tag:theconversation.com,2011:/global/topics/self-isolation-84155/articlesSelf isolation – The Conversation2022-01-14T03:39:26Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1748842022-01-14T03:39:26Z2022-01-14T03:39:26ZLatest isolation rules for critical workers gets the balance right. But that’s not the end of the story<p>Thousands more essential workers will be allowed back to work rather than having to self-isolate for seven days, under <a href="https://www.pm.gov.au/media/national-cabinet-statement-63">new rules</a> agreed by national cabinet.</p>
<p>High-risk close contacts – those living with someone who has COVID-19 – <a href="https://www.pm.gov.au/sites/default/files/media/Essential%20Services%20-%20Interim%20Guidance%20-%2013%20January%202022.pdf">must have</a> a negative rapid antigen test on day one, have no symptoms and must stick to certain rules. </p>
<p>These include wearing a mask at work, getting rapid antigen tests every second day until day six, and monitoring for symptoms for 14 days. They can only leave quarantine to go to and from work.</p>
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<p>Any workers in these categories who develop symptoms will need to immediately leave work. Anyone who tests positive will also need to isolate.</p>
<p>The move is designed to stem staff shortages and maintain critical services in the face of high COVID infection rates and increasing numbers of workers in isolation.</p>
<p>Food logistics workers and health staff already had different self-isolation requirements to most others. However the new rules also apply to emergency workers, teachers, childcare staff, among others.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/ive-tested-positive-to-covid-what-should-i-do-now-174458">I've tested positive to COVID. What should I do now?</a>
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<p>This is a proportional response to managing risk at this stage of the pandemic, with so many of us vaccinated and receiving boosters.</p>
<p>However, we need to keep a close eye on how the changes influence case numbers at these critical workplaces. That’s so we can dial up or down future public health measures in response to changing conditions, including any future variants.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/grattan-on-friday-government-management-of-omicron-blighted-by-false-assumptions-bad-planning-174876">Grattan on Friday: Government management of Omicron blighted by false assumptions, bad planning</a>
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<h2>What are the benefits?</h2>
<p>Treasury <a href="https://www.pm.gov.au/media/national-cabinet-statement-63">estimates</a> existing isolating arrangements could see 10% of workers, including those in critical industries, out of the workforce. If schools shut and parents had to stay at home to look after children it estimates a further 5% will be away from work.</p>
<p>So this latest announcement aims to find the optimal balance between freeing up as much of our industry and education sector to return to work and keeping a cap on infection risk.</p>
<p>That balance has shifted over time. We now know Omicron generally causes <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-are-the-symptoms-of-omicron-174476?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1641911862">less-serious disease</a> for most people than earlier variants, and the risk is reduced further as many of us are vaccinated and receiving boosters.</p>
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<p>Teachers have been added to the list of workers who can return to work under these new rules. This should give us more confidence when planning how schools re-open after the summer break. </p>
<p>Ensuring schools stay open, with the teachers to staff them, is not only critical, it’s also an equity issue – we know school closures disproportionately affect <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/for-the-sake-of-the-forgotten-voices-of-the-pandemic-reopen-australia-s-schools-20220111-p59ng2.html?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_feed">disadvanaged students</a>.</p>
<p>Allowing other critical workers to return to work, while balancing the risks, is also an equity issue. This latest move means people who have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic so far – including younger workers, casual workers, people in low socioeconomic groups – can get back to work and not lose income.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/5-charts-on-how-covid-19-is-hitting-australias-young-adults-hard-147254">5 charts on how COVID-19 is hitting Australia's young adults hard</a>
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<h2>What are the risks? How do we manage them?</h2>
<p>Yes, we need to manage the risk of more infections at work. But we are far from having a zero background risk as it is. </p>
<p>The virus is already in many workplaces. And only a fraction of infections are in people who would meet the close household contact definition; they could have picked up the virus at the pub or from social connections.</p>
<p>We also know from past experience, people often wait two to three days after developing symptoms to get tested, and wait even longer to get a result. So by the time they know their status, they may have had the infection for a week or more, with their housemates likely already infected and unknowingly taking the virus to work. </p>
<p>The latest changes also rely on rapid antigen testing to clear people for work, which has its own risks. Rapid antigen tests for use at home can miss detecting some infections, especially <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.01.04.22268770v1">early in the infection</a>. In other words, some infectious people will test negative, risking returning to work while unknowingly capable of transmitting the virus to others.</p>
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<p>That’s why the latest changes ask for rapid antigen testing every two days. This makes it less likely you will repeatedly miss an actual infection. Repeat testing also means you can pick up those who incubate the virus for longer before becoming infectious. </p>
<p>There’s <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.01.04.22268770v1">some evidence</a> the reliability of rapid antigen tests might increase later in the traditional isolation period, which is more likely to overlap with the period when a contact knows they have to quarantine, or test for work if asymptomatic. </p>
<p>Workplaces and workers still need to minimise the risk of onward transmission for this identified at-risk groups of workers. For instance, there will be different rules for wearing personal protective equipment, and returning workers will still be allowed breaks, but they won’t be allowed to sit with other people. </p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/440814/original/file-20220114-25-1krz057.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Woman wearing mask, sitting on steps, looking at laptop, holding takeaway coffee cup" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/440814/original/file-20220114-25-1krz057.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/440814/original/file-20220114-25-1krz057.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/440814/original/file-20220114-25-1krz057.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/440814/original/file-20220114-25-1krz057.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/440814/original/file-20220114-25-1krz057.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/440814/original/file-20220114-25-1krz057.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/440814/original/file-20220114-25-1krz057.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">Staff will still need to wear masks at work and socially distance while taking a coffee break.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/african-american-businesswoman-working-alone-street-1918355969">Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>After all, it’s in industry’s best interests to manage this well to keep enough employees healthy and at work.</p>
<p>So what we have with these latest changes is a marginal increase in risk that relies on testing, monitoring symptoms and safe work practices.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/healthy-humans-drive-the-economy-were-now-witnessing-one-of-the-worst-public-policy-failures-in-australias-history-174606">Healthy humans drive the economy: we're now witnessing one of the worst public policy failures in Australia's history</a>
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<h2>What needs to happen next?</h2>
<p>I’d like to see a few more measures in place to monitor these changes. These will tell us if we need to dial up or dial down public health measures for this current wave, and for future variants.</p>
