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"Self-indulgent narcissism": Tina Arena slammed for breaking lockdown restrictions

Tina Arena has come under fire for bragging about breaking Covid lockdown restrictions to resist what she called a "totalitarian" regime. The 55-year-old singer spoke candidly with <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Weekend Australian</a>, reflecting on the 2021 Delta lockdowns and why she chose to deliberately break the restriction that prevented people from travelling within 5km of their homes. "Why can't you drive more than five kilometres? Guess what – watch me. So I did. I drove past my five kilometres. Am I a criminal now? You want to pull me up? Pull me up. You want to fine me? Fine me. I'm not the one with the issue here," she told the publication. "The issue is, there is no logic. You have no right to do that. You are fining me. This is totalitarian. We don't work like that." Tina went on to claim that she was the only person who was frustrated by the harsh lockdown measures enough to speak up. "I didn't hear anybody complaining during lockdown other than me: 'Why are we locked up? Where's your science? What? Why?; The fear was so much for me; it was choking me, I was like, I can't cope with all of you being so fear-driven like this, and compliant," she said. Tina's comments sparked outrage online, with many people weighing in on her "selfish" choice to break the rules. "Tina Arena is just the Pete Evans of Music," wrote one person, referring to the disgraced television chef who was criticised for his anti-vax views. "Tina Arena - just another ignorant, selfish, fearful individual who was unwilling to comply with lockdown orders at the height of a deadly pandemic before vaccines were available. Yes 'deadly'! I have zero sympathy for those who blatantly ignored the restrictions," said another. Another disgruntled reader said, "Tina Arena's self indulgent narcissism is astounding, does she think she was the only person feeling fearful, locked up and battling mental health issues during the pandemic?" Another person called out her actions, writing, "Very selfish of Tina Arena. Hundreds of healthcare workers were f***ing exhausted, people with disabilities and severe health conditions were (and still are) living in fear of getting sick and she decided the rules wouldn't apply to her. Very disappointing." Social media users were quick to point out her "selfish" comments, with one person putting things into perspective by saying, "Most of us weren't wallowing in self pity, we were just doing what we needed to do to keep our families safe." Image credits: Getty Images

Legal

Buckingham Palace in ‘total lockdown’ due to 'loud explosion'

Buckingham Palace has been placed under lockdown after a man reportedly threw shotgun cartridges at the royal residence. International and British media surrounding the palace grounds were evacuated from the area amid the security scare, and a man has since been arrested – with BBC news reporting a controlled explosion was executed by specialists as a precautionary measure. Initial reports suggested King Charles was in residence during the incident, however, the Washington Post has confirmed he was just nearby with Queen Consort Camilla at Clarence House. According to the Metropolitan Police, the man was found to be in possession of a suspicious bag and was arrested on suspicion of carrying an offensive weapon. Speaking to news.com.au workers on the grounds said they heard a “loud bang” around 8pm. They also said the palace was not evacuated but surrounding media outside were cleared from the premises. The Mall, the street which lines from the palace to Trafalgar Square, is cordoned off from the public. Police are telling people in the area that the road is blocked off for a scheduled coronation rehearsal. British politician Jacob Rees-Mogg was in the area when the incident occurred and told GB News he was waiting to go on-air to discuss the upcoming coronation. “People came to us using yellow tabards to say there was an incident and we all had to go. Just an element, of I fear, not ‘keep calm and carry on’ [but] ‘let’s hustle and bustle’.” Ben Briscoe, GB News’ Head of Programming, also told the program, “There was definitely a very, very loud explosion … As it stands the Palace and the surrounding areas are in total lockdown and it doesn’t look like it is going to be lifted anytime soon.” The royal standard, which signifies when the monarch is in residence, was not seen above the palace the following day but has since been erected on the roof. The incident comes as Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was one of the first dignitaries to meet the King ahead of the coronation, with his arrival at the palace on May 2. It is believed the lockdown has since been lifted as investigations proceed. Image credit: Getty

News

“A parent’s worst nightmare”: Tammin Sursok reveals daughter’s lockdown for school shooting

Former Home and Away star Tammin Sursok has revealed her daughter’s school in Nashville was placed on lockdown after a mass shooting took place at the school next door. Sursok, 39, who lives in Nashville with her husband Sean McEwan and their two children, took to Instagram to explain the “nightmare”. The 39-year-old shared that the shooting, which took place at The Covenant School, was just next-door to her nine-year-old daughter Phoenix’s school. “There’s been an active shooter, in Nashville, in one of the schools in Greenhills,” Sursok said in her video. “It’s right next to my daughter’s school. She’s in lockdown. She’s fine. “It’s really close to home, I know it’s close to home for a lot of you. “I know a lot of mothers are just completely hysterical and shaking right now. “I just can’t believe this keeps happening, and you always think that it’s not going to happen to you.” The shooter has been identified as a woman, 28-year-old Audrey Hale, who opened fire killing three children and three staff members. She was also a former student of the Covenant school. Hale was shot and killed by police at the scene. Sursok later posted a follow-up video saying she wasn’t sure what to do after hearing of her daughter’s lockdown. “Do we go to the school, do we wait until they tell us they’re out of lockdown?” she said. “It’s just really hard to even fathom that this happens so much. “I can’t even let my brain go there, because it’s just too hard to think of.” Sursok then wrote a lengthy message about the shooting and weighed in about gun control. The post saw an image of her and Phoenix, wearing tops that read “Love More”. “Our community in Nashville is in shock,” she wrote, adding a shooting trigger warning. “My thoughts and prayers are with the families going though this unimaginable tragedy. “Today I got a call that I never thought would happen but at the same time expected because I live in the USA. “My daughter’s school was on lockdown. There was an active shooter somewhere.” “A parent’s worst nightmare,” she wrote. “As you’ve now seen on the news, a school in Nashville has lost children and adults at the hands of a 28-year old-woman. “That school was next door, walking distance from my daughter’s school. “The argument when these horrific events happen is don’t get political, now is not the time, guns don’t kill people, people kill people. “I call BS. “... people with access to assault rifles cause mass destruction. “Why do we sell in the USA weapons of mass destruction to civilians? “Why do we sell weapons that can shoot hundreds of bullets in seconds? “Read that sentence again. “Hundreds of bullets in seconds.” The actress pointed out that in most American states, a person can buy an AR-15 - a semi-automatic rifle - once they turn 18. “The AR-15 (and military style weaponry) is not designed for hunting or ‘sport’,” she wrote. “It’s meant to kill people. Lots of people all at once. “How is this allowed? Please explain it to me.” She said she felt numb, angry, and “at a loss”. “Parties need to come together on both sides. I don’t care what side you are on,” she added. “We can come together to AGREE to uphold the freedom of America and its constitution AND keep our children safe. “We can do BOTH! “You know this doesn’t make sense. You know this isn’t normal. “You know children shouldn’t live in fear like this.” Sursok’s followers flooded the comments with support, with most agreeing gun control is a major issue in the US. “It only took one major incident for Australia to see what mattered most ... Lives not Guns,” one person wrote, referencing the Port Arthur massacre Tasmania saw in 1996. “Absolutely horrific,” another wrote. “When I am in the US I always think about that each person I am passing by could have a gun,” wrote a third. “Cannot imagine living with this thought every day. “You are right, the gun laws finally have to change. Sending lots of love.” Image credit: Instagram

Family & Pets

The science behind why hobbies can improve our mental health

The pandemic has taken its toll on many peoples’ <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0020764020915212">mental health</a>. Given the fear of the virus and the government restrictions on movement many may understandably be feeling more lonely, anxious, and depressed than usual. The World Health Organization (WHO) has even issued guidance on how people can <a href="https://www.who.int/campaigns/connecting-the-world-to-combat-coronavirus/healthyathome/healthyathome---mental-health">look after their mental health</a> during this difficult time. Key advice includes trying to keep a regular pattern of eating, sleeping, hygiene and exercise. But a less obvious recommendation is to make sure you’re still finding time to do the things you enjoy. In fact, research shows that <a href="https://www.karger.com/Article/FullText/503571">having a hobby</a> is linked to lower levels of depression – and may even prevent depression for some. Losing interest and joy in things you normally like doing is one symptom of poor mental health. Known as anhedonia, this is a common symptom of depression and is something patients say they would most like <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25545606/">relief from</a> – possibly because the drugs used to treat depression target other symptoms and don’t seem to <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11684742/">alleviate it</a>. For some people, anhedonia is one of the <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1600-0447.1991.tb01410.x">first symptoms of depression</a>, and can even be used to predict the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4403015/">severity of depression</a> a person might experience. So, finding time for your interests and pleasures – such as a hobby – during lockdown could be one way of avoiding anhedonia and depression. In fact <a href="https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/publications/social-prescribing">social prescribing</a> is a treatment method where doctors can ask patients with mild to moderate depression to take up a non-medical intervention (such as a hobby) to improve their mental health. As antidepressants can be <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/185157">less effective</a> in those with mild depression, this treatment strategy may still help patients with depression find relief from their symptoms. So far, some studies have shown that social prescribing programmes that ask patients to take up hobbies such as <a href="https://theconversation.com/anxiety-and-depression-why-doctors-are-prescribing-gardening-rather-than-drugs-121841">gardening</a> or <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-creativity-on-prescription-can-improve-mental-and-physical-health-93818">art</a> are beneficial for mental health and wellbeing. Evidence also shows that even for those with clinical depression, certain psychological treatments – like behavioural activation, which requires patients to schedule in time to do things that <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4061095/">bring them pleasure and joy</a> – improve symptoms of depression. A <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17533015.2017.1334002">wide range of activities</a> and hobbies may play a role in social prescribing and behavioural activation, such as exercising, playing an instrument, drawing, reading or handicrafts. <h2>Reward system</h2> The reason that finding time for hobbies can work has to do with how they affect the reward system in the brain. When we take part in a hobby that we enjoy, chemical messengers in the brain (known as neurotransmitters) are released – such as dopamine, a chemical which helps us feel pleasure. These feel-good chemicals can then make us want to do the hobby again, and feel more motivated to do so. So even though we may not feel motivated in the beginning to spend time on a hobby, once we start it and feel the associated pleasure, this will <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2756052/">kick-start our reward system</a> and subsequently our motivation to do it again. This is something we’re researching in greater depth <a href="https://www.mccabe-nrg-lab.com/">in our lab</a>. Alongside pleasure and motivation, hobbies can also bring other benefits. Physical hobbies can, of course, improve your fitness, and others can even improve your brain function. Research suggests that some hobbies – like <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21463047/">playing a musical instrument</a> – can improve your memory, while artistic hobbies (such as reading or board games puzzles) are reported to <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20660517/">prevent dementia</a> later in life. So if you’re feeling lower than normal during the pandemic, perhaps try to find time to re-engage with some hobbies that you may have enjoyed in the past – or try new ones. You can also seek help or guidance from your GP or a therapist to find the best treatment for you. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-science-behind-why-hobbies-can-improve-our-mental-health-153828" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Art

