tag:theconversation.com,2011:/fr/topics/new-year-23637/articlesNew Year – The Conversation2024-01-10T22:10:05Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2208512024-01-10T22:10:05Z2024-01-10T22:10:05ZTime for a Weed-Free January? How cannabis users could benefit from a ‘dry’ month<iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/time-for-a-weed-free-january-how-cannabis-users-could-benefit-from-a-dry-month" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>By now, most are familiar with the idea of Dry January, a voluntary month without alcohol that follows a month when many drink more than usual.</p>
<p>The idea of <a href="https://time.com/6552262/dry-january-origins-alcohol-drinking/">Dry January</a> started in the United Kingdom in 2012, and has become popular internationally since then. The point is to use a date on the calendar that traditionally prompts resolutions to encourage drinkers to make a month-long commitment to giving their bodies a break and resetting their attitudes and habits in a healthier way for the rest of the year and possibly beyond.</p>
<p>For those who use cannabis, the idea of taking a month off is also worth considering, whether it’s January or not.</p>
<h2>1 in 4 use cannabis</h2>
<p>Canadians are among the world’s biggest consumers of cannabis, especially since <a href="https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/cj-jp/cannabis/">it was legalized</a> in 2018. Prior to legalization, about 15 per cent of adults used cannabis once a year or more. Today, about <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-medication/cannabis/research-data/canadian-cannabis-survey-2022-summary.html">one in four</a> adult Canadians use cannabis once a year or more, with a higher concentration among young adults.</p>
<p>Frequency of use varies widely, but there is a sizable group of people who are daily or near-daily users — <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-medication/cannabis/research-data/canadian-cannabis-survey-2022-summary.html">about 25 per cent</a>. Within that group, nearly three-quarters report <a href="https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/82-003-x/2023006/article/00001-eng.htm">impaired control over their cannabis use</a>, a key feature of <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-medication/cannabis/health-effects/addiction.html">cannabis use disorder</a>, the medical definition of cannabis addiction.</p>
<p>Though daily use and cannabis use disorder are not identical, daily use is nonetheless a reasonable way to identify people who are more likely to experience negative consequences and might benefit from taking a break. </p>
<p>Beyond frequency, the amount of cannabis one uses and the concentration of <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-medication/cannabis/about.html">THC, the psychoactive component of cannabis,</a> are important considerations in the likelihood of experiencing harms. Many of the risks and harms from cannabis scale to the amount of THC consumed, so it’s not just a matter of consuming less frequently.</p>
<h2>The benefits of a weed-free month</h2>
<p>A Weed-Free January could do more good than cannabis users may realize. Any month will do, of course, but January is traditionally a time for resolutions and fresh starts, so it may be the most natural time to cut out weed.</p>
<p>Based on the existing evidence, regular cannabis users could expect to experience a number of positive physical and lifestyle changes from a 31-day pause.</p>
<p>Among them:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Resetting one’s tolerance for cannabis. In response to cannabis use, the body’s <a href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/the-endocannabinoid-system-essential-and-mysterious-202108112569">endocannabinoid system</a> adapts over time, causing users to develop tolerance. Indeed, for heavy users, unpleasant symptoms of withdrawal also follow these adaptations, although cannabis withdrawal is not life-threatening like alcohol withdrawal. Users could expect that taking a month off would be enough for the body to revert to its natural set-points.</p></li>
<li><p>Clearing the mental cobwebs. Cannabis use is associated with <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2015.12.002">reduced cognitive functioning</a>, especially <a href="https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1206820109">heavy persistent use</a>. Even short breaks from cannabis have been found to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2018.0335">reduce cognitive consequences</a>, and a month of abstinence has been shown to return cognitive functioning to the level of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1001/archpsyc.58.10.909">non-cannabis users</a>.</p></li>
<li><p>Giving your lungs a break. It’s well established that inhaling combusted cannabis smoke is bad for the lungs <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rmed.2023.107494">in a number of ways</a>, which may be one of the reasons cannabis has been linked to <a href="https://newsroom.heart.org/news/marijuana-use-linked-with-increased-risk-of-heart-attack-heart-failure">heart attack and stroke risk</a>.</p></li>
<li><p>Developing other habits and routines that take advantage of a clearer mind, such as sports, reading and sober socializing. A rich repertoire of activities without substance use is an important lifestyle counterbalance.</p></li>
<li><p>Saving money. Cannabis is not cheap and adds up quickly if you consume daily. A Weed-Free January could save hundreds of dollars.</p></li>
<li><p>Taking stock of whether you may have a problem. Cannabis use disorder is real and can have serious consequences. A weed-free month can provide a chance to do a self-check and see how hard it is to stop. If quitting for a month is impossible (or feels like torture), it may be time to talk to a health professional. <a href="https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/current-treatments-for-cannabis-use-disorder">Effective treatments do exist for cannabis use disorder</a>.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>Importantly, many people have authorizations to use medical cannabis to manage a variety of conditions and this is not to suggest that those individuals should abruptly stop for a month, just as it would be foolhardy to recommend an annual abstinence from cholesterol, blood-pressure, or other medications. For medical cannabis patients who think it might be beneficial to take a break, a chat with their authorizing physician or family doctor would be in order.</p>
<p>Bottom line, though, if you use recreational cannabis regularly, especially daily, having a Weed-Free January could be both good for your health and a good way to promote other healthy resolutions. A real win-win.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/220851/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>James MacKillop receives research funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Health Canada, the National Institutes of Health, and other non-profit funders. He is a principal and senior scientist in Beam Diagnostics, Inc., a technology transfer startup. No Beam products or services are related to this topic. MacKillop has previously consulted to Clairvoyant Therapeutics, Inc. </span></em></p>A Weed-Free January could do more good than cannabis users may realize. Regular cannabis users could expect to experience a number of positive physical and lifestyle changes from a 31-day pause.James MacKillop, Peter Boris Chair in Addictions Research; Director, Peter Boris Centre for Addictions Research; Director, Michael G. DeGroote Centre for Medicinal Cannabis Research; Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2189952024-01-01T14:45:14Z2024-01-01T14:45:14ZTrying to be more mindful in 2024? Try these tips for being mindful with your partner and kids<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565609/original/file-20231213-19-m2xack.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=16%2C0%2C5591%2C3741&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Mindfulness means being attentive to those around us and not just ourselves.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/trying-to-be-more-mindful-in-2024-try-these-tips-for-being-mindful-with-your-partner-and-kids" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>With the new year comes new year’s resolutions. Many of us might be making those familiar promises to be healthier, go on that trip we’ve always wanted to take or learn a new language. But if you’re among the many wanting to be more mindful in 2024, <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/play-your-way-sane/202012/the-ultimate-new-year-s-resolution-mindfulness">you’re certainly not alone</a>. </p>
<p>Mindfulness involves being attentive to the present moment and navigating experiences without judgement. It means being more attentive to our own needs as well as the needs and well-being of those around us. </p>
<p>Although much psychology research has shown that being mindful can help you feel better mentally and emotionally, recent evidence suggests that self-centred mindfulness can have a downside, particularly when it comes to our social lives. </p>
<h2>A dark side to mindfulness?</h2>
<p>In its Buddhist origins, <a href="https://www.contemplativemind.org/practices/tree/loving-kindness">mindfulness involves showing compassion towards yourself and all living things</a>. However, western psychological perspectives often highlight a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-019-01500-x">self-focused form of mindfulness</a>, encouraging self-compassion and self-acceptance while ignoring compassion towards others.</p>
<p>There is a good reason that self-focused mindfulness has so long been emphasized in psychology research. This form of mindfulness has been shown to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003481">improve symptoms of depression</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.992575">increase empathy</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2015.01.006">improve well-being</a>, among a host of other benefits.</p>
<p>However, while being compassionate to yourself might sound like a great new year’s resolution, recent research has shown a darker side to this self-focused mindfulness. It may lead you to prioritize your own emotional well-being over the well-being of those in your social circle, leaving them by the wayside. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565928/original/file-20231214-17-hryv8y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A black woman meditating in a park." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565928/original/file-20231214-17-hryv8y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565928/original/file-20231214-17-hryv8y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565928/original/file-20231214-17-hryv8y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565928/original/file-20231214-17-hryv8y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565928/original/file-20231214-17-hryv8y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565928/original/file-20231214-17-hryv8y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565928/original/file-20231214-17-hryv8y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">In its Buddhist origins, mindfulness involves showing compassion towards yourself and all living things. However, western psychological perspectives often highlight a self-focused form of mindfulness.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>For example, there is evidence that people who practise mindfulness meditation are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/pspa0000298">less likely to feel guilt or want to apologize</a> when they have hurt others. Other research has found that mindfully self-compassionate jailed inmates are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167217717243">more likely to deny responsibility and show less sensitivity</a> to the consequences of their criminal behaviour. </p>
<p>Across seven studies testing mindfulness programs for incarcerated adults, researchers have further found that, compared to controls, those trained in mindfulness showed <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0093854819891457">no significantly reduced risk for criminal behaviour</a>. </p>
<p>These recent studies suggest that we need a balanced view of mindfulness, emphasizing the interpersonal aspects, not just self-focused views, to extend benefits beyond ourselves. </p>
<h2>Interpersonal mindfulness</h2>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-017-0859-y">Interpersonal mindfulness</a>, which involves showing compassionate attention to others, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-018-1057-2">is linked to having less stress and better relationships</a>. </p>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2021.110806">Paying attention to your actions</a> and their consequences is especially important for being kind to others. Being receptive to the personal experiences of others can also make us <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajp.2012.07.008">more empathetic towards them</a>. </p>
<p>So how can we be mindful this year to benefit not just ourselves but those around us? Here are some tips to help you become more mindful in your relationships with your partner or children. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/566389/original/file-20231218-17-q8e97y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Couple in park holing hands." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/566389/original/file-20231218-17-q8e97y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/566389/original/file-20231218-17-q8e97y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566389/original/file-20231218-17-q8e97y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566389/original/file-20231218-17-q8e97y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566389/original/file-20231218-17-q8e97y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566389/original/file-20231218-17-q8e97y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566389/original/file-20231218-17-q8e97y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Extending mindful compassion and empathy towards your partner can be particularly helpful for your relationship.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Practise mindful compassion with your partner</h2>
<p>Romantic partners can be a source of tremendous happiness and security as well as disappointment and hurt. By committing to being more interpersonally mindful with your partner, you better enjoy the upsides and navigate the downsides of your relationship. </p>
<p>Extending mindful compassion and empathy towards your partner can be particularly <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/jmft.12065">helpful for your relationship</a>. Even if you are heading towards a potentially stressful life event, for example if you are <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/article/emotionally-prepare-become-parent.html">expecting a baby</a>, being mindfully aware of each other can help you navigate stress and challenges. </p>
<p>Being <a href="https://ggie.berkeley.edu/practice/loving-kindness-for-adults/#tab__2">loving and kind</a> towards your partner is also helpful. This could include trying to understand how your partner’s emotional state or their day might influence their tone or actions. Staying attentive and aware during date nights or even during arguments will make both of you feel acknowledged and seen, making for a more satisfying relationship. </p>
<p>Practising these mindful skills can help you and your partner <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S0005-7894(04)80028-5">feel closer and more connected</a>, benefitting not just yourself but also your relationship. </p>
<h2>Use mindful parenting with your kids</h2>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565929/original/file-20231214-29-ihb7rq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="An Asian man playing with a young boy. Both are smiling" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565929/original/file-20231214-29-ihb7rq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565929/original/file-20231214-29-ihb7rq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565929/original/file-20231214-29-ihb7rq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565929/original/file-20231214-29-ihb7rq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565929/original/file-20231214-29-ihb7rq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565929/original/file-20231214-29-ihb7rq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565929/original/file-20231214-29-ihb7rq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Being emotionally in tune with your child can bring you closer together and support your child’s emotional development.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>It can be so easy to fall into automatic habits when raising our kids. Using <a href="https://usfblogs.usfca.edu/parentline/2016/08/19/should-we-start-meditating-now-what-is-mindful-parenting-and-how-to-get-it/">mindful parenting</a> can help you to make conscious choices about how to respond to your child, <a href="https://doi.org/10.11124/JBISRIR-2016-2314">nourishing their well-being and mental health</a>. </p>
<p>That means <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-015-9978-x">accepting and not judging yourself or your child</a>. This can include accepting your own strengths and shortcomings as a parent while also accepting who your child is, even if things are not going your way. When your kids don’t listen, be compassionate by trying to understand why, which can help you to better identify the cause and address their behaviour. </p>
<p>Also try to <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-well-do-you-know-your-own-feelings-31309">keep aware of your own emotions</a> as well as your child’s. Listen to your child with full attention to help identify how they are feeling. Being attentive to how you’re feeling and how that’s affecting your responses to your child can help you better assess their needs in the moment. </p>
<p>Being emotionally in tune with your child <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-parents-feel-about-feelings-can-deeply-affect-a-childs-development-200729">can bring you closer together and support your child’s emotional development</a>, and using mindful parenting might even <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/15295192.2022.2049601">help your child to be more mindful</a>. </p>
<p>With the new year comes the opportunity to improve ourselves as partners, colleagues, family members and friends. Perhaps being mindful was already part of your new year’s resolution, or after reading this, you have added it to your list. Whatever your resolutions might be, remember that mindfulness means being attentive to those around us and not just ourselves.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/218995/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Hali Kil receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Nathaniel Johnson receives funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. </span></em></p>Being more mindful to our own needs as well as those of the people in our lives can help us be more compassionate and attentive.Hali Kil, Assistant Professor, Psychology, Simon Fraser UniversityNathaniel Johnson, PhD Candidate, Developmental Psychology, Simon Fraser UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2202692024-01-01T14:45:08Z2024-01-01T14:45:08ZResistance (exercise) is far from futile: The unheralded benefits of weight training<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/567305/original/file-20231222-21-ph8fgz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=455%2C14%2C8365%2C5662&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Resistance training works about as well as aerobic exercise in all the critical areas, including cardiovascular health.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/resistance-exercise-is-far-from-futile-the-unheralded-benefits-of-weight-training" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>Everyone can agree that exercise is healthy. Among its many benefits, exercise improves heart and brain function, aids in controlling weight, slows the effects of aging and helps lower the risks of several chronic <a href="https://doi.org/10.1101%2Fcshperspect.a029694">diseases</a>.</p>
<p>For too long, though, one way of keeping fit, aerobic exercise, has been perceived as superior to the other, resistance training, for promoting health when, in fact, they are equally valuable, and both can get us to the same goal of overall physical fitness.</p>
<p>Aerobic exercise such as running, swimming and cycling is popular because it provides great benefits and with ample <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1001335">scientific evidence</a> to back that up.</p>
<p>What has been far less influential to date is that resistance training — whether that’s with dumbbells, weightlifting machines or good old push-ups, lunges and dips — works about as well as aerobic exercise in all the critical areas, including cardiovascular health.</p>
<p>Resistance training provides another benefit: building strength and developing power, which become increasingly important as a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-021-1665-8">person ages</a>.</p>
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<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/843867756" width="500" height="281" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen="" mozallowfullscreen="" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Video about different forms of resistance training explores how all are effective at building strength.</span></figcaption>
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<p>Building and maintaining muscle strength keeps us springing out of our chairs, maintaining our balance and posture and firing our metabolism, as my colleagues and I explain in a paper recently <a href="https://doi.org/10.1249/FIT.0000000000000916">published</a> by the American College of Sports Medicine.</p>
<p>So, if aerobic exercise and resistance training offer roughly equal benefits, how did we end up with so many runners and cyclists compared to weightlifters?</p>
<p>It was a combination of timing, marketing and stereotyping.</p>
<h2>The rise of aerobics</h2>
<p>The preference for aerobic exercise dates back to landmark research from the <a href="https://www.cooperinstitute.org/research/ccls">Cooper Centre Longitudinal Study</a>, which played a pivotal role in establishing the effectiveness of aerobics — Dr. Ken Cooper invented or at least popularized the word with his book <a href="https://www.cooperaerobics.com/About/Aerobics.aspx"><em>Aerobics</em></a>, spurring desk-bound Baby Boomers to take up exercise for its own sake.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, resistance training languished, <a href="https://www.cnet.com/health/fitness/does-lifting-weights-make-women-bulky/">especially among women</a>, due to the misguided notion that weightlifting was only for men who aspired to be hyper-muscular. <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Charles-Atlas">Charles Atlas</a>, anyone?</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A smiling man holding small blue dumbbells" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/567302/original/file-20231222-29-if70n6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/567302/original/file-20231222-29-if70n6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567302/original/file-20231222-29-if70n6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567302/original/file-20231222-29-if70n6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567302/original/file-20231222-29-if70n6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567302/original/file-20231222-29-if70n6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567302/original/file-20231222-29-if70n6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Resistance training does not invariably lead to bulking up, nor does it demand lifting heavy weights.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Cultural influences solidified the dominance of aerobic exercise in the fitness landscape. In 1977, Jim Fixx made running and jogging popular with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Complete_Book_of_Running"><em>The Complete Book of Running</em></a>. In the 1980s, Jane Fonda’s <a href="https://www.janefonda.com/shop/fitness-videos/jane-fondas-complete-workout/"><em>Complete Workout</em></a> and exercise shows such as <em><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0268895/">Aerobicize</a></em> and the <em><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0299431/">20 Minute Workout</a></em> helped solidify the idea that exercise was about raising one’s heart rate.</p>
<p>The very word “aerobic,” previously confined to the lexicon of science and medicine, entered popular culture about the same time as leg warmers, tracksuits and sweatbands. It made sense to many that breathing hard and sweating from prolonged, vigorous movement was the best way to benefit from exercising.</p>
<p>All the while, resistance training was waiting for its turn in the spotlight.</p>
<h2>Recognizing the value of resistance</h2>
<p>If aerobics has been the hare, resistance training has been the tortoise. Weight training is now coming up alongside and preparing to overtake its speedy rival, as athletes and everyday people alike recognize the value that was always there.</p>
<p>Even in high-level sports training, weightlifting did not become common until the last 20 years. Today, it strengthens the bodies and lengthens the careers of soccer stars, tennis players, golfers <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-016-0486-0">and many more</a>. </p>
<p>Rising popular interest in resistance training owes a debt to <a href="https://www.livestrong.com/article/545200-the-fall-of-fitness/">CrossFit</a>, which, despite its controversies, has helped break down stereotypes and introduced more people, particularly women, to the practice of lifting weights.</p>
<p>It’s important to recognize that resistance training does not invariably lead to bulking up, nor does it demand lifting heavy weights. As our team’s research has shown, lifting lighter weights to the point of failure in multiple sets provides <a href="https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/japplphysiol.00154.2016">equal benefits</a>.</p>
<h2>Strength and aging</h2>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="An older couple in sweatshirts using small dumbbells" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/567293/original/file-20231222-23-reglr3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/567293/original/file-20231222-23-reglr3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=452&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567293/original/file-20231222-23-reglr3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=452&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567293/original/file-20231222-23-reglr3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=452&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567293/original/file-20231222-23-reglr3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=568&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567293/original/file-20231222-23-reglr3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=568&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567293/original/file-20231222-23-reglr3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=568&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Resistance training can be vital to maintaining overall functionality and independence.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The merits of resistance training extend beyond improving muscle strength. It addresses a critical aspect often overlooked in traditional aerobic training: the ability to exert force quickly, or what’s called power. As people age, activities of daily living such as standing up, sitting down and climbing stairs demand <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s11556-022-00297-x">strength and power</a> more than cardiovascular endurance.</p>
<p>In this way, resistance training can be vital to maintaining overall functionality and independence.</p>
<h2>Redefining the fitness narrative</h2>
<p>The main idea is not to pit resistance training against aerobic exercise but to recognize that they complement each other. Engaging in both forms of exercise is better than relying on one alone. The <a href="https://doi.org/10.1161/CIR.0000000000001189">American Heart Association</a> recently stated that “…resistance training is a safe and effective approach for improving cardiovascular health in adults with and without cardiovascular disease.”</p>
<p>Adopting a nuanced perspective is essential, especially when we guide <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arr.2021.101368">older individuals</a> who may associate exercise primarily with walking and not realize the limitations imposed by neglecting strength and power training.</p>
<p>Resistance training is not a one-size-fits-all endeavour. It encompasses a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jshs.2023.06.005">spectrum of activities</a> tailored to individual capabilities.</p>
<p>It’s time to redefine the narrative around fitness to make more room for resistance training. It’s not necessary to treat it as a replacement for aerobic exercise but to see it as a vital component of a holistic approach to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1249/ESM.0000000000000001">health and longevity</a>.</p>
<p>By shedding stereotypes, demystifying the process and promoting inclusivity, resistance training can become more accessible and appealing to a broader audience, ultimately leading to a new way to perceive and prioritize the benefits of this form of training for <a href="https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2021-105061">health and fitness</a>.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/220269/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Stuart Phillips receives funding from CIHR, NSERC, U.S. NIH, and several industry funders. He is affiliated with Exerkine Corporation. </span></em></p>It’s time for aerobics to share the spotlight with weightlifting as a form of exercise that promotes health and may be de rigueur as we age.Stuart Phillips, Professor, Kinesiology, Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Skeletal Muscle Health, McMaster UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2193652023-12-27T09:10:57Z2023-12-27T09:10:57ZHow to make your life greener in 2024<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565811/original/file-20231214-17-sz6ddr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C6016%2C4016&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/woman-chooses-fruits-vegetables-farmers-market-1499488313">j.chizhe/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>People all around the world traditionally use their new year to embark on a change in lifestyle. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.undp.org/publications/peoples-climate-vote">People’s Climate Vote</a>, a UN survey of public opinion on climate change, highlights that citizens around the world recognise climate change as a global emergency and agree that we should do everything necessary in response. </p>
<p>People are gradually adopting <a href="https://www2.deloitte.com/uk/en/pages/consumer-business/articles/sustainable-consumer.html">more sustainable lifestyles</a>, but many find it hard to change habits and often don’t know where to start their sustainability journey. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/eco-anxiety-climate-change-affects-our-mental-health-heres-how-to-cope-202477">Eco-anxiety: climate change affects our mental health – here's how to cope</a>
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<p>So if you’re looking to make your life greener in 2024, here are some manageable and affordable changes you can make.</p>
<h2>1. Eating</h2>
<p>We throw away a <a href="https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/why-global-fight-tackle-food-waste-has-only-just-begun">billion tonnes of food</a> each year. Food waste often generates methane, a greenhouse gas that is <a href="https://www.carbonbrief.org/food-waste-makes-up-half-of-global-food-system-emissions/">more potent than carbon dioxide</a>.</p>
<p>But there are simple changes you can make to eat <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/affordable_sustainable">more sustainably</a> (and often at less expense too). These include eating locally and seasonally, or eating less meat and more plants, especially <a href="https://www.resilience.org/stories/2022-03-24/is-there-life-after-fert/">beans and greens</a>. Beans require no nitrogen fertilisers (which are, in part, produced from natural gas) thanks to their ability to convert nitrogen from the air into nutrients. </p>