<p>Infection numbers should be monitored by occupation to look for signs of a spike in particular occupational groups. Case counts are not the best measure as testing patterns change across the community and over time, but it would still allow detection of large shifts in infection patterns, especially in the critical settings that now require testing.</p>
<p>After the peak of the current wave is over, we should sample staff in key industries to see how many are infected and monitor this over time (known as surveillance). Ideally we look at infection rates before and after public health measures change to measure impact. This then allows us to design and manage quarantine and testing rules with greater precision going ahead.</p>
<p>We could target high-risk workplaces such as meatworks. These could be the canary in the mine. If case rates are OK there, they’re likely OK everywhere.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/treating-workers-like-meat-what-weve-learnt-from-covid-19-outbreaks-in-abattoirs-145444">Treating workers like meat: what we've learnt from COVID-19 outbreaks in abattoirs</a>
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<h2>We also need to change the way we test</h2>
<p>A move <a href="https://publicpathology.org.au/news/media/">away from relying on PCR testing</a> towards surveillance testing is what we should be moving to more broadly as Australia learns to live with the virus. It’s an approach <a href="https://theconversation.com/south-africa-has-changed-tack-on-tackling-covid-why-it-makes-sense-174243">South Africa</a> is taking.</p>
<p>If surveillance isn’t suggesting numbers are going up, and there is no change to hospital patterns, then it’s business as usual. So rather than slamming on the brakes with the types of hard public health measures we’ve seen in the past, we tap the brakes lightly, or merely decelerate. We do this when we see a shift in infection patterns or new variants – minimal settings with the greatest disease control potential.</p>
<p>It’s not about widespread lockdowns any more, but we do have to be careful to avoid the shadow lockdowns we’re seeing now. We also need to invest in the evaluations we need to more precisely manage the risk of transmission in workplace and education settings in future.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/south-africa-has-changed-tack-on-tackling-covid-why-it-makes-sense-174243">South Africa has changed tack on tackling COVID: why it makes sense</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/174884/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Catherine Bennett receives funding from National Health and Medical Research Council, the Medical Research Future Fund and VicHealth. Catherine was also appointed expert advisor on the AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine Advisory Group, and is on the COVID-19 Advisory Board of ResApp Health.</span></em></p>This is a proportional response to managing risk at this stage of the pandemic, with so many of us vaccinated and receiving boosters. However, we need to monitor these changes.Catherine Bennett, Chair in Epidemiology, Deakin UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1380142020-05-13T19:59:07Z2020-05-13T19:59:07ZNot all doom and gloom: even in a pandemic, mixed emotions are more common than negative ones<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/333929/original/file-20200511-49589-knowam.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=9%2C36%2C6133%2C4052&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1585536793918-bc027b91828c?ixlib=rb-1.2.1&ixid=eyJhcHBfaWQiOjEyMDd9&auto=format&fit=crop&w=2702&q=80">Patrick Fore / Unsplash</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Much has been written on the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on <a href="https://pursuit.unimelb.edu.au/articles/dealing-with-feelings-about-covid-19">negative emotions</a>, such as rising <a href="https://theconversation.com/cant-sleep-and-feeling-anxious-about-coronavirus-youre-not-alone-134407">anxiety</a> and the loneliness of self-isolation. </p>
<p>But while things may seem all doom and gloom, new data reveals it’s surprisingly rare for a person to experience <em>purely negative</em> emotions. More commonly, people are instead experiencing <a href="https://lens.monash.edu/@politics-society/2020/03/24/1379876/covid-19-emotional-and-behavioural-reactions-to-the-unexpected">mixed emotions</a>, even during the COVID-19 pandemic.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/social-distancing-can-make-you-lonely-heres-how-to-stay-connected-when-youre-in-lockdown-133693">Social distancing can make you lonely. Here's how to stay connected when you're in lockdown</a>
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<h2>What are mixed emotions?</h2>
<p>Psychologists have <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1981-25062-001">traditionally</a> viewed emotions as falling along a single dimension, ranging from positive (such as happy or excited) to negative (such as sad or anxious). This implies at any given moment we feel “good” or “bad”, but not both. Positive and negative emotions have even been said to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9990843">mutually inhibit</a> each other – so if you are enjoying your day but receive some bad news, your positive mood is supposedly replaced by a negative one. </p>
<p>However, an <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2014-23134-003">alternative view</a>
suggests positive and negative emotions vary independently, and can therefore occur simultaneously. This allows for the experience of “mixed emotions”, such as feeling both happy and sad, or nervous but excited, at the same time. </p>
<p>There is now <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00428/full">extensive evidence</a> for the existence of mixed emotions. And new data reveals they may be surprisingly common. </p>
<h2>Mixed emotions are more common than purely negative ones</h2>
<p>A <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/per.2264">recent study</a> led by Kate Barford (an author of this article) examined how mixed emotions arise in day-to-day life. Across three participant samples, Barford and her colleagues found mixed emotions typically emerge when negative emotions intensify (such as following a negative event), and blend with ongoing positive emotions. </p>
<p>Thus, bad feelings do not always extinguish positive ones, like flicking off a light switch. Rather, they more often transform a positive mood into mixed emotions.</p>
<p>Intriguingly, the study also found <em>purely</em> negative emotions (the absence of any concurrent positive emotions) are surprisingly rare. In all three samples, participants reported purely negative emotions less than 1% of the time during one to two weeks of daily life. In contrast, mixed emotions were reported up to 36% of the time. </p>
<p>This shows our negative emotions are rarely so strong that they overwhelm our positive ones, at least during everyday circumstances.</p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/333920/original/file-20200511-49584-ksqjs8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/333920/original/file-20200511-49584-ksqjs8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/333920/original/file-20200511-49584-ksqjs8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/333920/original/file-20200511-49584-ksqjs8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/333920/original/file-20200511-49584-ksqjs8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=500&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/333920/original/file-20200511-49584-ksqjs8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=500&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/333920/original/file-20200511-49584-ksqjs8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=500&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">Mixed emotions are much more common than purely negative feelings.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Adrian Swancar/Unsplash</span></span>
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<h2>Mixed emotions during the COVID-19 pandemic</h2>
<p>Currently, most of us are not facing everyday circumstances. As the coronavirus spreads around the globe many nations have gone into lockdown, and most of us are wondering when life might return to normal. You might think negative emotions would dominate during such ominous times. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-three-ways-the-crisis-may-permanently-change-our-lives-133954">Coronavirus: three ways the crisis may permanently change our lives</a>