If you experienced ‘Blursday’ during lockdown, you’re not alone

After two years of mask-wearing, hand sanitising, lockdowns and social distancing, it’s safe to say we’re all experiencing some side effects of going through a global pandemic. If you feel like time has slowed down or Mondays feel like Wednesdays and Wednesdays feel like Fridays, you’ve likely experienced a feeling recently dubbed ‘Blursday’ - and you’re not the only one. A team of scientists have now captured what living in ‘Blursday’ is like, and have published their findings in the journal <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-022-01419-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nature Human Behaviour</a>. Using data from surveys conducted in nine countries - gathered through 14 questionnaires and 15 behavioural tasks - during the first two years of the pandemic, the team of researchers found that feelings of isolation affected our sense of time, including feelings of time grinding to a halt. Maximilien Chaumon, a researcher at the Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Épinière in France and coauthor on the study, told <a href="https://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/it-s-not-just-you-lockdowns-had-us-living-in-blursday-study-says-70422" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Scientist</a> of how a fellow researcher saw COVID as an opportunity to gain an insight into the complex phenomenon that is our perception of time. “When we talk about our senses, [not] our sense of time but our sense of vision, touch, and so on, we think about those sensory receptors,” he explained. “And time perception does not have such receptors. It is a psychological construct, actually, that has a very multifactorial origin that is very complex.” Chaumon said the pandemic provided the perfect chance to collect data on this concept, explaining that our sense of time is incredibly influenced by our environment, emotional state and how isolated we are, which in turn can affect our wellbeing and mental health. “This is sort of the angle that triggered this study, in the sense that this massive disruption that COVID-19 created, with its lockdown, on our daily routine, the way we use our time, the way time unfolds during the day, and initial reports of people reporting being lost in their week, not knowing whether it was today or whether it was Monday or Tuesday and so on,” Chaumon added, By compiling a range of tasks to measure different aspects of our time perception, along with psychological scales that measure anxiety and depression, the team hoped to correlate the tasks and measures. Wibbly wobbly time causes wibbly wobbly health problems Theirs isn’t the first to study our perception of time or the effects the pandemic have had on it. <a href="https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fu7061146.ct.sendgrid.net%2Fls%2Fclick%3Fupn%3D4tNED-2FM8iDZJQyQ53jATUaUp6sA-2BpAvcl9YHzVa412QC1m3ibG-2FC3WQYczSIN1ZeXjTw-2F-2FSDFk4BOzJ4zXx-2Fvw-3D-3DLypt_LUT5diG96CqPUCpHtTdEJL2b31V0MmXDDBFBEm0nPEbHc8MtQdGxiyqTf-2FzdAPZDSx9IaeyAwnFz9OTaNQFX-2BXQLL8NMAAKx-2FL8IrpwUjzdetB7ZKmCghKO52pZka6HGYFTMHI-2B-2Fe-2BJS6LfwGws67A744zSx8i0Vtoc20FSpJ-2FY8ZMNMbQJlM8bC-2FeElv-2B99BECt8HWdJ0JCLCokbTc4kBOuKcR5lBaDkTG2apoJrHyzEYaHEX-2Bx1-2B-2F82umfOSV3S2GvH5vXKwhUg7158G3vtov5dTRfjj5yJu2iMqiZQRyCHDmZg-2Bz4smKOIckwZVBpH-2BFGnRcww1nHSSSRxw-2FRTNWsefWy1jyO4slKTgvThQY-3D&data=05%7C01%7Clilly.nguyen%40latimes.com%7C9f19770ffc344ce0549a08da853c1f96%7Ca42080b34dd948b4bf44d70d3bbaf5d2%7C0%7C0%7C637968790511475387%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=bumpnIH0Ne%2BwT6N9Sv850G8Sd44L7vlbxB9aHIcysko%3D&reserved=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Another study</a> published in 2022, based on surveys conducted in just the US, found that people have been losing their sense of time because of the pandemic, collective trauma caused by it, and additional challenges we’ve faced in recent times, including unemployment, financial hardships, supply shortages, death, and climate change. E. Alison Holman, a professor in nursing at UC Irvine who has been studying the relationship between trauma and time perception and is a co-author on the study, said in a recent interview that not addressing this change in how we sense time can put us at greater risks in terms of our mental health. “Having your sense of time get messed up to the extent that it really screws you up in terms of where you see yourself going in your life, in the context of the loneliness that people were experiencing and the social isolation, it’s an open question now that I’m trying to address,” Holman <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/08/220823170747.htm">said</a>. “How does that alter your sense of time? How might the social isolation of the pandemic have contributed to that alteration in your sense of time because you’re spending all of this time by yourself? "Given that distortions in time perception are a risk factor for mental health problems, our findings have potential implications for public health.” What can we do to readjust our sense of time? According to Holman, regaining a sense of time relies on reintegrating our past and present, as well as rebuilding our future. “When you think about your life and who you are, you have a past. Your past is a big part of who you are today. We have a past, a present, which we are doing right now, and a future that we hope to get to,” Holman said. “What happens to people is they end up getting stuck in the trauma. As time moves on, they don’t mentally move on. “Being able to reintegrate one’s past with the present — knowing where I am now and where I’m going, the future. That’s really important for mental health.” Image: Getty Images

Mind

House plants were our link with nature in lockdown – now they could change how we relate to the natural world

They’re not the first generation to keep house plants, but millennials seem to have earned a reputation for gratuitous indoor foliage. Bloomberg reporter <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2019-04-11/the-one-thing-millennials-haven-t-killed-is-houseplants">Matthew Boyle</a> claimed that young people have helped revive “the once moribund market for house plants” in the US, where, according to the National Gardening Association, sales surged 50% between 2016 and 2019. In the UK, the <a href="https://www.rhs.org.uk/press/releases/RHS-grows-houseplant-and-floristry-offering-as-ind">Royal Agricultural Society</a> reported a 65% increase in house plant sales in 2018 alone. Why young people in particular might be so fond of house plants has invited numerous explanations. Lifestyle reporter <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/millennials-obsessed-houseplants-instagram_l_5d7a976de4b01c1970c433b9">Casey Bond</a> argued that house plants offer something to nurture that’s cheap and doesn’t involve a lot of maintenance, with obvious appeal to a generation whose entry into parenthood is stymied by <a href="https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/uk-average-house-price-rise-2020-millennials-versus-baby-boomers-property-ladder-060042411.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAEB84LlmZFsNTokd-kxf2HFZXpB5M_lQhZNMVcKQDBuUevGNEPHF8y2GNnE7xm_bdrYrgdZNrnENbC95LxdHuqCfekpSaSlJN6S99Z0fartMMnBdzbAAsHvvoa425lyGr5lsYK9h6UvugjtPP83kxYKjVT2TL-9cwdileX-xdpEo">house prices</a> and <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/241f0fe4-08f8-4d42-a268-4f0a399a0063">economic instability</a>. Young people today are thought to be more conscious of mental health and self-care too, and plants have been <a href="https://journals.ashs.org/horttech/view/journals/horttech/30/1/article-p55.xml?ArticleBodyColorStyles=fullText">proven</a>to reduce stress levels and improve mood. But the <a href="https://canongate.co.uk/books/2902-rootbound-rewilding-a-life/">universal appeal</a> of house plants, according to writer <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/feb/07/succulent-mania-smuggling-millennials-roots">Alice Vincent</a>, is that they provide “a tangible way of connecting with nature that is absent from an increasingly screen-based world”. That could explain why their sales ballooned again during lockdown, and not just among younger customers. Anthropologist Gideon Lasco described the phenomenon in his native Philippines as a “<a href="https://www.sapiens.org/column/entanglements/covid-19-houseplants/?fbclid=IwAR32a9PK_rf4GsMQ0pTRPlE3LXvNtRgJch48YaCGMztStvc-VN6ZHxNykpY">botanical boom</a>” that seized Manila. Plants, far more mobile than locked down humans, were ordered online in record numbers and ferried to anxious households where they acquired names and were photographed alongside their new family. Patch, a British online plant store established in 2015, reported a sales increase of 500% during lockdown, with stock intended to last 12 weeks <a href="https://supplycompass.com/blog/feature/inconversationwith/patch/">vanishing in two</a>. Since June 2020, I’ve been talking to people around the world to better understand the role plants play in these times of forced isolation. My project, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/careforplants/">Care for Plants</a>, started by collecting photographs and videos of people caring for their plants and asking them to explain what they meant to them. By interviewing some of these people, I learned how plants provide care for their human companions too. <h2>A potted history</h2> Plants offered not only bonding, but recreational and educational opportunities to their human families during lockdown. Brian started growing tomatoes with his children – part scientific experiment, part family pastime. Mai had to keep her toddler busy, and turned the chore of watering and re-potting her plants into a fun activity. With her access to the outside world restricted, Aoife found solace in nature, and would gently submerge her hand in the soil to decompress and heal after a long day. Likewise, Aveline described her experience with plants as one that “empties the mind so that I can stop being anxious”. Merima talked about her lawn as a “void filler” for her family. “In the lawn we can still talk about the future. What should we plant and do next and it’s a very positive experience.” The pandemic tore away our shared sense of normality. Amid the rupture, caring for plants invited welcome new routines – watering, feeding, trimming and re-potting. Plants provided an escape from the anxieties of everyday life, offering beauty and proof that life could still flourish in the darkest times. Xin, who showed me her indoor jungle over a video call, told me that “more plants make a place feel luxurious. A sort of lockdown luxury for those who can work from home and create a nest”. But one of the most interesting aspects of my research was listening to stories about how people discovered a need to appreciate plants. Laura explained that she felt a new responsibility towards her plants because she more fully appreciated their companionship. Lucia, whose vibrant social life had made her largely unavailable to her plants, was finally able to keep them alive and wanted to learn how to make them feel appreciated, as a way of acknowledging how they enriched her life in lockdown. <h2>New shoots</h2> Conversations about care have multiplied during the pandemic. We clapped for carers and saw grassroots <a href="https://www.plutobooks.com/9780745343167/pandemic-solidarity/">mutual aid networks</a> emerge, providing care in our neighbourhoods and often filling in for <a href="https://www.versobooks.com/books/3706-care-manifesto">inadequate public provision</a>. But speaking with plant owners in lockdown, I unearthed new networks of care and solidarity between humans and other species. The gratitude that people felt for their floral companions challenged the view that nature exists simply to be used by humans and made many see for the first time how non-human beings enrich our social world. The stories I collected suggest we need a broader understanding of social relationships and solidarity; one that appreciates the importance of non-humans in everyday life. Many hope that the pandemic marks a turning point in the way humans interact with the rest of the natural world. Perhaps this watershed could be reached in our own homes, by recognising that the non-humans we share our lives with are equal partners in building a more sustainable and just future. All names have been changed to protect the individuals’ identities. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/house-plants-were-our-link-with-nature-in-lockdown-now-they-could-change-how-we-relate-to-the-natural-world-147637" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Home & Garden