<p>Going meat-free on one day each week would be a good start. Eating processed “<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/aug/10/fake-meat-sales-nutrition-environment">mock meats</a>” can be a stepping stone towards a more plant-based lifestyle, although they are relatively expensive. </p>
<p>Planning your meals in advance and making sure you eat your leftovers will help you reduce unnecessary waste. And use a microwave for cooking where possible since it is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tifs.2022.03.010">more energy efficient</a> than cooking over a stove.</p>
<p>You don’t have to do them all – choose the ones that work best for you.</p>
<h2>2. Travelling</h2>
<p>We all need to travel, whether to work, school, university or to the shop. Sustainable travel is a balancing act.</p>
<p>Choosing active travel – walking, wheeling and cycling – is the greenest option, keeping us and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2019.03.030">our children</a> fitter and healthier while producing no carbon emissions. Try replacing one or two car journeys a week with active travel options if you can. </p>
<p>In urban areas, where you’re travelling shorter distances, active transport is often faster and cheaper than car travel. It also <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trd.2015.12.010">reduces congestion</a>, which is a significant cause of urban air pollution. </p>
<p>For longer journeys, travelling by train or bus is more environmentally friendly than by <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.129392">car</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trd.2020.102378">plane</a>. But you often must plan ahead to get the cheapest tickets.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A rear view of businessman commuting to work on a bicycle." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565805/original/file-20231214-15-7bq6iy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565805/original/file-20231214-15-7bq6iy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565805/original/file-20231214-15-7bq6iy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565805/original/file-20231214-15-7bq6iy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565805/original/file-20231214-15-7bq6iy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565805/original/file-20231214-15-7bq6iy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565805/original/file-20231214-15-7bq6iy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Active transport is often a faster and cheaper way of travelling around a city.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/rear-view-businessman-commuter-electric-bicycle-1323592877">Ground Picture/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>3. Energy use</h2>
<p>The energy we use at home is becoming increasingly expensive and is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. Making small changes to our daily energy use can make a <a href="https://www.un.org/en/actnow/home-energy#:%7E:text=Improving%20your%20home%27s%20energy%20efficiency,year%20%2D%20that%27s%20almost%201%20ton!">big difference</a>, both to our bills and household emissions.</p>
<p>Most of these changes are easy and convenient. Turn off lights when leaving a room. Cook food with the saucepan lid on. Turn your home thermostat down by 1°C. Wash clothes and crockery at colder temperatures. Take shorter showers. Unplug devices such as microwaves when not in use and chargers when devices are fully charged. And replace broken halogen light bulbs with more efficient LED versions. </p>
<p>Using the data recorded by a <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/smart-meters-how-they-work">smart meter</a> (if you have one) to monitor your energy use can help you make these changes. </p>
<h2>4. Clothing</h2>
<p>People love buying new clothes. But “fast fashion” has an astonishingly <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s43017-020-0039-9">high environmental and social cost</a>. The fashion industry generates over 92 million tonnes of waste every year, most of which is incinerated, sent to landfill or exported to developing countries.</p>
<p>There are lots of ways to be both fashionable and sustainable. Start by organising your wardrobe so you know what you’ve got before you start shopping, and that anything you buy will “work” with what you currently have. </p>
<p>Don’t throw away damaged items – there are loads of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnxGHRlevlQ">YouTube videos</a> to help you repair clothes and accessories. You can even make your clothing more personal using repair methods such as <a href="https://www.wastefreeplanet.org/blog/how-to-mend-your-jeans-using-sashiko-stitching">Sashiko stitching</a>, making the repair a visible feature of your clothing.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.circularonline.co.uk/opinions/lets-get-this-reuse-party-started/">Buying second-hand</a> will save you money, and the social and environmental benefits of charity retail are <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/su151612153">widely recognised</a>. You could also swap clothing you no longer want with friends and family or at <a href="https://www.savethestudent.org/shopping/top-five-swapping-websites.html">swap shops</a>. </p>
<p>Alternatively, you could buy less, but higher quality clothing. These items are usually more durable and last longer. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Young women swapping clothing with each other." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565810/original/file-20231214-27-giz0gd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565810/original/file-20231214-27-giz0gd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565810/original/file-20231214-27-giz0gd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565810/original/file-20231214-27-giz0gd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565810/original/file-20231214-27-giz0gd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565810/original/file-20231214-27-giz0gd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565810/original/file-20231214-27-giz0gd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Swap clothing you no longer want with friends or family.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/young-women-swap-party-choose-casual-2286018779">Fotoksa/Shutterstock</a></span>
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</figure>
<h2>5. Waste management</h2>
<p>We generate <a href="https://www.unep.org/resources/report/global-waste-management-outlook">more than 2 billion metric tons</a> of solid municipal waste worldwide each year. This figure is expected to <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/916625/global-generation-of-municipal-solid-waste-forecast/">increase by 70% by 2050</a>. There are many small changes we can make to reduce the amount we put in our bins. </p>
<p>Writing a shopping list can reduce overbuying and impulse buying. Take reusable bags with you when you shop. And shop packaging free. There are lots of places to buy food without excess packaging like zero-waste shops where customers are encouraged to use containers from home to fill and refill with bulk wholefoods. </p>
<p>Make sure you know what you can <a href="https://www.recyclenow.com/how-to-recycle/household-recycling">recycle locally</a> and follow the advice provided. Reducing waste saves valuable resources as well as reducing pollution and your weekly spend.</p>
<p>By making small changes to our lifestyles, we can <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2019.05.002">collectively</a> move towards a more sustainable future.</p>
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<img alt="Imagine weekly climate newsletter" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<p><strong><em>Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?</em></strong>
<br><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/newsletters/imagine-57?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=Imagine&utm_content=DontHaveTimeTop">Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead.</a> Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. <a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/newsletters/imagine-57?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=Imagine&utm_content=DontHaveTimeBottom">Join the 30,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.</a></em></p>
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<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ian Williams receives funding from EU Horizon 2020 and EPSRC. Ian Williams is a member of the International Solid Waste Association, the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management and the Royal Society of Chemistry.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Alice Brock does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>It’s often challenging to live up to your new year’s resolutions – but becoming greener is surprisingly easy.Ian Williams, Professor of Applied Environmental Science, University of SouthamptonAlice Brock, PhD Candidate in Environmental Science, University of SouthamptonLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2200272023-12-26T17:16:54Z2023-12-26T17:16:54ZHow to jump-start your New Year with cold weather running<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/567208/original/file-20231222-29-cdexst.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=494%2C8%2C5497%2C3979&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Checking the weather frequently can serve to preemptively avoid injury pitfalls from extreme cold or slippery surfaces.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Pexels)</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/how-to-jump-start-your-new-year-with-cold-weather-running" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>As 2024 approaches, many people look to begin the year with resolutions to become more fit. Some people find it challenging to get enthusiastic about outdoor exercise during the winter. However, don’t discount the joys of running in a winter wonderland. It’s accessible, available to all and doesn’t involve gym fees or expensive equipment.</p>
<h2>Health benefits</h2>
<p>First off, exercising has immense physical health benefits such as <a href="https://doi.org/10.1210/jc.2014-2440">increased heart and blood vessel health, increased metabolism</a>, favorable <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390%2Fhealthcare11162348">body composition</a> and enhanced immune function. <a href="https://www.miracle-recreation.com/blog/benefits-of-outdoor-exercise/?lang=can">Regular exercise can also help with mental health including reducing depression, anxiety and improving overall mood</a>. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/exercise-can-help-prevent-and-treat-mental-health-problems-and-taking-it-outside-adds-another-boost-to-those-benefits-202343">Exercise can help prevent and treat mental health problems, and taking it outside adds another boost to those benefits</a>
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</p>
<hr>
<p>In fact, there is some recent evidence to show that outdoor exercise may provide <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-26093-2">additional improvements in well-being</a>. These improvements could also contribute to combating <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/09291010802067171">seasonal affective disorders</a> during the winter months and help to combat a slew of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2022-106644">seasonal illnesses</a>. So, what can we do to jump in and reap these health benefits in winter? </p>
<h2>Motivation 101</h2>
<p>Before you start running, think about what motivates you. <a href="https://theconversation.com/got-health-goals-research-based-tips-for-adopting-and-sticking-to-new-healthy-lifestyle-behaviours-173740">New year’s resolutions</a> are a great start, but there needs to be a consistent motivator — something that won’t <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/new-years-resolution-janine-hubbard-1.5412777">go away by February</a> — to get you out and running when the weather forecast begins with a minus sign. </p>
<p>If you’re looking for motivation, <a href="https://blog.mercy.com/staying-motivated-exercise-during-cold-weather/">start with these tips for pumping yourself up</a>. Once you’ve found your motivation, lacing up and taking the first (and next) steps, consistently, won’t be as tough. Here’s a few helpful hints to make that winter run a bit easier and much more enjoyable. </p>
<h2>Getting started</h2>
<p>The biggest injury concerns to cold weather running are slippery conditions and <a href="https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/frostbite">frostbite</a>. With that in mind, make sure you’re set with the right equipment. When out in the winter, think <strong>COLD</strong>. This is not only an assessment of the weather. <a href="https://lowellstrauss.com/stay-warm-with-c-o-l-d">It’s an acronym that stands for</a>: </p>
<ul>
<li><strong>CLEAN:</strong> Keeping your gear (clothing and shoes) clean, allows them to work properly. Mud and slush on your hands and feet can make you lose heat quickly.<br></li>
<li>Avoid <strong>OVERHEATING</strong>: If it’s your first time exercising in the cold, you might think you have to put on a snowsuit. However, with poorly chosen outfits, you run the risk of overheating.<br></li>
<li><strong>LAYERED</strong> clothing: Wearing a fitted and moisture-wicking base layer, a light but insulating middle layer, and a breathable, but wind- and water-repellent jacket will give you the best of all worlds. Cover the parts of your body most likely to be exposed such as your hands, neck, and face with running gloves, a neck gaiter or scarf, and toque to keep these sites warm. Consider running with a waist bag or backpack, to carry these items along with your phone for safety.<br></li>
<li>Keep your clothing <strong>DRY</strong>: Breathable, but wind and water repellant clothing will keep your clothes from becoming too damp with either sweat or the environmental conditions, which could suck your heat away.<br></li>
</ul>
<p>Finally, understand that clothing is a matter of personal preference. As a coach of local, national and international (Olympic) track and field athletes, Kurt Downes, co-author of this story, has coached athletes who run in shorts with mittens and others who can barely move with so many layers on. Experiment with what works for you, and makes you comfortable. </p>
<h2>Tips for success and safety</h2>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A runner's shoes standing in snow" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/567214/original/file-20231222-23-bsi02m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/567214/original/file-20231222-23-bsi02m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567214/original/file-20231222-23-bsi02m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567214/original/file-20231222-23-bsi02m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567214/original/file-20231222-23-bsi02m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567214/original/file-20231222-23-bsi02m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567214/original/file-20231222-23-bsi02m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Keeping your gear (clothing and shoes) clean allows them to work properly. Mud and slush on your hands and feet can make you lose heat quickly.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Piqsels)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Make sure you have a clearly defined goal. Do you want to increase fitness, burn calories, enjoy some fresh air or just move your body? Whatever your goal, make it something that is <a href="https://health.clevelandclinic.org/smart-fitness-goals">short-term, sweet and attainable</a>. Leave room to adjust and scale up as you crush those running goals. </p>
<p><strong>Schedule and plan:</strong> Find a slot of time that works best for you and block it out. In winter, it is especially important to plan your runs. My sound advice is to start slow and follow a gradual progression. </p>
<p>Don’t skip ahead despite how well you may be doing. Think about your current level of fitness: you might set out with the intention of running 10 kilometres, but if you’re five kilometres from home and get tired or twist an ankle, the long walk (or hobble) home increases the risks of cold injuries like <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/winter/staysafe/hypothermia.html">hypothermia and frostbite</a>, and may also mean you’re returning in the dark. </p>
<p><strong>Connect:</strong> Get to nature. Find a local well-lit and travelled trail, a riverfront, a park or take to your neighbourhood streets. Grab a partner, connect with people in your workplace, download a running app or join a running club. Meet at a local spot or pick a hang out spot after your running session. Make it a weekly social event. </p>
<p><strong>Weather check:</strong> Lastly for those of us who have smartphones connected to our hip, have a solid weather app on your home screen. Checking the weather frequently can serve to preemptively avoid injury pitfalls from extreme cold or slippery surfaces. </p>
<h2>Injury prevention</h2>
<p>Be mindful of the times that you head out for runs; if possible, find a time during sunlight hours. It will add a bit of warmth, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1289%2Fehp.116-a160">positively affect mood and increase vitamin D production</a> for bone health and immune function. Run in well-lit areas and wear bright colours so you’re visible to others, especially if running on the road.</p>
<p><strong>Fix your eyes forward:</strong> Focus on what’s coming ahead. It’s easy to get into the zone and lose yourself in thoughts or your favourite tune, but judging the terrain ahead is important to prevent a misplaced step, a twisted ankle <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKZj2W2YyKY">or a slip</a>. </p>
<p><strong>Stride wise:</strong> First, focus on settling into a rhythm at a fixed tempo. This will allow you to create a stride pattern that’s neither too short nor too long to keep on moving. Shortening your stride length will provide more stability when ice and snow are present (this is not the time to work on an Olympic-level stride pattern). If you can’t avoid a snowy or icy patch, it’s probably best to stop and walk around it. </p>
<p><strong>Breathing:</strong> Check your breath. The effects of cold exposure can often impede normal physiological function. Specifically, inhaling cold dry air during physical activity can have <a href="https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2012-091296">adverse health effects on breathing</a>. Especially true for those with compromised respiratory systems or those predisposed to asthma. </p>
<p><strong>Hydration:</strong> Even though it may not seem like an immediate need, it’s important to be well hydrated before and throughout your workouts. Cold and snow don’t mean the air is wet (much of the arctic is actually <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/cold-desert">classified as a desert</a> because of the lack of precipitation). Also, your body generates a lot of heat, even more when you’re exercising, causing heat loss from sweat. </p>
<p>If you’re just getting started with winter running, know that there are plenty of others out there too. In cities across North America, runners kick-start their year by hitting the streets to cover five-kilometre and 10-kilometre distances <a href="https://www.newyearsrun.com/">on New Year’s Day</a>, which could be a great inspiration to jump-start your winter exercising. Remember, as you get started, make a plan to do it safely.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/220027/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kurt Michael Downes is affiliated with The Border City Athletics Club, a not-for-profit athletics club.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kevin Milne does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Winter running has all the health benefits of aerobic exercise, as well as fresh air. However, be aware of the specific safety and injury-prevention concerns that come with cold weather.Kurt Michael Downes, PhD Student, Kinesiology, University of WindsorKevin Milne, Associate professor, Kinesiology, University of WindsorLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1971572023-01-12T13:06:15Z2023-01-12T13:06:15ZHen Galan: why one Welsh community celebrates the new year on January 14<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/504238/original/file-20230112-20-7i4e1g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=8%2C5%2C1908%2C1072&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The children of Cwm Gwaun go door to door singing and collecting calennig in 1961. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Geoff Charles/National Library of Wales</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>A small community in Pembrokeshire will be holding its annual new year celebrations on January 14, or <em>Hen Galan</em> as it is known in Welsh. </p>
<p>But the residents of Cwm Gwaun near Fishguard are not a fortnight late. Rather, the people of this small wooded hamlet still observe the dates of an old calendar, which was dispensed with by the rest of Britain more than 250 years ago. </p>
<p>The origins of Cwm Gwaun’s new year festivities can be traced back to 1752, the year of <a href="https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofBritain/Give-us-our-eleven-days/">calendar reform in Britain</a>. Much of Europe had long since adopted the revised calendar introduced by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Very old manuscript containing Latin text" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/503877/original/file-20230110-18-5gfj0h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/503877/original/file-20230110-18-5gfj0h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=920&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/503877/original/file-20230110-18-5gfj0h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=920&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/503877/original/file-20230110-18-5gfj0h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=920&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/503877/original/file-20230110-18-5gfj0h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1156&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/503877/original/file-20230110-18-5gfj0h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1156&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/503877/original/file-20230110-18-5gfj0h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1156&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The first page of the papal bull ‘Inter Gravissimas’ by which Pope Gregory XIII introduced his calendar.</span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The Gregorian calendar modified the use of leap years in order to keep more accurately to the revolution of the Earth around the Sun. <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/25025653">Catholic countries were naturally more inclined to accept this reform</a>. Protestant Britain, however, clung to the traditional way of calculating the year until the middle of the 18th century. That’s when parliament decided enough was enough. </p>
<p>Since the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/Julian-calendar">Julian calendar gains a day every 128 years</a>, by the mid-18th century, Britain was eleven days ahead of its neighbours on the continent. That created all sorts of <a href="https://worldview.stratfor.com/article/geopolitics-gregorian-calendar">complications for trade and diplomacy</a>. It’s just as well there was no Eurovision or World Cup to organise at the time.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.legislation.gov.uk/apgb/Geo2/24/23/contents">The Calendar Act</a> ensured Britain would come into line with its neighbours in western Europe by simply abolishing eleven days. As a result, in 1752, September 2 was immediately followed by September 14. This caused <a href="https://www.history.co.uk/article/the-calendar-riots-of-1752-when-britain-lost-11-days">controversy as well as confusion and unease</a> for those with birthdays falling during that period. </p>
<p>The Act also had a significant impact on the celebration of the new year, which from 1752 onwards was to start on January 1, rather than March 25, as had been the custom. For some time afterwards, dates between January 1 and March 24 appeared as “1752/3” or “1752 Old Style/1753 New Style”, as confusion continued between those who embraced the new practice and those who preferred to carry on as before. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="The front page of The London Gazette in September 1752" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/503980/original/file-20230111-16-kkxytp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/503980/original/file-20230111-16-kkxytp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=1121&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/503980/original/file-20230111-16-kkxytp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=1121&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/503980/original/file-20230111-16-kkxytp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=1121&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/503980/original/file-20230111-16-kkxytp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1409&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/503980/original/file-20230111-16-kkxytp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1409&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/503980/original/file-20230111-16-kkxytp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1409&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Issue 9198 of The London Gazette, covering the calendar change in Britain. The issue spans the change, with the date reading: ‘From Tuesday September 1, O.S. (old style) to Saturday September 16, N.S. (new style) 1752’.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.thegazette.co.uk">The Gazette</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><a href="https://www.taxadvisorypartnership.com/tax-compliance/why-does-the-uk-tax-year-start-on-6-april-each-year/#">One side-effect is the tax year beginning on April 6</a>, which is the old date for the new year of March 25, with the missing 11 days added on. </p>
<p>It is not hard to see why some people would have shaken their heads at such upheaval and carried on marking the days as they had always done. The legislation mainly applied to the civil calendar rather than the religious one.</p>
<p>Although Catholic and Protestant churches largely came to accept the Gregorian calendar, the Orthodox church kept to the Julian calendar and <a href="https://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/common/orthodox-christmas-day">celebrates Christmas later than other Christian churches</a>. </p>
<p>Of course, the difference between the followers of the two different calendars grows gradually, and more than eleven days now separate them. </p>
<h2>Tradition</h2>
<p>Cwm Gwaun is one place that has tackled such uncertainty head on. The first day of January was already commonly celebrated as New Year’s Day or <em>Dydd Calan</em> in much of Wales before these official changes. But in Cwm Gwaun, the 11 lost days of 1752 were maintained, so their new year fell in line with the Orthodox new year.</p>
<p>Thus, the tradition of <em>Hen Galan</em>, or old New Year’s Day, was born and <a href="https://www.westerntelegraph.co.uk/news/19847697.watch-gwaun-valley-cwm-gwaun-hen-galan-new-year-traditions/">is adhered to in this Welsh-speaking area</a>. The customs associated are very much in line with January 1 celebrations in Wales, so it is mainly the timing that is unique. </p>
<p>Among the old traditions that continue in Cwm Gwaun is the <a href="https://www.thenational.wales/news/19818055.calennig-wales-new-year-traditions-celebrations/">collecting of <em>calennig</em></a>, or a new year’s gift, usually by children. Groups circulate from house to house, knocking on doors and offering new year’s greetings, usually in song and verse. </p>
<p>Each home would be sure of good luck for the coming year if they responded with gifts, originally of food to help sustain families through the difficult months of winter, but in more recent years of money or sweets. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qoHL5U5Fxsg?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">The children of Cwm Gwaun go door to door singing and collecting calennig.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Anyone who did not welcome and reward visitors would receive a year of bad luck (<a href="https://www.gweiddi.org/rhifynnau/rhifyn-2-dathlu/blwyddyn-newydd-dda/"><em>llond y tŷ o fwg</em></a>, which means “a house full of smoke”), according to one verse. Calennig collectors knocking on doors after midday on Dydd Calan, however, could safely be refused as they were out of time. </p>
<p>And time is, of course, the crucial element in all of this. Agreeing on how we decide to calculate and mark its passing has been a <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-we-make-sense-of-time/">complicated element in human history</a>. <em>Hen Galan</em> in Cwm Gwaun is a yearly reminder of that.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/197157/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Eryn White does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Britain may have ditched the Roman calendar in 1752 but Cwm Gwaun continues to cling on to its old traditions.Eryn White, Reader, Aberystwyth UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1971902023-01-10T22:02:33Z2023-01-10T22:02:33ZTaking fitness outside: 9 tips for becoming more active through the Canadian winter<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/503753/original/file-20230110-14-gm9uml.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=97%2C516%2C4461%2C2806&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Thick snow covers tree branches as people walk along a street in Ottawa after a snowstorm.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>If you made a New Year’s resolution about physical activity, you are not alone. <a href="https://www.ipsos.com/en-ca/canadians-quick-make-new-years-resolutions-slow-see-them-through">Many Canadians make resolutions, and most focus on moving more</a>. Despite best intentions, it can be difficult for people to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0234097">maintain New Year’s goals; in fact, nearly half fail to achieve their resolution</a>. There are many reasons for this, and one is that physical activity goals are hard to achieve, regardless of the time of year. </p>
<p>As researchers in the fields of behavioural medicine, physical activity and outdoor recreation, we have some ideas about how to make those resolutions stick.</p>
<p>Try to change up your physical activity and make it fun and enjoyable. Research shows that <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.577522">adherence to physical activity is improved when you mix things up and choose an activity that fills your cup</a>. </p>
<p>One way to increase variety and enjoyment might be choosing outdoor physical activities. And it seems Canadians (<a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-020-05938-4">with</a> and <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/1334779/share-canadians-engaging-outdoor-recreational-activities-by-frequency/">without</a> chronic conditions) desire outdoor activity, especially since the <a href="https://ccpr.parkpeople.ca/2021/overview/lessons">COVID-19 pandemic</a>. </p>
<h2>Outdoor benefits</h2>