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<p>To find out, we <a href="https://osf.io/72md9/?view_only=7dc3e33d77da4f2aa9add2a4713121af">surveyed</a> 854 Australian residents about their emotional experiences in late March, as government restrictions were introduced. In line with <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/may/04/half-of-british-adults-felt-anxious-about-covid-19-lockdown">widespread reporting</a>, we found 72% of our sample were indeed experiencing negative emotions. </p>
<p>However, almost all of these people also reported feeling positive emotions, such as joy and contentment. And only 3% of our sample reported <em>purely</em> negative emotions as the crisis unfolded. In comparison, around 70% of people reported feeling mixed emotions – much higher than previously found by Barford and colleagues.</p>
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<span class="caption">This chart shows the prevalence of mixed emotions, alongside purely positive and negative emotions, in a representative sample of 854 Australians aged 18-89 (about 44% males and 56% females). Data was collected by the authors in early April, 2020.</span>
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<p>The high rate of mixed emotions during the COVID-19 crisis may be the result of increased negative emotions that blend with positive ones – as Barford and her colleagues found.</p>
<p>Mixed emotions might also arise from <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23717292">conflicted thoughts and feelings</a> about this predicament. For instance, we might dislike social distancing, but approve of it for the sake of our collective health. Or we might enjoy the novelty and flexibility of altered working arrangements (such as working from home), even though they can be disruptive. </p>
<p>Indeed, almost half of the participants in our sample reported they enjoyed tackling some of the challenges of lockdown.</p>
<h2>Who experiences mixed emotions?</h2>
<p>Our emotions are not determined simply by our circumstances, but <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0146167298243005">also our personalities</a>. </p>
<p>In the study by Barford and her colleagues, individuals scoring lower on a personality trait called “<a href="https://psychcentral.com/lib/the-big-five-personality-traits/">emotional stability</a>” experienced more mixed emotions. This was because these individuals were more susceptible to increases in negative emotion, which blended with ongoing positive ones to create an overall bittersweet experience. </p>
<p>This same finding emerged in our survey in the context of COVID-19. We found the personality trait of low emotional stability was a stronger predictor of mixed emotions than other situational and demographic factors. These factors included age (younger people experienced more mixed emotions) and the extent of disruption to one’s day-to-day activities. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/personalities-that-thrive-in-isolation-and-what-we-can-all-learn-from-time-alone-135307">Personalities that thrive in isolation and what we can all learn from time alone</a>
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<h2>Could mixed emotions be helpful?</h2>
<p>Interestingly, psychologists think mixed emotions may have some benefits. Specifically, whereas purely negative emotions can lead us to <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1990-13921-001">disengage from our goals</a>, mixed emotions may prepare us to <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1111/1467-8721.00031">respond to uncertain situations in flexible ways</a>, such as re-proritising our work projects, or socialising via Zoom instead of in person.</p>
<p>There is even evidence the experience of mixed emotions may <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0191886917300144">cushion the impact of uncertainty on our wellbeing</a>. </p>
<p>So, while sentiments of fear and sadness are dominating the headlines, the high prevalence of mixed emotions during this pandemic may be good news for our mental health.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/138014/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>A survey conducted in early April reveals that, even in lockdown, fewer than 3% of people were feeling only negative emotions.Luke Smillie, Associate Professor, The University of MelbourneJeromy Anglim, Lecturer in Research Methods in Psychology, Deakin UniversityKate A. Barford, Associate lecturer, Deakin UniversityPeter O'Connor, Professor, Business and Management, Queensland University of TechnologyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1347622020-04-20T12:27:09Z2020-04-20T12:27:09ZCoronavirus quarantine could provide lessons for future space travel on how regular people weather isolation<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/328945/original/file-20200419-152607-srew47.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=94%2C176%2C2208%2C1376&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A researcher in a spacesuit on "Mars" outside the Mars Society Desert Research Station in Utah.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/researcher-in-a-space-suit-on-mars-at-the-mars-society-news-photo/528988124">David Howells/Corbis Historical via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>I was supposed to travel to “Mars” this month. The plan was to stay two weeks at the <a href="http://mdrs.marssociety.org/">Mars Desert Research Station</a> – actually in the Utah desert – to simulate human operations on the red planet. Eight of us were to live in a two-story cylinder, 24 feet in diameter. We would conserve water and put on mock spacesuits every time we ventured outside.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/328946/original/file-20200419-152602-19ls8ka.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/328946/original/file-20200419-152602-19ls8ka.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/328946/original/file-20200419-152602-19ls8ka.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=389&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/328946/original/file-20200419-152602-19ls8ka.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=389&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/328946/original/file-20200419-152602-19ls8ka.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=389&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/328946/original/file-20200419-152602-19ls8ka.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=489&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/328946/original/file-20200419-152602-19ls8ka.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=489&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/328946/original/file-20200419-152602-19ls8ka.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=489&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Previous visitors explore the terrain outside the research station.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/veronica-ann-zabala-aliberto-from-arizona-state-university-news-photo/53090509">George Frey/Getty Images News via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>But, in an ironic twist, the coronavirus pandemic and the worldwide spread of social distancing put on hold our simulation of isolation on Mars.</p>
<p>My main goal had been to collect data for my dissertation. <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=IgwvhPwAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao">I research groups in space-analog environments</a> – isolated and confined places that share characteristics with human space missions. I’m especially interested in the way gender contributes to individuals’ influence within a group and how men and women manage their emotions in isolation and confinement.</p>
<p>I will not go to “Mars” this spring. As I am self-isolating at home, though, I keep thinking about what lessons for future space travel the current situation can provide. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/21/opinion/scott-kelly-coronavirus-isolation.html">Astronauts have shared tips</a> on how to survive long periods of loneliness and isolation. Maybe in return, the experiences of millions living under lockdown can offer insights into previously understudied social effects of isolation and aid future space travel.</p>
<p>Let me be clear: By no means am I denying the seriousness of the pandemic, and I am not reducing vitally important social distancing measures to a set of convenient social observations.</p>