The mental health toll of Covid-19 lockdowns

During 2021, most people around the world were subject to a period of lockdown to contain the spread of Covid-19. With lockdowns in Australia lasting several months, the personal effects of these isolation periods are not to be underestimated. According to a new report by the <a href="https://www.nswmentalhealthcommission.com.au/">Mental Health Commission of NSW</a>, one in eight people have emerged from the pandemic with a new mental health condition. As a result, the nation-wide mental health system is facing immense pressure, with wait times for mental health specialists stretching to more than six months in some parts of New South Wales alone. NSW Mental Health Commissioner Catherine Lourey told the <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/lockdown-toll-one-in-eight-have-new-mental-health-condition-20220513-p5al4v.html?fbclid=IwAR0ARZsPxwdkWuRbZoEGRmgXCQM8EF3QjXASs50dTw6keMn2KAKHV0kxa7M">Sydney Morning Herald</a> that Australia will need to recruit from abroad to boost its depleted and exhausted mental health workforce, as demand far outweighs supply for services after two years of lockdowns and pandemic distress. Data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare show a dramatic 25 percent increase in those seeking mental health services compared to the same time pre-pandemic. “As demand on services rises, waiting lists for specialists are blowing out to more than six months, particularly in regional parts of NSW,” Lourey said. “Our biggest obstacle is getting nurses and specialists on the ground now. We need intense focus on growing our existing workforce, re-training and looking overseas to recruit more psychologists, peer workers, social workers, nurses and counsellors,” Lourey said. A commission into the ongoing impact of the pandemic shows that the lockdowns of 2021 had a more detrimental effect on mental health than the first year of the pandemic. A survey of more than 2,000 NSW residents in November and December of 2021 found one in eight experienced a new mental health condition, the most common being anxiety and depression. People aged 18 to 29 were the most likely to experience a new mental health issue. Sixty-one percent said their mental health was negatively impacted by COVID-19 in 2021, up from 55 percent in 2020. Professor Ian Hickie, co-director of the University of Sydney’s Brain and Mind Centre, said the report indicated a need for ongoing support as the community realises Covid-19 will still cause disruption in their lives, even though lockdowns have ended. “2020 was bad, 2021 was worse, and 2022 could be at least better than last year, but we are not back to pre-pandemic yet,” he said. “We wouldn’t expect that until at least 2023, and that is assuming nothing else goes wrong.” Image credits: Getty Images

Mind

Lockdowns doubled your risk of mental health symptoms

During the almost two years of on-again off-again COVID lockdowns, we heard lots of concern from many different corners about the mental health effects of forcing people to stay home and keep away from friends and family. Many research projects were undertaken to attempt to measure the scale of the impacts on mental health. However, the speed with which research was generated meant in some cases, research quality was sacrificed, and some research found evidence of an effect on mental health, and some didn’t. To make sense of the very mixed findings, my colleagues and I conducted a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352250X22000252">review</a> of all of the studies on mental health conducted during the first year of the pandemic. We included 33 published papers which studied a total of nearly 132,000 people across various world regions. We found that overall, social restrictions doubled people’s odds of experiencing mental health symptoms. This means, of those who participated in these studies, those who experienced lockdowns were twice as likely to experience mental ill health than those who didn’t. This finding can be broken down further by different mental health symptoms. Social restrictions saw the odds people would experience symptoms of depression increase by over 4.5 times, the odds of experiencing stress increased by nearly 1.5 times, and the odds of experiencing loneliness almost doubled. When we drilled down further into these results, we found the length and strictness of lockdowns affected mental health symptoms differently. For example, strict lockdowns increased depression, whereas the onset of social restrictions increased stress. Low social restrictions, where there were some restrictions in place but not total lockdown, were associated with increases in anxiety. Also, mental health outcomes differed by age, with young and middle-aged adults reporting greater negative mental health symptoms than older adults. <h2>What lessons can we take away from these findings?</h2> The findings give us a good idea of what public health outreach should look like in the event of future pandemics. Anxiety was most prevalent when low restrictions were introduced. This could be due to the fact people were nervous about the precarity of the situation and where the virus could be circulating. The introduction of such measures should be accompanied by public health messaging and interventions that focus on alleviating chronic fear and worry. During the periods of strict social restrictions, the predominant mental health issue was depression, meaning mental health responses should focus on combating depressive-related symptoms such as hopelessness and loss of purpose. The findings for stress suggest symptoms are likely to intensify during the early stages of social restriction enforcement. This is probably because the onset of restrictions communicates to people an increase in the seriousness of the pandemic threat, and people have to work very hard to re-organise their lives if restrictions involve the need to work from home and home-school. During these times, providing messaging and interventions that help people manage their stress, such as dealing with work stress or the stress of home-schooling children, may be especially important. For parents, making them feel capable in the home classroom and promoting strategies that foster positive family functioning (such as more constructive communication and problem-solving) could reduce parental and family stress. Given social restrictions were found to be associated with increases in loneliness, promotion of digital technologies to keep people feeling connected is also important. Across all these mental health issues, messages that communicate these symptoms are to be expected are likely to help individuals normalise and acknowledge the nature and severity of their symptoms. This, in turn, may prompt people to seek help for their mental health symptoms. <h2>Research quality was poor</h2> Another important point to highlight from our review is the research conducted during the first year of the pandemic was generally of poor quality. This is because good measures of social restrictions were hard to come by in studies. Some studies didn’t detail the specific restrictions in place in various cities, or did not ask study participants to what extent they complied with restrictions. Also, some studies surveyed people’s mental health symptoms on the day social restrictions were first enforced. Most people are likely to experience heightened but temporary spikes in mental health symptoms that may naturally reduce after the initial lockdown announcements. This means it’s difficult to get a handle on the “true” mental health effects of social restrictions on the first day restrictions are activated. However, the effects of social restrictions on mental health symptoms were similar across studies where people were surveyed at one time point and where they were surveyed on more than one occasion during restrictions. This suggests the estimated effects seem robust, despite many studies not having the best assessments of social restrictions. The findings of our review show that although we have a way to go in the way we conduct research into the mental health effects of COVID-19 social restrictions, the initial research highlights these restrictions indeed negatively impacted the mental well-being of citizens. Although such restrictions may be an effective public health response to mitigate the spread of viruses such as COVID-19, there needs to be a co-ordinated response to safeguard people’s physical and mental health. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/lockdowns-doubled-your-risk-of-mental-health-symptoms-180953" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Mind

Chrissie Swan’s amazing lockdown transformation

Chrissie Swan has taken to Instagram to show off her recent stunning weight-loss.The busy mum of three and media personality embarked on her health journey back in 2021 and made some major life changes to help achieve her goals.Chrisse shared a mirror selfie to her Instagram stories where she was seen in activewear, a cap, and a bright yellow backpack. The TV personality credits her weight loss to cutting out alcohol and walking during Melbourne’s lockdown.It was revealed in October she’d been nine months sober after quitting alcohol for good to work on herself. Chrissie has shared other ways she’s made active life changes that led to weight loss and credits hobbies like meditation, long daily walks and participating in Fred Hollows Foundation initiative, Fred’s Big Run, walking 150km in one month.Chrissie proudly announced that she completed the 150km in only two weeks. “No one is more surprised than me that I did this already,” she told her followers after completing the walk.Images: Getty / Instagram

