Welltodo Today: Under Armour To Double Revenue, The Link Between Mood And Productivity

Key global wellness news articles from around the world impacting the industry and influencing the business of wellness.

Under Armour plans to more than double its current revenue in three years…

Under Armour is challenging the athletic fashion sector by announcing a 25% compounded annual growth rate. It will see the fitness apparel brand increase from the $3.1 billion in revenue the sports apparel and equipment maker reached last year, to $7.5 billion in 2018, according to Market Watch.

The firm, who offers its brand ambassadors an equity stake in the business, announced the anticipated increase in forecasted revenue but also claims that the plan is to achieve “success well beyond our 2018 targets,” the report said.

>> Read more: Under Armour Targets $7.5 Billion in Revenue in Three Years (Market Watch)

India’s plan to resolve drought issues with yoga…

In the face of severe water shortages, Vice reports that agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh has suggested that Yoga might be the solution. Singh reportedly suggested said that “farmers should give vibrations of peace, love and divinity to seeds” to boost growth and make plants resistant to pests, at a meeting with Scientists and authorities in Delhi.

Farmers are facing a serious crisis, although Singh has refused to accept responsibility for the Indian government – even after almost 25,000 farmers signed a petition saying that they would kill themselves if the government didn’t compensate them for infrastructure built on now ruined farmland.

One Indian journalist expressed concern over the conservative government’s tendency to suggest “mythical” solutions to real problems.

>> Read more: India’s Plan For Farmer’s To Solve The Drought? Yoga And Good Vibes (Vice)

The link between mood and productivity is being uncovered…

Users of a new app called moo-Q complete short surveys multiple times during the day asking questions about current mood followed by some short memory-based numeric quizzes. According to Fast Company, the founder Sophie Von Stumm, is unravelling the relationship between our productivity levels and mood. She claims that, at present, “very little is known about the genetic origin of fluctuations in mood.”

“A large body of empirical evidence has shown that negative affect — depressed and anxious mood — is associated with reduced cognitive performance and lower cognitive flexibility,” says Von Stumm. Which means that mood swings, regardless of determination, can really alter an individuals capacity to get things done.

In discovering exactly what the links are, Von Stumm is first focusing on assessing mood without altering it, which is where the app comes in.

The data will ultimately assist in answer a bigger question: “Are our brains really better on some days than on others?”

>> Read more: Unravelling the Surprising Relationship Between Mood and Productivity (Fast Company)

Kids are checking their phones instead of sleeping, and it’s a problem for adults too…

In a study by Glasgow University, it’s been found that teenagers engaging with smart phones (and particularly social media websites likes Facebook and Twitter) during the night, could be at greater risk of depression and anxiety.

According to The Guardian the study, which included 460 teenagers, “found that while overall use of social media affects the quality of sleep, those who log on at night to respond to alerts are particularly affected”. The study also asked students about issues like self-confidence in relation to social media and the pressure of being available 24/7 and anxiety related to not responding immediately to social media communication.

But in a response to the same study, The Telegraph highlights the effects of checking smart phones routines in the middle of the night as a problem not only for children, but for adults too. This is the case especially as work styles become more flexible and pressure mounts to be responsive and available at all times.

>> Read more: How To Stop Checking Your Smart Phone In The Middle Of The Night (The Telegraph)

Teen’s night-time use of social media ‘risks harming mental health’ (The Guardian)