<p>However, the more researchers understand the social effects of isolation on regular people – as opposed to those certified to have “the right stuff” – the better we will be prepared for the future, whether another wave of pandemic or interplanetary space travel.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/328816/original/file-20200417-152558-2kbd75.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/328816/original/file-20200417-152558-2kbd75.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/328816/original/file-20200417-152558-2kbd75.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/328816/original/file-20200417-152558-2kbd75.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/328816/original/file-20200417-152558-2kbd75.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/328816/original/file-20200417-152558-2kbd75.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/328816/original/file-20200417-152558-2kbd75.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/328816/original/file-20200417-152558-2kbd75.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Tight quarters, nowhere to go – sound familiar?</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/handsome-gay-couple-experiencing-relationship-royalty-free-image/871172826">Fertnig/E+ via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Homes as real-world isolation capsules</h2>
<p>Most group behavior research in space and space-analog environments <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11865866">focuses on leadership, cohesion and conflict</a> – factors that affect teams’ performance and their ability to complete tasks. It makes sense, as astronauts are first and foremost a team of co-workers on a specific mission.</p>
<p>But, by focusing on the professional level, researchers overlook other potential relationships between crew members – such as family ties or intimacy. It is not a minor detail: <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.72.4.775">Interpersonal relationships can certainly change</a> dynamics of group behavior. If you’ve ever shared a workplace with a romantic couple, for instance, you probably know there can be some drama.</p>
<p>So far, only <a href="https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/3dky9w/sex-in-space">one married couple</a> has been to space. Researchers suggest that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S0094-5765(03)80003-6">couples are better equipped to handle isolation</a> because of mutual social support. Having couples on board makes the team feel closer as a whole.</p>
<p>However, anecdotal evidence from China suggests that <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-03-31/divorces-spike-in-china-after-coronavirus-quarantines">divorce rates jumped after the quarantine</a>. This factoid suggests that it’s not clear whether average real-world couples are better suited for isolation than single individuals.</p>
<h2>Gender dynamics, at home and in space</h2>
<p>Now, researchers like me have an opportunity to understand how couple dynamics influence life in isolation – including sex and sexuality, questions that NASA is <a href="https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/space-sex-is-serious-business/">not eager to address</a>. While pregnancy can be dangerous, intimacy and sexuality can <a href="https://theconversation.com/sex-in-space-could-technology-meet-astronauts-intimate-needs-131630">improve emotional and mental well-being</a> over long periods of social isolation.</p>
<p>In addition to intimate relationships, current isolation conditions mean researchers could pay more attention to structural gender inequalities accentuated by the pandemic. Women in general do <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/310593/the-second-shift-by-arlie-hochschild-with-anne-machung/9780143120339">more unpaid domestic and care labor</a>, as well as more <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0022-2445.2005.00120.x">emotional labor</a> – taking care of others’ feelings and well-being in addition to their own.</p>
<p>Now, their toll is <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2020/03/feminism-womens-rights-coronavirus-covid19/608302/">increasing</a>. Men and women have the same general goal – to survive the pandemic and its aftermath – but they experience the quarantine differently. In most middle-class families, the traditional work-home divide is now gone, as both partners work from home. But women are still likely to <a href="https://thehill.com/changing-america/respect/equality/488509-the-hidden-burden-of-the-coronavirus-on-women">spend more time</a> running the household, including child and elderly care.</p>
<p>While at this stage there are no screaming toddlers in space, space-analog research shows similar trends of <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15943200">women taking care of other crew members</a>. The widespread lockdown could allow researchers to get more data on how social norms and expectations about each gender – for example, who is supposed to offer more emotional support – influence behavior in mixed-gender groups in highly uncertain and stressful situations.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/328817/original/file-20200417-152602-1splj72.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/328817/original/file-20200417-152602-1splj72.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/328817/original/file-20200417-152602-1splj72.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=441&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/328817/original/file-20200417-152602-1splj72.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=441&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/328817/original/file-20200417-152602-1splj72.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=441&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/328817/original/file-20200417-152602-1splj72.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=554&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/328817/original/file-20200417-152602-1splj72.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=554&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/328817/original/file-20200417-152602-1splj72.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"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Will screens prove to be enough?</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/chinese-woman-sitting-on-sofa-with-friend-using-royalty-free-image/1006511974">10'000 Hours/DigitalVision via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Connecting while physically apart</h2>
<p>Whether you are in deep space or in quarantine, communication with family and friends outside is crucial for your well-being. </p>
<p>In the past weeks, social lives have <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2020/03/zoom-college-party-memes-page-dating-ok-zoomer/608617/">moved online</a>, from work conference calls to Friday night trivia. The current situation can help to settle the debate <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jagp.2018.10.014">whether online communication can</a> or <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-3204.40.1-2.155">cannot replace</a> real-life conversations. What forms of digital communications are closest to meeting a friend for a real cup of coffee? How often should astronauts host a digital happy hour en route to Mars?</p>
<p>There is no doubt that coronavirus-caused social isolation will take a toll on individual and collective mental health. But staying home saves lives. Maybe this experience will also provide lessons on how to plan for <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2019/11/07/elon-musk-says-building-the-first-sustainable-city-on-mars-will-take-1000-starships-and-20-years/">future cities and social life</a> on another planet.</p>
<p>[<em>You need to understand the coronavirus pandemic, and we can help.</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=upper-coronavirus-help">Read The Conversation’s newsletter</a>.]</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/134762/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Inga Popovaite does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Understanding isolation’s effects on regular people, rather than those certified to have ‘the right stuff,’ will help prepare us for the future, whether another pandemic or interplanetary space travel.Inga Popovaite, Ph.D. Candidate in Sociology, University of IowaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1356252020-04-13T17:19:44Z2020-04-13T17:19:44Z7 ways you can help the coronavirus response<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/326640/original/file-20200408-86219-1jqljcx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=321%2C447%2C6071%2C3775&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A person holds a sign through the sunroof of a car in support of health-care workers outside St. Paul's Hospital in Vancouver, on April 5, 2020. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>When a major earthquake beneath the Indian Ocean on Dec. 26, 2004, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-indianocean-tsunami-file/15-years-on-a-look-back-at-the-boxing-day-tsunami-idUSKBN1YN02E">resulted in a devastating tsunami</a>, people from all parts of the world contributed to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2014/dec/25/where-did-indian-ocean-tsunami-aid-money-go">one of the largest relief efforts ever</a>. </p>