<p>Taking your physical activity outside comes with some added benefits. We have found that a single trail walk can reduce participants’ reported levels of anxiety, and that after <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s41241-020-00094-x">eight weeks of trail walking two times per week, stress is decreased</a>. We also know that people who engage in physical activity <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2009.03.002">outdoors stick to it better and longer</a>, and may <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2016.06.016">work harder than when exercising indoors</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A woman in red snow-pants and a blue jacket holding a yellow snow shovel and tossing snow into the air while a dog leaps into the air" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/503758/original/file-20230110-17-ar95nv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/503758/original/file-20230110-17-ar95nv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=472&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/503758/original/file-20230110-17-ar95nv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=472&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/503758/original/file-20230110-17-ar95nv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=472&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/503758/original/file-20230110-17-ar95nv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=593&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/503758/original/file-20230110-17-ar95nv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=593&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/503758/original/file-20230110-17-ar95nv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=593&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Shovelling snow counts as intense physical activity. Be the neighbourly snow shoveller, just ensure that you are warmed up and don’t go too hard.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>This may be explained in part by the shift in focus outwards, to the environment, rather than on inner bodily sensations, making the exercise feel easier. </p>
<p>In a recent study currently under peer review, we (Thomson and Lesser) found that individuals with both low and high functional capacity (a measure of aerobic fitness) were able to complete hikes of varied difficulty. Those who were less fit simply slowed down to be able to complete the same hike at the same level of effort as their fit counterparts. </p>
<p>This suggests that outdoor physical activity, such as hiking, is feasible from a fitness perspective and is perceived as easier.</p>
<h2>The great outdoors in winter</h2>
<p>If you live in a four-season climate, you may be wondering how to take physical activity outside during a Canadian winter. </p>
<p>First and foremost, if you are just getting started, determine your readiness to move more. You can try an online assessment like the <a href="https://csep.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/GETACTIVEQUESTIONNAIRE_ENG.pdf">Get Active Questionnaire</a> to see if you need to talk to your doctor first. </p>
<p>Next, try some of these tips and considerations:</p>
<h2>1. Find a support system</h2>
<p>Research has shown that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/1750984X.2016.1183222">social support can promote sustained physical activity behaviour</a>, and may take on even greater importance when activity moves outdoors.</p>
<h2>2. Dress in layers</h2>
<p>Overdressing is always better than underdressing, and <a href="https://adventure.howstuffworks.com/outdoor-activities/hiking/wool-when-wet.htm">wool is your best bet</a> to reduce moisture and keep in heat. Make sure you are covered from head to toe — that means wearing a scarf to help warm the incoming air when the temperatures plummet.</p>
<h2>3. Have a plan B</h2>
<p>Unfortunately, depending on where you live, it might be too cold or icy to be outdoors. In this case, take a break and move it inside for a bit. That way, you can continue your active lifestyle and build up some excitement about getting back outside when the weather improves.</p>
<h2>4. Safety First</h2>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/503767/original/file-20230110-14-99arna.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Image of the bottoms of a pair of shoes with orange soles, displaying two types of external ice cleats" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/503767/original/file-20230110-14-99arna.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/503767/original/file-20230110-14-99arna.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/503767/original/file-20230110-14-99arna.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/503767/original/file-20230110-14-99arna.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/503767/original/file-20230110-14-99arna.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/503767/original/file-20230110-14-99arna.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/503767/original/file-20230110-14-99arna.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Two kinds of exterior cleats attached to running shoes.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(AP Photo/Dan Joling)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>When it gets slippery outside, ensure that you have proper footwear. We love snow cleats that can be put over your shoes to enhance your grip. You can also consider using walking poles to improve your balance and reduce the risk of falls.</p>
<h2>5. Hydrate</h2>
<p>Even though you might not feel as warm and sweaty as you would in warmer months, you are still losing water and you need to stay hydrated.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/cover-your-face-wear-a-hat-and-stay-hydrated-to-exercise-safely-through-the-winter-173807">Cover your face, wear a hat and stay hydrated to exercise safely through the winter</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>6. Make it part of your day</h2>
<p>Find different ways to incorporate the outdoors into your daily activities! Did you know that <a href="https://theconversation.com/snow-shovelling-healthy-exercise-or-deadly-activity-129183">shovelling snow</a> counts as intense physical activity? Be the neighbourly snow shoveller — just ensure that you are warmed up and don’t go too hard. If you love biking to work, try fat tires on your bike. They increase your traction on snow and ice. </p>
<p>If these sound a bit too strenuous, you can always park farther away at work, school or the grocery store to add some steps to your day, or consider taking a brief walk outside on your lunch break.</p>
<h2>7. Light it up</h2>
<p>With the days ending so early, it can be a challenge to fit in physical activity before the sun sets. A head lamp will allow you to be out early or past dark. Just ensure that you are in a safe location (and maybe bring someone from your support system along).</p>
<h2>8. Try something new</h2>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A blue sign picturing a snowshoer on a tree trunk with snow in the background" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/503762/original/file-20230110-12-k3nhwk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/503762/original/file-20230110-12-k3nhwk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=416&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/503762/original/file-20230110-12-k3nhwk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=416&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/503762/original/file-20230110-12-k3nhwk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=416&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/503762/original/file-20230110-12-k3nhwk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=523&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/503762/original/file-20230110-12-k3nhwk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=523&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/503762/original/file-20230110-12-k3nhwk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=523&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">If you’re interested in trying snowshoeing, winter hiking or cross-country skiing, consider borrowing equipment from a friend, renting from your local recreation facility or purchasing used equipment from a sports trader.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>This is a perfect time to break out of your routine. Ever tried snowshoeing, winter hiking or cross-country skiing? Now could be the time. Don’t have equipment? Consider borrowing from a friend, renting from your local recreation facility or purchasing used equipment from a sports trader.</p>
<h2>9. Enjoy the tranquillity</h2>
<p>Outdoor experiences in winter tend to be quieter and include more expansive terrain with different sounds, wildlife and colour experiences. Try taking advantage of it and notice how you feel.</p>
<p>We hope you will try taking it outside to reap the benefits of our beautiful Canadian winters. Who knows, maybe you will even increase the likelihood of sticking to those hard-to-meet New Year’s resolutions in the process!</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/197190/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Taking your physical activity outside comes with added benefits. Here are ways to pursue your fitness goals outdoors, even in the middle of a Canadian winter.Iris Lesser, Assistant professor in kinesiology, University of The Fraser ValleyAmanda Wurz, Assistant Professor, School of Kinesiology, University of The Fraser ValleyCynthia Thomson, Assistant Professor in Kinesiology, University of The Fraser ValleyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1969812023-01-03T20:50:15Z2023-01-03T20:50:15ZHow 19th-century Victorians’ wellness resolutions were about self-help — and playful ritual fun<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/502947/original/file-20230103-26-4tnfru.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C464%2C2547%2C1295&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">January is named after the two-faced Roman god Janus, and the Victorians understood this has long been a season of looking backward as much as forward, and not just in search of lessons.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/how-19th-century-victorians--wellness-resolutions-were-about-self-help-—-and-playful-ritual-fun" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>On Jan. 1, 1887, a poem appeared in two British newspapers. </p>
<p>“<a href="https://www.kiplingsociety.co.uk/readers-guide/rg_resolutions1.htm">I am resolved throughout the year</a> / To lay my vices on the shelf,” begins “New Year Resolutions.” </p>
<p>In what now reads like a familiar vow of post-holiday abstinence, a young <a href="https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/rudyard-kipling">Rudyard Kipling lists</a> the temptations of women, horses and the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/whist">card game whist</a>, pledging “A godly, sober course to steer / and love my neighbour as myself.” </p>
<p>According to <a href="https://www.history.com/news/the-history-of-new-years-resolutions#:%7E:text=The%20ancient%20Babylonians%20are%20said,when%20the%20crops%20were%20planted.">some sources,</a> the practice of making resolutions at the new year <a href="https://theconversation.com/where-did-the-new-years-resolution-come-from-well-weve-been-making-them-for-4-000-years-196661">can be traced back 4,000 years</a>, originating with the ancient Babylonians. </p>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.17744/mehc.43.3.05">Opinions differ</a> on the origins of contemporary wellness culture, often the packaging for self-improvement through self-denial at the new year.</p>
<p>As sociolegal scholar <a href="https://read.dukeupress.edu/jhppl/article/39/5/957/13664/What-Is-Wellness-Now">Anna Kirkland describes,</a> wellness as a contemporary buzzword can be defined as the belief “<a href="https://read.dukeupress.edu/jhppl/article/39/5/957/13664/What-Is-Wellness-Now">that each individual can and should strive to achieve a state of optimal functioning</a>.” </p>
<p>And this — echoing Kipling’s promise to better himself in the new year — also sounds very Victorian. </p>
<h2>Individual and national progress</h2>
<p>In 1859, Samuel Smiles, the Scottish journalist, biographer, social reformer and physician, published the authoritative text on 19th-century “character, conduct and perseverance” aptly <a href="https://www.bl.uk/collection-items/self-help-by-samuel-smiles">titled <em>Self-Help; with illustrations of character and conduct</em></a>. </p>
<figure class="align-left ">
<img alt="A painting of an elderly Victorian man with white hair." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/502837/original/file-20230102-3468-asc1ft.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/502837/original/file-20230102-3468-asc1ft.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=824&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/502837/original/file-20230102-3468-asc1ft.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=824&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/502837/original/file-20230102-3468-asc1ft.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=824&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/502837/original/file-20230102-3468-asc1ft.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1035&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/502837/original/file-20230102-3468-asc1ft.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1035&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/502837/original/file-20230102-3468-asc1ft.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1035&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">An 1877 portrait of Samuel Smiles by George Reid.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(National Portrait Gallery collection/Wikimedia)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>This was at the height of mid-Victorian hubris, and amid a year of epoch-defining ideas (Charles Darwin’s <em>On the Origin of Species</em> and John Stuart Mill’s <em>On Liberty</em> both entered the scene). </p>
<p>By the time Smiles (yes, that is his real name) died in 1904, <em>Self-Help</em> had sold over <a href="https://shepheardwalwyn.com/product/the-spirit-of-self-help">a quarter of a million copies in Britain alone and was an international hit</a>. </p>
<p>Smiles may now be less well known than some of his contemporaries, but his thesis on “<a href="https://www.google.ca/books/edition/Self_help/_eUUAAAAQAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=socrates&pg=PR13&printsec=frontcover">morals and manners</a>” and belief that “<a href="https://www.google.ca/books/edition/Self_help/_eUUAAAAQAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=samuel%20smiles%20self%20help&pg=PR3&printsec=frontcover">national progress was the sum of individual industry, energy and uprightness, as national decay is of individual idleness, selfishness and vice</a>” shaped the stalwart Victorian work ethic. </p>
<p>This made self-help, as historian <a href="https://www.historytoday.com/archive/samuel-smiles-gospel-self-help">Asa Briggs describes</a>, one of the <a href="https://www.historytoday.com/archive/samuel-smiles-gospel-self-help">defining virtues</a> of the era. These same ideas also helped form the ideological backbone of the wellness industry today. </p>
<h2>Strict habits, hard work</h2>
<p>Over a century and a half after <em>Self-Help</em>, and a week before Christmas 2022, the <em>Toronto Star</em> served readers <a href="https://www.thestar.com/life/health_wellness/2022/12/18/oh-honey-here-you-go-nine-wellness-trends-to-help-you-kick-start-the-new-year.html?utm_source=share-bar&utm_medium=user&utm_campaign=user-share">“Nine wellness trends to help you kick-start the New Year</a>.” </p>
<p>Unlike <em>the Star’s</em> wellness list, there is nothing in Smiles on the benefits of “functional fungus.” </p>
<p>Instead, <em>Self-Help</em> consists largely of a series of case studies: bootstrap narratives of successful men through history (Milton, Newton, Napoleon) who apparently rose through the ranks with strict habits and hard work. </p>
<p>But how different, really, are Smiles’s motivations from our own aspirations for annual self-improvement? </p>
<h2>Converting idle pleasure into profit</h2>
<p>Smiles’s biographer <a href="https://shepheardwalwyn.com/product/the-spirit-of-self-help/">John Hunter</a> describes <em>Self-Help</em>’s “bite-size pieces, undemanding of readers’ time,” with its “quotability” a boon to publishers. These are similar to the easily <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/media-network/media-network-blog/2013/aug/12/5-ways-listicle-changing-journalism">digestible “listicles”</a> that fill January lifestyle sections. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.thestar.com/life/health_wellness/2022/12/18/oh-honey-here-you-go-nine-wellness-trends-to-help-you-kick-start-the-new-year.html?utm_source=share-bar&utm_medium=user&utm_campaign=user-share">Personalized wellness plans</a> may, on surface, signal hedonism over Smiles-like austerity and productivity. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-resolve-to-be-thinner-and-fitter-this-year-wont-lead-to-salvation-107956">The resolve to be thinner and fitter this year won’t lead to salvation</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>But from <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/29/nyregion/napping-in-a-new-york-minute.html?smid=url-share">office nap pods</a>, to the rebranding of friendship as “<a href="https://www.thestar.com/life/health_wellness/2022/12/18/oh-honey-here-you-go-nine-wellness-trends-to-help-you-kick-start-the-new-year.html?utm_source=share-bar&utm_medium=user&utm_campaign=user-share">therapeutic socialization</a>,” we too have come to convert idle pleasures into future profit, just as holiday indulgence becomes fodder for a January cleanse.</p>
<h2>Quantifiable self-improvement</h2>
<p>While often entailing deprivation, resolutions imply the sort of quantifiable self-improvement that would meet Smiles’s approval. </p>
<p>Yet we tend to make — or at least are told to make — the same ones every year. <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-01-16/here-s-how-quickly-people-ditch-weight-loss-resolutions">Data shows</a> that gym memberships do indeed spike, only to fall again by February, until the cycle repeats the following year. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A ferris wheel seen behind people skating." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/502831/original/file-20230102-14-vx9s13.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/502831/original/file-20230102-14-vx9s13.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=395&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/502831/original/file-20230102-14-vx9s13.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=395&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/502831/original/file-20230102-14-vx9s13.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=395&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/502831/original/file-20230102-14-vx9s13.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=496&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/502831/original/file-20230102-14-vx9s13.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=496&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/502831/original/file-20230102-14-vx9s13.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=496&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A wheel of perpetual seeking? People skate on the Old Port skating rink on New Year’s Day in Montréal, January 1, 2023.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>This could be evidence of what English professor <a href="https://journals.upress.ufl.edu/rhm/article/view/223">Colleen Derkatch terms the wellness industry’s “moving target</a>.” She notes how wellness discourse promotes seemingly opposed notions of restoration and enhancement. </p>
<p>This means people are perpetually seeking wellness — and often spending money trying to achieve it.</p>
<h2>Time for rest</h2>
<p>But the Victorians offer more than the origins of the wellness industry’s current capitalist trap. </p>
<p>While I certainly do not look to 19th-century Britain expecting a road map for a fulfilled life, or to mimic the many abominable views held by men <a href="https://muse.jhu.edu/article/209518">like Kipling</a>, it’s worth noting that such writers can also provide models for unproductive fun that make the repetitive nature of resolutions a positive way to punctuate time.</p>
<p>In many years spent rereading the Victorians, I sometimes glimpse scraps of unproductive joy outside of the stereotypical narrative of hard work and discipline. </p>
<p>While never abandoning his belief that “<a href="https://www.google.ca/books/edition/The_Autobiography_of_Samuel_Smiles_LL_D/DKVaBKcujpoC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=samuel%20smiles%20autobiography&pg=PP2&printsec=frontcover">work plenty of work is necessary for my happiness and welfare</a>,” in Smiles’s autobiography he also allows time for rest, and even for useless recreation. </p>
<h2>Vows ‘lightly made’</h2>
<p>At one point, the book details how, recovering from a stroke, he replaces his reliance on work with amateur painting. </p>
<p>The artworks he produces “are not of much importance, but the execution of them was a great relief to me …[so] I went on cultivating idleness.” </p>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/502834/original/file-20230102-12-vctfe9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C739%2C8086%2C4207&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A man seen with his arms outstretched in a giant gold person-sized public sculptural installation of the numbers 2023." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/502834/original/file-20230102-12-vctfe9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C739%2C8086%2C4207&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/502834/original/file-20230102-12-vctfe9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/502834/original/file-20230102-12-vctfe9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/502834/original/file-20230102-12-vctfe9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/502834/original/file-20230102-12-vctfe9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/502834/original/file-20230102-12-vctfe9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/502834/original/file-20230102-12-vctfe9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Is letting it all unravel part of the fun of resolutions?</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(AP Photo/Arnulfo Franco)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>A commitment to unproductivity, perhaps, offers another way to approach resolutions. The lapsed exercise regimen or <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/dec/28/stop-worrying-about-everything-thing-ill-do-differently">abandoned writing project</a>, then, are not just marks of failure, or potential targets for wellness profiteers. They can also be signs of happily wasted time.</p>
<p>In the final lines of his new year’s poem, Kipling flips the resolution narrative, letting his goals unravel, as our annual pledges so often do: “<a href="https://www.kiplingsociety.co.uk/poem/poems_resolutions.htm">I am resolved—that vows like these/ Though lightly made, are hard to keep.</a>” </p>
<h2>Playfully pointless</h2>
<p>Despite the cynicism, the language stays lighthearted. The form mimics a children’s rhyme — regular in meter, with each quatrain followed by a bouncy couplet. </p>
<p>The poem ends with a bout of numerical diversion: “One vow a year will see me through,” so “I’ll begin with Number Two.” By pulling readers back to reread the second stanza, Kipling loosens the attachment to linear self-improvement. </p>
<p>January takes its name from <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Janus-Roman-god">the two-faced Roman god Janus</a>. This has long been a season of looking backward as much as forward, and not just in search of lessons, or warnings or evidence of progress. </p>
<p>Turning to the past also places resolutions in the repetitive time zone of ritual: playfully pointless, and without expectation of future returns.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/196981/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Nicole Dufoe does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The 1859 book ‘Self-Help’ by Scottish journalist and physician Samuel Smiles was written in bite-sized pieces reminiscent of today’s wellness and lifestyle New Year tips.Nicole Dufoe, PhD Candidate in Victorian Literature and English Instructor, University of TorontoLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1964822023-01-01T19:40:11Z2023-01-01T19:40:11Z12 ways to finally achieve your most elusive goals<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/501752/original/file-20221219-7450-5msgxo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C899%2C5354%2C2681&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>It’s that time of year to muse on what you hope to accomplish over the next 12 months. </p>
<p>The best advice when making resolutions is to set goals <a href="https://theconversation.com/three-ways-to-achieve-your-new-years-resolutions-by-building-goal-infrastructure-105292">that are “SMART”</a> – specific, measurable, achievable, relevant (to you) and time-bound. </p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/three-ways-to-achieve-your-new-years-resolutions-by-building-goal-infrastructure-105292">Three ways to achieve your New Year’s resolutions by building 'goal infrastructure'</a>
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<p>Once you’ve set your goals, what can help you achieve them? Based on our <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0090261622000511">research</a>, we’ve distilled 12 goal-enablers. These cover four broad principles you can use to keep yourself on track.</p>
<p>You don’t have to do all 12. Just focusing on the most relevant three to five can make a big difference.</p>
<h2>Set relevant supporting goals</h2>
<p>An outcome goal isn’t enough. Set clear supporting goals that equip you to attain that outcome.</p>
<p><strong>1. Behavioural goals</strong> stipulate the actions required to reach your outcome goal. If you want to change jobs, for example, behavioural goals could include working out what job you want, networking with relevant people, getting advice on your resume, and submitting at least three job applications each month. </p>
<p><strong>2. Learning goals</strong> are the knowledge and skills you need to achieve your goal. Ways to identify your highest-priority learning goals, and how to attain them, include seeking advice from others who have mastered the skill you aim to learn, working with a coach, or watching instructional videos.</p>
<p><strong>3. Sub-goals</strong> are small milestones on the way to your goal. They indicate your rate of progress towards attaining your ultimate goal. They can also provide a motivating sense of momentum. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Sub-goals are stepping stones on your way to achieving your end goal." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/501754/original/file-20221219-19-29t0k7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/501754/original/file-20221219-19-29t0k7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501754/original/file-20221219-19-29t0k7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501754/original/file-20221219-19-29t0k7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501754/original/file-20221219-19-29t0k7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501754/original/file-20221219-19-29t0k7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501754/original/file-20221219-19-29t0k7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Sub-goals are stepping stones on your way to achieving your end goal.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
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</figure>
<h2>Build your internal motivation</h2>
<p>This is the inner energy and focus that fuels, directs and sustains your efforts to reach your goals. </p>
<p><strong>4. Connect goals to passions.</strong> If you like feeling like you’re on a mission, try framing your goals as reflecting a novice, apprentice or master level of development. If competition gets you going, perhaps frame your learning or sub-goals as indicating a bronze, silver, gold or platinum level of performance. </p>
<p><strong>5. Engage in mental contrasting.</strong> This involves toggling between focusing on a vivid written or visual depiction of your present state with your desired future state. Mental contrasting increases goal achievement in areas such as <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/48322532_When_planning_is_not_enough_Fighting_unhealthy_snacking_habits_by_mental_contrasting_with_implementation_intentions_MCII">eating more healthily</a>, <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28981303/">exercising more</a>, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4106484/">improving grades</a> and <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1090198119826284">cutting down on alcohol consumption</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="alt text" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/501723/original/file-20221218-22-xribej.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/501723/original/file-20221218-22-xribej.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501723/original/file-20221218-22-xribej.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501723/original/file-20221218-22-xribej.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501723/original/file-20221218-22-xribej.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501723/original/file-20221218-22-xribej.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501723/original/file-20221218-22-xribej.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Mental contrasting between current and desired state can increase goal attainment.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
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<p><strong>6. Build self-efficacy.</strong> Your <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/362235944_Self-efficacy#fullTextFileContent">self-efficacy</a> is your belief in your capacity to succeed at a particular task. Set modest initial goals you are likely to achieve (see point 3). Ensure you have adequate resources and support (see point 8). If you find yourself thinking defeatist thoughts – “I don’t think I can do this” or “I’m too old for this” – then stop and think more encouraging thoughts instead. </p>
<h2>Craft an enabling context</h2>
<p>An enabling context helps keep your goals front of mind and sustains you in working to achieve them. </p>
<p><strong>7. Implementation intentions</strong> stipulate when to pursue behavioural goals. These intentions <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0065260106380021">increase the odds</a> of attaining any goal. Two types are: </p>
<ul>
<li><p>When-then intentions (for example: “When I am tempted to eat a snack, then I will drink a glass of water and wait 10 minutes to see if I still feel I need that snack”)</p></li>
<li><p>After-then intentions (for example: “After I eat lunch each day, then I’ll walk for at least 15 minutes somewhere green with my phone off”).</p></li>
</ul>
<p><strong>8. Ensure adequate resources.</strong> These could include adequate materials, technology, support of others, time and energy (enabled by an effective recovery routine). </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/exhausted-by-2020-here-are-5-ways-to-recover-and-feel-more-rested-throughout-2021-152608">Exhausted by 2020? Here are 5 ways to recover and feel more rested throughout 2021</a>
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<p><strong>9. Seek useful feedback</strong> to help gauge your progress and correct errors. Try asking the following questions: What happened? What went right? What went not so well and why? What can be learned? What are one or two things I can now do differently? </p>
<h2>Anticipate and manage obstacles</h2>
<p>As boxer Mike Tyson once said: “Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” You need to be realistic about competing priorities and distractions bound to get in the way. </p>
<p><strong>10. Identify and plan to manage points of choice</strong>, where other temptations may divert you from pursuing your goal. Points of choice may arise from within yourself (such as feeling tired, distracted or uninspired) or your surroundings (such as work pressures or family responsibilities). Plan ahead as to what you will do when these points of choice arise. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/501755/original/file-20221219-13-3aerd0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/501755/original/file-20221219-13-3aerd0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=308&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501755/original/file-20221219-13-3aerd0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=308&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501755/original/file-20221219-13-3aerd0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=308&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501755/original/file-20221219-13-3aerd0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=387&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501755/original/file-20221219-13-3aerd0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=387&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501755/original/file-20221219-13-3aerd0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=387&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Be prepared for points of choice.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