She missed her 100th birthday in lockdown, then this happened for 101

A care home resident who spent her 100th birthday alone during lockdown was absolutely blown away by the lavish celebration she was treated to when it finally came time to mark turning 101.Scotland's Edna Clayton, who moved into the Hector House facility in Shawlands, Glasgow, last August, spent her milestone 100th birthday alone last year - with no cards, no visitors and no celebration.But when staff discovered the milestone had gone unmarked, care home manager Angela Todd issued an appeal for the public to send Edna cards ahead of her 101st birthday a year later.'It's been unbelievable," said Ms Todd. "We thought about 20 or 30 cards would come through the door, but we're sitting on at least 30,000."Edna, who is an avid fan of the Good Morning Britain TV show, was surprised when one of the cards appeared to be Good Morning Britain-themed – with staff revealing that host Ben Shephard is her favourite presenter.Edna was delighted with the card, saying: 'Oh it's gorgeous. It's beautiful, it is. It's a beautiful card'.Edna spent her life caring for her beloved son James, who has Down's Syndrome and now lives in sheltered accommodation. Before the pandemic, Edna lived independently but 'lost confidence' as she became socially isolated during lockdown.'The Big 100 was spent at home alone in her home in Battlefield,' Angela told the BBC's Good Morning Scotland programme earlier this month. 'We just feel that shouldn't have happened.'After a breakfast of cake and champagne, Edna joined staff for a trip on a party bus tour around her old hometown of Anderston later in the afternoon.Edna was also excited to receive a telegram from The Queen, which she should have received on her 100th birthday, however it is believed no one applied to the Anniversaries Office at Buckingham Palace on her behalf.Viewers were delighted by the segment, with several taking to Twitter to hail the moment 'adorable' and wish Edna a happy birthday.'Aww bless her happy birthday Edna 101 year's young', wrote one user.'Oh Edna you little darling happy birthday', wrote another.A third said: 'Aww bless her. So lovely that the care home staff have made such a fuss of her. Happy Birthday Edna!'Image: Good Morning Britian

Family & Pets

Rekindling friendships after lockdown

As we resume our social lives after strict COVID restrictions have lifted, many of us are finding it’s time to take stock of our friendships. Recent research I’ve been involved in found <a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com/lonely-after-lockdown-how-covid-may-leave-us-with-fewer-friends-if-we-are-not-careful-168844" target="_blank">friendship networks were shrinking</a> in Australia during COVID lockdowns. Some people pruned their networks, focusing on only the most important family and friends. Others lost friends through reduced recreational and community activities, falling out of the habit of socialising, and shifting to more digital interaction. As we start to re-engage, the obvious question is – how do we get our old friends back? We might also ask ourselves – which friends do we want back? Which friends do we want? There’s no one answer here – different people want different things from friends. Data I have calculated from <a rel="noopener" href="http://rpatulny.com/data/" target="_blank">the 2015-16 Australian Social Attitudes Survey</a> show the main form of support received from close friends in Australia is: <ul> <li> primarily, having a confidant who provides emotional support </li> <li> followed by fun and good times </li> <li> and then, favours and advice of various kinds. </li> </ul> These results vary by background and life stage. Women are much more likely to have a confidant who provides emotional support as their closest friend. Men are more likely to have friends who provide fun, good times, favours and advice – or else no regular support at all. Younger people are more likely to have a confidant, emotional support, fun and good times. Older people, aged over 56, are slightly more likely to receive favours and advice, and are much more likely to lack a close supportive friend. <img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437962/original/file-20211216-19-ark8mw.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" alt="Alt" /> Women are much more likely to have a confidant who provides emotional support compared to men. <a rel="noopener" href="http://rpatulny.com/data/" target="_blank" class="source">Data: Australian Social Attitudes Survey 2015-16/Roger Patulny</a>, Author provided These results are indicative of what different people get from close friendships, but may not represent what they want or need. The close confidants women report as friends may well alleviate <a rel="noopener" href="https://books.google.com.au/books/about/Loneliness_the_Experience_of_Emotional_a.html?id=KuibQgAACAAJ&redir_esc=y" target="_blank">emotional loneliness</a>, which is defined as the absence of close attachment to others who provide strong emotional support. However, it may still leave them with <a rel="noopener" href="https://books.google.com.au/books/about/Loneliness_the_Experience_of_Emotional_a.html?id=KuibQgAACAAJ&redir_esc=y" target="_blank">social loneliness</a>, or the feeling of lacking quality, companionable connections with friends. Conversely, male camaraderie built around fun, activities and mutual favours may alleviate social but not emotional loneliness. Emerging evidence suggests emotional loneliness has a <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877042811027029" target="_blank">stronger negative impact on well-being than social loneliness</a>, so it’s important for everyone to have someone to talk to for emotional support. We still need a variety of approaches and goals to suit different friendship needs nonetheless. Beating social loneliness The first way to reduce social loneliness is to reach out to those we already know, now that we can. We can message old friends, organise get-togethers, or start new conversations and activities with everyday contacts including colleagues, fellow students, regulars at the local club or cafe, or neighbours. That said, reconnecting may now be impossible or undesirable for several reasons. These can include physical distance, changed life circumstances, different interests, intractable arguments, or a <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/bigideas/australian-men-are-prone-to-loneliness/10555064" target="_blank">masculine aversion to initiating contact</a>. In these cases, we can join, organise, invite others, and connect with new social and community groups. Better groups tend to run regular activities that genuinely reflect members’ interests and input. Generic groups that meet sporadically <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/abs/cambridge-handbook-of-personal-relationships/loneliness-and-social-isolation/246AFB3CA8837959725B67497331E0A8" target="_blank">are less effective</a>. Some people may benefit from joining support groups designed for people subject to stigma based on identity or life events, such as <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6841046/" target="_blank">LGBTQI</a> or health recovery groups. Some groups help deal with the stigma of feeling lonely. This includes shared activity groups where people talk “shoulder to shoulder” rather than face to face, such as <a rel="noopener" href="https://hivelife.com/australian-mens-shed-association/" target="_blank">Men’s Sheds</a>. Groups focused on education, shared discussion, or exercise are particularly good for <a rel="noopener" href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24575725/" target="_blank">friendship and alleviating loneliness among older people</a>. While online options abound for connecting, it’s important to avoid activities which increase loneliness, such as <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/07421222.2014.1001282" target="_blank">passive scrolling</a>, unsolicited broadcasting, or <a rel="noopener" href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1745691617713052?journalCode=ppsa" target="_blank">escapist substituting of digital communities for physical ones</a>. Interactive online contact and online groups that <a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com/does-social-media-make-us-more-or-less-lonely-depends-on-how-you-use-it-128468" target="_blank">help us organise in-person catch ups</a> (such as WhatsApp, Facebook or Meetup) are more effective. Beating emotional loneliness To beat emotional loneliness, the focus should be on deepening existing relationships. It’s essential to spend high quality, meaningful time with a few good quality friends (or even one). It might mean repairing damage, and <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-05-10/coronavirus-and-reflection-how-to-restore-a-friendship/12229750" target="_blank">apologising in a considered and respectful manner</a> if you did or said something wrong. Sometimes it just requires the effort of checking in more regularly. Organisations like <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.ruok.org.au/how-to-ask" target="_blank">RUOK</a> provide sensitive, step-by-step suggestions on how to do this. Online contact and videoconferencing can help maintain intimate partner and family connections, as it did during lockdown. It’s particularly helpful for <a rel="noopener" href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21069600/" target="_blank">older people</a> and <a rel="noopener" href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2012-14727-003" target="_blank">migrants</a>, but less so for younger people <a rel="noopener" href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24321573/" target="_blank">already saturated in online social media</a> connections. <img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/436868/original/file-20211210-23-txf7t8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="One elderly man comforting another" /> It’s crucial for our health and well-being to spend deep, meaningful time with close friends. Shutterstock Some people may also need help from a professional psychologist, counsellor, or support group to process increased social anxiety, particularly after COVID lockdown. <a rel="noopener" href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2019-62767-001" target="_blank">Such support</a> can reduce emotional loneliness by helping us process social situations more positively and <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/abs/cambridge-handbook-of-personal-relationships/loneliness-and-social-isolation/246AFB3CA8837959725B67497331E0A8" target="_blank">be more realistic (and less anxious) about our friendship options</a>. Ending wrong or ‘toxic’ friendships In <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.verywellmind.com/news-how-to-rekindle-friendships-after-covid-19-5179635" target="_blank">reflecting on our friendships</a>, we may decide to end any that have become particularly toxic. Where possible, we should be kind, explain this, and avoid ghosting, as this can be <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/living-forward/201511/why-ghosting-hurts-so-much" target="_blank">highly traumatic to those who are ghosted</a> and de-sensitise us to others’ feelings if we do it regularly. Before doing so, we should be careful we don’t just need a break to rebuild energy and habits of interactions. We should be especially careful with <a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com/friday-essay-on-the-ending-of-a-friendship-121627" target="_blank">ending long-term friendships</a>. Quality relationships take time, shared history, and involve natural ups and downs – especially in a pandemic. We should look to renegotiate rather than end them wherever possible. Take time, and seek counselling or another friend’s advice. Since listening is key to friendship, maybe ask yourself – have you heard everything they’re trying to say?<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/172853/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/roger-patulny-94836" target="_blank">Roger Patulny</a>, Associate Professor of Sociology, <a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-wollongong-711" target="_blank">University of Wollongong</a> This article is republished from <a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com/lost-touch-with-friends-during-lockdown-heres-how-to-reconnect-and-let-go-of-toxic-ones-172853" target="_blank">original article</a>. Image: Getty Images

Relationships

Lost touch with friends during lockdown? Here’s how to reconnect (and let go of ‘toxic’ ones)