<p>It’s part of human nature to want to help. Even before being able to talk, <a href="http://doi.org/10.1126/science.1121448">infants can recognize a non-related adult in need and offer help</a>. In adults, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1097/PSY.0000000000000302">areas of the brain associated with stress relief and reward have a greater response to giving</a> than they do when receiving something. </p>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/327311/original/file-20200411-126950-6srh17.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/327311/original/file-20200411-126950-6srh17.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=581&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/327311/original/file-20200411-126950-6srh17.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=581&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/327311/original/file-20200411-126950-6srh17.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=581&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/327311/original/file-20200411-126950-6srh17.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=731&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/327311/original/file-20200411-126950-6srh17.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=731&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/327311/original/file-20200411-126950-6srh17.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=731&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Saying thank you is one of the easiest and most heartfelt things we can do.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Scott Lear)</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/pspa0000191">Spending money on others also appears to have a unique role</a> in increasing happiness. Even <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s11031-015-9499-5">small acts of kindness</a> such as mowing a neighbour’s lawn or washing a roommate’s dishes can reduce anxiety.</p>
<p>The coronavirus pandemic represents a generational crisis with many people in need. From <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/diseases-conditions/covid-19-how-to-isolate-at-home.html">those who are sick with the virus</a> to <a href="https://travel.gc.ca/travelling/health-safety/travel-health-notices/221">people self-quarantining</a> to <a href="https://www.macleans.ca/economy/economicanalysis/coronavirus-plunges-canadas-economy-into-the-abyss/">people suffering through financial difficulties</a>. As a result, people are looking for ways to help. But being house-bound and social distancing makes helping a challenge, so here are seven ways you can help those in need:</p>
<h2>1. Stay at home</h2>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/326646/original/file-20200408-16182-qlm6ub.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/326646/original/file-20200408-16182-qlm6ub.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/326646/original/file-20200408-16182-qlm6ub.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/326646/original/file-20200408-16182-qlm6ub.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/326646/original/file-20200408-16182-qlm6ub.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/326646/original/file-20200408-16182-qlm6ub.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/326646/original/file-20200408-16182-qlm6ub.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">A sign overhead on an unusually quiet highway in Monroe, Wash., reminds drivers to ‘Stay home, limit travel, save lives’ on April 1, 2020.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>It might not seem like much, but until a vaccine is available, <a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-canadians-urged-to-stay-home-to-help-stall-spread-of-coronavirus/">staying at home</a> is the best defence against the spread of coronavirus. As <a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/world/article-boris-johnson-urges-families-not-to-celebrate-mothers-day-as/">British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said regarding the United Kingdom’s Mother’s Day</a>, “…the single best present that we can give … is to spare them the risk of catching a very dangerous disease. The sad news is that means staying away.”</p>
<h2>2. Call family or a friend</h2>
<p>While staying at home is our best defence, it can be socially isolating, especially for those who live alone. But being physically apart doesn’t mean you have to be socially apart. Hearing <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1098%2Frspb.2010.0567">a familiar voice can relieve stress and anxiety</a> by releasing oxytocin. And with phone apps and online programs, you can get real face time and share a smile, which <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/cercor/bhn104">activates areas in the brain associated with happiness</a>.</p>
<h2>3. Support local businesses</h2>
<p>The retail areas of our cities <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/malls-airlines-covid-19-coronavirus-financial-fallout-1.5498619">have turned into ghost towns</a>. Many businesses are without daily income to pay rent and salaries. Local restaurants and stores may not survive. And with that, their staff will be out of work. However, many places sell products online and offer gift certificates, which can provide an immediate injection of money.</p>
<h2>4. Donate to your local food bank</h2>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/326648/original/file-20200408-106742-1a1j59o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/326648/original/file-20200408-106742-1a1j59o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=397&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/326648/original/file-20200408-106742-1a1j59o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=397&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/326648/original/file-20200408-106742-1a1j59o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=397&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/326648/original/file-20200408-106742-1a1j59o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=498&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/326648/original/file-20200408-106742-1a1j59o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=498&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/326648/original/file-20200408-106742-1a1j59o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=498&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A Montréal firefighter volunteers at Moisson Montréal food bank in Montréal on March 27, 2020.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Even with <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/department-finance/economic-response-plan.html">support for local businesses and government funds being poured into society</a>, a lot of <a href="https://www.citynews1130.com/2020/04/06/canadians-finance-coronavirus-emergency-benefit/">people are struggling financially</a>. Some people will <a href="https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2020/03/20/charity-launches-drive-to-raise-150-million-to-support-food-banks-across-canada-in-wake-of-covid-19.html">need to turn to their local food bank</a> for emergency food. At the same time, food banks are experiencing a <a href="https://www.mississauga.com/news-story/9924012-coronavirus-puts-the-pressure-on-mississauga-and-brampton-food-banks/">decrease in donations</a>. <a href="https://www.foodbankscanada.ca/COVID-19.aspx">You can donate money online to food banks</a>, which goes further than non-perishable food donations due to bulk purchases.</p>
<h2>5. If you can go out, lend a hand</h2>
<p>If you’re not in quarantine or at high risk (<a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/diseases-conditions/people-high-risk-for-severe-illness-covid-19.html">over 65 years of age or have a pre-existing medical condition</a>), you can always lend a hand to a neighbour. You may know someone who can’t or shouldn’t go out for daily essentials such as food and hygiene products. </p>
<p>Consider making extra purchases on your next grocery store run and drop off the items at their door. If you don’t personally know anyone in need, but still want to lend a hand, there are websites such as <a href="https://coda.io/@awsamuel/vancouver-mutual-aid">VancouverSupport.ca</a> that allow you to post offers of help. There is also <a href="https://ca.nextdoor.com/">Nextdoor</a>, an app that lets people view what help their neighbours need. And if you need help yourself, you can also post your needs there as well.</p>
