“Risk by its very nature threatens to hurt you, so when confronted by it your body and brain, under the influence of the stress response, unite as a single functioning unit. This occurs in athletes and soldiers, and it occurs as well in traders and people investing from home.” In the NYT John Coates takes an interesting look at the biology of risk. Coates focuses on traders and finance for his examples, but the mind-body connections he describes apply to anyone. Next time someone tells you it’s all in your mind, remind them that’s impossible.

+ When a crisis hits, some of us are able to power through it, while others drown in a pool of learned helplessness, overcome by the belief that “No matter what I do, it won’t change anything.” (Others just open 75 browser tabs and quietly mumble to themselves). From WaPo: Why are some depressed, others resilient?

+ Tai-curious: And somewhat related, Simon Doonan wonders if Tai Chi is the New Yoga.