Is the end of the world getting in the way of your job? A poll of the labour force in seven countries late in 2023 had a remarkable result: 46 per cent of Gen Zs and 38 per cent of Millennials agreed with the statement "I am regularly so distraught over what is happening in the news that I am unable to function at work".
Those anxiety levels must be higher now. Edelman, the communications consultancy, conducted the survey in September 2023, well into the war in Ukraine but just before the Middle East erupted in massacre, bombings, death and destruction, raising fears of military escalation, including, as in Europe, the spectre of nuclear war.
The percentage of distraught older workers was lower but, as a late boomer, I can attest we aren't immune.
When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, I immediately ordered potassium iodide pills, even though at my age, the tablets - which can shield the thyroid gland from radioactive fallout - are probably less protective for a sexagenarian than they are for the young. I usually keep the bottle close to me, in a drawer in the office or in my valise. Happy to share.
We have lots of coping mechanisms, including macabre humour. Between the catastrophic hurricanes Helene and Milton in the southern US, my friend Rene Alegria posted a note saying he'd started binge-watching "apocalypse porn" - specifically the multi-episode How The World Ends series that's been streaming since 2017.
He'd just been through Helene, which swept through Georgia where he lives, to wreck a big chunk of neighbouring North Carolina. "It definitely tipped my imagination over the edge," he told me. Watching the series was "like fast-forwarding one's life to the end, just to save time and the prolonged misery." Then he added: "LOL".
Anxiety is not to be laughed at, of course. Things do go wrong - and just the prospects can be palpably terrifying. We are wired to worry.
Esta historia es de la edición October 14, 2024 de The Straits Times.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición October 14, 2024 de The Straits Times.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
BLACK DAY FOR BRITISH PUBS
At her London pub, landlady Kate Davidson has taken to issuing Guinness ration cards, but the beer still ran out amid a British shortage of Ireland's national drink.
Her Last Gifts
It was exhausting, he sighed. But Carol insisted; her name being what it was and his, she said with a big grin, being Chris. Remember, this is the blessed spirit of the season, to give as we have been given.
When You Think About Me
She empties the last drawer and, between stray baubles, there's the cookie tin, the one hunted down from some narrow shop in Liverpool because it didn't ship here.
Gift Of The Magi
Let's say you never intended to use Magi. Let's say you know about all the scandals: the accusations of stolen data, the EU lawsuits, the CEO's abhorrent behaviour. Let's say you don't even believe the outlandish social media claims that the app is magical, like actual magic. You know it's not possible it reads your mind, plumbs your soul, knows your heart's desires. You're not so gullible.
Ho Ren Yung: Steering global brand evolution of Banyan Group
Ms Ho Ren Yung, deputy chief executive of Banyan Group, oversaw the company's brand relaunch in a bumper year of 19 openings in 2024. These included Banyan Tree Higashiyama Kyoto in Japan and Angsana Tengchong in China.
Jury-rigged Hotpot
The Japan Home folding table was just big enough to accommodate two.
Tales of love, peace and hope
The Sunday Times invites five authors to pen short stories around the theme of A Christmas Gift
Japan: Taking centre stage in Singapore and beyond
Scroll through your social media feed this holiday season, and practically everyone you know is in Japan or making plans to vacation there.
UOB: Most influential patron in Singapore art scene
UOB's \"day job\" is handling loans, deposits and a wealth of diverse portfolios. But the bank cemented its role as the most influential patron in the Singapore art scene in 2024, investing good chunks of cash in both arts and arts education.
Fong Chi Chung: Putien restaurants make dining out more affordable
In a year where diners made themselves scarce - preferring to spend their strong Singapore dollars overseas, and leading restaurant owners and chefs to despair over empty dining rooms - this power lister made a power move that others in the industry are watching closely.