<h2>6. Donate blood</h2>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/326647/original/file-20200408-76778-1yoek94.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/326647/original/file-20200408-76778-1yoek94.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=414&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/326647/original/file-20200408-76778-1yoek94.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=414&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/326647/original/file-20200408-76778-1yoek94.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=414&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/326647/original/file-20200408-76778-1yoek94.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=520&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/326647/original/file-20200408-76778-1yoek94.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=520&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/326647/original/file-20200408-76778-1yoek94.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=520&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">There is a greater need for blood donations right now because fewer people are donating during the pandemic.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Jake Danna Stevens/The Times-Tribune via AP)</span></span>
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</figure>
<p>There is a greater need for blood donors right now. Not because treating the coronavirus requires blood transfusions, but because the pandemic has <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/6701594/coronavirus-blood-donation-appointments/">reduced the number of people who are donating</a>. </p>
<p>In addition, the requirements of social distancing have resulted in donor clinics reducing appointments. <a href="https://blood.ca/en/covid19">These clinics have also put in stringent measures to ensure the safety of donors</a> and have stopped accepting walk-ins, so you will need to book an appointment to donate.</p>
<h2>7. Give thanks</h2>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/327309/original/file-20200411-32369-gda0fe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/327309/original/file-20200411-32369-gda0fe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/327309/original/file-20200411-32369-gda0fe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/327309/original/file-20200411-32369-gda0fe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/327309/original/file-20200411-32369-gda0fe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/327309/original/file-20200411-32369-gda0fe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/327309/original/file-20200411-32369-gda0fe.jpg?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">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A sign thanking essential workers.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Scott Lear)</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
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</figure>
<p>Saying thank you is probably one of the easiest but most heartfelt things we can do. People in cities around the world have been participating in signs of gratitude to health-care workers such as <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/rory-richards-applause-healthcare-workers-1.5515099">collectively clapping and making noise at 7 p.m. each night</a>. </p>
<p>There are also many other people still <a href="https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/ntnl-scrt/crtcl-nfrstrctr/esf-sfe-en.aspx">working to keep our communities going</a>, from the grocery store clerk to the letter carrier to those collecting the garbage each week. A simple note of thanks, or a wave out the window can go a long way. </p>
<p><em>Scott Lear writes the weekly blog <a href="https://drscottlear.com/">Feel Healthy with Dr. Scott Lear</a>.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/135625/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Scott Lear 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 COVID-19 pandemic is affecting everyone to some degree, and many people are looking for ways to help others. Here are some ways people can contribute to the response effort.Scott Lear, Professor of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1356412020-04-12T20:06:02Z2020-04-12T20:06:02ZThe coronavirus lockdown is forcing us to view ‘screen time’ differently. That’s a good thing<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/327413/original/file-20200412-113939-kkynhc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=293%2C0%2C4412%2C3049&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>“How would we have coped before the internet?” is a quandary likely posed by someone you know. </p>
<p>Beyond being a whimsical hypothetical, this question is relevant at a time when the digital age is ridiculed as the end of social skills as we know them. COVID-19 has seen society pivot, almost overnight, from real world interactions to the online space. </p>
<p>We have gone from mingling with colleagues, classmates and friends to being <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/news/health-alerts/novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov-health-alert/how-to-protect-yourself-and-others-from-coronavirus-covid-19/social-distancing-for-coronavirus-covid-19">told</a> to move our social interactions safely behind a webcam and sanitised keyboard. Internet providers and servers around the globe are being <a href="https://www.zdnet.com/article/aussie-telco-heavyweights-create-group-to-handle-covid-19-network-surge/">pushed to the limit</a> as kitchen tables become boardrooms and laps become school desks. </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-boost-your-internet-speed-when-everyone-is-working-from-home-135313">How to boost your internet speed when everyone is working from home</a>
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<p>Thus, it is cause to reframe our <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/year-in-review-tech-addiction-debate-all-wrong/">views on screen time</a> – an activity that consumes, now more than ever, a significant proportion of our day.</p>
<h2>COVID-19’s impact on screen time</h2>
<p>With more than 90% of Australians having a <a href="https://www2.deloitte.com/au/mobile-consumer-survey">smartphone</a>, our often pilloried devices are now more essential to daily life than ever. As people fulfil their civic duty by staying home, platforms and internet providers are facing an unprecedented surge in online activity. </p>
<p>Australia’s National Broadband Network (NBN) has seen a daytime usage increase of 70-80%, <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-04-01/coronavirus-internet-speeds-covid19-affects-data-downloads/12107334">compared to figures in February</a>. </p>
<p>Demand for streaming sites across the globe has intensified, with Amazon and Netflix having to reduce video quality in some countries to handle the <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-03-20/amazon-netflix-cut-europe-s-stream-quality-to-ease-networks">strain</a>.</p>
<p>In March, <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/18/zoom-cfo-explains-how-the-company-is-grappling-with-increased-demand.html">Zoom</a> knocked Facebook and Netflix down the Apple and Google mobile app store rankings in the US, as people sought video chat options. </p>
<p>Social media and video/online gaming <a href="https://www.alistdaily.com/social/coronavirus-social-media-increase/">are also flourishing</a>.</p>
<p>If we’re to take anything away from the significant increase in screen time caused by this pandemic, it is that human connection in the digital age comes in many forms. </p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/time-well-spent-not-wasted-video-games-are-boosting-well-being-during-the-coronavirus-lockdown-135642">Time well spent, not wasted: video games are boosting well-being during the coronavirus lockdown</a>
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<h2>Think of screen time as calories</h2>
<p>We must acknowledge the umbrella term “screen time” can denote both positive and negative interactions with technology. </p>
<p>Think of screen time as consuming calories. All humans require calories to function. This unit of energy provides nutritional information relating to the contents of a food item, such as chocolate bar, or a carrot.</p>
<p>Whereas both foods contain calories, we know the carrot is a healthier source. While professionals might offer advice about which provides the most beneficial nutrition, the individual should still have agency over what they consume. </p>
<p>Similarly, people should be able to choose to partake in online activities not normally deemed “productive” – but which may help them through their day.