As we resume our social lives after strict COVID restrictions have lifted, many of us are finding it’s time to take stock of our friendships. Recent research I’ve been involved in found <a href="https://theconversation.com/lonely-after-lockdown-how-covid-may-leave-us-with-fewer-friends-if-we-are-not-careful-168844">friendship networks were shrinking</a> in Australia during COVID lockdowns. Some people pruned their networks, focusing on only the most important family and friends. Others lost friends through reduced recreational and community activities, falling out of the habit of socialising, and shifting to more digital interaction. As we start to re-engage, the obvious question is – how do we get our old friends back? We might also ask ourselves – which friends do we want back? <h2>Which friends do we want?</h2> There’s no one answer here – different people want different things from friends. Data I have calculated from <a href="http://rpatulny.com/data/">the 2015-16 Australian Social Attitudes Survey</a> show the main form of support received from close friends in Australia is: <ul> <li> primarily, having a confidant who provides emotional support </li> <li> followed by fun and good times </li> <li> and then, favours and advice of various kinds. </li> </ul> These results vary by background and life stage. Women are much more likely to have a confidant who provides emotional support as their closest friend. Men are more likely to have friends who provide fun, good times, favours and advice – or else no regular support at all. Younger people are more likely to have a confidant, emotional support, fun and good times. Older people, aged over 56, are slightly more likely to receive favours and advice, and are much more likely to lack a close supportive friend. <img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437962/original/file-20211216-19-ark8mw.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" alt="Alt" /> Women are much more likely to have a confidant who provides emotional support compared to men. <a href="http://rpatulny.com/data/" class="source">Data: Australian Social Attitudes Survey 2015-16/Roger Patulny</a>, Author provided These results are indicative of what different people get from close friendships, but may not represent what they want or need. The close confidants women report as friends may well alleviate <a href="https://books.google.com.au/books/about/Loneliness_the_Experience_of_Emotional_a.html?id=KuibQgAACAAJ&redir_esc=y">emotional loneliness</a>, which is defined as the absence of close attachment to others who provide strong emotional support. However, it may still leave them with <a href="https://books.google.com.au/books/about/Loneliness_the_Experience_of_Emotional_a.html?id=KuibQgAACAAJ&redir_esc=y">social loneliness</a>, or the feeling of lacking quality, companionable connections with friends. Conversely, male camaraderie built around fun, activities and mutual favours may alleviate social but not emotional loneliness. Emerging evidence suggests emotional loneliness has a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877042811027029">stronger negative impact on well-being than social loneliness</a>, so it’s important for everyone to have someone to talk to for emotional support. We still need a variety of approaches and goals to suit different friendship needs nonetheless. <h2>Beating social loneliness</h2> The first way to reduce social loneliness is to reach out to those we already know, now that we can. We can message old friends, organise get-togethers, or start new conversations and activities with everyday contacts including colleagues, fellow students, regulars at the local club or cafe, or neighbours. That said, reconnecting may now be impossible or undesirable for several reasons. These can include physical distance, changed life circumstances, different interests, intractable arguments, or a <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/bigideas/australian-men-are-prone-to-loneliness/10555064">masculine aversion to initiating contact</a>. In these cases, we can join, organise, invite others, and connect with new social and community groups. Better groups tend to run regular activities that genuinely reflect members’ interests and input. Generic groups that meet sporadically <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/abs/cambridge-handbook-of-personal-relationships/loneliness-and-social-isolation/246AFB3CA8837959725B67497331E0A8">are less effective</a>. Some people may benefit from joining support groups designed for people subject to stigma based on identity or life events, such as <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6841046/">LGBTQI</a> or health recovery groups. Some groups help deal with the stigma of feeling lonely. This includes shared activity groups where people talk “shoulder to shoulder” rather than face to face, such as <a href="https://hivelife.com/australian-mens-shed-association/">Men’s Sheds</a>. Groups focused on education, shared discussion, or exercise are particularly good for <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24575725/">friendship and alleviating loneliness among older people</a>. While online options abound for connecting, it’s important to avoid activities which increase loneliness, such as <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/07421222.2014.1001282">passive scrolling</a>, unsolicited broadcasting, or <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1745691617713052?journalCode=ppsa">escapist substituting of digital communities for physical ones</a>. Interactive online contact and online groups that <a href="https://theconversation.com/does-social-media-make-us-more-or-less-lonely-depends-on-how-you-use-it-128468">help us organise in-person catch ups</a> (such as WhatsApp, Facebook or Meetup) are more effective. <h2>Beating emotional loneliness</h2> To beat emotional loneliness, the focus should be on deepening existing relationships. It’s essential to spend high quality, meaningful time with a few good quality friends (or even one). It might mean repairing damage, and <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-05-10/coronavirus-and-reflection-how-to-restore-a-friendship/12229750">apologising in a considered and respectful manner</a> if you did or said something wrong. Sometimes it just requires the effort of checking in more regularly. Organisations like <a href="https://www.ruok.org.au/how-to-ask">RUOK</a> provide sensitive, step-by-step suggestions on how to do this. Online contact and videoconferencing can help maintain intimate partner and family connections, as it did during lockdown. It’s particularly helpful for <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21069600/">older people</a> and <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2012-14727-003">migrants</a>, but less so for younger people <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24321573/">already saturated in online social media</a> connections. <img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/436868/original/file-20211210-23-txf7t8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="One elderly man comforting another" /> It’s crucial for our health and well-being to spend deep, meaningful time with close friends. Shutterstock Some people may also need help from a professional psychologist, counsellor, or support group to process increased social anxiety, particularly after COVID lockdown. <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2019-62767-001">Such support</a> can reduce emotional loneliness by helping us process social situations more positively and <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/abs/cambridge-handbook-of-personal-relationships/loneliness-and-social-isolation/246AFB3CA8837959725B67497331E0A8">be more realistic (and less anxious) about our friendship options</a>. <h2>Ending wrong or ‘toxic’ friendships</h2> In <a href="https://www.verywellmind.com/news-how-to-rekindle-friendships-after-covid-19-5179635">reflecting on our friendships</a>, we may decide to end any that have become particularly toxic. Where possible, we should be kind, explain this, and avoid ghosting, as this can be <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/living-forward/201511/why-ghosting-hurts-so-much">highly traumatic to those who are ghosted</a> and de-sensitise us to others’ feelings if we do it regularly. Before doing so, we should be careful we don’t just need a break to rebuild energy and habits of interactions. We should be especially careful with <a href="https://theconversation.com/friday-essay-on-the-ending-of-a-friendship-121627">ending long-term friendships</a>. Quality relationships take time, shared history, and involve natural ups and downs – especially in a pandemic. We should look to renegotiate rather than end them wherever possible. Take time, and seek counselling or another friend’s advice. Since listening is key to friendship, maybe ask yourself – have you heard everything they’re trying to say?<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/172853/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/roger-patulny-94836">Roger Patulny</a>, Associate Professor of Sociology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-wollongong-711">University of Wollongong</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/lost-touch-with-friends-during-lockdown-heres-how-to-reconnect-and-let-go-of-toxic-ones-172853">original article</a>. Image: Shutterstock

Family & Pets

How coronavirus has changed how we enjoy hotel breakfasts

The new normal in hotel buffets Who doesn’t love a good hotel buffet? They are cost-effective, delicious and it doesn’t matter if your eyes are bigger than your stomach. There is something truly magical about groggily taking the lift down to the hotel lobby to find an expansive breakfast spread in front of you, but while still exciting, these moments will look a little different now due to the coronavirus pandemic. We spoke to experts to see just what will be different about hotel buffets in a post-pandemic world. No more serving yourself One major change we might see at hotel buffets post-pandemic is that we won’t be the ones putting the food on our plates. Guests will most likely just point to the food that they want behind plexiglass and servers will place the food on their dish. “That way, only one person will be holding the serving utensils and guests may not have to wear gloves to prevent the transfer of bacteria,” says Laurie Wilkins, founder of Call Outdoors. Hand sanitiser will become a staple If you haven’t already noticed, hand sanitiser has become a staple everywhere and hotels are not the exception. Hand sanitising stations will likely be at various access points throughout the buffet. “These hand sanitisers might also have a foot pump dispenser, so everything is hands-free,” claims Wilkins. “Since there are many people coming to the restaurant, the surface of hand sanitiser bottles may potentially be unsanitary as well.” Breakfast room will be sealed Dining rooms will be closed in order to avoid unnecessary congregation and interaction between guests at some large hotel chains, such as Best Western. Guests will eat in their own private spaces so everyone can maintain distance and limit contact. Grab And Go options Best Western is also enhancing its “Grab & Go” offerings, meaning that all food and beverage options will be pre-packaged to avoid contamination. With pre-packaged options, guests will avoid unnecessary touching or breathing on the food and will also have limited contact with servers. Waiter service “The food will still be mass-produced but, instead of customers going up to grab food, they will order from the staff who will bring the food to you,” explains Raymond Cua, founder of Travelling Foodie. “This will eliminate the need to have all the food displayed outside which is prone to contamination.” Having a waitstaff can also prevent unnecessary contact with other guests as the only outside contact people will have is with their server. Contactless ordering Cua also claims that some hotels may implement contactless ordering with the use of a device rather than having a server physically come to take your order. That way, the only contact will be the delivery of the food to the table. Room service “One possible action plan that hotels can do is to use room service as a platform to connect their customers to their hotel buffet offerings,” says Yaniv Masjedi, CMO at Nextiva. “Customers can choose the food and drinks they like to eat and relay information to the front desk. Then, room service delivers orders. With this set-up, it helps prevent the spread of the virus by eliminating the chances of hotel guests interacting with one another.” Hotel employees can also leave the food outside the door like many takeout places have been doing to limit face-to-face contact. Directional buffets For hotels that are still allowing for in-person buffets, guests will only be able to move in one direction while socially distanced – just like many stores that are placing directional arrows on the floor. “Buffets will become more ‘directional’ with you needing to start on one end, and finish in another, for more traffic flow,” explains Alex Miller, CEO of Upgraded Points.com. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared in <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/travel/travel-hints-tips/what-hotel-buffets-will-look-like-now/" target="_blank">Reader's Digest</a>.

