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Octopuses are brilliant, emotional, and mysterious. Can they ever be farmed humanely? And if they can, should they be? Fast Company contributor Clint Rainey is the first journalist in the world to be let inside a cutting-edge effort to build the first commercial octopus farm. Exclusive documentary. Coming in 2026.Check out the full article: https://www.fastcompany.com/91448602/octopus-could-be-the-next-commercially-farmed-seafood-should-it-be
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E-Commerce
Everybody knows this coworkerthe one who spirals about cost-cutting layoffs when snacks vanish from the break room. The one who thinks theyre getting fired because their boss hasnt been using emojis with them lately. The one whos the office Chicken Little: anxious, somewhat frantic, often misguided . . . and who cant stop talking to others about whatever it is theyre anxious about. This personand it could be youmay be justified, as it makes sense for employees to be nervous right now: layoffs are at an all-time high, and January is a common month for layoffs. But for the office Chicken Little, its not the dismal mass termination numbers alone that are scary: Its the unknown future thats sending them into sustained panic mode. Uncertainty is a huge trigger to the stress response in the body, says physician Esther Sternberg, whos long studied the effects of stress on humans. Fast Company spoke with several psychology experts who shared what makes someone more prone to anxiety spirals and loops, tips for dealing with their unending office pessimism, and how to escape your own layoff-related worries. What causes anxiety spirals People who quickly turn even minorly negative information into potential catastrophes tend to be really high in neuroticism, says clinical psychologist Melanie McNally. Neuroticism, one of psychologys Big Five personality traits, measures ones disposition in the face of negative emotions. Think of the coworker who just knows theyre getting axed after being left off a group emailwhen in reality the person who sent it genuinely just forgot. A minor budget cut isn’t just a cost-saving measure to these folks, says organizational psychologist Ali Shehab. Instead, the misplaced vigilance takes it as a sign that the company is failing. I will be fired, and I will never find a job again. This is often seen as a protective mechanism that attempts to provide certainty amidst stress-inducing uncertainty. When working with this glass-half-empty type in the past, Yvonne Castaeda, a social worker specializing in trauma, says shes noticed that contentment seems to feel scary or wrong for some folks, or that safety cant be trusted. This could come from their upbringing: Parents who were perhaps overly worried and dwelt on potential dangers left this person with a mindset that theyre not going to be okay. The mindset could even manifest after a traumatic event, like a loss, after which the person feels like they dont deserve or want to be happy again, says Castaeda. But McNally says these people might just have limited social support. Perhaps they cant go home at the end of the workday and bounce their concerns off friends or family for a calming ear and alternative perspective, and then coworkers end up becoming their primary outlet for airing worries. For David Rosmarin, associate professor at Harvard Medical School and founder of the Center for Anxiety, the description of this archetype is much simpler. They’re called Americans, he says. Such behavior doesn’t even come from being pessimistic. It comes from control. As Americans, he adds, were taught to banish feelings of discomfort as soon as they visit us. With the prevailing cultural interest in instant gratification and immediate answers to any query, its no surprise that many experience what Rosmarin calls intolerance of uncertainty, whether its about the weather or our job security. But the irony is that obsessing with certainty just fuels anxiety. Navigating this energy at work While some workers vent fears to otherseither out of fear, a desire for control, or simply a need for a sounding boardMcNally reminds us that emotions are contagious. Most likely, you’re spreading stress if you indulge in the anxiety spiral, she says. And for those around the person, its very easy to get sucked into that tornado, Castaeda adds. Maybe you attempt to say something to cheer them up, it backfires, and suddenly you’re in conflict. Still, experts who spoke with Fast Company note that its helpful to share anxiety with others. The mental health benefits of having people you can trust at work are real. But when people regularly act on that compulsion to vocalize fears, to the point that it spreads unnecessary stress, its best for colleagues to set boundaries. If the conversation is becoming cyclical and harmful, says Shehab, the move is to gently disengage. You can say that you hear the person is worried, but right now you need to concentrate on an important deadline. Let’s focus on the work we can control for the next hour, Shehab suggests communicating. Experts generally recommend acknowledging and validating an anxious colleagues concerns before trying to help them change their outlook. Dismissing someones fears or telling them to calm down, says McNally, does not work. Instead, just listenif youre feeling grounded and open enough to hearing them out without spiraling yourself. Hold the space. Dont try to make it better, Castaeda suggests. Youre not going to do that. Rosmarin suggests reflective listening, a basic psychotherapy technique that tends to make people feel at ease and understood. For example, imagine a coworker says, Im freaking out about layoffs. They happened this time last year, and I can tell that theyre going to happen again. You can respond with something like, Yeah, youre right about last year, and that