Like calories, screen time is about moderation, making responsible choices and exercising <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2013-44085-010">self-control</a>.</p>
<h2>Lockdown and locked screens</h2>
<p>Just as there are good and bad calories, so too exist good and bad examples of screen time. It is therefore not helpful to use <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2019/11/14/health/screen-time-rename-parenting-house-wellness-strauss/index.html">the overarching term “screen time”</a> when discussing how technology use should be moderated. </p>
<p>An hour spent researching for an assignment is not tantamount to an hour spent watching cat videos, as the former is <a href="https://www.education.com/slideshow/screen-time-improve-learning/">contributing to learning</a>. </p>
<p>Also, an hour on social media chatting with friends is productive if it allows you to socialise at a time when <a href="https://www.lifeline.org.au/get-help/topics/mental-health-and-wellbeing-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak">important social interactions</a> can’t otherwise take place (such as during lockdown). In this way, the current pandemic is not only helping shift our views on screen time – but has subtly rewritten them, too.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/326386/original/file-20200408-193245-jy7si1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=125%2C80%2C5865%2C3907&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/326386/original/file-20200408-193245-jy7si1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=125%2C80%2C5865%2C3907&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/326386/original/file-20200408-193245-jy7si1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/326386/original/file-20200408-193245-jy7si1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/326386/original/file-20200408-193245-jy7si1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/326386/original/file-20200408-193245-jy7si1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/326386/original/file-20200408-193245-jy7si1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/326386/original/file-20200408-193245-jy7si1.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 coronavirus crisis may be an exercise in self-control for many of us, as we reach for our smartphones to bide idle time.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/portrait-happy-30s-aged-asian-man-1688370856">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Screen time does not necessarily need to be objectively “beneficial”, nor does it need to have arbitrary time limits associated with it to prevent it from being detrimental. </p>
<p>Appropriate use is contextual. This fact should determine how parents, teachers and policymakers moderate its use, as opposed to mandating a certain number of hours per day, and not specifying how these hours should be spent.</p>
<p>We must steer clear of blanket statements when it comes to critiquing screen time. Our digital diets vary significantly, just as our real diets do. Consequently, screen time should be approached with a level of flexibility.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/does-social-media-make-us-more-or-less-lonely-depends-on-how-you-use-it-128468">Does social media make us more or less lonely? Depends on how you use it</a>
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<h2>Fear fuels stigma</h2>
<p>Some of the <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2017/11/17/screen-time-increases-teen-depression-thoughts-suicide-research-suggests/874073001/">derision</a> and <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/09/has-the-smartphone-destroyed-a-generation/534198/">concern</a> associated with time spent on digital devices can be attributed to a fear of the new. </p>
<p>Swiss scientist Conrad Gessner was among the first to raise alarm over information overload, claiming an overabundance of data was “<a href="https://books.google.com.au/books?id=cRgwAQAAQBAJ&pg=PT169&lpg=PT169&dq=confusing+and+harmful+gessner&source=bl&ots=h2wFyfZK6i&sig=ACfU3U1_IRqrk53ADjhv__wjdnDzaCMUOw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjgo_eB5NDoAhVN73MBHfgTAWkQ6AEwCXoECAoQJw#v=onepage&q=confusing%20and%20harmful%20gessner&f=false">confusing and harmful</a>” to the mind. If you’re not familiar with Gessner’s theory, it may be because he exclaimed it <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/opinion/fear-not-technology-isnt-actually-making-us-dumber-20161221-gtftjd.html">back in 1565</a>, in response to the printing press. </p>
<p>Gessner’s warnings referred to the seemingly unmanageable flood of information unleashed by <a href="https://www.history.com/topics/inventions/printing-press">Johannes Gutenberg’s contraption</a>. Fear of the new has permeated the debate on emerging technologies for generations. </p>
<p>And Gessner is not alone. From the New York Times warning in the late 1800s the telephone would <a href="https://books.google.com.au/books?id=0EsUPuoS6_AC&pg=PA31&lpg=PA31&dq=We+will+soon+be+nothing+but+transparent+heaps+of+jelly+to+each+other++new+york+times&source=bl&ots=Ou6n3usOJG&sig=0a0uu7fgOfFEK0k4XYpa3w8fzWY&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=heaps%20of%20jelly&f=false">invade our privacy</a>, to concerns in the 1970s the rapid pacing of children’s shows such as Sesame Street led to <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2009-06148-013">distractibility</a> – it is <a href="https://neuroleadership.com/portfolio-items/handbook-of-neuroleadership/">inherent human behaviour</a> to be cautious about what we don’t fully understand. </p>
<p>Yet, many of these proclamations seem almost absurd in retrospect. What will later generations look back upon as statements fuelled by paranoia and fear, just because a new technology had disrupted the status quo?</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/135641/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Dr Karl Sebire 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 the pandemic moves us indoors, it’s time to reconsider our understanding of ‘screen time’ – especially since we’re relying on our devices now more than ever.Dr Karl Sebire, Researcher (Technology and education), University of New EnglandLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1355952020-04-09T09:15:41Z2020-04-09T09:15:41ZSeven tips to get your sleep cycle back on track during lockdown<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/326535/original/file-20200408-152974-wqxnsp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=44%2C0%2C4928%2C3260&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">That's done the trick.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/pomeranian-dog-sleep-funny-mask-laying-593426120">Benevolente82/ Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>You might have noticed your normal sleep pattern has changed. Some of us may be sleeping more, and some of us may be sleeping less. Life has changed dramatically for many of us, with our usual daily routine – including commutes, meal times, and the amount of time we spend outside – being altered because of self isolation. </p>
<p>All of these changes impact our natural <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2019.00682/full">circadian rhythm</a>, which is an essential internal “clock” that plays a key role in regulating our sleep pattern. It controls body temperature and hormones in order to make us feel alert during the day and tired at night.</p>
<p>Exposure to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6751071/">natural light</a> and regular <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5483233/">meal times</a> are two of the most powerful forces in aligning our circadian rhythms. But for many of us, quarantine has changed the amount of time we spend outside, and we might be eating at different times than normal.</p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/here-is-why-you-might-be-feeling-tired-while-on-lockdown-135502">Here is why you might be feeling tired while on lockdown</a>
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<p>While some of us are reconnecting with our natural circadian rhythm, others might have trouble falling asleep, or may be waking up multiple times during the night. This is also a normal experience, as uncertainty can increase stress levels and <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15709959/">stress hormones</a> (such as cortisol), which help regulate our sleep-wake cycle. Cortisol normally drops in the evening, reaching its lowest level at midnight. But if levels are too high before bedtime, it <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11893864">could disrupt sleep</a>. </p>
<p>Some of us might also be sleeping more, catching up on lost hours. Many of us have so-called <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15560771">“sleep debt”</a>, which is the cumulative effect of not getting enough sleep, and may lead to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5491935/">mental and physical fatigue</a>. As we juggle our daily tasks, we often run out of hours in the day to get things done – so many of us choose to sleep less to do more.</p>
<p>Sleep debt (also known as sleep deprivation) is associated with declines in <a href="https://academic.oup.com/sleep/article/26/2/117/2709164">performance</a>, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3768102/">memory</a> and our <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4531403/">immunity</a>. </p>
<p>If you are sleeping longer than normal, you may be repaying some of that sleep debt acquired in life. Don’t panic here – let your body catch up and erase some of that debt you have subconsciously been carrying around. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2892834/">Sleep loss studies</a> that have allowed recovery sleeps of ten hours have demonstrated a restoration of performance when the participants are awake, suggesting this is a fixable problem.</p>