Travel Tips

If you took to growing veggies in the coronavirus pandemic, then keep it up when lockdown ends

The COVID-19 pandemic produced a run on the things people need to produce their own food at home, including <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03-24/coronavirus-panic-buying-of-edible-plants-at-nurseries/12082988">vegetable seedlings, seeds</a> and <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/scramble-for-backyard-chooks-follows-egg-panic-buying-20200401-p54g28.html">chooks</a>. This turn to self-provisioning was prompted in part by the high price rises for produce – including <a href="https://www.perthnow.com.au/news/coronavirus/cauliflower-and-broccoli-among-healthy-vegetables-whose-prices-have-skyrocketed-during-coronavirus-pandemic-ng-b881501930z">A$10 cauliflowers and broccoli for A$13 a kilo</a> – and empty <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/food/2020/mar/27/ive-never-seen-it-like-this-why-vegetables-are-so-expensive-in-australia-at-the-moment">veggie shelves in some supermarkets</a>. As well as <a href="https://www.news.com.au/finance/business/retail/bunnings-diy-garden-shopping-frenzy-as-virus-lockdown-takes-hold/news-story/413857a8c40b44af21eb90a1f88a594f">hitting the garden centres</a> people looked online for information on growing food. Google searches for “<a href="https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=all&q=how%20to%20grow%20vegetables">how to grow vegetables</a>” hit an all-time worldwide high in April. Hobart outfit Good Life Permaculture’s video on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUqkZLSOdm0">Crisis Gardening - Fresh Food Fast</a> racked up over 80,000 views in a month. Facebook kitchen garden groups, such as <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SAKGF/videos/vb.107400965969813/2830266200384624/?type=3&theater">Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation</a>, sought to share information and inspiration. <h2>The good life</h2> Given the many benefits of productive gardening, this interest in increased self-sufficiency was an intelligent response to the pandemic situation. Experienced gardeners can produce enough fruit and vegetables year-round to supply two people from <a href="https://www.katlavers.com/the-plummery/">a small suburban backyard</a>. <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211335516301401" title="Gardening is beneficial for health: A meta-analysis">Productive gardening improves health</a> by providing contact with nature, physical activity and a healthier diet. Contact with <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6780873/" title="Does Soil Contribute to the Human Gut Microbiome?">good soil bacteria</a> also has positive health effects. While Australians have traditionally valued the feeling of independence imparted by a degree of self-sufficiency, psychological benefits arise from the <a href="https://uwap.uwa.edu.au/products/reclaiming-the-urban-commons">social connectedness encouraged by many forms of productive gardening</a>. Amid COVID-19, gardeners gathered online and community gardens around the world brought people together through gardening and food. In some areas, community gardens were <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/ontario-community-gardens-essential-1.5545115">declared essential because of their contribution to food security</a>. Although Australian community gardens paused their public programs, most remained open for gardening adhering to social distancing regulations. <img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/329929/original/file-20200423-47826-1iul3x5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="" /> Community gardens have an important role to play in food resilience. Andrea Gaynor <h2>We always dig deep in a crisis</h2> Vegetable gardening and poultry-keeping often surge in popularity during times of social or economic insecurity, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. These responses are built on an established Australian tradition of home food production, something I have <a href="http://www.environmentandsociety.org/sites/default/files/key_docs/harvest_of_the_suburbs__andrea_gaynor_with_title_and_content.pdf">researched in depth</a>. Yet history tells us it’s not easy to rapidly increase self-provisioning in times of crisis – especially for those in greatest need, such as unemployed people. This is another reason why you should plant a vegetable garden (or keep your current one going) even after the lockdown ends, <a href="https://www.sustain.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Urban-Agriculture-Manifesto-2020-1.pdf">as part of a broader suite of reforms</a> needed to make our food systems more fair and resilient. In the second world war, for example, Australian food and agricultural supply chains were disrupted. In 1942-3, as the theatres of war expanded and shortages loomed, the YWCA organised women into “<a href="https://www.awm.gov.au/articles/encyclopedia/homefront/victory_gardens">garden armies</a>” to grow vegetables and the federal government launched campaigns encouraging home food production. Community-based food production expanded, but it was not possible for everyone, and obstacles emerged. In Australia, there were disruptions in the supply of seeds, fertiliser and even rubber for garden hoses. In London, resourceful gardeners scraped pigeon droppings from buildings to feed their victory gardens. Another problem was the lack of gardening and poultry-keeping skills and knowledge. The Australian government’s efforts to provide good gardening advice were thwarted by local shortages and weather conditions. Their advertisements encouraging experienced gardeners to help neighbours may have been more effective. <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/334896/original/file-20200514-167768-brf3j3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/334896/original/file-20200514-167768-brf3j3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="" /></a> Australian government ‘Grow Your Own’ campaign advertising, 1943. National Archives of Australia, Author provided Home food production has also increased during times of economic distress. During the <a href="https://www.nma.gov.au/defining-moments/resources/great-depression">Great Depression</a> in the 1920s and 1930s, a health inspector in the inner suburbs of Melbourne reported, with satisfaction, that horse manure was no longer accumulating: <blockquote> … being very much in demand by the many unemployed who now grow their own vegetables. </blockquote> The high inflation and unemployment of the 1970s – as well as the oil shocks that saw steep increases in fuel prices – saw more people take up productive gardening as a low-cost recreation and buffer against high food prices. The urge to grow your own in a crisis is a strong one, but better preparation is needed for it to be an equitable and effective response. <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/329926/original/file-20200423-47804-pldop7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/329926/original/file-20200423-47804-pldop7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="" /></a> How to grow your own vegetables… as long as you like endive. Andrea Gaynor <h2>Beyond the pandemic</h2> The <a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/coronavirus-home-gardening-explosion-fruits-vegetables-lockdown/3cf0476b-9fe0-432e-b5c9-d37b9390a12f">empty shelves at nurseries and seed suppliers</a> seen earlier this year tell us we were again insufficiently prepared to rapidly scale up productive home gardening. We need to develop more robust local food systems, including opportunities for people to develop and share food production skills. These could build on established programs, such as western Melbourne’s <a href="https://mysmartgarden.org.au/">My Smart Garden</a>. Particularly in built-up urban areas, provision of safe, accessible, free or low-cost gardening spaces would enable everyone to participate. More city farms with livestock, large-scale composting and seed saving, can increase local supplies of garden inputs and buffer against external disruption. Like other crises before it, COVID-19 has exposed vulnerabilities in the systems that supply most Australians with our basic needs. While we can’t grow toilet paper or hand sanitiser, there is a role for productive gardens and small-scale animal-keeping in making food systems resilient, sustainable and equitable. Self-provisioning doesn’t replace the need for social welfare and wider food system reform. But it can provide a bit of insurance against crises, as well as many everyday benefits.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/135359/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/andrea-gaynor-285129">Andrea Gaynor</a>, Associate Professor of History, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-western-australia-1067">The University of Western Australia</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/if-you-took-to-growing-veggies-in-the-coronavirus-pandemic-then-keep-it-up-when-lockdown-ends-135359">original article</a>. Image: Shutterstock

Home Hints & Tips

Travel bans and event cancellations: how the art market is suffering from coronavirus

The recently released <a href="https://www.artbasel.com/about/initiatives/the-art-market">The Art Market 2020</a> report provides a timely insight into how COVID-19-related disruptions are likely to impact growth and sales in the global art market. The report estimates global art market sales in 2019 were worth US$64.1 billion (A$97 billion), down 5% on 2018. This drop reflects the <a href="https://www.un.org/development/desa/dpad/publication/world-economic-situation-and-prospects-september-2019-briefing-no-130/">decline in global economic growth</a> driven by increasing geopolitical tensions and the trend toward trade protectionism led by the United States. In 2020, measures to control the spread of coronavirus through government restrictions on travel and large social events are already having a dramatic impact on the international art market. In the last six weeks, multiple art fairs have announced either <a href="https://news.artnet.com/market/miart-2020-1795875">postponement or cancellation</a>, including Jingart Beijing, Art Basel Hong Kong, Miaart Milan, Art Paris, Art Berlin and Art Dubai. The European Fine Art Fair in Maastricht went ahead, but reported <a href="https://news.artnet.com/market/tefaf-fair-quiet-coronavirus-fears-1795797">a 27% drop</a> in attendance of VIPs at the opening, when many major sales are traditionally made. <h2>The growing art fair market</h2> As in previous years, 2019 art market sales were highly concentrated in three major hubs. The United States, the United Kingdom and China collectively accounted for 82% of the total value of sales. The Art Market report identified a growing shift away from public auctions toward private sales. The overall auction sector (including public auctions and private sales by auction houses, online and offline) represented 42% of total market sales in 2019. The overall dealer sector (including dealer, gallery and online retail sales) represented 58% of total art market sales in 2019, with the value of sales increasing by 2%. Within this sector, dealers with turnover of more than US$1 million (A$1.5 million) experienced a much larger growth of 20%. These dealers are the fastest-growing sector and the most reliant on art fair sales. Almost half of all sales in the dealer sector were made at art fairs in 2019, amounting to US$16.5 billion (A$25 billion) – 26% of all sales made in the global art market. This concentration of sales at the top end of the dealer market is perhaps the art market’s Achilles heel when considering potential fallout from the impending COVID-19 pandemic. Dealers in this turnover bracket attended twice as many art fairs as smaller dealers, with international fairs (as opposed to local fairs) contributing to more than half their total art fair sales. For dealers with turnover of more than US$10 million (A$15.1 million), international art fairs represented a staggering 70% of their art fair sales. <h2>An unwelcome ‘distraction’</h2> Besides the sales generated at art fairs, dealers have become increasingly dependent on fairs for expanding client lists and developing their businesses. The unfolding COVID-19 pandemic represents an immediate threat to this business model. One dealer quoted in The Art Market report noted the undesirable impact disruptions from outside the art world can have on art market demand: "2020 will be a challenging year, but rather than major political dramas having a direct financial impact, their main danger for us is to distract people’s attention. Distractions and anxieties can take people away from buying art, even if the economy is booming and they’re still in a position to spend." While this dealer was more likely referring to topical political issues, such as Brexit or trade sanctions, the COVID-19 outbreak has the potential to provide a far greater “distraction” for art buyers. The impact of COVID-19 on the long-term health of the art market remains to be seen. Art fairs <a href="https://news.artnet.com/market/art-fair-saturation-1484986">had already been struggling</a> due to multiple economic headwinds in the latter part of 2019, with increasing numbers of retractions and cancellations worldwide. In 2019, Art Basel Hong Kong featured 242 galleries from 35 countries and was attended by 88,000 visitors over five days. This was a pivotal event on the regional calendar and its loss to the 2020 art market will be sorely felt. The global footprints and nimble business structures of international auction houses may help these businesses weather this storm, as <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/12/arts/christies-sothebys-auctions.html">they have done in the past</a>. But the picture is worrying for commercial galleries. Artists and galleries <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/culture/art-and-design/australian-galleries-count-cost-as-coronavirus-shutters-hk-art-fair-20200207-p53yts.html">prepare for months</a> in advance of fairs and exhibitions. In a survey of the <a href="https://www.theartnewspaper.com/analysis/behind-closed-doors-how-museums-in-china-are-coping-with-coronavirus">impact of the coronavirus</a> on the art market in China, 73.8% of respondents in the visual arts industry reported their businesses will not survive for longer than three months if the current containment situation continues. <a href="https://news.artnet.com/art-world/coronavirus-hong-kong-online-gallery-platform-1794369">Creative initiatives</a> are emerging, such as Art Basel Hong Kong’s online viewing platform. But with uncertainty about how long it will be until this pandemic is under control, the future health of the global art industry is yet to be determined. Image credits: Getty Images This article was first published on <a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com/travel-bans-and-event-cancellations-how-the-art-market-is-suffering-from-coronavirus-133161" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>.