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</figure>
<p><strong>11. Remind yourself it’s OK to make mistakes.</strong> Repeating “error management training” mantras has been shown to improve learning and performance, particularly on complex tasks <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2F0021-9010.93.1.59">where people need to learn their way to a solution</a>. Try these: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>Errors are a natural part of the learning process. </p>
<p>I have made an error. Great! That gives me something to learn from. </p>
</blockquote>
<p><strong>12. Keep building your commitment.</strong> Lose that and all bets are off! All the above steps will help. It can also help to share your goals and progress with others, but <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/09/190903084051.htm">choose carefully</a>. Share your journey with people you respect, whose opinion of you matters, and whom you know won’t be a wet blanket.</p>
<p>Good luck. You’ve got this!</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/196482/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ute-Christine Klehe receives funding from the German Research Foundation (DFG). </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Lauren A. Keating and Peter A. Heslin do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Setting goals is one thing. Achieving them another. We’ve distilled the research down to 12 goal-enabling tips.Peter A. Heslin, Professor of Management and Scientia Education Academy Fellow, UNSW SydneyLauren A. Keating, Assistant Professor of Organisational Behaviour and Psychology, EM Lyon Business SchoolUte-Christine Klehe, Full Professor of Work and Organizational Psychology, University of GiessenLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1955902022-12-29T05:23:35Z2022-12-29T05:23:35ZFive tips for developing and managing your budget – even in tough economic times<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/498995/original/file-20221205-21-ak9ukz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Budgeting offers more opportunities to save money. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/paying-monthly-expenses-royalty-free-image/1227600099?phrase=personal%20budgeting&adppopup=true">Getty Images </a></span></figcaption></figure><p>There’s nothing quite like a new year to prompt us to take stock of our lives, our health, our goals – and our finances. Many people will start 2023 by contemplating how best to budget, plan and save. This is always a good set of aims, but it’s especially important in the inflation-prone and unpredictable economies we’re seeing <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/268225/countries-with-the-highest-inflation-rate/">all over Africa and the world</a>.</p>
<p>Budgeting is especially key. It is the most effective method to <a href="https://www.thebalancemoney.com/how-to-make-a-budget-1289587">monitor income and expenditure</a>. <a href="https://www.uslendingcompany.com/blog/key-differences-in-writing-a-household-budget-vs-a-personal-budget/">Personal budgets</a> can help you to monitor your resources in pursuit of larger financial goals. Budgeting also offers <a href="https://www.acrwebsite.org/volumes/v46/acr_vol46_2411998.pdf">more opportunities</a> to save money, reduce your debts and live a comfortable life. It can even <a href="https://prucomm.ac.uk/assets/uploads/blog/2013/04/Personal-Budgets-review-of-evidence_FINAL-REPORT.pdf">improve your mental health</a>.</p>
<p>But where should you start? What questions do you need to answer in creating a budget? Here are some tips that I’ve learned – not just as an economist, but as a research cost analyst and someone who keeps a budget too. </p>
<h2>1. Understand the broader economic conditions</h2>
<p>It is imperative that individuals keep themselves aware and up-to-date on the realities of their country’s economic landscape. You don’t have to be a professional economist, but keep an eye on new developments like free business registration, small business development funds and printing of new money notes. What is the current exchange rate? What’s the political landscape and what international factors, like the price of crude oil, are at play? You should also watch the inflation rate and have a sense of unemployment trends.</p>
<p>This economic awareness will prepare you to draft your own budget and you’ll have a sense of when external factors mean it’s time to revisit your plans.</p>
<h2>2. Review your income sources</h2>
<p>The ability to earn income is critical to sustaining livelihoods. Having a definite source of income is the bedrock of budgeting. </p>
<p>Some important questions you should ask about your income – and how you might budget with it – include:</p>
<ul>
<li> What is my current income? </li>
<li> What do I use my income for?</li>
<li> Am I able to save, given my current income?</li>
<li> What proportion of my income do I save and what proportion do I spend?</li>
<li> Do I have the capacity to earn more than this?</li>
<li> How can I improve my income?</li>
</ul>
<p>Your answers can help you to identify gaps or untapped potential. Those with irregular or unpredictable income should factor in the element of time-gap in their income, for effective budgeting. Time gap is when they are not earning income. And everyone should make allowance in their budgets for uncertainties like health issues, social engagements, inflation, unemployment, recession and price shocks. </p>
<h2>3. Appraise your expenses</h2>
<p>Expenses can be broadly categorised into “variable” and “fixed”. </p>
<p>Fixed expenses recur within a short period: housing, food, transport, medical costs, electricity, utilities, toiletries and clothing. Variable expenses are more long-term and irregular, such as investment in property or interest-yielding assets, and the purchase of machinery. </p>
<p>The main essence of revising our expenses is to analyse and possibly improve our spending habits. In reviewing our expenses, we can consider issues such as:</p>
<ul>
<li> What is the proportion of consumption-savings ratio from my income? This is how much do I spend compared to how much I save.</li>
<li> What are my regular expenses?</li>
<li> What are my fixed, capital or investment expenses?</li>
<li> What are my extraordinary expenses that need modification?</li>
<li> Have there been emergency or extraordinary expenses?</li>
</ul>
<p>A careful response to the issues raised above offers an occasion to re-evaluate the pattern and direction of our expenses. For instance, overspending, unplanned or extraordinary expenses can be identified. This can lead to an optimal, efficient reallocation of available resources.</p>
<h2>4. Stabilise your finances through savings</h2>
<p>Savings have been <a href="https://klinglercpa.com/bedrock-principles-for-saving-money/">described</a> as a financial stabiliser, given their potential to cater for urgent needs and create opportunities for investments. </p>
<p>Of course, savings have more value when they grow faster than the rate of inflation. Inflation erodes the value of savings. For instance, an amount of 300,000 naira (US$676) saved to purchase an autorickshaw today may be impossible in two months’ time with an inflation rate of 10% when the tricycle price rises to 330,000 naira (US$744). The reverse is the case when there is deflation. </p>
<p>Therefore, it is advisable to improve the value of savings through investments in interest-yielding assets such as stocks, shares, bonds, microfinance and production. </p>
<p>That’s not to say it’s always easy to save. Many income earners spend as they go, not seeing savings as part of their budgets. Harsh economic realities can also make it difficult – sometimes seemingly impossible – to save. But it’s not impossible: savings can be made in small amounts, through a daily, weekly or monthly contribution to collections, cooperative schemes or microfinance affiliations. For instance, a point of sale business in Nigeria can permit a daily contribution of 500 naira (US$1.13) over 25 work days, giving an average saving of 12,500 naira (US$28.18) per month. </p>
<p>The Point-of-Sale business started in Nigeria in 2013 when the Central Bank of Nigeria introduced the agent banking system. A POS agent operates and processes transactions through a POS service provider. Providers of such services include banks, microfinance banks and fintech companies.</p>
<h2>5. Run a flexible budget</h2>
<p>Once your budget is created, remember that it’s not set in stone. It should be flexible if anything changes in your life. For instance, an amount saved to buy a car can be invested in a promising venture buying shares through public offerings or private placements in multinational organisations like Nestle or Unilever. </p>
<p>Also, health emergencies or career advancement programmes can require taking some money out of our savings. </p>
<p>In all, budgeting should be flexible enough to incorporate exigencies, especially when catering for the current situation will culminate into a greater good.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/195590/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Oluwabunmi Adejumo does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Budgets are imperative for people to manage their resources and attain financial goals.Oluwabunmi Adejumo, Lecturer/Researcher, Obafemi Awolowo UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1808282022-04-11T12:09:24Z2022-04-11T12:09:24ZWater fights, magical decapitated heads and family reunions – the Southeast Asian festival of Songkran has it all<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/456993/original/file-20220407-24-rurnnn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=72%2C20%2C3351%2C2272&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">People celebrating the Songkran Festival in Luang Prabang, Laos, in April 2021.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/april-15-2021-people-sprinkle-water-to-each-other-news-photo/1232379173?adppopup=true">Xinhua/Kaikeo Saiyasane via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>In many countries in Southeast Asia, such as Myanmar, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia, the arrival of spring also marks the beginning of the new year. <a href="https://www.m-culture.go.th/en/article_view.php?nid=45">Songkran</a> (สงกรานต์), as the festival welcoming in the new year is called in Thai, is often celebrated with playful water fights on city streets over the course of three chaotic days. </p>
<p>In 2022, Songkran will begin April 13 and last until the evening of April 15. The dates are calculated via the <a href="https://en-academic.com/dic.nsf/enwiki/121460">lunisolar</a> calendar, which accounts both for the movement of the sun through the zodiac and the moon’s cycles. Specifically, the dates mark the period when the Sun’s leaving the constellation of Pisces and entering Aries.</p>
<p>Over these days, cities turn into playful battlegrounds. Children emerge armed from their houses and bands of revelers gather on the sides of the roads ready to waylay passersby. This, though, is <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-47920868">a war with water</a>. </p>
<p>As a <a href="https://berkeley.academia.edu/AndrewJohnson">scholar of Thai religion and culture</a>, I have done fieldwork in Bangkok and <a href="https://uhpress.hawaii.edu/title/ghosts-of-the-new-city-spirits-urbanity-and-the-ruins-of-progress-in-chiang-mai/">Chiang Mai</a> off and on for many years. I first encountered Songkran in Bangkok in 2010, and it was shocking for me. After sustaining a few discreet squirts from children in my neighborhood I emerged into a full melee; staying dry was simply out of the question. </p>
<p>In Theravada Buddhism, the religion practiced from Sri Lanka to Laos, this is the most significant holiday of the year. The day is known as <a href="https://www.phnompenhpost.com/siem-reap-insider/angkor-sangkran-again-during-new-year-period">Sangkren</a> in Cambodia, <a href="https://sonasia-holiday.com/sonabee/thingyan-festival-myanmar-new-year">Thingyan</a> in Myanmar, or simply Pi Mai in Laos.</p>
<p>In the diaspora, Songkran festivals happen wherever there is a Theravada temple, most <a href="https://thainewyear.org/">notably in Los Angeles</a> and <a href="https://www.watthaidc.org/events/songkran-festival/">Washington, D.C.</a></p>
<h2>A grand carnival</h2>
<p>The festival is a clear display of “sanuk,” the Thai emphasis on making activities fun, when many hierarchies of class and generation are suspended, at least during the water war. </p>
<p>In the days before the beginning of Songkran, roadside stalls start to sell cheap plastic water guns – many of which break by the first pull of the trigger – to “armed” groups of children, who wait to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Udyok536EZ8">soak</a> adults whom they previously obeyed and respected. The most creative children fill their water tanks with ice, ensuring that the victims wince when they’re hit. </p>
<p>Along major streets in Bangkok, or around the city moat in Chiang Mai, groups gather, firing water pistols and lifting goopy handfuls of <a href="https://www.bangkokpost.com/learning/advanced/522115/the-story-of-powder">chalk powder</a> to slap on each other’s faces – the chalk, incidentally, being a traditional sunscreen, often promoted as a <a href="https://www.sanook.com/women/63815/">natural beauty aid</a>. </p>
<p>In the past two years, concerns over COVID-19 have put a damper on the festivities, as <a href="https://thethaiger.com/hot-news/songkran/songkran-2022-bma-allows-water-splashing-from-covid-safe-distances-in-private-venues">governments try to limit</a> the number of participants and contact between them. </p>
<h2>Carnival time</h2>
<p>Having spent a significant part of the past 20 years living in and writing about the region, I am struck by how Songkran mixes a public carnival and family connections. In rural villages, Songkran means reunions as well as parties. Many families are supported by remittances from members working in Bangkok or abroad, and the holiday provides a chance to return home with gifts, money and temple donations. </p>
<p>Here, too, things turn into a party. In 2015 I spent Songkran in a fishing community <a href="https://www.dukeupress.edu/mekong-dreaming">near Nong Khai</a>, in northeast Thailand. The town was suddenly full of new faces – people who had been working in factories in Korea, had married overseas, or simply lived and worked in Bangkok. In the mornings of each day, a tent was set up alongside the road, with dishes of spicy som tam <a href="https://www.seriouseats.com/som-tam-green-papaya-salad-5208332">papaya salad</a>, minced pork <a href="https://www.seriouseats.com/laab-moo-isan-isan-style-minced-pork-salad-5205873">larb</a> and copious amounts of <a href="https://www.singhabeerusa.com/leo-beer/">beer</a>. </p>
<p>A hose fed constantly into a series of buckets, and as cars came down the highway, each of us would carry a fully laden bucket of cold water out into the road to soak the drivers. </p>
<p>Of course, this mix of chaos and alcohol can have dire consequences. The numbers of traffic fatalities spike during Songkran week each year – in 2018, there were <a href="https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/30343425">418 deaths</a> linked with drunken driving in Thailand alone. </p>
<h2>Mythic origins</h2>
<p>There is more to the holiday than just a water fight. In <a href="https://learnthaistyle.com/what-is-songkran-festival/#:%7E:text=Legend,this%20challenge%20must%20be%20beheaded.">Thai versions of</a> Hindu-Buddhist myth, the day draws from the rituals surrounding the severed head of Kapila Brahma, or Kabila Phrom in Thai, a Hindu sage who challenged a poor child with a riddle. A child who guessed incorrectly would lose his head, and the confident sage announced that he himself would suffer the same fate if the child guessed right. But the child could understand the speech of animals and overheard the correct answer. The sage lost his head, but his magic was so strong that his severed head would make the rains end if tossed into the sky, or cause the seas to dry if it touched the ground. </p>
<p>In <a href="https://burmese-buddhas.com/blog/burmese-festival-thingyan/">the Burmese version</a>, this myth stems from a conflict between two groups of divinities, and the headless Brahma’s body was granted a new elephant’s head and thus transformed into the Hindu God Ganesh. </p>
<p>In each version, a group of divine women – daughters of the sage in some versions, daughters of the god Indra in others – then took the original head and enshrined it in a cave on Mt. Kailash in western Tibet. Each year, one of the daughters would mount a different beast depending on the day of the week on which Songkran falls and take the severed head in a procession.</p>
<p>This year, the appointed daughter rides a donkey, carries a champaka flower, and wears green – something which everyday believers can do, too, to increase their fortunes. In Bangkok, this divine procession takes the form of a parade and <a href="https://www.vogue.com/slideshow/2016-bangkok-wisut-kasat-miss-songkran-fashion-photos">beauty contest</a> to elect “Miss Songkran.”</p>
<h2>A time for reflection</h2>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/456995/original/file-20220407-24-za83w0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A woman wearing a face mask pouring water over a bronze-colored Buddha statue that is decorated with flowers." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/456995/original/file-20220407-24-za83w0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/456995/original/file-20220407-24-za83w0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/456995/original/file-20220407-24-za83w0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/456995/original/file-20220407-24-za83w0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/456995/original/file-20220407-24-za83w0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/456995/original/file-20220407-24-za83w0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/456995/original/file-20220407-24-za83w0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A woman pours scented water on a Buddha statue during Songkran at the Wat Pho temple in Bangkok, Thailand.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/woman-scented-water-on-a-buddha-statue-as-they-celebrate-news-photo/1232284817?adppopup=true">Anusak Laowilas/NurPhoto via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>European celebrations of the new year happen during the winter, when days are short. Those are celebrations of <a href="https://www.sapiens.org/culture/renewal-rituals/">resilience</a> amid hope that the world is about to turn toward light and warmth again. </p>
<p>But in Southeast Asia, the season of difficulty does not coincide with the winter. Indeed, <a href="https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/thailand/bangkok">daylight time differs</a> by only just over an hour between June and December, and the winter months have <a href="https://en.climate-data.org/asia/thailand/bangkok/bangkok-6313/">temperatures</a> that remain quite pleasant. </p>
<p>The significant seasonal variation is, instead, the <a href="https://eos.org/science-updates/evolution-of-the-asian-monsoon">monsoon</a>. April is the moment just before the hot and dry weather breaks, when monsoon is set to begin and agriculture is at its most desperate. The water wars acquire a sympathetic sort of magic, presaging the rainwaters to come.</p>
<p>It is also a time to thank those who have provided support and bring hope for what is to come. Each Songkran, individuals go to the temples close to their hometown, where they donate, listen to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSOMxDsBrSE">Buddhist sermons</a> or perform acts of service.</p>
<p>Many honor their elders by <a href="https://baanunrakorg.wordpress.com/2020/04/20/rod-nam-dum-hua-a-water-pouring-ceremony/">pouring water</a> over their elders’ palms and also over images of the Buddha, a symbolic giving of coolness and moisture, given the month’s nearly unbearable heat and dryness.</p>
<p>Each of these aspects – the carnival water fight, the mythic story of the rain-destroying head, the bathing of elders’ hands and the image of the Buddha – point toward the significance of water as a source of renewal. It is also a celebration of life in the midst of hardship; a sign of its resilience and, even, its joy.</p>
<p>[<em>3 media outlets, 1 religion newsletter.</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters/this-week-in-religion-76/?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=religion-3-in-1">Get stories from The Conversation, AP and RNS.</a>]</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/180828/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Andrew Alan Johnson receives funding from the Fulbright-Hays foundation, the Mario Einaudi Center, and the Humanities Korea foundation.</span></em></p>In Southeast Asia, Songkran is a time to celebrate the coming year with water fights, honoring elders and offering prayers.Andrew Alan Johnson, Visiting Scholar of Anthropology, University of California, BerkeleyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1748492022-01-24T16:03:15Z2022-01-24T16:03:15ZFear of COVID-19 and fear of change are dangerously intertwined for 2022<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/440792/original/file-20220113-1519-1exdww2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=40%2C0%2C6669%2C4476&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">At the end of 2021 there was a correlation between worldwide Google searches for the term "fear of change" and "fear of COVID."</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Omicron has renewed <a href="https://abacusdata.ca/covid-anxiety-worry-omicron/">people’s fear of COVID-19</a>, while at the same time starkly surfacing our other embedded fear — <a href="https://www.inc.com/scott-mautz/science-says-this-is-why-you-fear-change-and-what-to-do-about-it.html">fear of change</a>. </p>
<p>In looking at Google Trends, my research shows that at the end of 2021 people googled “fear of COVID” and “fear of change” at rivalling rates. This result projects an increasingly widespread Omicron-driven fear accompanied by an increasing and intertwined fear of change.</p>
<p>As they inextricably entwine, fear of change and fear of COVID-19 are foreshadowing a year of intense “<a href="https://www.anxietycanada.com/articles/fight-flight-freeze/">fight, flight and freeze</a>.”</p>
<p>As a change management scholar, over the years a few simple clichés have sustained themselves. Generally, we hate change because it shakes up the status quo, predictability and our naive sense of control. Clinical psychologist <a href="https://www.verywellmind.com/i-fear-change-how-to-cope-with-the-unknown-5189851">Carla Maria Manly says</a>, “Our brains are hardwired to prefer routine and consistency.”</p>
<p>The pandemic has shaken up many of our routines, feelings or normalcy and ability to maintain consistency. So as people continue Googling “fear of COVID” and “fear of change” at rivalling rates, we need to think about their impacts and how we can get out of this fear cycle. </p>
<h2>Trying to control change</h2>
<p>For a long time, we have been told to embrace linear, mechanistic thinking that teaches what happened before will likely happen again, and so old solutions work best for new problems. </p>
<p>Unfortunately, COVID-19 has turned that thinking on its head. We fear COVID-19 because of its befuddling failure to be controlled, the way its changed our lives and the risk of illness and death.</p>
<p>An article published in <em>Frontiers in Psychiatry</em>, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.708430">Fear of COVID-19 Infection Across Different Cohorts: A Scoping Review</a>,” put it succinctly by stating studies identified “various domains of fear related to the fear of COVID-19 infection.” These included, “fear of oneself or their family members getting infected, fear of having economic losses and being unemployed, or fear of avoidance behaviours toward gaining knowledge about the pandemic,” as well as “fear of making decisions [about actions like] whether to visit parents or not, whether to look for information on death rates or not, etc.”</p>
<p>But perhaps it shouldn’t be so scary. If we think of COVID-19, <a href="https://adaa.org/learn-from-us/from-the-experts/blog-posts/consumer/flatten-fear-facts-what-appropriate-level-covid">we can flatten the fear with facts</a>, and when it comes to change, consider how its been around for billions of years. </p>
<p>Instead of trying to control change, we should take solace from organizational consultant William Bridges who looks at events in our lives more <a href="https://wmbridges.com/about/what-is-transition/">as psychological “transitions” than change</a>, where we let go of how things were (endings), and enter a “neutral zone” of “creating new processes and learning” often feeling confusion and distress. </p>
<p>According to Bridges, beginnings involve new understandings, values and attitudes. He’s offering a process for accepting that yesterday’s solutions, cultures, structures and systems are no longer applicable — a means of letting go.</p>
<p>The big question is whether we can let go of yesterday, experience deep reflection and start a new beginning. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="An illustration of a woman look up into a bunch of different versions of herself." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/440785/original/file-20220113-17-j2ztht.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/440785/original/file-20220113-17-j2ztht.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=314&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/440785/original/file-20220113-17-j2ztht.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=314&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/440785/original/file-20220113-17-j2ztht.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=314&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/440785/original/file-20220113-17-j2ztht.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=395&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/440785/original/file-20220113-17-j2ztht.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=395&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/440785/original/file-20220113-17-j2ztht.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=395&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Instead of trying to control change we should see it as a transition.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
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</figure>
<h2>2022 and the fear ahead</h2>
<p>Fear is an excellent accelerator for those with specific agendas, for those with divisive intentions and for those fiercely protecting their own definition of status quo. </p>
<p>In my doctoral work on public protests, I found an ocean of reviewed literature on <a href="https://fbaum.unc.edu/teaching/articles/AnnRevSoc-2000-Benford.pdf">how a state of fear can trigger anger</a>, outrage, a demand for action, a disintegration of trust and even civility. </p>
<p>Today, we are very afraid. </p>
<p>A public opinion poll by Ipsos in December 2021 showed that in over 28 countries surveyed, <a href="https://www.ipsos.com/en/what-worries-world-december-2021">32 per cent of respondents agreed that COVID was</a> the “world’s number-one worry.” </p>
<p>In a study of American Twitter data published in September 2021, <a href="https://doi.org/10.2196/30854">researchers found that</a> the public trusts the vaccine but are also experiencing a mixture of fear, sadness and anger. </p>
<p>Google Trends provides real-time data for comparing the search terms “fear of change” versus “fear of COVID.” For example, on Jan. 12, 2022, at 2 p.m. PST, the average for all countries was equally 53 per cent for searches about fear of COVID-19 and fear of change. </p>
<h2>What’s in store?</h2>
<p>Forecasting is inherently tricky and as meteorologist Edward Lorenz said, change can be subject to <a href="https://www.aps.org/publications/apsnews/200301/history.cfm">sensitive dependence on initial conditions</a>, meaning even a very small thing can set off a ripple effect of immense consequence.</p>
<p>In a nutshell, Lorenz cautions when it comes to thinking people can nail down a perfectly predictable future based on only what they know and ignoring what they don’t and often can’t know. Short term projections can be OK, longer term not so much. And if people don’t have certainty, they get very uncomfortable and fearful.</p>
<p>As science writer David Robson wrote in the <em>BBC</em>, “<a href="https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200401-covid-19-how-fear-of-coronavirus-is-changing-our-psychology">the fear of coronavirus is changing our psychology</a>.” He said: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>“Due to some deeply evolved responses to disease, fears of contagion lead us to become more conformist and tribalistic, and less accepting of eccentricity. Our moral judgements become harsher and our social attitudes more conservative when considering issues such as immigration or sexual freedom and equality. Daily reminders of disease may even sway our political affiliations.” </p>
</blockquote>
<p>In other words, thanks to COVID-19, our fear of all manner of change becomes both magnified and deeply intractable.</p>
<p>So, what to do in the twisted fate of 2022? In my book <em><a href="https://books.google.ca/books/about/Corporate_Personality_Disorder.html?id=IlhJGQAACAAJ&redir_esc=y">Corporate Personality Disorder: Surviving and Saving Sick Organizations</a></em> I argued that fear can be explained as an amalgam of powerlessness and the unknown — <a href="https://theconversation.com/feeling-powerless-in-the-covid-19-pandemic-4-principles-of-self-determination-can-help-you-take-back-some-control-174368">COVID-19 has led many of us to feel powerless</a>.</p>
<p>Overcoming this fear, whether it be fear of change or fear of COVID-19 requires personal empowerment and knowledge. But the trick is defining whose power and what knowledge.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/174849/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Eli Sopow does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Overcoming this fear requires personal empowerment and knowledge. But the trick is defining whose power and what knowledge.Eli Sopow, Professor of Change Management and Organizational Behavior, University Canada WestLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1747552022-01-13T13:02:04Z2022-01-13T13:02:04ZTackling 2022 with hope: 5 essential reads<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/440323/original/file-20220111-20982-12bjnxy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=22%2C3%2C996%2C676&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">If hope feels far-fetched this winter, you're not alone.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/yellow-crocus-flowers-peak-through-the-snow-covered-ground-news-photo/1040365222?adppopup=true">picture alliance via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Six months ago, it was easy for many Americans to think COVID-19 was on the defensive. Vaccinations were <a href="https://ourworldindata.org/covid-vaccinations?country=USA">ticking up</a> as <a href="https://theconversation.com/18-months-of-the-covid-19-pandemic-a-retrospective-in-7-charts-166881">case numbers ticked down</a>. Summer sunshine made hanging out outside actually enjoyable, after a cooped-up winter of socializing with just our pods. Maybe, just maybe, <a href="https://theconversation.com/got-zoom-fatigue-out-of-sync-brainwaves-could-be-another-reason-videoconferencing-is-such-a-drag-172380">Zoom fatigue</a> would soon be a thing of the past.</p>
<p>Today, that optimism seems miles away. Hospitalizations are <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2022/01/11/1071568846/u-s-covid-hospitalizations-hit-new-record-high-raising-risks-for-patients">hitting new highs</a>. Concerns about <a href="https://theconversation.com/school-closure-debates-put-teachers-unions-front-and-center-174517">school safety</a> amid climbing case counts have working parents and teachers on edge.</p>
<p>If you’re not exactly feeling hopeful about the year ahead, you’re not alone. Here are five of our favorite stories spotlighting resilience, healing, and yes, hope, to help you face 2022.</p>
<h2>1. ‘Work with hope’</h2>
<p>Face it, <a href="https://sasn.rutgers.edu/about-us/faculty-staff/rachel-hadas">poet and classics scholar Rachel Hadas</a> <a href="https://theconversation.com/work-with-hope-a-poet-and-classics-scholar-on-facing-the-flood-of-bad-news-167025">writes</a>: “We’re in a prolonged period of maddeningly, scarily bad news.” </p>
<p>But if you think that makes our society unique, think again. For as long as humans have been writing, they’ve been facing crises, learning to adapt – more than we give our species credit for – and keeping hope afloat. And readers today can draw strength from yesterday’s literature.</p>
