Learn about how the coronavirus pandemic may have changed Americans’ attitudes about the poor; how you can relieve stress by learning something new; and a trick for setting goals to help you achieve what you want.
Learn about how the coronavirus pandemic may have changed Americans’ attitudes about the poor; how you can relieve stress by learning something new; and a trick for setting goals to help you achieve what you want.
COVID-19 may have changed Americans’ attitudes about the poor by Steffie Drucker
To Relieve Stress, Try Taking a Learning Break by Ashley Hamer
Set S.M.A.R.T. Goals to Achieve the Things You Want by Joanie Faletto
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Find episode transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/the-right-way-to-set-goals
CODY: Happy New Year! You’re about to get smarter in just a few minutes with a brand-new episode of Curiosity Daily from curiosity-dot-com. I’m Cody Gough.
ASHLEY: And I’m Ashley Hamer. Today, you’ll learn about how the coronavirus pandemic may have changed Americans’ attitudes about the poor; how you can relieve stress by learning something new; and a trick for setting goals to help you achieve what you want.
CODY: Let’s satisfy some curiosity.
I feel like a lot of us are pretty happy to put 2020 behind us. When we think of that year, we’ll probably always think of the coronavirus pandemic, which has probably changed us for decades to come. But not all of those changes are bad, so let’s start the year with something to look forward to in 2021: a recent study says that it may have made Americans more sympathetic when it comes to the poor.
That hasn’t been the case, historically. The American Dream is all about how success and prosperity are possible for all — as long as you work hard enough. So it makes sense that a lot of Americans believe the opposite is also true: as in, they think that if you don’t have success and prosperity, it must be because you’re lazy. One study found this attitude to be common in American participants as recently as 2019. The good news? The researchers behind that study found that people cared more about inequality after spending just 10 minutes in a virtual simulation.
And then, along came COVID-19. Suddenly it wasn’t a simulation anymore — millions of people were experiencing real hardship. And that team of researchers I mentioned wondered: how would Americans feel about poverty now?
So in May, the scientists reached back out to about half of the people they had surveyed a year prior. Like in the last survey, the participants rated how much they thought different factors contributed to poverty and whether they supported government intervention to help the poor. This time, though, they also rated how badly the pandemic was impacting them and the people around them.
And in this survey, there was a shift: More people recognized that external factors like discrimination or bad luck were greater contributors to poverty than internal traits, like laziness.
That was one small step toward a kinder world, but there’s still room to grow. That recognition didn’t make a dent in people’s political views. Only those who realized how bad COVID-19 was for poor people favored government help for them.
The study doesn’t answer whether that shift in attitudes translates to tangible action. But a different study from Indiana University found that 56 percent of U.S. households volunteered or donated to charity in the early months of the pandemic. Another organization that tracks charitable giving reported a 13 percent increase in first-time donors in the first half of the year alone.
We can’t know what changes will last once the pandemic officially ends, but we can hope that we’ll come out of it with a little more empathy for our neighbors.
When the pressure builds at work, how do you cope? Are you the type to just push through and tough it out? Or do you take a break to ease your stress and recharge your mind? Well, there might be a better option to relieve stress: Try taking a learning break.
I don't have to tell you that stress is a bad thing. Studies show that stressed workers are more likely to engage in unethical behavior, lose engagement in their work, and experience burnout.
In an article for Harvard Business Review, researchers Chen Zhang, Christopher G. Myers, and David M. Mayer write that people generally cope with stress in one of two ways. They either power through and wear their stress like a badge of honor, or they take a break by surfing the web, going on a walk, or doing some other unrelated task. But both of these strategies have their pitfalls. Powering through can lead to lower quality work, and taking a break is just a temporary reprieve — the stress will still be there when you get back.
The researchers pose another solution: focus on learning. For two studies, they looked into the work behavior and job stressors of more than 300 U.S. employees. For two weeks, they used daily surveys to track what employees did and how they felt throughout the day, including what they did to relax at work and how often they took time to learn something new.
It turned out that there's a big difference between the stress-buffering effects of relaxation and those of learning new things. On days when employees took more time learning things, they experienced less stress and anxiety and engaged in less unethical behavior. On the other hand, taking a break to do something relaxing didn't make them any less stressed or less likely to cut corners on the job.
Looks like we might have been going about stress relief all wrong.
Of course, I’d be remiss if I didn't point out that you're engaging in a perfect learning break right now. Listening to your favorite podcast and learning about things that fascinate you is a sure-fire way to ease pressure at the office. You're already ahead of the game.
What I’m about to say may shock you: “Eating healthier” is a very bad goal. Conceptually, it's great, don't get me wrong. But the words you use to structure goals are as important as the goals themselves. For a real shot at actually attaining a goal? You have to make it S.M.A.R.T.
Smart stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Results-focused, and Time-bound. If your goal can check all of those boxes, that means you've set clear expectations that will be much easier for you to work toward and eventually attain. Let's break the parts of that term down a little further:
S is for Specific: Clearly define what you are going to do. If your goal is to start waking up earlier, define the exact time. If you can't define it, you sure can't achieve it.
M is for Measurable: It should be possible to have tangible proof that you've made progress toward your goal — and that you’ve achieved it, when that day comes. “Be a better friend” isn’t measurable, but “call a friend every weekend” is.
A is for Achievable: Although your goal should challenge you, it shouldn't be beyond the scope of imagination. Writing a bestselling memoir might be above your current capabilities, but filling a page in your journal every day might be more realistic.
R is for Relevant: Not all goals are worthwhile. Beating the final level on your favorite video game is specific, measurable, and achievable, but its importance in the grand scheme of things is questionable. Your goal should support and be supported by the other things you want out of life.
And T is for Time-bound: Your goal should be linked to a timeframe that creates some urgency. There's a reason many people do their taxes by April without a problem but struggle to save money for the future — one has a deadline, the other doesn't. If you want to lose five pounds, do you want to drop it by the end of the month? Year? Timeframe affects the entire approach to achieving a goal.
New Year’s Resolutions are one thing, but knowing how to set smart goals is a versatile skill you can use year round. Good luck!
CODY: Before we recap what we learned today, I wanted to make a quick note that we still plan on answering listener questions every Friday; we just took a break this week to give you some special stories for New Year’s Day. If you’re curious about something, then email your question to curiosity-at-discover-dot-com, or leave us a voicemail at 312-596-5208. And now, here’s a sneak peek at what you’ll hear next week on Curiosity Daily.
ASHLEY: Next week, you’ll learn about how your brain treats beautiful faces differently from beautiful objects;
How scientists just measured the shortest amount of time EVER;
Whether flies experience time more slowly than we do;
How you can de-clutter your life with Swedish Death Cleaning;
And more! Okay, so now, let’s recap what we learned today.
[ad lib optional]
CODY: Today’s stories were written by Steffie Drucker, Ashley Hamer, and Joanie Faletto, and edited by Ashley Hamer, who’s the managing editor for Curiosity Daily.
ASHLEY: Scriptwriting was by Cody Gough and Sonja Hodgen. Today’s episode was produced and edited by Cody Gough.
CODY: Have a great weekend, and join us again Monday to learn something new in just a few minutes.
ASHLEY: And until then, stay curious!