Art

Simple things we'll miss from lockdown

<span data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"With many of us heading \"back to normal\", there are some aspects of lockdown we'll miss in our everyday life. Read more:"}" data-sheets-userformat="{"2":829,"3":{"1":0},"5":{"1":[{"1":2,"2":0,"5":{"1":2,"2":0}},{"1":0,"2":0,"3":3},{"1":1,"2":0,"4":1}]},"6":{"1":[{"1":2,"2":0,"5":{"1":2,"2":0}},{"1":0,"2":0,"3":3},{"1":1,"2":0,"4":1}]},"7":{"1":[{"1":2,"2":0,"5":{"1":2,"2":0}},{"1":0,"2":0,"3":3},{"1":1,"2":0,"4":1}]},"8":{"1":[{"1":2,"2":0,"5":{"1":2,"2":0}},{"1":0,"2":0,"3":3},{"1":1,"2":0,"4":1}]},"11":4,"12":0}">Though the downsides of the coronavirus lockdown outweigh the benefits, there are some aspects we may come to miss as we return to normal, everyday life. <span data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"With many of us heading \"back to normal\", there are some aspects of lockdown we'll miss in our everyday life. Read more:"}" data-sheets-userformat="{"2":829,"3":{"1":0},"5":{"1":[{"1":2,"2":0,"5":{"1":2,"2":0}},{"1":0,"2":0,"3":3},{"1":1,"2":0,"4":1}]},"6":{"1":[{"1":2,"2":0,"5":{"1":2,"2":0}},{"1":0,"2":0,"3":3},{"1":1,"2":0,"4":1}]},"7":{"1":[{"1":2,"2":0,"5":{"1":2,"2":0}},{"1":0,"2":0,"3":3},{"1":1,"2":0,"4":1}]},"8":{"1":[{"1":2,"2":0,"5":{"1":2,"2":0}},{"1":0,"2":0,"3":3},{"1":1,"2":0,"4":1}]},"11":4,"12":0}">Here are just some that you may miss once we go back to "normal". Getting to see your kids grow in real time Working parents know all too well the pain of missing important milestones like baby’s first steps or a first lost tooth. Pictures and video just aren’t the same. But being in lockdown allowed us to watch our kids grow in real time, without the interruption of school, work, or daycare. It’s amazing how much little ones change, even day to day. FaceTiming grandma every night at bedtime Video and regular calls went way up during lockdown as people felt the urge to reach out to loved ones more frequently. Even if relatives weren’t directly in harm’s way, we still wanted to check in and make sure everyone was doing well. Not only that but we had the time for extended chats, allowing for a deeper level of connection. More options for working from home Companies that had always said that there was no way their employees could work from home suddenly found a lot of effective and interesting ways to make it work when they had to. Lockdown showed us how to really take advantage of technology to simplify jobs and cut out a lot of unnecessary meetings and busy work. Fresh-baked bread and three-course meals It’s almost certain that you increased your cooking skills during lockdown, with many people finding real joy in learning to create in the kitchen. Busy nights call for quick food you can throw together (or take out!), but lockdown nights allowed for slower, more complex meals. We got to re-learn what it’s like to enjoy the process of making and eating good food. The week-long board games Activities normally reserved for camping trips or power outages suddenly became the norm in lockdown as folks rediscovered their love for all kinds of games, from Monopoly to lawn darts to jigsaw puzzles to epic ping-pong battles. Seeing the bottom of your laundry basket It’s much easier not to fall behind on the basic household chores like laundry and dishes when you never leave your home! We had the time to do chores, but also more desire to do them, as we were confronted with the laundry mountain multiple times a day. Blowing your daily step goal out of the water It may sound strange that one of the best things about being forced to stay at home was the outdoors, but the truth is that while many of us were out of the house pre-lockdown, we weren’t spending much time outside. Lockdown made daily, or even thrice-daily, walks around the block something to look forward to. Then there was getting to soak in the sunshine as you worked from your deck or gardened or played with your kids in the yard. We got to watch sunrises, sunsets and cloud formations we never would have seen normally. Oh, and we logged so many more steps – when all you can do is walk, you do a lot of walking. All the overjoyed pets If there’s one group that was absolutely thrilled about lockdown, it was our pets. Dogs and cats (well, some of the cats) relished all the extra time, attention, walks and treats they got from owners. No longer did they have to watch mournfully at the window as we left; their humans were there with them all the time – exactly as they’d always wanted. We’ll definitely miss all those extra furry snuggles. Hooting and singing while hanging out of your car People couldn’t congregate as normal, so we were forced to find other ways to celebrate, including birthday drive-bys, Zoom game nights, Netflix parties and driveway gatherings. Not only were these get-togethers generally more chill, but they required a level of creativity and participation that made them feel fun in ways normal parties didn’t. Plus, when else are you not just allowed, but encouraged, to drive by your friend’s house multiple times as part of a parade while scream-singing “Happy Birthday” and honking? This article was written by Charlotte Hilton Anderson and first appeared in <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/culture/things-youll-secretly-miss-about-lockdown" target="_blank">Reader’s Digest</a>. For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, <a rel="noopener" href="http://readersdigest.innovations.com.au/c/readersdigestemailsubscribe?utm_source=over60&utm_medium=articles&utm_campaign=RDSUB&keycode=WRA87V" target="_blank">here’s our best subscription offer.</a> Image: Getty Images <img style="width: 100px !important; height: 100px !important;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7820640/1.png" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/f30947086c8e47b89cb076eb5bb9b3e2" />

Home & Garden

Ben Fordham blasts deputy premier over broken promises

Radio host Ben Fordham has blasted the NSW deputy premier Paul Toole over sudden changes to travel restrictions. On Thursday, the newly formed state crisis cabinet backflipped on their plan to allow Sydneysiders to travel to regional parts of NSW once the 80 percent vaccine milestone was met. Appearing on Ben's 2GB morning show on Friday, Mr Toole confirmed that the date has been changed to November 1st. The sudden change has sparked outrage, as families and friends across the state are desperate to be reunited with their loved ones. “I know it’s frustrating and I know it’s not an easy decision being made, but we have a responsibility to keep our regional communities safe,” Mr Toole said. Ben argued that “people have had all the time in the world to get vaccinated”. “Why does it matter when we’ve hit 80 per cent?” he asked. “It’s the quicker the better. I don’t know how many broken promises there are on regional travel. I can’t keep up.” Allowing Sydneysiders to visit other NSW regions was originally promised when the state achieved the 70 percent milestone, but then was pushed back to 80 percent. NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet on Thursday argued that the state achieved the 80 per cent target far earlier than anticipated, which had sparked concerns among regional leaders as rural NSW communities catch up to vaccine rates. Mr Toole echoed those comments on Friday. “We achieved that target of 80 per cent vaccination quicker than we thought. We thought it would still be a couple of weeks away,” Mr Toole said, before later arguing that the road map had been a clear path. Fordham argued that the people of NSW felt “dudded” by the decision and pushed Mr Toole to confess to breaking a promise. “Do you agree that it’s a broken promise?” he asked. Mr Toole tried to argue that there had been changes to the road map, but Fordham pushed him again. “Do you agree that it’s a broken promise? Yes or no?" “I actually think the road map we’ve put forward has had plenty of changes all the way through,” Mr Toole said. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> What a joke. Absolutely pathetic. First they said 70% there would be travel between regional and greater Sydney, then they said 80% and now they move it back a week every day. People who aren’t vaccinated by now probably aren’t getting vaccinated. — Luke Jarvis (@lukethorotek) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukethorotek/status/1448754140818010138?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 14, 2021</a></blockquote> At Friday's NSW Covid-19 press conference, premier Dom Perrottet also announced new <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/health-safety/regional-travel-pushed-back-to-november-1/news-story/b34dbba46b81e2247950318960111666" target="_blank">changes to the roadmap as of November 1st</a>. From that date, international travellers entering New South Wales will not be required to quarantine in hotels upon entry, as Dom declared hotel quarantine "a thing of the past". In addition to these changes, returning travellers also won't be required to complete any home quarantine before they can explore the state. These new restrictions are only in place for those who are fully vaccinated, until the state opens up for everyone in December. Image credits: 2GB

