Each week, when I write these notes to you, dear readers, I’m forced to pause and reflect. On how I’m feeling. On what’s going on. On what I want to communicate.

That last one always gives me pause, because it boils down to what story do I want to tell. Most of the time, I turn toward nature for its consistency and universal appeal. There’s nothing quite like seeing the first bursts of green in the ground following a long winter.

I admit this is getting more difficult for me to do because there is so much casual causticness. Yesterday, I almost got into a few accidents because there seemed to be some interesting interpretations of the rules of the road, such as a yellow light meaning speed up.

Still, I try to see the best in a situation or people. I am deeply convinced that we need to see the good and be the good for others. The responses I’ve gotten to my column about Cocoa reinforce my belief that we still value kindness. I’m going to double down on my efforts to do more good this next week. I hope you do the same.

Until next time, stay safe, be well and be kind!

5 Years Later

I’ve seen or read a few reflections of the mark of the coronavirus pandemic, but none have deeply affected me quite like this research findings from the Pew Research Center.

A majority (72%) of U.S. adults said the pandemic has done more to drive the country apart than bring it together. Seventy-five percent of respondents said the pandemic took some sort of toll on their own lives.

Pew does such a great job breaking down the data and including charts to visualize the numbers.

I admit that, having never lived through a global health emergency before, I was surprised by how quickly COVID-19 became a partisan issue. Pew found really stark differences and attitudes about attitudes and approaches. However, I was heartened to see that 78% said medical centers in their area responded well to the pandemic. Perhaps, just maybe, underneath the heated  rhetoric, we are more united than we think.

I encourage you to peruse the findings to see how you might adapt or develop your infectious disease plans for your workers safe.

Burnout Costs

Individuals experience burnout, but it’s often caused by larger, systemic issues in an organization. And, as you may guess, addressing it needs to be done at an organizational level. That might be a bit easier now that burnout can be quantified.

Researchers at the City University of New York Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy (CUNY SPH), working in conjunction with researchers at Johns Hopkins University and the University of San Diego, conducted a study that was recently published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

They found that burnout costs between $4,000 and $21,000 per employee in the U.S. So, a company with 1,000 employees may lose $5.04 million annually. These costs range from 0.2-2.9 times the average cost of health insurance and 3.3-17.1 times the average cost of employee training to employers.

“Our model quantifies how much employee burnout is hitting the bottom line of companies and organizations,” said Bruce Y. Lee, CUNY SPH professor and senior study author in a statement. “Therefore, it can give companies and organizations a better idea of how focusing more on employee well-being could help decrease costs and increase profits.”

You can read a summary of the study or purchase the full article.

Environmentally Conscious Attire

My alma mater had a fashion program, and I was lucky enough to take a couple classes. I learned about the weft and warp of different fibers, how they are woven into fabrics and their different structural properties. I learned, like Andy Sachs does in the “The Devil Wears Prada,” that there is so much more to the fashion industry beyond the clothes that we see on runways or what we wear every day.

The fashion industry is responsible for 2% to 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions. If your sweatshirt is made with cotton, the cotton plant required a substantial amount of water and pesticides to grow. If it’s made with synthetic fibers (e.g. nylon, spandex or polyester), it’s made with petroleum. It’s likely colored with synthetic dyes. It could be made overseas, where labor is cheap and labor laws, especially child labor laws, aren’t strictly enforced. It probably came to your store by way of an 18-wheeler and a cargo ship, both of which are powered by fossil fuels.

So, it makes sense that The New York Times’ climate desk would write about the environmental impact of exercise apparel, which given it’s added performance requirements (e.g., moisture wicking, stretchiness), will likely contain a higher percentage of synthetic fibers and potentially even PFAS.

There are always trade-offs, which is why it’s important to know more about what we buy or surround ourselves with. I believe we can be conscientious and comfortable. There are so many choices, so I hope you find a way to purchase something you want or need while also aligning with your values. The first step in the process is always knowledge, and progress is (generally speaking) more important than perfect.

I hope you find this article interesting.