Optentia

⚠️Informal work continues to dominate global employment. By 2026, around 2.1 billion workers are projected to be informally employed, often with limited access to social protection, rights at work, workplace safety and job security. Full report ➡️ ilo.org/est2026

Multitasking isn't just unproductive—it's stressful too. Average attention on a screen has fallen from 2.5min in 2004 to 75sec in 2012 to 47sec today. Rapid switching puts our nervous systems on alert. The best way to keep calm and carry on is to focus on one thing at a time.

Trust is important for society to function – and it starts on an individual level. When interacting with somebody, start with a charitable position; don't immediately jump to the worst possible interpretation.

The best way to improve is not to focus on results. It’s to focus on habits. 27 studies: Behavior change goals are 3x more effective than outcome goals in boosting performance. Growth depends on altering the actions we can control. A key to progress is concentrating on process.

Policymakers everywhere face the same challenge: how to turn uncertainty into opportunity. The IMF Annual Report 2025 looks at how countries are strengthening resilience, restoring stability, and laying the groundwork for durable growth. 🔗 IMF.org/AR2025

Mosul restored, new MS therapy, ozone hole shrinking, child mortality still declining, new antibiotics, fewer girls aborted, renewable energy exceeds coal, deforestation in decline, fridgeless vaccines, and more: 52 good news stories from 2025. thetimes.com/uk/environment…

Technologies help us say unimportant things to people we don't care about – but often make it more difficult to say the really important things to the people we most care about.

🔍 Work Wellbeing Playbook 2.0 turns rigorous, peer-reviewed science into an accessible resource that speaks directly to the challenges people leaders face today. Read more👇 worldwellbeingmovement.org/news/work-well…

Being in nature reduces fatigue and boosts attention. 34 experiments: After walking, playing, and learning in parks, forests, or water, kids & teens show better focus and self-control. Not all outdoor time is equal. Green and blue spaces are more refreshing than urban settings.

Optentia News | 12 December 2025   The December 2025 issue of Optentia News is now available.   This edition shares recent work, reflections, and developments from Optentia, with a focus on research, people, and impact.   You can read it here:   tinyurl.com/whad37px

Whether pessimists or optimists, we can all agree that AI will fundamentally change how we live: whether it's how we study and work, our leisure and hobbies, how we form friendships and relationships – or ultimately just how we communicate with each other.

The best way to gain job security is not being the most knowledgeable person in the room. It's being the most reliable person in the room. Information is abundant. Dependability, helpfulness, and responsiveness are relatively scarce. We count on people who consistently deliver.

Langanani moved from informal waste picking to a contracted job managing a buy-back centre. Security, benefits, a team—and a path forward. #ThisIsSocialJustice

“I don’t just have a job, I have a voice.” Jani found her power in the union, defending rights and dignity at work. Ensuring everyone’s rights — #ThisIsSocialJustice. Another story from our new campaign, this time from Brazil. 👇

⚠️Two billion people work in the informal economy, one of the biggest obstacles to advancing #SocialJustice and #DecentWork. Why does this matter for social development? Have a look 👇 #SocialSummit2025

Prof Jeffrey Mphahlele, DVC for Research & Innovation, spoke at the IFA Conference. His talk on “Immunisation and the Life Course” contributed to important global conversations on ageing and health. Learn more here: brnw.ch/21wW4Qt #MyNWU #IFA2025

NWU is a proud partner of the IFA conference, live from Cape Town! It's in full swing with the Key item: Presidential Symposium on "Reframing the Ageing Agenda". Look ahead to Day 2 with a keynote from NWU's Prof. Jeffrey Mphahlele on immunisation. #IFA2025 #NWUGlobal #MyNWU

AI's value is precisely because it's something so different from humans. Never tired, infinitely patient, able to process more data than a human mind ever could. This is what benefits humanity. Not an AI that claims to feel shame, jealousy, fear + so on. 📝mustafa-suleyman.ai/seemingly-cons…

Predicting a brighter future for Africa brookings.edu/articles/predi…

NEW: Is the internet changing our personalities for the worse? Conscientiousness and extroversion are down, neuroticism up, with young adults leading the charge. This is a really consequential shift, and there’s a lot going on here, so let’s get into the weeds 🧵