Travel Trouble

10 things you’ll secretly miss about lockdown

Weight gain, feelings of isolation, news-induced nightmares, job losses, toilet paper shortages, illness: The list of downsides of the coronavirus lockdown is long and painful. Yet as places start to reopen and lockdowns are lifted, we are recognising that staying at home wasn’t all bad. In fact, there were a lot of really awesome things about lockdown—things we’re actually going to miss when we go back to “normal” life. Here’s an idea of when that’ll be, and what it could look like. The perfect excuse to say no If you’ve suffered from FOMO (the fear of missing out), lockdown helped us discover JOMO, or the joy of missing out. While it was sad to miss parties and work trips, it was also kind of a relief to have no obligations. And you didn’t have to worry about coming up with a believable reason not to do things! “Sorry, government/health orders” is an airtight excuse. Au naturel hair Lockdown gave us permission to let it all go – from curling irons to makeup to bras, we found freedom in letting our bodies revert back to their natural states. One perk: Many of us discovered our hair was much healthier and shinier when not subjected to daily washings, heat tools and hair dye. Sure, the grey roots showed, but it was fine because the pit hair had finally grown long enough to be soft. Going back to blow dryers and razors again is tough. Finding new ways to save money There’s no doubt that the pandemic has caused a considerable amount of financial stress for many people. But it also offered a unique opportunity to save money by creating a kind of forced frugality. With restaurants, movie theatres, shopping centres and other entertainment venues closed, we weren’t tempted to splurge on a night out. With only going to the supermarket once every week or two, we did less impulse buying. With no one to see us, we didn’t feel the need to buy makeup or clothing. And petrol money? Who needs petrol when you’re not driving anywhere? Lockdown really helped us separate our needs from our wants. A ten-second commute Walking from your bed to your desk in the next room is a far cry from battling traffic to drop the kids at school and then get into the office. While working from home does have its downsides, the ten-second commute was definitely a bonus. Soaking in the sound of silence While the empty roads can feel a little weirdly apocalyptic at first, it’s easy to appreciate the reduced pollution and noise. For many, lockdown was the first time they’d experienced the sounds of nature around their home without interruption. Who knew there were so many types of birds in your area? Or how deeply you sleep when it’s truly quiet? Indulgng your inner sleeping beauty Working from home, plus a reduced (okay, cancelled) social life, left us with a lot of extra time on our hands, which many of us used to catch up on our years-long sleep debt. When was the last time you got to completely turn off your alarm and wake up naturally, go to bed as early as you like, or take a little midday nap in the sunshine? It felt good! Playing "Old Town Road" on the flute you hand-crafted out of wood scraps Hip-hop dancing. Baking. Painting. Speaking French. Embroidering sarcastic sayings. People embraced a wide variety of new (or long-forgotten) hobbies and skills in lockdown and, while we may want to keep them going once life returns to “normal,” we all know it’s going to be tricky. Busy schedules have a way of taking over, and when you’re not home all the time, it’s a lot harder to monitor your sourdough every few hours or water your tomatoes three times a day. Cosy family dinners During lockdown, dinnertime was no longer just a nice moment of the day; it became the defining event of the day, the thing everyone looked forward to. Not only did we have time to cook healthier, tastier meals, but most of the time we could count on everyone being home to eat together. Okay, this didn’t stop your kids from fighting or your spouse from zoning out on their phone, but at least you were all doing it at the same table, together. Bonding with your next-door neighbour Nothing brings people together like a shared crisis, and due to the nature of the pandemic, the people we ended up closest to were the ones we live closest to. There are so many beautiful lockdown stories of people delivering groceries for elderly neighbours, checking in on nearby single parents, filling driveways with positive chalk messages and performing lots of other little kindnesses to people we would usually just wave to before closing the garage. The sense of community was real and it was beautiful. Boredom Being bored is usually seen as a negative, something to be avoided at all costs. But boredom researchers (yep, that’s a thing!) say that being bored can lead to increased creativity, better ability to focus, increased problem solving, less stress and anxiety, and an enhanced feeling of well-being. We never thought we’d say it, but we’ll miss being bored sometimes. Our brains need down time too! This article was written by Charlotte Hilton Anderson and first appeared in <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/culture/things-youll-secretly-miss-about-lockdown" target="_blank">Reader’s Digest</a>. For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, <a rel="noopener" href="http://readersdigest.innovations.com.au/c/readersdigestemailsubscribe?utm_source=over60&utm_medium=articles&utm_campaign=RDSUB&keycode=WRA87V" target="_blank">here’s our best subscription offer.</a> Image: Getty Images <img style="width: 100px !important; height: 100px !important;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7820640/1.png" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/f30947086c8e47b89cb076eb5bb9b3e2" />

Home & Garden

Jessica Rowe exits lockdown in ultimate style

On the eve of lockdown restrictions easing, Jess Rowe has stunned her Instagram followers with a photo of a gorgeous gown. Throughout lockdown, the former Studio 10 host has been sharing photos of her most iconic outfits to her 160k Instagram followers. From dramatic fur coats and embellished jumpsuits, to ball gowns and pyjamas, she has posted her outfit of each locked down day to lift everyone's spirits during a difficult time. Now, as New South Wales prepares for lockdown restrictions to ease for vaccinated people, Jess has shared another post, proving she saved the best until last. She posted the image of her in her Collette Dinnigan wedding dress, that she wore on her big day 17 years ago. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CU1wraLp8P_/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CU1wraLp8P_/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Jessica Rowe (@jessjrowe)</a> </div> </blockquote> The backless white gown fit Jess like a glove, as she paired it with minimal classic jewellery and her signature pink pixie cut hair. She captioned the post, "So that's a wrap! What to finish with for the eve of 'freedom day' (and I know it's not that for everyone).You know I never do anything by halves so I decided to get my @collettedinnigan wedding dress out of its box!" She continued by thanking followers, "It's the first time I've worn it in 17 and a half years! Oh the joy I had in this frock… and I hope I've brought you some joy this lockdown. You have all got me through! Thank you!" Her Instagram followers were quick to praise Jess, as they thanked her for keeping spirits high during lockdown. One person commented, "Many thanks Jess for making "lockdown" a bit of fun, loved all your outfits." Another said, "Glorious! I have loved all your lockdown outfits. It has bought a smile to my dial every night!" Image credits: Instagram @jessjrowe

Beauty & Style

Perrottet declares lockdowns "a thing of the past"

New NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet has declared lockdowns a thing of the past, as residents take full advantage of stay-at-home orders being lifted on ‘Freedom Day’, after 106 days in lockdown, almost 63,000 COVID-19 cases and 431 deaths. This means that cafes, restaurants, gyms, pools, non-essential retail, hairdressers and beauticians are now open to those who are fully vaccinated, and people will be allowed to travel outside their 5km radius or LGA. About the lifting of lockdown restrictions, Perrottet told Sunrise on Monday, “It is a major step and there’s going to be challenges as we go through this period. I think we are the first state in the country that’s got this system in place as we open up, so I just ask everybody to be patient, treat everyone with kindness and respect, you will have a lot of young people pulling beers, serving tables. “There will be challenges here as we work through it, but I think everybody across the state is pretty excited for what’s been a long 100 days.” Perrottet said the ending of lockdown was the result of the “efforts of everyone across NSW”, with the state hitting 70% double-dose vaccinated last week, and 90% single-dose over the weekend. “We set out from the start with vaccination being key to us opening up, and to be on track with everybody making those efforts to get the second dose for the 90 per cent of people who’ve already gone down that path, then I don’t believe we need to go backwards,” Perrottet said. “We followed the federal government’s national plan and that means at times there may be the need for targeted restrictions on certain places, there may be cases with a school or certain local areas that we might need to target some restrictions if case numbers increase at certain times, but in terms of statewide lockdowns I think they will be a thing of the past.” Many are anxious about restrictions easing, including hospitality workers who will be required to check people’s vaccination statuses until December 1st when the same rules will apply regardless of whether someone has been vaccinated or not. Lucy, a 34-year-old bartender, <a rel="noopener" href="https://7news.com.au/lifestyle/health-wellbeing/nsw-leads-country-out-of-pandemic-as-lockdown-ends-for-vaccinated-residents-c-4200596" target="_blank">told AAP</a>, “a lot of people are angry about having to get vaccinated and I worry they will try to make a point at the door.” Her workplace is not hiring a security guard to conduct vaccination status checks in order to cut costs after months without trading. Others with concerns include frontline healthcare workers like <a rel="noopener" href="https://7news.com.au/lifestyle/health-wellbeing/nsw-paramedic-reacts-to-freedom-day-she-says-scariest-part-of-covid-pandemic-still-to-come-c-4200578" target="_blank">Alex</a>, who started working as a paramedic last month. She told AAP, “This is the scariest part of the pandemic so far. Everyone’s so f***ing terrified, all of us in the southwest. “Look at London - hundreds of people are dying a week and they’re just going about it like there’s no problem. I don’t think Australia is ready for that.” Around <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-10-11/freedom-day-nsw-economy-life-post-covid-lockdown/100523102" target="_blank">90% of the UK population</a> over the age of 16 has received one dose of the vaccine, and about 80% have received both – NSW is expected to reach similar numbers within the next two weeks. Despite this, cases in the UK are currently at over 40,000 per day, largely driven by a spread amongst unvaccinated children. The relatively low rates of hospitalisation and deaths, however, suggest that the vaccine is doing its job. Image: Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images

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