<p>Whether it’s Homer’s Greek epic “The Iliad” or American poet Emily Dickinson, writing about resilience often shares key themes, Hadas says: learning to balance the present and the future, the big-picture horizon and the joy of small things along the way. Quoting the modern Greek poet George Seferis, she writes of the need to “put to sea again with our broken oars.”</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/work-with-hope-a-poet-and-classics-scholar-on-facing-the-flood-of-bad-news-167025">'Work with hope' – a poet and classics scholar on facing the flood of bad news</a>
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<h2>2. Before healing, remembering</h2>
<p>The pandemic has robbed people not only of joy, but also of ways to process grief. As many people grasp “every opportunity to reconnect” and find new normals, others are still mourning lost loved ones, especially if COVID-19 restrictions prevented the kinds of healing and commemoration families once took for granted.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/412886/original/file-20210723-21-18cortn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A fence alongside Greenwood Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York, covered with memorial art for those who died of COVID-19." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/412886/original/file-20210723-21-18cortn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/412886/original/file-20210723-21-18cortn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/412886/original/file-20210723-21-18cortn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/412886/original/file-20210723-21-18cortn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/412886/original/file-20210723-21-18cortn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/412886/original/file-20210723-21-18cortn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/412886/original/file-20210723-21-18cortn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">People are grieving for those lost to COVID-19 in many different ways. Some are expressing their loss through art.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/fence-alongside-greenwood-cemetery-is-covered-with-memorial-news-photo/1322681686?adppopup=true">Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images</a></span>
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<p>Eventually, as the pandemic ebbs, both groups can find happiness, but in different ways, writes <a href="https://priceschool.usc.edu/people/david-sloane/">David Sloane</a>, who studies commemoration and mourning practices.</p>
<p>With normal healing interrupted, “<a href="https://theconversation.com/joy-and-grief-will-coexist-as-americans-return-to-pre-pandemic-life-everyday-memorials-will-help-164228">everyday memorials</a>” from flags and photographs to tattoos can help people “transition from the depths of the pandemic to the reopened society by offering ways for them to mourn and remember.”</p>
<p>As we recover, joy and grief are often mixed together, he says, but don’t let “survivor’s guilt” keep you from finding comfort.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/joy-and-grief-will-coexist-as-americans-return-to-pre-pandemic-life-everyday-memorials-will-help-164228">Joy and grief will coexist as Americans return to pre-pandemic life – 'everyday memorials' will help</a>
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<h2>3. Lean in to rituals</h2>
<p>Across cultures, rituals can mark life milestones, strengthen social ties and even promote hygiene – such as <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-islamic-hygienic-practices-can-teach-when-coronavirus-is-spreading-133221">Wudu</a>, ritual cleansing before prayers in Islam. Yet the pandemic has interrupted everyday rites like handshakes and hugs, not to mention once-in-a-lifetime events like weddings or bar mitzvahs. </p>
<p>But that presents <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-rituals-are-important-survival-tools-during-the-covid-19-pandemic-152371">an opportunity to adapt</a>, writes psychologist <a href="https://liberalarts.utexas.edu/psychology/faculty/profile.php?eid=chl525">Cristine Legare</a>. People often rely on rituals to manage stress and exert control, which helps them deal with uncertainty – part of what’s so overwhelming about the pandemic. </p>
<p>“There are good reasons people spend time, money and energy engaging in rituals in the face of COVID-19 restrictions,” she writes. “They are essential to meeting our physical, social and psychological needs in the face of adversity.”</p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-rituals-are-important-survival-tools-during-the-covid-19-pandemic-152371">Why rituals are important survival tools during the COVID-19 pandemic</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>4. Hope vs. optimism</h2>
<p>Hope isn’t expecting good things, psychologist <a href="https://sasn.rutgers.edu/about-us/faculty-staff/jacqueline-s-mattis">Jacqueline Mattis</a> clarifies: It’s believing they’re possible, and then creating paths to achieve them. In other words, having a plan.</p>
<p>She offers <a href="https://theconversation.com/5-strategies-for-cultivating-hope-this-year-152523">five strategies to actively cultivate hope</a>: having goals, harnessing uncertainty, managing attention, seeking community and looking at evidence. Challenges like a global pandemic call for adapting, not giving up, and “uncertainty is not reason for paralysis – it is a reason to hope,” Mattis writes.</p>
<p>“Hopeful people do not wish – they imagine and act,” she writes, emphasizing the importance of acting in community. <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/43486771">Research on anti-poverty activists</a>, for example, underscores that their relationships ignited their hope and conviction, giving them “a sense of accountability, to recognize that their work mattered and that they were part of something bigger than themselves.”</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/5-strategies-for-cultivating-hope-this-year-152523">5 strategies for cultivating hope this year</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A man paints on canvas in a studio." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/438884/original/file-20211222-21-jswvjh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/438884/original/file-20211222-21-jswvjh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438884/original/file-20211222-21-jswvjh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438884/original/file-20211222-21-jswvjh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438884/original/file-20211222-21-jswvjh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438884/original/file-20211222-21-jswvjh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438884/original/file-20211222-21-jswvjh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Flow can arise when playing games or engaged in artistic pursuits, like writing, photography, sculpting and painting.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/young-asian-male-woman-paint-drawing-acrylic-color-royalty-free-image/1314904308?adppopup=true">Somyot Techapuwapat/Moment via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>5. Get in the flow</h2>
<p>For people still crafting their 2022 resolutions, cognitive scientist <a href="https://communication.ucdavis.edu/people/rwhuskey">Richard Huskey</a> has a suggestion: Add some flow.</p>
<p>It’s on his own list, too. “Flow,” a term coined in the 1970s by psychologist Mihály Csíkszentmihályi, is that feeling of complete absorption, or intense concentration, when someone’s thoughts “are focused on an experience rather than on themselves,” <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-does-experiencing-flow-feel-so-good-a-communication-scientist-explains-173505">Huskey explains</a>.</p>
<p>Intrinsically rewarding experiences, like those that put us “in the zone,” support mental health, well-being and resilience. In fact, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0242043">a study from China</a> shows that people with more “flow” in their lives “had better well-being during the COVID-19 quarantine.”</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-does-experiencing-flow-feel-so-good-a-communication-scientist-explains-173505">Why does experiencing 'flow' feel so good? A communication scientist explains</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p><em>Editor’s note: This story is a roundup of articles from The Conversation’s archives.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/174755/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
Five articles on the meanings of hope and how to think about resilience, healing and even joy in the midst of this winter’s bleakness.Molly Jackson, Religion and Ethics EditorLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1741772022-01-05T15:59:54Z2022-01-05T15:59:54ZLearn time management to make those New Year’s resolutions stick<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/439201/original/file-20220103-117041-1w881i8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C5324%2C3552&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Popular New Year's resolutions include exercising, learning a new skill and travelling.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 175px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/learn-time-management-to-make-those-new-year-s-resolutions-stick" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>Does this sound familiar? You make <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/new-years-resolution-2022-meaning-origin-ideas-1662947">a New Year’s resolution</a>, like learning a new language, reading more books or playing an instrument. You’re really excited at the beginning. You even go out and buy books or sign up for lessons. But then life happens. </p>
<p>You get busy at work, you have to take care of your kids or elderly parents, and before you know it, the month is over and you’ve barely made a dent.</p>
<p>Worse, you feel more and more like your resolution conflicts with your daily life. Every day you try to fit in time for it feels like an extra burden, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1509/jmr.14.0130">which increases your sense of time pressure</a>. This is one of the most experienced — but rarely talked about — aspects of New Year’s resolutions: they squeeze your time.</p>
<p>Because this keeps happening year after year, it might be helpful to understand why.</p>
<h2>How we think about time</h2>
<p>It’s no secret that people <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2018.04.011">don’t think about time very rationally</a> — we often fall prey to cognitive biases that distort our perception of time. And two such biases play a big role in our unsuccessful New Year’s resolutions.</p>
<p>First, there’s the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2014.1901">fresh start effect</a>. This psychological phenomenon makes people see the beginning of a new year (or a new semester, month <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2019.02.005">or even week</a>) as an opportunity to distance themselves from their past failures. </p>
<p>It does this by resetting people’s mental accounting of time, making them believe that they can start anew and do better this time around (“new year, new me”). As a result, people become a lot more motivated and confident, which makes them want to take on more challenges and become their best selves — perhaps to a fault.</p>
<p>Then there’s the dreadful <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/0096-3445.134.1.23">“yes … damn!” effect</a>, a bias that makes people wrongly believe they will have more time in the future than right now. This is the cognitive bias responsible for why so many of us agree to future activities like agreeing to be on a committee (“yes”), but then regret it when time comes because we realize we don’t have the free time we thought we would (“damn!”). </p>
<p>Around New Year’s, it’s easy to convince ourselves that time will be on our side, especially since we still have a whole year ahead of us. But as time goes on, this delusion quickly becomes apparent.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A woman writes in a journal while looking at her watch" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/439210/original/file-20220103-48250-hc7za8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/439210/original/file-20220103-48250-hc7za8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/439210/original/file-20220103-48250-hc7za8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/439210/original/file-20220103-48250-hc7za8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/439210/original/file-20220103-48250-hc7za8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/439210/original/file-20220103-48250-hc7za8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/439210/original/file-20220103-48250-hc7za8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Time management will allow you to carve out time for all the things you want to accomplish.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Time blind</h2>
<p>Is there anything we can do about this? Interestingly, the authors of the “yes …damn!” effect <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/0096-3445.134.1.23">noted that it’s hard for people to</a> “learn from feedback that time will not be more abundant in the future because of the irregular ways people spend their time … they perceive that activities that compete for their time today are irrelevant to those that will compete in the future.”</p>
<p>In other words, we don’t learn from our “yes … damn!” mistakes when our days aren’t structured and predictable. We can’t learn our lessons when there are no apparent patterns to how we use time — lack of structure makes us time-blind.</p>
<p>In a sense, failing to structure our time is a bit like living in a messy house. The clutter makes it hard for people to clearly see the furniture and appliances they own. Just as people make resolutions they don’t have time for around New Year’s, messy homeowners get tempted to buy things they don’t need (or don’t have space for) because they don’t know what they already have.</p>
<h2>Seeing time</h2>
<p>The solution? Structure your time.</p>
<p>Try time management. It is an essential <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1742-9536.2011.00008.x">tool to establish structure in your day-to-day life</a>. When your days are more structured and organized, you can get a better, more realistic idea of how much time you have to take on new commitments. </p>
<p>An organized schedule cures time blindness — it’s much harder to over commit when you can see your time structured and laid out in front of you.</p>
<p>Time management also <a href="https://doi.org/10.5465/amp.2016.0166">helps you make time to acquire new skills</a>. We often forget that anything in life takes time. That’s why the first step toward getting better at something is learning how to make time for it. And that’s exactly what time management does: it gives you time to work on the things that are important to you.</p>
<p>So this year, instead of making new resolutions that will <em>take</em> you more time, resolve to learn a skill that will <em>make</em> you more time. </p>
<p>Time management will allow you to carve out time for all the things you want to accomplish this year and for many years to come.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/174177/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Brad Aeon receives funding from federal and provincial research grants. </span></em></p>New Year’s resolutions can help us aim for a better future, but time management is the real key to actually achieving those resolutions.Brad Aeon, Assistant Professor, Time Management Researcher, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM)Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1735412022-01-03T16:57:46Z2022-01-03T16:57:46ZYou can’t outrun your fork. But that doesn’t mean exercise can’t help you lose weight or change your diet.<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/438904/original/file-20211222-23-1xnslqm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=746%2C81%2C6077%2C4491&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">You can't exercise away a poor diet.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 175px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/you-can-t-outrun-your-fork--but-that-doesn-t-mean-exercise-can-t-help-you-lose-weight-or-change-your-diet-" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>Every January, millions of individuals make New Year’s <a href="https://www.inc.com/peter-economy/10-top-new-years-resolutions-for-success-happiness-in-2019.html">resolutions</a> to lose weight or eat healthier, if not both. To achieve this goal, many individuals will begin strenuous exercise programs that incorporate too much exercise <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/nomanazish/2019/08/08/fitness-burnout-is-real-heres-how-to-beat-it/?sh=55dd4b645a61">too soon</a>, leading to fitness burnout or injury. <a href="https://theconversation.com/overtraining-probably-isnt-behind-your-weight-loss-plateau-heres-why-170758">Overtraining</a> can actually prevent you from losing weight.</p>
<p>As a health neuroscientist, I have been studying the brain and cognitive mechanisms underlying dietary behaviours and the role exercise plays in helping people improve their diets for over 10 years. </p>
<h2>Energy and exercise</h2>
<p>The truth is that you simply cannot <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/nancyhuehnergarth/2016/02/03/why-you-cant-exercise-your-way-to-weight-loss/?sh=57c341ad723b">exercise away</a> a poor diet and expect to lose weight (if that is your goal). Humans are very good at conserving energy and will account for any calories burned through exercise by consuming more calories later in the day or by being <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-012-0008-7">less physically active</a> throughout the rest of the day.</p>
<p>That being said, you can — and should — use exercise to help you lose weight and maintain your weight loss. But not to offset calories consumed. </p>
<p>If you are looking to lose weight, the only way to do it is by <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-lose-weight-and-keep-it-off-according-to-science-110674">controlling your calorie intake</a>. The best and most effective way of doing that is limiting the consumption of ultra-processed foods — typical “junk foods” and fast-food meals. Even if you are not trying to lose weight, reducing ultra-processed food consumption is good for mental and physical health. </p>
<p>Regular exercise makes it easier to do this by improving the brain and cognitive processes that help us regulate junk food consumption, and by reducing stress. And the best part is, as little as 20 minutes of brisk walking is all you need to get the beneficial effects.</p>
<h2>Why we over-consume junk foods</h2>
<p>We know that we shouldn’t overeat candy, cookies, cake and chips, or drink sugary sodas. Diets that are high in these ultra-processed foods cause us to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2019.05.008">gain weight</a>. But they are just so hard to resist. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Donuts with sprinkles in a white box" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/438890/original/file-20211222-167342-j6igpz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/438890/original/file-20211222-167342-j6igpz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438890/original/file-20211222-167342-j6igpz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438890/original/file-20211222-167342-j6igpz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438890/original/file-20211222-167342-j6igpz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438890/original/file-20211222-167342-j6igpz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438890/original/file-20211222-167342-j6igpz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Ultra-processed junk foods have been designed to be as tasty and rewarding as possible.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Pixabay)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Ultra-processed junk foods have been designed to be as tasty and rewarding as possible. When we are exposed to media advertisements, or actual food items (for example, chocolate bars in the checkout lane at grocery stores), brain activity in regions associated with <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s13679-021-00455-9">reward processing</a> increases. This reward-related brain activity results in increased food cravings and the drive to eat, even when we are not hungry. </p>
<p>A brain region known as the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2019.01.005">dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC</a>) helps us limit the consumption of ultra-processed foods by both decreasing activity in these reward regions to reduce food cravings and by initiating the cognitive processes needed to exert conscious control over food choices.</p>
<p>When using <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.4249/scholarpedia.1478">functional brain imaging</a> to examine brain responses, neuroscientists have shown that increased activity in the dlPFC helps us control <a href="https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1007779107">food cravings</a> and select healthier food items by decreasing activity in the reward regions of the brain. Conversely, when <a href="https://doi.org/10.1097/PSY.0000000000000090">activity in the dlPFC is decreased</a>, we have a harder time resisting the temptation of appealing junk foods and will consume more snack foods.</p>
<h2>Exercise can help regulate food consumption</h2>
<p>Exercise boosts brain plasticity, which is the brain’s <a href="https://dictionary.apa.org/brain-plasticity">ability to adapt</a> its functions based on new input. Boosting brain plasticity makes it easier to change our habits and lifestyle. More and more evidence has shown that regular physical activity can increase <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2017.12.003">prefrontal brain function</a> and improve cognition. </p>
<p>These exercise-induced increases in prefrontal brain function and cognition makes it easier to regulate or limit our consumption of junk foods. And we can see the effects with as little as 20 minutes of moderate intensity exercise.</p>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="Silhouette or a head with a man running and gears turning in the cranium" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/438891/original/file-20211222-18663-m03jiv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/438891/original/file-20211222-18663-m03jiv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=623&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438891/original/file-20211222-18663-m03jiv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=623&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438891/original/file-20211222-18663-m03jiv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=623&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438891/original/file-20211222-18663-m03jiv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=783&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438891/original/file-20211222-18663-m03jiv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=783&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438891/original/file-20211222-18663-m03jiv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=783&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Regular physical activity can increase prefrontal brain function and improve cognition.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>I have shown that people consume less ultra-processed food such as chips or milk chocolate <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bandc.2016.04.008">after 20 minutes</a> of moderate-intensity exercise (in our study, this was a brisk walk at 5.6-6.1 kilometres per hour on a treadmill with a slight incline). Research has also shown that both a single session of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2018.07.018">high-intensity interval training</a> and a 12-week high-intensity aerobic exercise program can reduce preferences or appetite for high-calorie junk foods. Similar effects are seen when people engage in moderate <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2014.10.018">aerobic exercise or strength training</a>.</p>
<p>The key takeaway here is that regular exercise can reduce how much people want junk foods and improve their ability to resist the temptation of these appealing foods by improving brain function and cognition. This makes it easier to limit the consumption of these foods to achieve healthier eating and weight loss goals.</p>
<h2>Exercise also helps reduce stress</h2>
<p>When people are stressed, the body releases a <a href="https://health.clevelandclinic.org/how-stress-can-make-you-eat-more-or-not-at-all/">hormone called cortisol</a>, which activates what is known as the fight-or-flight response. When cortisol levels are high, the brain thinks it needs more fuel, resulting in increased cravings for sugary or salty ultra-processed foods.</p>
<p>Participation in regular exercise or a single bout of exercise reduces perceived stress levels and <a href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/exercising-to-relax">cortisol levels</a>. Exercise also helps <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/nu10020176">reduce unhealthy drink and food consumption</a> when people are stressed.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Two young men walking in exercise clothes" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/438898/original/file-20211222-25-1swsuil.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/438898/original/file-20211222-25-1swsuil.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438898/original/file-20211222-25-1swsuil.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438898/original/file-20211222-25-1swsuil.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438898/original/file-20211222-25-1swsuil.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438898/original/file-20211222-25-1swsuil.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438898/original/file-20211222-25-1swsuil.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Next time you are feeling stressed, try going for a brisk 20-minute walk. It could prevent you from stress-eating.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Stress can also impact how the brain functions. Research has shown that stress can result in decreased activity in the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0807041106">prefrontal cortex</a> and increased activity in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2017.05.016">reward regions</a> of the brain when looking at pictures of food. This makes it harder to resist the temptation of appealing junk foods.</p>
<p>By offsetting the impact of stress on prefrontal brain function, exercise makes it easier to maintain your goals of healthier eating or reducing junk food consumption. Twenty minutes of brisk walking can help the prefrontal cortex recover from temporary changes in activity, like the ones seen when people are stressed.</p>
<p>Next time you are feeling stressed, try going for a brisk 20-minute walk. It could prevent you from stress-eating.</p>
<h2>What exercise is best?</h2>
<p>Researchers often get asked what is the best exercise and how much exercise to do.</p>
<p>At the end of the day, the best exercise is one you enjoy and can sustain over time. High-intensity interval training (HIIT), aerobic exercise, meditation and mindfulness, yoga and strength training are all effective in helping improve diet by targeting prefrontal brain function and reducing stress.</p>
<p>If you are beginning a new exercise routine this new year, ease into it, be kind to yourself, listen to your body and remember that a little goes a long way.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/173541/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Cassandra J. Lowe receives funding from CIHR and the Canada First Research Excellence Fund (CFREF; BrainsCAN)</span></em></p>Exercise can’t make up for a poor diet, but it can help change eating habits. Regular exercise improves the brain and cognitive processes that help regulate junk food consumption and reduces stress.Cassandra J. Lowe, Postdoctoral Fellow, The Brain and Mind Institute, Department of Psychology, Western UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1737402022-01-02T12:58:10Z2022-01-02T12:58:10ZGot health goals? Research-based tips for adopting and sticking to new healthy lifestyle behaviours<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/438858/original/file-20211222-48250-y91lma.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=422%2C292%2C4919%2C3304&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Health goals are among the most popular New Year's resolutions, but failing to stick to them is so common that it has become a cliché.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>New Year’s resolutions are an annual ritual of setting intentions for self-betterment, and health behaviour goals — such as improving healthy eating and physical activity — are among the most popular. Unfortunately, failing to stick to those new goals is so common that it has become a cliché. </p>
<p>This is backed by research evidence. Studies have repeatedly shown that over half of people who form health behaviour intentions <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/spc3.12265">fail to enact them</a>. </p>
<p>There are caveats to this statistic, of course. Short-term health behaviour goals are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/17437199.2010.521684">more likely to be enacted than long-term</a>, and those who are returning to a pattern of behaviour they used to practice are <a href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781003176695-2/enacting-physical-activity-intention-ryan-rhodes-henry-la-alison-quinlan-stina-grant">more likely to follow through with their intentions</a> compared to those who are adopting a new health behaviour. </p>
<p>It’s important to note that having an intention to change behaviour is an essential first step. Few people regularly engage in healthy behaviours <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/bjhp.12032">without those initial good intentions</a>. Sticking to health behaviour goals, however, is the critical factor. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A pair of sneakers hanging against a yellow background" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/438871/original/file-20211222-19-8mk7tp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/438871/original/file-20211222-19-8mk7tp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438871/original/file-20211222-19-8mk7tp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438871/original/file-20211222-19-8mk7tp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438871/original/file-20211222-19-8mk7tp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438871/original/file-20211222-19-8mk7tp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438871/original/file-20211222-19-8mk7tp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Difficulty in following through on healthy intentions often comes from strategic challenges, and from more basic underlying human tendencies.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Why do we struggle with health behaviour goals?</h2>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-061020-105721">Self-regulation is an extensive research topic in psychology</a>. As a professor of health psychology, my research focuses on understanding the “intention-behaviour gap” in physical activity, and testing interventions that may help close this gap. </p>
<p>My own research, and studies from my colleagues, has shown evidence that difficulty in following through on intentions often comes from two sources. The first is strategic challenges, which are flawed approaches to thinking about goals and behaviour. The second is basic human tendencies when faced with what psychologists call <a href="https://dictionary.apa.org/approach-avoidance-conflict">approach/avoidance</a> conflict: when something is appealing and unappealing at the same time.</p>
<p>In terms of strategic challenges, the details of the goal itself can be one of the first indicators of whether someone will struggle. For example, the intention to engage in physical activity is often based on <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2003.08.001">desired long-term outcomes</a> (such as weight control, fitness and reducing the risks of chronic disease) without due consideration of the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1097/jes.0b013e31821b94c8">time and effort required to perform regular physical activity itself</a>. </p>
