higher among those working in London, those in the arts and humanities, and people between the ages of 25 and 49 years, it found. Government data shows a degree still attracts higher earnings, however, with postgraduates typically earning about 40% more than those without degrees. BBC
    
8. Support for remaining in the EU is above 80% in most EU countries. Asked how they would vote in an in-out referendum, 94% of people in Luxembourg said “in”, as did 92% of people in Portugal, and 91% in Ireland and the Netherlands. In the UK, the poll found that 55% want to remain, making it the most Eurosceptic country; followed by the Czech Republic on 66%, and Italy (72%). The Independent
    
9. Premier League Hall of Fame. The 2018/19 season marks the 26th of the Premier League. Since the League began in 1992, there have been six clubs 'ever-present', having been in the Premier League since it formed: Arsenal, Chelsea, Everton, Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur. There have also been six different winners: Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City, Blackburn Rovers and Leicester City. Man Utd have had the most success with 13 titles so far. Liverpool have never won the Premier League, but they are top with with one week to go. BBC
    
10. The bottom line. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation [OECD], 14 per cent of jobs could disappear within the next 15 to 20 years due to automation. A further 32 per cent will be radically changed. Daily Mail