EDITION 881
9 AUGUST 2021

There is no escaping it: too much news is bad for you. It should come with a government health warning: “This intellectual diet is fine taken in small doses, and preferably in weekly instalments, via a well-balanced newsletter, such as 10 things from William Montgomery."

So, as another week slips by, here are 10 things which caught my attention and may have escaped yours. Please feel free to share on social media and forward to your colleagues and friends so they can also subscribe, learn and engage. I would be very grateful if you did.

William Montgomery
Editor and CEO of TEN

1. How to get yourself motivated. Olympians this year had to compete without a crucial source of motivation: a live audience. While some athletes felt more focused, others found the games flat and lacking energy with the absence of live cheers. Finding motivation on your own can be difficult sometimes, especially in a pandemic world where a lot of social interactions are muted. Struggling to get things done? Here are some tips to get yourself to do what you need to do. READ MORE >>

2. NHS loses its crown. The NHS has lost its status as the best health system in a study of 11 rich countries. In the Commonwealth Fund’s latest analysis of healthcare performance, the UK has fallen from first to fourth place. The think tank found that Norway, the Netherlands and Australia now provide better care than the UK. The NHS had been the top-rated system in its two previous reports in 2014 and 2017. The Independent

3. Britain is becoming wetter and warmer. As swathes of the UK were braced for more downpours last week, the Met Office released a new report, showing that in the past 30 years, the country has become 0.9°C warmer and 6% wetter. The State of the UK Climate report also notes that last year was the third warmest, fifth wettest and eighth sunniest since records began, making 2020 the first year to be in the top ten for all three variables. Reuters

4. Impact of Delta variant. People who are double jabbed now have only a 59% protection against symptomatic infection with Covid-19, down from 83% earlier this summer, and an overall protection of 49%, according to the latest React survey. Experts say the decline in efficacy is mainly down to the dominance of the Delta variant, which now makes up 99% of cases in the UK. However, vaccination still offers very high protection (of 90% or more) against hospitalisation and death. British Medical Journal

5. Workers crave mental health support. Many people feel pressure to hide mental health concerns while at work and the majority would like more support from their employer. Analysis of data from the ONS shows that 51% said they felt pressure to put on a brave face and only 16% felt their mental health was well supported. However, 81% said they would like employer support. Covid has exacerbated issues for many, with 40% feeling less resilient than pre-pandemic, with younger people particularly affected. Meanwhile, gross domestic wellbeing [GDW] in England has fallen to 6.79 out of 10 from 6.89 for 2018/19. The number of adults in England feeling lonely has jumped by 44%, from 2.6m to 3.7m. To discover the latest thinking in leadership and wellbeing, join us live and online. LEARN MORE >> 

6. Young more likely to be scammed. People aged between 21 and 30 are the most likely to have reported being conned in recent months, according to a new survey. Although pensioners are widely perceived as an easy target for scammers seeking to steal their savings, the study by Barclays found that over-70s were the victim in only 4.1% of cases they had recorded. Con artists are also targeting people aged 11 to 20, with this group representing 10% of total purchase scam victims. The Independent

7. Are morning people happier? Night owl? That might make you less happy than your morning counterparts, suggests new study has revealed. The report notes that prior research has also shown early risers are at less risk of depression than those burning the midnight oil. There are plenty of reasons for this, including a better grip on work-rest cycles, as well as longer exposure to light for those who get up early. There are a number of hacks to get to bed earlier, though, such as not eating late and minimizing electronics use before bed. CNBC

8. Lockdown gives Brits square eyes. Streaming services were some of the big beneficiaries of the pandemic lockdowns with video-on-demand viewership surging in the UK, new data shows. Ofcom’s analysis of British viewing habits in 2020 shows that time spent watching video-on-demand almost doubled, rising to one hour and five minutes a day on average. For the first time, more people said they had a Netflix subscription cable or satellite, and almost all of the most watched titles on subscription services were on Netflix. Overall, people spent almost a third of their waking hours watching TV or online videos, rising 47 minutes on 2019’s figure to five hours and 40 minutes a day. The Guardian

9. Don’t let jealousy own your work. Jealous of your co-worker's fancy promotion or team meeting shout-out? Don't let it overcome you. It's easy to fall into a comparison trap at work but addressing feelings of envy and anxiety can be helpful to one's career. Start by acknowledging your feelings instead of judging or burying them. Then use those feelings as fuel to hype yourself up rather than waiting for others to recognise your accomplishments. Once you build your confidence, rethink your habits and who you surround yourself with. The Wall Street Journal

10. The bottom line. According to a survey published by Conservative Home, Boris Johnson’s rating among party members has fallen 36 points in four weeks. The prime minister's net satisfaction rating is now 3.4; by contrast, the Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s is 74. Gavin Williamson, the education secretary, is the least popular minister, with a net rating of minus 44. The Times