<p>Another key strategic challenge is the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037%2Fa0032584">failure to consider multiple goals</a>, which is likely to under-estimate the <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/0033-295X.87.4.355">resources needed to perform other behaviours</a>. Juggling multiple goals is one of the prime reasons why new intentions are often abandoned: new behaviours like exercise must compete with or coincide with all the other things someone needs or wants to do.</p>
<p>Contemporary research also shows that people may have automatic tendencies that, on balance, tend to derail health behaviours. For example, people have a basic underlying tendency to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/s0022-5193(05)80594-6">approach experiences that are pleasant and avoid experiences that are unpleasant</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/438865/original/file-20211222-21-zqqwa0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A woman in fitness clothes sitting on a sofa snacking and ignoring her fitness equipment while turning on the tv" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/438865/original/file-20211222-21-zqqwa0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/438865/original/file-20211222-21-zqqwa0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438865/original/file-20211222-21-zqqwa0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438865/original/file-20211222-21-zqqwa0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438865/original/file-20211222-21-zqqwa0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438865/original/file-20211222-21-zqqwa0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438865/original/file-20211222-21-zqqwa0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The tendency to ditch healthy eating and exercise plans arose from an evolutionary survival strategy to minimize energy costs. This makes people tend to avoid unnecessary movement (like exercise) while increasing their energy stores (snacking on energy-dense foods).</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Physical activity can be an adverse experience for many because it requires the body to stop resting and experience some exhaustion and discomfort. This negative experience <em>during</em> the activity is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s12160-015-9704-5">more predictive of future behaviour</a> than the positive feelings <em>after</em> one completes a bout of physical activity. </p>
<p>Relatedly, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1249/jsr.0000000000000168">research stemming from evolutionary biology</a> has supported a basic human tendency to minimize energy costs, which stems from an evolutionary survival necessity. This makes people tend to avoid unnecessary movement (like exercise) while increasing their energy stores (snacking on energy-dense foods), creating an <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1249%2FJES.0000000000000252">underlying temptation to ditch our healthy eating and physical activity plans</a>.</p>
<h2>Effective strategies for sticking with intentions</h2>
<p>When we understand why we are not enacting our new health behaviour goals, it can help in developing counter-measures. Research in this area is ongoing, with diverse approaches. Strategies can be prospective (i.e. developed before enactment of the goal) or reactive (i.e. used at the point of enactment decision) in their implementation. </p>
<p>To overcome strategic challenges, research has shown the <a href="http://doi.org/10.1017/9781108677318.039">effectiveness of developing detailed plans</a>, such as formulation of what you are going to do, how, where and when you will do it, followed by contingencies if there is a conflict with your plan. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Two hands, one holding a green apple and the other holding a donut with pink icing and sprinkles" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/438874/original/file-20211222-129369-sp4605.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/438874/original/file-20211222-129369-sp4605.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=308&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438874/original/file-20211222-129369-sp4605.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=308&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438874/original/file-20211222-129369-sp4605.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=308&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438874/original/file-20211222-129369-sp4605.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=387&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438874/original/file-20211222-129369-sp4605.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=387&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438874/original/file-20211222-129369-sp4605.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=387&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">When faced with a strong urge to abandon a health goal for a more immediately gratifying diversion, take a moment to acknowledge your primal feelings, but enact your valued intentions.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/bul0000025">Monitoring your goals regularly</a> is also one of the most successful approaches to keeping a behaviour on your radar. </p>
<p>In terms of our more automatic tendencies to disrupt health behaviour intentions, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2014.07.001">a focus on the behavioural experience itself</a> is critical. Making the health behaviour as pleasant, convenient and meaningful to you as possible, and performing it at times when you have the most energy (to fight temptations), will help <a href="http://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780190499037.001.0001">increase the probability of following through</a> on good intentions. </p>
<p>However, in times when you are faced with a strong urge to abandon your health goal for a more immediately gratifying diversion, this is when you want to <a href="http://doi.org/10.1080/17437199.2020.1727759">take a moment to acknowledge your primal feelings, but enact your valued intentions</a>.</p>
<p>It’s important to keep in mind that most of the health changes people are trying make with these good intentions are lifestyle behaviours. As such, a few slipped days are inconsequential to the overall goal. </p>
<p>There is also theory and evidence that self-regulation strategies like the ones above <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.725671">may become less necessary over time</a>. This because people begin to form habits from repeating these actions, as well as a sense of satisfaction or identity from continual practice that enables them to take ownership of the behaviour and categorize themselves in the role. So sticking to those intentions in the short term will likely make it easier to continue over a lifetime.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/173740/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ryan Rhodes receives funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada . </span></em></p>Over half of people who intend to make healthy lifestyle changes fail to do so. Understanding the automatic tendencies that prevent people from enacting a new health habit can help them stick to it.Ryan Rhodes, Professor, Health Psychology, University of VictoriaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1733032022-01-02T12:58:04Z2022-01-02T12:58:04ZPlant-based doesn’t always mean healthy<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/438082/original/file-20211216-15-1e2b7k8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=8%2C0%2C5742%2C3837&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Some plant-based foods are high in calories and sodium content.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>As we ring in the new year and people announce their resolutions and goals for 2022, many opt for getting healthy, cutting out drinking or starting a new hobby. <a href="https://chooseveg.com/blog/new-years-resolution-go-vegan-advice/">Vegan magazines</a> and organizations are pushing plant-based diets — calling it the “<a href="https://www.peta.org/features/ultimate-new-years-resolution-go-vegan/">ultimate new year’s resolution</a>.”</p>
<p>But plant-based meats are often high in sodium, ultra-processed and not any healthier than the meat they imitate. Meanwhile, <a href="https://foodinsight.org/consumer-survey-plant-alternatives-to-meat/">nearly half of the consumers</a> think they are more nutritious. So if your resolution is related to health, you may want to reconsider switching to a plant-based diet if it involves plant-based meat.</p>
<p>The Impossible Burger, for example, is an impressive meat-free mix of soy, potato proteins, coconut and sunflower oils. It even bleeds like the real thing. At the same time its <a href="https://impossiblefoods.com/ca/burger">calorie count</a> and saturated fat levels mirror a McDonald’s <a href="https://www.mcdonalds.com/ca/en-ca/about-our-food/nutrition-calculator.html">quarter-pounder</a> patty, and it has six times more sodium.</p>
<p>The global market for plant-based meat is projected to explode to <a href="https://www.ubs.com/global/en/wealth-management/insights/chief-investment-office/sustainable-investing/2019/food-revolution.html">US$85 billion</a> in 2030. And grocery stores are taking note, featuring an array of burgers, sausages, nuggets, ground meat and seafood options all without any trace of animal products.</p>
<h2>What’s the nutritional benefit?</h2>
<p>According <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13082527">to one recent study</a>, the nutritional benefit of plant-based foods is minimal. Researchers from the Singapore Institute for Food and Biotechnology Innovation modelled the outcome of replacing bacon, chicken, beef burgers and ice cream with animal-free versions. </p>
<p>Diets that substituted animal products with the plant-based alternative were below the daily recommendations for vitamin B12, calcium, potassium, zinc and magnesium, and higher in sodium, sugar and saturated fat. </p>
<p>Even with <a href="https://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Article/2021/04/27/Beyond-Meat-unveils-the-Beyond-Burger-3.0-with-likeability-scoring-on-par-with-80-20-ground-beef-burgers">added vitamins and minerals</a>, these products are not nutritionally interchangeable, says Stephan van Vliet, a postdoctoral associate at the Duke Molecular Physiology Institute. “Meat made from plants isn’t meat made from cows and meat made from cows isn’t meat made from plants,” he says. </p>
<p>Animal sources like meat, milk and eggs are complete proteins, meaning they contain enough of the <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002222.htm">nine essential amino acids</a> we must get from our diets every day. Plant-based foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and grains often lack one or more of these amino acids and need to be eaten in combination. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Plant based meal prep, three tupperware containers are shown with rice, corn, avocado, tomato, beans and olives" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/438080/original/file-20211216-19-1f2vktg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/438080/original/file-20211216-19-1f2vktg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=480&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438080/original/file-20211216-19-1f2vktg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=480&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438080/original/file-20211216-19-1f2vktg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=480&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438080/original/file-20211216-19-1f2vktg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=603&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438080/original/file-20211216-19-1f2vktg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=603&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438080/original/file-20211216-19-1f2vktg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=603&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Simply focusing on protein is insufficient.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Unsplash/Ella Olsson)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Plant-based meat manufacturers argue their products contain similar amounts of protein that are <a href="https://faq.impossiblefoods.com/hc/en-us/articles/360034898454-Is-plant-based-protein-as-high-quality-as-animal-derived-protein-">comparable in quality to animal protein</a>. But focusing on protein is too “simplistic,” says van Vliet. “Foods contain hundreds to thousands of compounds that are capable of impacting human metabolism and health.”</p>
<p>Van Vliet and colleagues <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-93100-3">compared 190 molecules</a> in plant-based meat alternatives with grass-fed ground beef and found that 90 per cent of them were different. Plant-based meat alternatives lacked certain amino acids and derivatives, like creatine, taurine and anserine, “which can all have an impact on our health and potentially brain function as well as muscle function,” he says. </p>
<p>Other <a href="https://www.news-medical.net/life-sciences/What-are-Metabolites.aspx">metabolites</a> like polyphenols and antioxidants were found in greater quantities or exclusively in plant-based meats. He sees plant and animal source foods as complementary in our diet, where some nutrients are better obtained from animal sources and others from plants. </p>
<h2>The term plant-based</h2>
<p>“People opt for a plant-based burger for a variety of reasons,” says Rosie Schwartz, a Toronto-based consulting dietitian, “including reducing meat intake.” But she argues that consumers should rethink their reasoning if it’s because of health.</p>
<p>“To substitute something plant-based as a substitute because it’s called plant-based is really steering us in the wrong direction,” says Schwartz. </p>
<p>According to nutrition scientists and <a href="https://food-guide.canada.ca/en/">Canada’s Food Guide</a>, plant-based is the recommended way we should be eating. Fill half your plate with vegetables and fruits, and the other half with whole grains and proteins. </p>
<p>But “plant-based” also refers to anything from meat to paint to pillowcases, as long as they were made mostly or completely of plants, according to the <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/words-were-watching-plant-based">Merriam-Webster dictionary</a>. </p>
<p>Just because it’s made from plants, doesn’t mean it’s healthy. “I do think it’s very confusing for the consumer,” says van Vliet. “It’s probably not the chicken, but everything else that comes with the chicken nugget that is probably detrimental to our health.” </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A woman blows into a ladle as she lifts it out of a pot of soup, vegetables are on a cutting board in front of her" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/438081/original/file-20211216-13-1lb8ftk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=25%2C0%2C5725%2C3828&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/438081/original/file-20211216-13-1lb8ftk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438081/original/file-20211216-13-1lb8ftk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438081/original/file-20211216-13-1lb8ftk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438081/original/file-20211216-13-1lb8ftk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438081/original/file-20211216-13-1lb8ftk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438081/original/file-20211216-13-1lb8ftk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">If you’re opting for plant-based because of health, you should probably reconsider.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>The future of plant-based meats</h2>
<p>Up until this point, plant-based meat companies focused on the taste, texture and appearance of its products. These companies targeted meat eaters by creating plant-based marvels meant to look, taste and feel like the real thing.</p>
<p>Impossible Foods, the creator of the Impossible Burger, says <a href="https://impossiblefoods.com/blog/why-does-impossible-burger-taste-like-meat">90 per cent</a> of their customers are still meat eaters. It isn’t in the business of converting salad and tempeh-eating veggie lovers into fake meat consumers. </p>
<p>“The whole mission of Impossible Foods is to create plant-based products that compete directly against animal meat,” said Esther Cohn, communications manager at Impossible Foods. “If you eat five beef burgers a week, we want you to swap, even just try swapping one out for an Impossible Burger.”</p>
<p>With a booming market and <a href="https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2021-10-21/fake-meat-cultured-meat-plant-based-protein">new animal-free proteins</a> made from cells in a lab or fungi in fermentation tanks, the options are endless. Can they be adapted to be healthier as well? We’ll have to wait and see.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/173303/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Meghan McGee does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>As new year’s resolutions start pouring in, you may want to reconsider a plant-based diet if your motivation is health.Meghan McGee, Nutrition Scientist, Dalla Lana Fellow, University of TorontoLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1735802022-01-02T12:58:03Z2022-01-02T12:58:03ZHere are some of the political events that will dominate headlines in 2022<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/438873/original/file-20211222-19-zrs6k1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C2991%2C2191&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Voters follow social distancing measures at the Halifax Convention Centre as they prepare to vote in the federal election in Halifax back in September. This year will bring about a host of significant political issues and events that will impact communities both locally and globally.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan)</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 175px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/here-are-some-of-the-political-events-that-will-dominate-headlines-in-2022" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>Last year started out hopeful with the emergence of COVID-19 vaccines, but quickly proved to be a challenging year for governments and communities worldwide. </p>
<p>Still in the midst of the pandemic, 2022 will bring about a host of significant political issues and events that will impact communities, both locally and globally. Here are some of the major events that will dominate the news cycles this year. </p>
<h2>Charting the global economy</h2>
<p>The global economy will be fragile as central banks wind down the programs that have stimulated economies the past two years. <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/8456136/bank-of-england-raises-interest-rates/">Interest rates and inflation will both increase</a>, causing hardship to those with modest or fixed incomes. </p>
<p>At some point, the roaring stock market may turn into a <a href="https://www.investopedia.com/terms/b/bearmarket.asp#:%7E:text=A%20bear%20market%20is%20when,pessimism%20and%20negative%20investor%20sentiment.&text=Bear%20markets%20also%20may%20accompany%20general%20economic%20downturns%20such%20as%20a%20recession.">bear market</a>, and a depression could begin. If that happens, politicians will have to deal with higher unemployment rates and mounting pressure to create jobs. More protectionism and trade barriers will likely follow. </p>
<h2>International affairs</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.politico.com/newsletters/politico-china-watcher/2021/12/16/china-watchers-2022-predictions-tiger-year-trajectory-495480">Relations between the United States and China</a> will cast a shadow over international relations and the global economy. The degree to which the two superpowers manage to co-exist, and sometimes collaborate, will set the tone around the globe, from climate change to economic growth and regional security.</p>
<p>U.S.-China ties will not, however, impact East Asia (including North Korea and Taiwan) as the entrenched interests of the U.S. and China don’t align. <a href="https://www.voanews.com/a/experts-china-may-attempt-to-use-north-korea-to-counter-us-/6317947.html">A divided Korea</a> ensures that the U.S.-supported South Korea and the China-backed North Korea must share the peninsula. A united Korea inevitably would be drawn in to the orbit of one of the superpowers, necessitating a response from the other.</p>
<p>Hot spots in international affairs will continue to be in Eastern Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, with their longstanding territorial and ideological conflict. <a href="https://www.politico.eu/podcast/a-short-history-of-scottish-separatism/">Separatism will be alive and well in Scotland</a>, while <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-12-13/northern-ireland-could-quit-the-u-k-within-a-decade-polls-show">pressure for a union of Ireland</a> will rise in Northern Ireland.</p>
<p>Germany, with a new chancellor after 16 years of Angela Merkel, will remain a pillar of political stability in Europe and beyond. The nation’s three-party coalition is solid and will broadly adhere to international policies that aren’t very different from those of the past decade.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A man wearing a medical face mask handing flowers to a woman, both in front of a podium" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/438867/original/file-20211222-21-1vo2iqu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/438867/original/file-20211222-21-1vo2iqu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438867/original/file-20211222-21-1vo2iqu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438867/original/file-20211222-21-1vo2iqu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438867/original/file-20211222-21-1vo2iqu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438867/original/file-20211222-21-1vo2iqu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438867/original/file-20211222-21-1vo2iqu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">New elected German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, right, gives flowers to former Chancellor Angela Merkel during a handover ceremony in the chancellery in Berlin on Dec. 8. Merkel, the first female chancellor of Germany, served from 2005 to 2021.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Photo/Markus Schreiber)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Numerous countries to hold elections in 2022</h2>
<p>Elections in regional democratic powers, including <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/china/skoreas-ex-top-prosecutor-challenge-moons-party-2022-presidential-election-2021-11-05/">South Korea</a>, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/poll-tips-french-conservative-pecresse-face-macron-2022-presidential-run-off-2021-12-18/">France</a>, <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-world-ahead/2021/11/08/a-presidential-election-will-test-brazils-institutions">Brazil</a> and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/dec/05/australian-federal-election-the-seats-that-may-decide-the-poll">Australia</a>, will give an indication of the endurance of populist movements, as these races feature protest or anti-elitist candidates running against more traditional nominees.</p>
<p>Authoritarian countries, including Russia, Saudi Arabia, China and Turkey, will remain stable as the leadership of these nations face no immediate major internal or external threats.</p>
<h2>Ideological wars continue in the U.S.</h2>
<p>In the U.S., Joe Biden’s presidency will enter an even tougher period. Mid-term congressional elections late in the year will <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/17/politics/senate-race-rankings-december/index.html">almost certainly have the Republicans retake the Senate</a>, potentially causing a stalemate in Washington for the following two years. </p>
<p>Ideological wars in the U.S. over abortion, gun control, immigration, vaccination and much else will fester, and in some cases intensify. The Supreme Court will more and more be asked to rule on matters that legislators cannot agree on, which will further fuel ideological divides.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A man stands behind a podium with a crest that says 'Seal of the President of the United States'" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/438760/original/file-20211221-25-pgivcv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/438760/original/file-20211221-25-pgivcv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438760/original/file-20211221-25-pgivcv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438760/original/file-20211221-25-pgivcv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438760/original/file-20211221-25-pgivcv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438760/original/file-20211221-25-pgivcv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438760/original/file-20211221-25-pgivcv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">President Joe Biden, seen speaking about the COVID-19 response and vaccinations on Dec. 21, is rumoured to be running for presidency again in 2024. This has yet to be confirmed by Biden directly.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Jostling among potential candidates, along with fundraising, will begin for <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/donald-trumps-2024-tease-creates-potential-campaign-woes/story?id=81652203">the 2024 U.S. presidential election</a>. Biden, who turns 80 in 2022, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/biden-reelection-2024/2021/11/20/0779469c-4947-11ec-95dc-5f2a96e00fa3_story.html">is rumoured to be planning to run for the presidency again</a>, although he will wait before confirming this publicly. <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/07/politics/trump-republicans-2022-biden-putin/index.html">The same goes for Donald Trump</a>, who may spend 2022 preparing to become only the second president to serve two non-consecutive terms (the other was Grover Cleveland nearly two centuries ago).</p>
<p>As Biden increasingly focuses on ensuring support for the Democratic party, additional irritants on trade will arise between the U.S. and its North American neighbours. The <a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/22408089/biden-trump-america-first-policy-immigration-vaccines">Biden administration is expected to increasingly take a “America first” approach</a> in its dealings with neighbours and allies.</p>
<h2>Upcoming Canadian provincial elections</h2>
<p>In Canada, the <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/federal-general-election-results-2021-1.6182364">third-ever successive minority government</a> in Ottawa will function effectively because no political party pines for another election. Elections in <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/8373291/francois-legault-2022-quebec-election/">Québec</a> and <a href="https://www.thestar.com/opinion/star-columnists/2021/10/13/brace-yourself-for-the-nastiest-ontario-election-ever.html">Ontario</a> in 2022 will cause increased federal-provincial conflict on a variety of policies like climate change, immigration and health care. </p>
<p>Québec’s Bill 21, <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/trudeau-bill-21-jurisdiction-teacher-hijab-1.6283895">banning public servants, including teachers, from wearing visible religious symbols</a>, will continue to be controversial not only in the province but across Canada, and legal challenges to it will mount. </p>
<h2>Changing climate change policies</h2>
<p>Climate change politics will rise and fall throughout the year. The more that economic concerns preoccupy politicians, the less political capital will be spent on climate change efforts even though these two issues are closely linked. </p>
<p>Nevertheless, steady progress will be made in many parts of the world in reducing carbon emissions and using more renewable energy. Reports of climate change driven natural disasters will give impetus for <a href="https://unfoundation.org/blog/post/climate-issues-to-watch-in-2022-a-year-for-more-action-and-bigger-ambition/">further political action during the course of the year</a>. </p>
<h2>Global vaccination efforts will continue</h2>
<p>COVID-19 will not disappear now that the calendar reads 2022. The early months will see extensive international efforts to ensure <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/g20-want-70-world-vaccinated-by-mid-2022-set-up-task-force-pandemic-fight-2021-10-29/">vaccination happens all around the globe</a>. There is hope that the tide will turn, and that increasingly, although at varying rates in different countries, the pandemic will recede. </p>
<p>Vaccination and mask mandates, and the political decisions around these, will eventually fade. However, the lesson from the pandemic — that viruses don’t respect political and national borders — is hopefully one that political leaders are learning in 2022 and beyond.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/173580/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Thomas Klassen does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>International relations, elections, climate change policies and the continuing pandemic are some of the political events to keep an eye out for in the upcoming year.Thomas Klassen, Professor, School of Public Policy and Administration, York University, CanadaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1740032021-12-23T10:17:30Z2021-12-23T10:17:30ZEating eels, electing bean kings and Roland the Farter: part of the medieval Christmas and New Year festivities<p>The festive season in medieval Christendom included many traditions that are not echoed in the current celebrations, and a few that are. Here are seven which capture and evoke the spirit of Christmas and New Year long past. These cover the 6th century to the 16th, and focus on Christian Europe. Festivities extended from December 1 to at least January 6 and for some as late as Candlemas, a Christian feast day on February 2 commemorating the presentation of the baby Jesus at the temple in Jerusalem. </p>
<h2>Serve up the boar</h2>
<p>Christmas and New Year coincided with <a href="https://www.abebooks.co.uk/9781842120972/Hound-Hawk-Art-Medieval-Hunting-1842120972/plp">the hunting season</a> for wild boar, at least in medieval England where it ran, similar to today’s hunting season, from September 8 to February 4. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="An image of a medieval dinner." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/438345/original/file-20211219-18663-zes2p0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/438345/original/file-20211219-18663-zes2p0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438345/original/file-20211219-18663-zes2p0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438345/original/file-20211219-18663-zes2p0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438345/original/file-20211219-18663-zes2p0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438345/original/file-20211219-18663-zes2p0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438345/original/file-20211219-18663-zes2p0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Boar’s head being eaten at a medieval dinner.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Wikipedia</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>References to <a href="http://www.reenactor.ru/ARH/PDF/Adamson.pdf">boars’ heads</a> at feasts of the period are common. A recipe from the 1420s associated with the master chef of Savoy, Chiquart, gives detailed instructions for <a href="http://www.daviddfriedman.com/Medieval/Cookbooks/Du_Fait_de_Cuisine/Du_fait_de_Cuisine.html%20at%20Section%206">decorating the heads</a> in bright colours. They were then paraded breathing flame (courtesy of a candle, camphor, and spirits) as part of the dinner spectacle. </p>
<p>A famous procession of the boar’s head around Christmas time was associated with Queen’s College, Oxford, from the 14th century. This honoured a student who had unexpectedly encountered a boar in the woods and, with great presence of mind, dispatched it with a copy of the works of Aristotle he was carrying. The boar’s head also inspired it’s own medieval carol: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>The boar’s head in hand bring I,<br>
Bedeck’d with bays and rosemary.<br>
And I pray you, my masters, be merry<br>