is totally scary to think about. Validating the feelings of someone whos spiraling can help ground them by making them feel heardso at least theyre not anxious about having unfounded anxieties. Shehab also suggests using facts to pin down the anxietys source. “What concrete evidence do we have that a layoff is happening today?” Shehab suggests posing to a concerned coworker (or yourself). “What are the actual company metrics right now?” This, he says, engages the prefrontal cortex: the part of the brain responsible for rational thought that often gets hijacked by the hyperactive amygdala, the brains fear center, during anxiety loops. Research shows that venting can be helpful, but thats only true for a few minutes before it becomes counterproductive. McNally suggests setting a timer for three to four minutes. When the timer goes off, transition to a new activity thats going to totally occupy your attentionlike dancing to an all-time favorite song, or cooking dinner with your family. Validate the fear, act with empathy, and then ground the fear in the present with facts and gently challenging reframes. Nipping the spiral in the bud Whether its with nervous colleagues, or yourself, look for what’s at the root of the anxiety, Rosmarin says. Are you most concerned about rent payments? It could help to work on outlining a new personal budget in case of layoffs. Is thinking about finding a new job the biggest stressor? Update your résumé and start networking. Letting go mentally, and grouding yourself in calm action, can change your physiological reaction to anxiety: There’s less adrenaline flowing through your system when you do that, says Rosmarin. In high-stress, high-control situations, says Sternberg, youre actually energized. Facing a possible layoff is high-stress, low-controlbut facing it while applying for new jobs gives you back some control, and can alleviate some of the negative stress feelings. Otherwise, adds Sternberg, make sure youre getting enough sleep, eating healthy, and exercising to reduce anxiety. Again, it all comes down to uncertainty . . . and learning to live with it. If you can help your colleague (or yourself) accept it or use it to fuel productivity, the more likely everyone is to avoid anxiety spirals. The question isn’t whether you can control the outcome, says Rosmarin. Its embracing the fact that we’re not fully in the driver’s seat.
Category:
E-Commerce
U.S. employers posted far fewer jobs in November than the previous month, a sign that employers arent yet ramping up hiring even as growth has picked up. Businesses and government agencies posted 7.1 million open jobs at the end of November, the Labor Department said Wednesday, down from 7.4 million in October. Layoffs also dropped, however, as companies appear to be holding onto workers even as they are reluctant to add staff. The report suggests that the low-hire, low-fire job market remains in effect, with workers enjoying some job security but those out of work struggling to find new jobs. The moribund labor market stands in contrast with data showing solid economic growth, which topped 4% at an annual rate in last year’s July-September quarter, the latest data available. Economists forecast growth slowed but remained solid in the final three months of 2025. A key question for this year is whether hiring will pickup to match healthy growth, or whether sluggish job gains will eventually drag down the economy. There is a third possibility: Automation and artificial intelligence could enable steady economic growth without creating many jobs. Further insights into that question will emerge Friday when the monthly jobs report for December will be released. The number of postings in November was the fewest since September 2024. But outside that month, it was the lowest in nearly five years. Open jobs in November fell sharply in shipping and warehousing, restaurants and hotels, and in state and local government. They rose in retail and construction. The number of Americans who quit their jobs ticked higher in November, which is seen as a good sign, because workers typically quit when they are more confident they can find a better job, or already have one. Yet quits remained historically low, at 3.16 million, up from just under 3 million in October. The figures provide some critical measures of the job market after last falls government shutdown delayed the release of data on hiring and inflation. Wednesdays report is known as the job openings and labor turnover survey, or JOLTS, and provides key insights into the state of hiring and firing. Separately, payroll provider ADP said Wednesday that businesses added 41,000 jobs in December, an improvement after they shed 29,000 positions in November. ADP’s report is based on anonymous payroll records the company maintains for 26 million employees. Small firms with fewer than 50 workers added 9,000 jobs, an encouraging reversal after they shed jobs in previous months. Smaller firms have been hard-hit by President Donald Trump’s tariffs, with less ability to absorb or pass on the costs compared with larger companies, economists say. It is a slower labor market, said Nela Richardson, chief economist at ADP. “The labor market isnt falling off a cliff. We still see some job growth, and we dont see an uptick in layoffs. The Bank of America Institute, which tracks changes in the number of paychecks landing in its customers’ accounts, said it saw signs that hiring picked up in December. Job gains rose to 0.6% in December, compared with a year earlier, up from just 0.2% in November. It does look like, in our data, that the worst of the slowdown could be behind us, David Tinsley, senior economist at Bank of America Institute, said in a call with reporters. Christopher Rugaber, AP economics writer
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E-Commerce
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