<em>Quot estis in convivio</em> (as many of you as are gathered together)</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>A Christmas feast of codlings and eels</h2>
<p>References to the word Christmas only begin in the 11th century to indicate the first service of the day as Christ’s mass. The four weeks of Advent were established by Pope Gregory the Great in the 6th century. These were designated as a period of fast, so in dietary terms fish predominated. </p>
<p>In 1289, the Bishop of Hereford served a <a href="https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=-GdKAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false">Christmas Eve meal</a> to his guests of herring, five conger eels, 30 codlings and an expensive salmon, bread and wine. Christmas itself was given the status of a feast, and this was extended up to the Feast of the Epiphany, the visit of the three kings, on January 6. This made the twelve days of Christmas a period of holiday for all medieval Christians, and one where meat could be eaten.</p>
<h2>Deck the halls</h2>
<p>Christmas trees are a post-medieval innovation – which became popular in some European countries in the 17th century, via the German wife of George III, but didn’t really catch on in Britain until the 19th when it was made popular by Queen Victoria and her German husband Prince Albert. </p>
<p>Medieval Christmas was not, however, without festive greenery: bay leaves, rosemary, holly, ivy and mistletoe were all used as decoration. This is similar to the Roman celebration of Saturnalia (December 17-23) over which the Christian Christmas festive season lay. </p>
<h2>The nativity play</h2>
<p>Strange as it may sound the idea of reenacting the nativity scene had to wait until the third decade of the 13th century. It seems to have been the brainchild of St Francis of Assisi, founder of the Franciscans. Francis was famous for his sermons not only to people but to also to animals. </p>
<p>In 1223 Francis happened to be in the town of Greccio, Italy, for Christmas, and asked for permission from the pope, in case he was thought to be making light of the Christmas story, to set up a manger full of hay, to bring an ox and a donkey, and to hold a service in front of it that evening. He preached to the townspeople who had gathered around, and a soldier among them became convinced he could see the holy infant sleeping in the manger. And the nativity tableau was born.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-st-francis-created-the-nativity-scene-with-a-miraculous-event-in-1223-124742">How St. Francis created the Nativity scene, with a miraculous event in 1223</a>
</strong>
</em>
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<hr>
<h2>Bean kings and boy bishops</h2>
<p>Medieval Christmas could be a world turned upside down. One example, in vogue at the English and French royal courts in the 14th century was choosing a Bean King. This individual, who selected a slice of cake with a bean in it, was then elected “king” for the proceedings. By the later Middle Ages the more raucous tradition of the boy bishops was well established, where a boy was elected in a parody of an adult bishop, leading proceedings, but also incorporating pranks. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/438343/original/file-20211219-19-1cxsgsq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/438343/original/file-20211219-19-1cxsgsq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=570&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438343/original/file-20211219-19-1cxsgsq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=570&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438343/original/file-20211219-19-1cxsgsq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=570&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438343/original/file-20211219-19-1cxsgsq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=716&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438343/original/file-20211219-19-1cxsgsq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=716&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438343/original/file-20211219-19-1cxsgsq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=716&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Electing a boy bishop. Source: Wikimedia.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Wikimedia</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Sometimes elected on December 6 – more often on January 1 – the bean kings merged with the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Feast-of-Fools">Feast of Fools</a>, when a mock pope was elected. </p>
<h2>Roland the Farter</h2>
<p>A real person, probably a jester at the court of Henry II of England (who reigned from 1154 to 1189), Roland’s festive duties consisted of making a jump, a whistle, and a fart (<em>bumbulum</em> in Latin) before the king. He must have impressed his audience and patron since he was rewarded <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/social-history-of-england-9001200/1E143D15A99C82FE1E2E91F550C6ED92">with an estate</a> of some 12 hectares in Suffolk.</p>
<p>While some of the medieval traditions have faded away, in the 21st century many modern Christmases still retain a bit of misrule, a fart joke and plenty of cake.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/174003/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Giles Gasper receives funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council, UK and the Leverhulme Trust, UK. </span></em></p>Eating codlings and electing bean kings were all part of the medieval Christmas and New Year festivities.Giles Gasper, Professor in High Medieval History, Durham UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1735762021-12-21T13:12:35Z2021-12-21T13:12:35ZHow do fireworks work? A pyrotechnics chemist explains the science behind the brilliant colors and sounds<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/438120/original/file-20211216-8514-fspfip.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=146%2C50%2C4083%2C2650&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Colors, sparks, booms and whistles all require different pyrotechnic recipes.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1_singapore_national_day_parade_2011_fireworks.jpg#/media/File:1_singapore_national_day_parade_2011_fireworks.jpg">chensiyuan/WikimediaCommons</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>For many people around the world, the very first moments of the new year will be filled with the sounds and colorful light shows of fireworks. From loud bangs to long whistles, bright reds to pale blues, there are thousands of variations of fireworks and an entire branch of chemistry that explores these fun explosions. </p>
<p>I’m a chemist and president of the <a href="https://www.pgi.org/">Pyrotechnics Guild International</a>, an organization that promotes the safe use of fireworks and their use to celebrate holidays like the New Year.</p>
<p>There are hundreds of chemical formulas – or as I like to think of them, pyrotechnic recipes – for fireworks. These recipes are still based off an ancient mixture of chemicals that produces the quintessential bang, but modern fireworks use all sorts of chemical magic to put on the incredible shows of today.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/438122/original/file-20211216-27-y56eqn.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A pile of shiny black powder and a jar." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/438122/original/file-20211216-27-y56eqn.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/438122/original/file-20211216-27-y56eqn.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438122/original/file-20211216-27-y56eqn.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438122/original/file-20211216-27-y56eqn.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438122/original/file-20211216-27-y56eqn.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438122/original/file-20211216-27-y56eqn.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438122/original/file-20211216-27-y56eqn.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Black powder, or gunpowder, is the main ingredient of all fireworks.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Black_Powder-1.JPG#/media/File:Black_Powder-1.JPG">Lord Mountbatten</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>It all starts with black powder</h2>
<p>The first ingredient of any firework is the ancient explosive black powder. It was <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/asian-military-revolution/1F83478D541811809B78D03427E1226A">discovered by Chinese alchemists more than a thousand years ago</a>, and the recipe has been virtually unchanged in the centuries since. To make black powder, all you need to do is mix 75% potassium nitrate, 15% charcoal and 10% sulfur. To make a basic firework or fire cracker, you just put this powder in a container, usually made of thick cardboard or paper.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/438121/original/file-20211216-15-1vgyyth.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A parchment of Chinese characters." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/438121/original/file-20211216-15-1vgyyth.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/438121/original/file-20211216-15-1vgyyth.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=434&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438121/original/file-20211216-15-1vgyyth.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=434&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438121/original/file-20211216-15-1vgyyth.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=434&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438121/original/file-20211216-15-1vgyyth.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=546&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438121/original/file-20211216-15-1vgyyth.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=546&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438121/original/file-20211216-15-1vgyyth.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=546&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The oldest recorded recipe for black powder is from A.D. 1044 China.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chinese_Gunpowder_Formula.JPG#/media/File:Chinese_Gunpowder_Formula.JPG">PericlesofAthens/WikimediaCommons</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Black powder is used to launch the firework in the air as well as ignite and propel the effects – like color – into a pattern in the sky. So how does it work? </p>
<p>Once lit with a fuse or spark, the <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/prep.201180003">sulfur melts first</a> at 235 F (112.8 C). The sulfur flows over the potassium nitrate and charcoal, which then burn. This combustion reaction quickly produces a large amount of energy and gas – in other words, an explosion. If there is a small hole for the gas to escape, the reaction launches the firework into the air. In a very confined space, it blasts the components of the firework apart and ignites everything nearby.</p>
<p>In addition to changing how confined the black powder is, changing the size of the granules of powder can change how fast it burns, too. Think about a campfire. When you add a large tree limb the flames burn longer and slower. If you toss a handful of sawdust into the flame it burns hot and fast. Black powder works similarly, and this makes it easy to control how much and how fast energy is released. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/438123/original/file-20211216-23-12l4aa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A mix of red, yellow and green firework explosions." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/438123/original/file-20211216-23-12l4aa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/438123/original/file-20211216-23-12l4aa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438123/original/file-20211216-23-12l4aa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438123/original/file-20211216-23-12l4aa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438123/original/file-20211216-23-12l4aa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438123/original/file-20211216-23-12l4aa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438123/original/file-20211216-23-12l4aa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Adding different elements to a mixture can produce different colored fireworks.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hong_Kong_firework_show.jpg#/media/File:Hong_Kong_firework_show.jpg">Dennis Wong/WikimediaCommons</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Different chemicals for different colors</h2>
<p>If you put very fine black powder powder in a confined space it explodes in a cloud of heat, gas and noise. So where do the colors and bright light come from?</p>
<p>When you heat up any material, what you’re really doing is putting energy into the electrons of that material’s atoms. If you excite the electrons enough, when they fall back to their normal energy levels they release that excess energy as light. </p>
<p>There are a number of different elements that, when added to a firework and heated, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/prep.201180003">release different wavelengths of light</a> that appear as different colors. Strontium makes red. Barium produces green. Copper burns blue, and so on. </p>
<p>[<em>The Conversation’s science, health and technology editors pick their favorite stories.</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters/science-editors-picks-71/?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=science-favorite">Weekly on Wednesdays</a>.]</p>
<p>Making fireworks that produce blues has <a href="https://theconversation.com/red-white-but-rarely-blue-the-science-of-fireworks-colors-explained-119284">long been a challenge for fireworks chemists</a>. Deep blues are too dark and can’t be seen against the night sky. But if the blue is too light, it appears white. So the wavelength of the “perfect blue” has to be very precise. This is hard to achieve because blue light has a shorter wavelength – meaning the distance between the peaks and valleys of the wave of light are very close together. </p>
<p>Certain elements produce different colors, but what about sparkles and flashes? To make these effects, various metals can be added to the pyrotechnic formulas. Aluminum, magnesium and titanium all produce white sparks. By adding iron you get gold sparks. Mixing in various types of charcoal can produce red and orange sparks. Each of these elements burns at a different speed and in a different way and so produces varying colors and intensities of light.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/G5m-GfPa920?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Special formulas and rocket shapes can produce sound effects like whistles.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Making a whistle or a boom</h2>
<p>The final piece of a good firework is an exciting sound effect.</p>
<p>To add sound effects to fireworks you need a formula that produces a large amount of gas very quickly. If a firework has a small opening for the gas to exit through it will produce a whistling sound. The velocity of the gas and size of the opening will vary the pitch and sound of a whistle. </p>
<p>Making a boom is much easier. Simply put an energetic formula in a confined space with nowhere for the gas to go. When ignited, the pressure will build and the firework will explode, producing a sudden boom or bang.</p>
<p>As you watch the fireworks this New Year’s Eve or launch some of your own in the backyard, you’ll now know how they work. Fireworks are a lot of fun, but the explosions and burning chemicals are dangerous – even if they do come in colorful packaging. If you can legally launch consumer fireworks in your town, please <a href="https://www.celebratesafely.org/safety-tips">handle them properly</a>.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/173576/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Paul E. Smith is president of the Pyrotechnics Guild International, Inc. He is a member of the American Pyrotechnics Association, the National Fireworks Association, and the International Pyrotechnics Society. He has a license from the BATFE to manufacture fireworks.</span></em></p>Hidden underneath the bright colors and celebratory nature of fireworks is a combination of ancient chemistry and modern pyrotechnical recipes.Paul E. Smith, Lecture Demonstrator for Chemistry, Purdue UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1731552021-12-03T16:19:22Z2021-12-03T16:19:22ZKenya has imposed a holiday season COVID-19 vaccine mandate: why it’s premature<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/435558/original/file-20211203-13-op2ey5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Kenya national rugby union team supporters, like these celebrating victory over Germany, face a compulsory vaccine mandate. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Photo by Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP via Getty Images</span></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>Kenya is to impose <a href="https://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/tea/news/east-africa/kenya-covid-vaccine-certificate-3627014">restrictions</a> on access to public spaces for those who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19 from December 21. This, along with the <a href="https://www.capitalfm.co.ke/news/2021/11/kenya-to-roll-out-pfizer-vaccines-for-teenagers-beginning-tuesday/">opening up of COVID-19 vaccination to young people</a> over 15, is an attempt by the government to meet its national <a href="https://www.health.go.ke/kenya-ramps-up-covid-19-vaccination-campaign-as-more-doses-arrive/">target</a> of 10 million vaccinated before the new year. Catherine Kyobutungi weighs in on the pros and cons of Kenya’s vaccination strategy.</em></p>
<h2>Is Kenya’s decision on mandatory vaccinations the right move?</h2>
<p>Vaccination mandates are premature in my view. The country has struggled for many months to have adequate and freely available vaccine doses. The supply of vaccines has dramatically improved in the last few weeks and more doses are expected before the end of the year. But even with this improved supply, it is not yet easy for anyone who wants a vaccine to get one. There should be vaccination centres in every corner of the country that are accessible at a time that is convenient and at a location that does not require one to spend a lot of time or money to get there.</p>
<p>It is only after vaccines are freely available to everyone whenever they want them over a sustained period of time that the government <em>may</em> consider mandates. Some people might not be vaccinated because they have not had the opportunity. This could be due to the nature of their work, or because there are no vaccines where they live, study or work. It might also be that some have not given it much thought yet.</p>
<p>What this means is that mandates should be considered only when all the geographical, financial and cultural access issues have been addressed. Mandates should be a last resort because they create resistance and feed into narratives about vaccines having been developed for nefarious reasons. They are also more likely to punish people who are not privileged enough to have enough information, time and money (such as for transport) to be vaccinated.</p>
<h2>How do you rate Kenya’s COVID-19 vaccination campaign?</h2>
<p>There are different ways of looking at this. Kenya has done well in vaccinating its priority population of healthcare workers. However, based on the percentage of the whole population <a href="https://www.health.go.ke/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/MINISTRY-OF-HEALTH-KENYA-COVID-19-IMMUNIZATION-STATUS-REPORT-1ST-DECEMBER-2021.pdf">fully vaccinated</a>, Kenya is performing <a href="https://ourworldindata.org/covid-vaccinations">worse than some other</a> countries on the continent.</p>
<p>Another disturbing picture emerges when you dig a bit deeper. There is a huge discrepancy between counties. Nairobi County, which has about 10% of the total population, accounts for <a href="https://www.health.go.ke/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/MINISTRY-OF-HEALTH-KENYA-COVID-19-IMMUNIZATION-STATUS-REPORT-1ST-DECEMBER-2021.pdf">about one third</a> of all the adults fully vaccinated in the country. It has a full vaccination coverage of 25% while some eight counties have less than 3% of their adult population fully vaccinated.</p>
<h2>What about opening vaccinations to those aged 15 to 18 years?</h2>
<p>A <a href="https://blogs.worldbank.org/developmenttalk/youth-bulge-a-demographic-dividend-or-a-demographic-bomb-in-developing-countries">huge proportion</a> of African countries’ populations are young people. In Kenya the population below 15 years is <a href="https://www.knbs.or.ke/?wpdmpro=2019-kenya-population-and-housing-census-volume-iii-distribution-of-population-by-age-sex-and-administrative-units">about 40%</a>. Those between 15 and 19 make up another 11% of the population. </p>
<p>Kenya cannot achieve herd immunity without vaccinating its younger population. Since there is a vaccine approved for children below 18 years, it makes sense that the government would want to use that to increase the proportion of vaccinated people on the path towards achieving herd immunity.</p>
<p>Secondly, while younger people are at comparatively lower risk for severe disease, hospitalisation and death, they are not completely risk-free. Young people also have intense social interactions in schools or sports activities or employment or while socialising. They are also a link to their families and communities.</p>
<p>A school-based approach may mean that a large percent of this population can be easily reachable.</p>
<p>It is therefore important to vaccinate this population, to reduce transmission at the population level and inch towards herd immunity and lower even further the residual risk for infection, severe disease and death in the younger age groups.</p>
<p>Having said that, the government needs to have a targeted communications campaign. For some time it has focused on priority groups that presumably were at high risk, so a shift towards population groups with perceived low risk of the disease needs to be carefully communicated. </p>
<p>The disadvantage of starting vaccinations in this population without adequate targeted communication is that there may be hesitancy driven by strong narratives about a low risk of severe disease and high risk of complications from the vaccines in younger people. While this is false, it’s a narrative that needs to be countered.</p>
<h2>Has Kenya done enough to meet the targets it has set?</h2>
<p>There are some indications that the rate of vaccine <a href="https://nation.africa/kenya/news/covid-jab-uptake-up-after-threats-of-no-service-3639430">uptake has increased</a> in the last few weeks. This is driven by greatly improved supply, the impending mandates, the expansion of the eligible groups (the health ministry expanded eligibility to 15 years and above a few weeks ago), and possibly news of the Omicron variant.</p>
<p>The government needs to do everything to increase uptake. For example, it should have customised strategies for different segments of the population. These would target people in highly vaccinated counties like Nairobi who are eligible and still unvaccinated. Another would address people in poorly vaccinated counties who wish to get vaccinated but have not had the opportunity.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/173155/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Catherine Kyobutungi receives funding from The African Academy of Sciences, Hewlett Foundation, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Carnegie Corporation of New York and Sida.</span></em></p>Mandates should be considered only when all geographical, financial and cultural access issues have been addressed. They should be a last resort.Catherine Kyobutungi, Executive Director, African Population and Health Research CenterLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1710232021-11-02T17:04:54Z2021-11-02T17:04:54ZFive ways to help your pets cope with fireworks<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/429722/original/file-20211102-19-1ao0qgi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C4961%2C3104&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/timelapse-photography-of-fireworks-40663/">Pixabay</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Fireworks can be a spectacular addition to many of our annual celebrations. But sadly they can cause serious distress to our pets. </p>
<p>Many animals show an instinctive fear response to sudden and unexpected loud noises. The bangs, crackling and whistling sounds made by fireworks can be particularly terrifying, especially when displays last for more than a few minutes.</p>
<p>Some pets will adapt and become used to them, but others can develop more deep-seated distress responses. One of my own dogs reacts badly, and this has become progressively worse as she has got older.</p>
<p>With several festive celebrations potentially involving fireworks on the horizon, now is a good time to consider how best to help our pets remain as calm and happy as possible. </p>
<p>Here are some ways to help your pets cope with the noisiest night of the year.</p>
<h2>1. Use reassurance to help them feel safe</h2>
<p>The advice is often to ignore your scared pet because you might be “rewarding” the fear. But fear is an emotion and <a href="https://www.patriciamcconnell.com/theotherendoftheleash/you-cant-reinforce-fear-dogs-and-thunderstorms">cannot be reinforced</a> in the same way that behaviour can be. </p>
<p>Fear is an <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(12)01435-2?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS0960982212014352%3Fshowall%3Dtrue">essential protective mechanism</a> to help animals avoid or cope with frightening or dangerous situations. </p>
<p>Animals will often show fight, flight or freeze responses when fearful. We can help our pets cope by providing safety and security when they are afraid. </p>
<p>If your pet seeks comfort from you, be kind, supportive and reassuring through vocal communication and physical touch. But be sure to remain relaxed and upbeat. If you are worried and anxious, you might <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01678/full">transfer that to your pet</a> as they are often adept at picking up on our emotions. </p>
<p>Snuggling up with the TV or radio on to drown out the noise from outside often works for many dogs and cats. Some cats might prefer a quiet, den-like space. </p>
<p>For outdoor pets such as rabbits, consider bringing them indoors or finding other ways to limit their firework exposure.</p>
<h2>2. Use food, toys and games to distract and calm</h2>
<p>Providing food, treats or toys can be a great way to distract your worried pet. You might even build positive associations with fireworks by doing this. Training or other fun activities can also be useful. </p>
<p>Dogs can benefit from the use of <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0168159119301868?via%3Dihub">scented toys</a> and sniffing games. There is research to suggest that using their noses can even make them <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0168159118304325?via%3Dihub">more optimistic</a>. Many cats love toys filled with catnip, which can have a significant <a href="https://www.cats.org.uk/derby/cats-and-catnip">calming effect</a>.</p>
<p>Puzzle or activity feeding toys might be useful in prolonging the delivery of treats as well as giving your pet something else to think about – these are available for cats, dogs, rabbits and other pets.</p>
<h2>3. Keep your pets indoors after dark</h2>
<p>Every year, pets go missing when scared by fireworks. On bonfire night, the number of dogs that go <a href="https://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/media-centre/2021/october/missing-dogs-doubles-during-fireworks-season/">missing doubles</a>. </p>
<p>Simple measures, including checking garden and fencing security, can play a large part in reducing the risk of a scared animal escaping. Ensure that your pet’s microchip details are up to date so that if the worst does happen, they have a much better chance of being returned to their home. </p>
<p>Collars with identity tags are a simple but effective measure, and, in the UK, are also a <a href="https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1992/901/article/2/made">legal requirement</a> for dogs in public places. It is worth ensuring that your dogs are exercised in daylight, before the fireworks start. If you do need to go out when it’s dark, keeping them on lead will reduce the risk of them bolting if suddenly scared. But it’s best to avoid going out during fireworks displays if at all possible.</p>
<p>Cats should always be kept indoors on bonfire night, so call them in well before dusk - and lock their cat flap if they have one so they cannot sneak out. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/429729/original/file-20211102-19-1kr0gjt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/429729/original/file-20211102-19-1kr0gjt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/429729/original/file-20211102-19-1kr0gjt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/429729/original/file-20211102-19-1kr0gjt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/429729/original/file-20211102-19-1kr0gjt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/429729/original/file-20211102-19-1kr0gjt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/429729/original/file-20211102-19-1kr0gjt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Reassuring your cat will help calm its nerves.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/person-holding-gray-and-white-tabby-cat-7516103/">RODNAE Productions / Pexels</a></span>
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</figure>
<h2>4. Consider medication, alongside behavioural support</h2>
<p>If your pet shows severe fear responses, then seeking veterinary and qualified behavioural advice is essential. </p>
<p>Your vet is the best person to advise you and might be able to prescribe a tranquilliser to support your pet. </p>
<p>Medications are often best used alongside a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/vnj.12183">behaviour modification plan</a>, so working with an experienced trainer who uses positive reinforcement or an animal behaviourist is a good longer-term strategy.</p>
<p>Animals in pain might also show <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2018.00017">increased noise reactivity</a> so it is important to seek veterinary advice to help pets who suffer from other conditions, especially with older animals.</p>
<h2>5. Train your pet to get used to loud noises</h2>
<p>Exposing young animals to a range of sights and sounds is a simple way to minimise potential noise-reactivity problems. The use of CDs or podcasts with frightening noises, paired with food, treats or other fun things can be a useful and effective longer-term approach to managing firework-fear through gradual <a href="https://www.veterinary-practice.com/article/desensitisation-and-counter-conditioning">counter-conditioning and desensitisation</a>. </p>
<p>This can also work for older animals as part of a managed training and support plan, often with the help of a suitably <a href="http://www.apbc.org.uk/">qualified behaviourist</a>.</p>
<p>Fireworks can be frightening for our pets. But with a few practical steps, you can help to make it a little less stressful, both now and in years to come.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/171023/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jacqueline Boyd is affiliated with The Kennel Club (UK) through membership, as Chair of the Activities Health and Welfare Subgroup, member of the Dog Health Group and Chair of the Heelwork to Music Working Party. Jacqueline also writes, consults and coaches on canine matters on an independent basis.</span></em></p>Fireworks can be frightening to pets: here’s how to help them stay calm and happy.Jacqueline Boyd, Senior Lecturer in Animal Science, Nottingham Trent UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1527392021-01-06T22:15:10Z2021-01-06T22:15:10ZStopping the spread of COVID-19 misinformation is the best 2021 New Year’s resolution<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/377390/original/file-20210106-17-iljfb3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=29%2C7%2C4962%2C3315&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Anxiety and other negative emotions can cause us to spread misinformation.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>As we begin a new year and head back (at least virtually) to work and school, we might be thinking about personal things we would like to improve. Some people resolve to exercise more, stick to a budget or cut out sugar from their diet. Others resolve to write that book, use social media less or volunteer in their communities. These are all great ideas, and I’d like to add another one.</p>
<p>Though we all made our New Year’s resolutions on Jan. 1, I respectfully suggest a January resolution that would, if we each committed to it, produce a large positive impact on society. This year, I resolve — and would like to encourage others to resolve — to stop the spread of misinformation at the individual level.</p>
<p>In 2020, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0239666">misinformation was revealed to be a major issue</a> impacting elections, world politics and our health during COVID-19. And with the arrival of a new calendar year, the problem has not gone away. In fact, with the COVID-19 vaccine rollout now picking up steam, <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2020/12/21/social-media-vaccine-misinformation-449770">we need to fight misinformation harder than ever before</a>.</p>
<h2>Misinformation and propaganda</h2>
<p><a href="https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300234015/misinformation-age">Misinformation is not new</a>, and propaganda has been part of political communication since the dawn of politics. <a href="https://www.doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780190923624.001.0001">While misinformation can be spread by government and corporate public relations officials, celebrities and international bad actors</a>, it is enabled through our own social networks as we like and share information with others. </p>
<p>In other words, we can put a wrench in the works of those who are trying to sow deception and division by stopping a key flow of bad information.</p>
<p>But how can we stop the spread? To ensure we are not inadvertently sharing misinformation, we must first understand what drives us to share misinformation, so that we can identify our own triggers and resist them. None of us share information we think is false: we share information that seems true to us, and unwittingly spread misinformation in the process.</p>
<p>But wait, you say, I would never spread misinformation. I only spread true information. Unfortunately, the fact is that we all <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/06/05/stop-spreading-misinformation/">share information without checking it at least some of the time</a>, which is why <a href="http://doi.org/10.1126/science.aap9559">false information spreads online so much faster than the truth</a>. Social media platforms are designed to increase our engagement and as such, they actually nudge us towards sharing without thinking too hard about what we’re spreading.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/teaching-children-digital-literacy-skills-helps-them-navigate-and-respond-to-misinformation-145988">Teaching children digital literacy skills helps them navigate and respond to misinformation</a>
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<h2>Sharing information is a social act</h2>
<p>People have a wide variety of motivations for sharing information online. My team’s research on COVID-19 social media engagement shows that people will <a href="https://www.ideas-idees.ca/blog/canadian-researchers-analyse-spread-covid-19-misinformation-online">share information they think will help keep themselves and their loved ones safe</a>. This is supported by law professor Tim Caulfield, who writes that our <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/588525/relax-dammit-by-timothy-caulfield/9780735236325">perception of risk is likely to drive engagement with misinformation</a>. </p>
<p>Misinformation is <a href="https://science.sciencemag.org/content/359/6380/1146">more likely to spread when it’s novel or uniquely interesting</a>. My own team’s ongoing research shows that people are more likely to trust information that they feel to be right, particularly if it’s delivered by people they perceive as experts.</p>
<p>What does this tell us about the individual’s role in sharing misinformation? Put simply, it shows that what causes us to share misinformation is a combination of factors: strong negative emotions like anxiety and perceived risk, social bonds between families, friends and loved ones across online and offline social networks, and feelings of correctness. </p>
<p>People share information they <em>feel to be true</em> because they’re worried and trying to keep loved ones safe. They share information delivered by people they trust — and sometimes those people aren’t actually experts in the field they are opining on.</p>
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<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BIYgJAJtmI4?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">A CityTV look at health misinformation spread by actress and lifestyle guru Gwyneth Paltrow.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>How to halt misinformation</h2>
<p>Understanding our own tendencies for sharing information and misinformation can help us stop the spread. </p>
<p>So how can knowing what motivates us to share content help us? You can short-circuit your automatic sharing tendencies and push back against the nudges from social media platforms to prevent the spread of misinformation to your own networks. It’s the same as making any change in your life: identify the triggers and change your behaviour.</p>
<p>This means that when the content makes you feel emotional — particularly if it makes you anxious — stop and think before you click.</p>
<p>If the content is particularly new, novel or strange, stop and think before you click.</p>
<p>If the content is something you want to share right away, because it has the perception of urgency about it (ACT NOW! WARNING!), stop and think before you click.</p>
<p>If the content would be particularly appealing to your social networks, stop and think before you click.</p>
<p>If the content is shared by a celebrity, or someone who is not actually an expert in the subject of the content, stop and think before you click.</p>
<p>And most importantly, if you are sharing content because deep in your heart and soul, you know it to be true; if you are sharing content that “just feels right” — I cannot stress this enough — stop and think before you click.</p>
<h2>Moving beyond emotion</h2>
<p>I know when I feel really emotional, I don’t always think clearly, and I know when I want to share information that appeals to my family and friends, I’m not always thinking about accuracy, so I try to be extra careful in those moments.</p>
<p>I recommend following the SIFT framework developed at Washington State University that tells people to <a href="https://hapgood.us/2019/06/19/sift-the-four-moves/">stop, investigate the source, find trusted coverage and trace the claims back to the source</a>. This means thinking like a detective (or an investigative journalist) and gathering evidence for the information you are sharing with others.</p>
<p>Besides following the SIFT framework, when I stop and think before I click, I like to ask critical questions of the content I’m about to share. I ask: “Why do I think this is true?” and “How emotional do I feel about this topic?” I also ask: “Where can I find more information?”, “Who does this information benefit?” and “What might be an alternative viewpoint I haven’t considered?”</p>
<p>I’m not perfect, and I’ll probably still share inaccurate information at times. That’s why for 2021, I resolve to double down on my efforts to stop the spread of misinformation.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/152739/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jaigris Hodson receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. </span></em></p>As fake news and propaganda increase, a worthwhile New Year’s resolution is getting out of the habit of spreading misinformation. And like any habit, becoming aware of triggers is the first step.Jaigris Hodson, Associate Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies, Royal Roads UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1514762021-01-06T19:45:31Z2021-01-06T19:45:31Z5 ways to get the most out of online fitness classes during COVID-19<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/374529/original/file-20201211-21-1szdl00.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=148%2C99%2C5362%2C3578&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">If you're getting bored of your usual fitness routine, there are many online options to try.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Julia Daun)</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>With the <a href="https://theconversation.com/dangers-of-a-sedentary-covid-19-lockdown-inactivity-can-take-a-toll-on-health-in-just-two-weeks-149666">risks of inactivity</a> during the COVID-19 pandemic, staying active is more important than ever. Efforts to reduce the spread of the virus have forced us to adapt how and where we move, spurring an explosion of online fitness classes. Zoom, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube are redefining the “homebody.” </p>
<p>But with the rapid rise of living room bootcamp classes, it can be tricky to sift through the good and the bad. As researchers, fitness professionals and experts in behaviour change and online fitness delivery, we want to help you move safely, find classes you enjoy and choose workouts that help you reach your goals — whether you are new to online fitness or not.</p>
<h2>1. Safety first</h2>
<p>Are you ready to move more? The <a href="https://csepguidelines.ca/">Canadian 24-hour Movement Guidelines</a> recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous intensity aerobic physical activity throughout the week and strengthening activities on two or more days per week. Whether you are just getting started, meeting the guidelines or exceeding them, a <a href="https://www.csep.ca/CMFiles/GAQ_CSEPPATHReadinessForm_2pages.pdf">self-screen</a> and/or conversation with your family doctor can help ensure you are ready to move more. From there, consider:</p>
<p><strong>The credentials of the individual teaching your class</strong>. Did your instructor complete an undergraduate degree in health/fitness? Have they been certified by an accredited board, for example, the <a href="https://www.acsm.org/">American College of Sports Medicine</a> or the <a href="https://www.csep.ca/home">Canadian Society of Exercise Physiology</a>? Your instructor’s credentials matter for both your safety and your fitness results.</p>
<p><strong>Checking in with yourself during class</strong>. How hard are you working? One way to monitor your effort is by using a <a href="https://thrivehealthservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/How-to-Measure-Your-Exercise-Intensity-1.pdf">rating of perceived exertion (RPE) scale</a> ranging from zero (no exertion; for example, when you are sitting down or lying on the couch) to 10 (maximum effort; the hardest you could ever possibly work). Though intensity varies from person to person and changes based on the fitness class, you can start by targeting your moderate-to-vigorous zone (four to seven out of 10 on the RPE scale). </p>
<p>Another easy way to check-in with your intensity during class is by using the talk test: if you can’t maintain a conversation while exercising, try lowering the intensity. If you could belt out your favourite song, you can try bringing the intensity up a notch. </p>
<p><strong>Setting up your environment for safety</strong>. Is your home gym also the office, living room and/or bedroom? Whatever your set-up, make sure you clear some space, have some water handy, keep equipment off to the side, optimize your view of your computer/phone/tablet and consider what footwear is necessary.</p>
<h2>2. The fun factor</h2>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A man on an exercise mat in front of a laptop, with weights and a bottle of water beside him" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/376307/original/file-20201222-17-1fcfxj3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/376307/original/file-20201222-17-1fcfxj3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/376307/original/file-20201222-17-1fcfxj3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/376307/original/file-20201222-17-1fcfxj3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/376307/original/file-20201222-17-1fcfxj3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/376307/original/file-20201222-17-1fcfxj3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/376307/original/file-20201222-17-1fcfxj3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">With the proliferation of online fitness options during the COVID-19 pandemic, it can be tricky to sift through the good and the bad.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>What do you like to do? Put the fun back in your workout! As adults, we tend to focus on the workout, and not the fun, but research shows that the best way to maintain your fitness habit is to <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1186%2F1479-5868-9-78">keep your exercise enjoyable</a>. This means you should be having fun during your workout, so you can bask in that post-exercise glow. </p>
<p>If you’re getting bored of your usual fitness routine, change it up! Now, more than ever, there are (nearly) endless online options for you to try out — from dance to yoga to boxing to bootcamps, and everything in between. To avoid boredom, also consider variety (it is the spice of life, after all). Not only have researchers found that variety is linked with <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2018.01.004">greater physical activity</a>, the Canadian 24-hour Movement Guidelines also suggest a range of activities in order to improve heart and bone health, muscular fitness and overall well-being.</p>
<h2>3. Availability and access</h2>
<p>What can you take part in and at what cost? Some programs have on-demand classes, others offer live programs and some do both. There are many free options: for example, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/yogawithadriene">Yoga with Adriene</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPbDo1Dse11zDOdY0aie7ltoNfrULoNgW">Lululemon at home classes</a> and a range of paid memberships such as <a href="https://www.yourtruthonline.com/">Your Truth Online</a>, <a href="https://www.alomoves.com/">AloMoves</a> and <a href="https://www.onepeloton.ca/">Peloton</a>. </p>
<p>Love supporting local? Check out the fitness studios in your city or province; many are now offering online classes.</p>
<h2>4. The perks</h2>
<p>What else are you getting out of your workout? Do you receive additional motivational cues and support, like quick tips, check-ins or words of wisdom during your class? </p>
<p>A great fitness instructor <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2004.07.003">holds an important leadership role</a> and is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/02701367.2014.893385">essential for creating a positive environment</a> — whether in person or on online. We know that the <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01236">motivational environment created by your instructor is key to ensuring you enjoy your class</a>, which is as important as the actual exercise for helping you develop the habit of engaging in regular physical activity. Instructors are also in a great position to help you set and check in with your goals. </p>
<p>New to goal setting or not getting it from your instructor? Try setting a <a href="https://thrivehealthservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/How-to-Set-SMARTT-Goals.pdf">SMARTT</a> goal (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, timely, together) for your activity.</p>
<h2>5. Be kind to yourself</h2>
<p>How are you treating yourself? As you start or continue your fitness journey, remember, these are unprecedented times, and we have all had to make some pretty big changes and sacrifices. <a href="https://self-compassion.org/category/exercises/">Practising self-compassion</a> as you navigate your (new) fitness routine can help you feel better. </p>
<p>Start by noticing your self-talk: How do you speak to yourself when class gets hard? If you find it is more negative than positive, flip the script and speak to yourself like you would a dear friend. </p>
<p>Do you think you are the only one struggling? Remember, many of us are new to online fitness and are at different stages of our fitness journeys. Building a new habit is never without its struggles! </p>
<p>Are you on auto-pilot? Next time you start a fitness class, turn off emails and put your phone away; focus on doing one thing at a time.</p>
<p>As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, physical activity is one way to take care of yourself physically, mentally, emotionally and (if in a group-based fitness class) socially. There are so many available fitness opportunities that it can be overwhelming. These quick tips can help you to start or maintain your fitness routine, try out new activities with local and international instructors and create lasting behaviour change so that you can keep moving more — redefining the “homebody!”</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/151476/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Amanda Wurz was supported by Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Training in Research and Clinical Trials in Integrative Oncology, and Alberta Innovates postdoctoral fellowships during the preparation of this article.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Justine Dowd was supported by Canadian Institutes of Health Research postdoctoral fellowship during the preparation of this article and is affiliated with Justine Dowd, PhD Wholistic Health Coaching.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Lauren C. Capozzi co-founded Thrive Health Services, a company specializing in training professionals to work with cancer survivors. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Nicole Culos-Reed receives funding from CIHR, the Canadian Cancer Society, and Alberta Cancer Foundation for her current work, Project EXCEL. She is also funded by Movember Canada, Alberta Innovates, and the University of Calgary. She is co-founder of Thrive Health Services Inc, a company specializing in training professionals to work with cancer survivors.</span></em></p>The restrictions put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic have led to a boom in online fitness opportunities. Here’s what to look for in online classes.Amanda Wurz, Postdoctoral Scholar, Faculty of Kinesiology, University of CalgaryJustine Dowd, Postdoctoral Fellow, Faculty of Kinesiology, University of CalgaryLauren C. Capozzi, Adjunct assistant professor; Resident Physician, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, University of CalgaryNicole Culos-Reed, Professor, Faculty of Kinesiology, University of CalgaryLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1516662021-01-06T18:58:07Z2021-01-06T18:58:07ZWanted in 2021: A coherent global health strategy for Canada<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/377059/original/file-20210104-13-13fwnqo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=17%2C0%2C1920%2C1256&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The COVID-19 pandemic has illuminated the need for Canada to develop a global health policy.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Pixabay)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Canada’s foreign policy efforts are fragmented, a jumble of trade and aid deals that fail to adequately consider that our security is deeply tied to the health of the rest of the world. The current pandemic has shone a spotlight on this weakness. </p>
<p>The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has erased any doubts that health is a global phenomenon, and it’s become abundantly clear that Canada urgently needs a global health strategy. While the majority of the health community in Canada <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.17269/s41997-020-00436-w?wt_mc=Internal.Event.1.SEM.ArticleAuthorOnlineFirst&utm_source=ArticleAuthorOnlineFirst&utm_medium=email&utm_content=AA_en_06082018&ArticleAuthorOnlineFirst_20201112">learned some lessons from SARS almost two decades ago</a>, COVID-19 has also helped all Canadians realize that we can no longer afford to separate our own health from the world’s. We are only as strong as our weakest health link.</p>
<p>Too often Canada’s <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0020702014540282">foreign policy engagement</a> in health has focused on advancing global security — minimizing security threats from pandemics or climate change that spill across borders — or through development policy focused on helping to eliminate major infectious diseases such as HIV, <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/drugs-health-products/progress-report-2015-federal-action-plan-antimicrobial-resistance-use.html">antimicrobial resistance</a>, malaria and tuberculosis. </p>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/02255189.2016.1202103">Maternal, newborn and child health</a> have also been a flagship for development priorities for Canada. But we have neglected, at our peril, to address the systemic inequities causing these global health threats.</p>
<h2>Gender equality</h2>
<p>The current federal government has taken some meaningful steps towards promoting <a href="https://cfc-swc.gc.ca/index-en.html">gender equality in Canada and globally</a>. While important, these efforts don’t sufficiently address other mounting global inequities and health needs. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.international.gc.ca/gac-amc/publications/odaaa-lrmado/index.aspx?lang=eng">Canada’s Official Development Assistance</a> investments, as currently designed, are not properly set up to support these and other <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25005028/">health challenges</a>. Although health has been previously used by Canada and other countries as a political instrument to promote <a href="https://www.international.gc.ca/world-monde/issues_development-enjeux_developpement/peace_security-paix_securite/index.aspx?lang=eng">peace, security and prosperity,</a> Canada can no longer afford to separate its own security agenda from its global fight against health, racial and other social inequities. </p>
<p>These problems are going to be exacerbated in the coming decades by the existing <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)32579-4">climate crisis</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="People wearing masks march in a climate protest." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/377057/original/file-20210104-23-1ywlauj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/377057/original/file-20210104-23-1ywlauj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=441&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377057/original/file-20210104-23-1ywlauj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=441&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377057/original/file-20210104-23-1ywlauj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=441&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377057/original/file-20210104-23-1ywlauj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=554&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377057/original/file-20210104-23-1ywlauj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=554&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377057/original/file-20210104-23-1ywlauj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=554&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">People take part in a climate change protest in Montréal on Nov. 21, 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The triple crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic and related health and economic fallouts, climate change and persistent inequities present major challenges for wealthy countries like Canada. They require countries to address domestic needs while also <a href="https://www.cgai.ca/covid_19_and_canadas_development_assitance_in_sub_saharan_africa">tackling development priorities</a> in vulnerable regions such as Sub-Saharan Africa.</p>
<p>That’s why we need a global health strategy for Canada that’s integrated, mindful of health, racial and gender equity, and also serves Canada’s security and global citizenship agendas. Canada needs to be innovative when it comes to research and policy.</p>
<h2>Linking domestic and global policy</h2>
<p>In addressing global health threats, the federal government must erase the artificial divisions between domestic and global policy. </p>
<p>Canadian strategy must fundamentally strengthen the country’s political voice in the G7 and G20. We must commit public funds and expertise toward strengthening multilateral and bilateral partnerships with other governments and global institutions such as the World Health Organization. </p>
<p>The federal government must also approach its commitment to global health with openness, seeking out a wide range of perspectives that will form the basis of the design and monitoring of a renewed global health strategy for Canada.</p>
<p>Establishing global health strategies is nothing new. Back in 2007, the foreign affairs ministers of Brazil, France, Indonesia, Norway, Senegal, South Africa and Thailand signed the Oslo Ministerial Declaration on global health as a pressing foreign policy issue. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(07)60498-X">Canada was absent</a>.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/IMG/pdf/sante_mondiale_en_web_cle4c7677-1.pdf">France</a>, <a href="https://www.regjeringen.no/globalassets/departementene/ud/vedlegg/utvikling/betterhealth_summary.pdf">Norway</a>, <a href="https://www.eda.admin.ch/dam/eda/en/documents/das-eda/organisation-eda/broschuere-gesundheitsaussenpolitik_EN.pdf">Switzerland</a> and others have followed up by establishing specific strategies. The <a href="https://twitter.com/CorinneHinlopen/status/1336615384892518401/photo/1">Dutch parliament</a> just adopted a motion to develop one. </p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/377056/original/file-20210104-23-v4k4zz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Angela Merkel and Justin Trudeau shake hands." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/377056/original/file-20210104-23-v4k4zz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/377056/original/file-20210104-23-v4k4zz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=442&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377056/original/file-20210104-23-v4k4zz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=442&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377056/original/file-20210104-23-v4k4zz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=442&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377056/original/file-20210104-23-v4k4zz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=555&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377056/original/file-20210104-23-v4k4zz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=555&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377056/original/file-20210104-23-v4k4zz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=555&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Prime Minister Justin Trudeau greets German Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel during the G7 leaders summit in La Malbaie, Que., in June 2018.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Germany’s recently launched <a href="https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.l4662">global health strategy</a> could be a model for Canada. It takes a whole-of-government approach to improve policy coherence rather than leaving it up to any one ministry to lead in a silo. Germany will invest more in the World Health Organization, among other multilateral organizations, and in health promotion and research that supports its strategy.</p>
<p>Canada too must fully acknowledge that our security interests are directly linked to health equity across the globe — and nowhere is this more evident than in the race we have witnessed to develop and now deploy a COVID-19 vaccine. Here, a coherent global health strategy would ensure that Canada lives up to its commitment to universal access to a vaccine in the face of rising vaccine nationalism.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/canadas-me-first-covid-19-vaccine-strategy-may-come-at-the-cost-of-global-health-146908">Canada's 'me first' COVID-19 vaccine strategy may come at the cost of global health</a>
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<h2>Showing global leadership</h2>
<p>The strategy needs to be aligned with <a href="https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/development-agenda/">2030 United Nations Sustainable Development Agenda</a>, which provides an integrated framework for member states, including Canada, to measure progress on actions taken across sectors to address health, social, economic, gender and environmental inequities. </p>
<p>We need a strategy with a clear mandate, accountability and monitoring mechanisms, and one that is clearly communicated. We also need to solicit advice from our global partners. Choosing to bring outside perspectives to inform strategy development would make Canada unique while also deliberately engaging a wide range of Canadian stakeholders. </p>
<p>A parliamentary committee on global health could also be established to guide the work across various federal departments. And we could follow <a href="https://donortracker.org/policy-updates/france-appoints-new-ambassador-global-health-issues">France</a> and <a href="https://www.who.int/pmnch/media/news/2012/20120403_global_health_ambassador/en/">Sweden</a> in appointing a global health ambassador to lead government engagements. </p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/377050/original/file-20210104-15-k7pd93.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Justin Trudeau smiles in profile." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/377050/original/file-20210104-15-k7pd93.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/377050/original/file-20210104-15-k7pd93.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=388&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377050/original/file-20210104-15-k7pd93.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=388&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377050/original/file-20210104-15-k7pd93.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=388&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377050/original/file-20210104-15-k7pd93.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=488&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377050/original/file-20210104-15-k7pd93.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=488&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377050/original/file-20210104-15-k7pd93.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=488&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is seen in Vancouver shortly after his election in October 2015.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>We already have precedents, including <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/corporate/transparency/briefing-materials/corporate-book/canada-ambassador-climate-change.html">Canada’s Ambassador for Climate Change</a> and <a href="https://www.international.gc.ca/world-monde/issues_development-enjeux_developpement/gender_equality-egalite_des_genres/women_peace_security-femmes_paix_securite-rep.aspx?lang=eng">Canada’s Ambassador for Women, Peace and Security</a> — roles that signal the country’s leadership and commitment to collaborate with the global community.</p>
<p>Canada can use a global health strategy to engage proactively as a leader on the global stage. In 2015, <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/6047377/justin-trudeau-2015-and-now/">a newly elected Justin Trudeau declared that Canada was “back.”</a> There’s no better way and better opportunity for Canada to prove it than now with a comprehensive global health strategy for the post-pandemic era.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/151666/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Erica Di Ruggiero receives/has received funding from CIHR, SSHRC, and IDRC.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Garry Aslanyan was a federal public servant at Global Affairs Canada and Public Health Agency of Canada until 2010. </span></em></p>There’s no better way and better opportunity for Canada to prove it can be a world leader than now, with a comprehensive global health strategy for the post-pandemic era.Erica Di Ruggiero, Director, Centre for Global Health & Associate Professor, University of TorontoGarry Aslanyan, Manager of Partnerships and Governance at the WHO Special Programme TDR, and Adjunct Professor, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of TorontoLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.