<h2>The solutions</h2>
<p><strong>1. Establish a new routine.</strong>
You may have been furloughed or be working from home for the first time. Routine is very important for the body right now. This will be the starting block for engaging with your natural circadian rhythm – not the one your job normally sets. Start by focusing on your sleep-wake cycle, go to bed when you feel tired and try to wake up without an alarm. You may sleep a little more than normal at the beginning, but within a week or two you will return to your natural duration. Though everyone is different, you should aim for <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29073412">7-9 hours</a> a night. Not only is routine good for our sleep cycle, it’s also <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5623526/">beneficial to our mental health</a>. </p>
<p><strong>2. Don’t use your bedroom as your office (if possible)</strong>
When it’s time for bed, remove <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32197951">electronic devices</a> and make the room cool, dark and quiet. It’s important to associate your bedroom as the place you go to sleep, not the place you work or watch TV. This will help you to relax and prepare for sleep. Electronic devices also emit artificial light that can influence our <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28548897">sleep cycle</a>. Artificial light can trick your circadian clock into thinking daylight has been extended and alter our <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5806586/">quality of sleep</a>. If you need electronic devices nearby, place them in night mode. </p>
<p><strong>3. Avoid <a href="https://www.sleepfoundation.org/articles/debunking-sleep-myths-does-napping-during-day-affect-your-sleep-night">napping</a></strong>
As you try to establish your new routine, it’s important to engage with your natural circadian rhythm – and napping could potentially disrupt this at the beginning. However, if your previous night’s sleep was poor you may feel more tired after lunch. Short naps – less than 20 minutes – can help to restore <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21075238">cognitive function</a> and may make you feel less <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10380949">sleepy</a>. </p>
<p><strong>4. Only drink caffeine before noon</strong>
We all respond a little differently to caffeine. Because caffeine is a known stimulant, it could <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24235903">influence our sleep</a> by keeping us awake later. So when trying to fix your sleep pattern, it may be best to limit caffeine intake to earlier in your day.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/326536/original/file-20200408-153819-j2txsn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/326536/original/file-20200408-153819-j2txsn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=444&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/326536/original/file-20200408-153819-j2txsn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=444&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/326536/original/file-20200408-153819-j2txsn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=444&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/326536/original/file-20200408-153819-j2txsn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=558&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/326536/original/file-20200408-153819-j2txsn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=558&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/326536/original/file-20200408-153819-j2txsn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=558&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Try to drink your coffee before noon.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/coffee-clock-on-yellow-background-creative-1159284982">aanbetta/ Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><strong>5. Exercise</strong>
Both aerobic and resistance exercise has been shown to have <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25374476">positive effects on sleep</a>. However, timing is important. It’s best to avoid vigorous exercise one hour before bedtime as this may <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30374942">reduce</a> our sleep duration, quality and make it more difficult to fall asleep in the first place.</p>
<p><strong>6. Get outside</strong>
Exposure to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2717723/">both natural light and dark</a> during this time will help us keep our circadian rhythms in balance, and make us tired. </p>
<p><strong>7. Change your bedtime routine</strong>
At least <a href="https://www.sleepfoundation.org/articles/relaxation-exercises-falling-asleep">an hour before</a> bed stop work, reduce screen time, meditate, or read. These techniques allow us to relax and help our circadian rhythm take control by releasing hormones that will promote sleep and reduce alertness. </p>
<p>Though it’s still uncertain what life will look like after quarantine has ended, one thing for certain is that if we look after our sleep pattern during this time, we may leave quarantine feeling less fatigued – and maybe a little more productive.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/135595/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Lesley Ingram-Sills 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>Though quarantine isn’t an ideal situation, it might offer us a chance to catch up on some much needed sleep.Lesley Ingram-Sills, Lecturer, Edinburgh Napier UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1356422020-04-08T04:29:40Z2020-04-08T04:29:40ZTime well spent, not wasted: video games are boosting well-being during the coronavirus lockdown<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/326352/original/file-20200408-108521-bnsblv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=48%2C54%2C4537%2C3389&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/uk-march-2020-nintendo-switch-games-1689791188">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The same week social distancing measures were announced in Australia (March 16 – March 22), sales of game consoles leaped 285.6%. Prior to this, sales were declining month on month. </p>
<p>We’ve also seen a 278.5% spike in physical game <a href="https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-03-28-what-is-happening-with-video-game-sales-during-coronavirus">sales</a>, spurred by the release of <a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/782330/DOOM_Eternal/">Doom Eternal</a> and <a href="https://www.nintendo.com.au/catalogue/animal-crossing-new-horizons">Animal Crossing: New Horizons</a>. COVID-19 is clearly having an impact on our shopping habits beyond toilet paper. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1246708143653937152"}"></div></p>
<p>Looking at the games leaping up the UK charts in <a href="https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-03-30-strong-week-for-uk-physical-game-sales-despite-lockdown">late March</a>, the top five (which all enjoyed a 200%+ bump in sales) provide robust multiplayer experiences. Apart from Doom and Animal Crossing, we see the latest releases from Call of Duty, FIFA, and Mario Kart. These games aren’t simply about escaping reality, but about going somewhere <em>together</em>. </p>
<p>Yet, to those who aren’t already avid players, video games might be viewed as juvenile – a waste of time lacking redemptive qualities. In the era of the <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/innovation/data-overload-quantified-self-really-future-n189596">quantified self</a>, where we’re pushed to use technology to track and “optimise” ourselves endlessly, even those who do enjoy games may feel guilty for not being more “productive”. </p>
<p>On the contrary, we have found video games help satisfy fundamental psychological needs, and therefore have enormous value <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/jan/05/why-grown-ups-should-play-more-video-games">for all ages</a>.</p>
<h2>What people need</h2>
<p>According to <a href="https://selfdeterminationtheory.org/theory/">Self-Determination Theory</a>, people have three psychological needs:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>autonomy</strong> is about feeling you have choices, can act in accordance with your values, and pursue meaningful goals</li>
<li><strong>competence</strong> is about feeling effective and capable of overcoming problems</li>
<li><strong>relatedness</strong> is about feeling connected to others. </li>
</ul>
<p>The satisfaction of these basic psychological needs <a href="https://doi.org/10.1207/S15327965PLI1104_01">leads to greater well-being and motivation</a>. If being stuck at home is reducing your happiness and well-being, this could be due to reduced satisfaction of one or more of these needs. For instance, your sense of autonomy may be undermined when forced to self-isolate, as you can’t partake in many of your usual activities.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/video-games-could-help-uncover-your-hidden-talents-and-make-you-happier-112103">Video games could help uncover your hidden talents – and make you happier</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Your sense of competence might have also taken a hit, by missing out on the daily “wins” that can come through leisure pursuits or problem-solving at work. You also likely can’t see your colleagues, neighbours, friends, and family as often, which can undermine feelings of relatedness. </p>
<p>Feeling powerless is also common <a href="https://epha.org/the-dangers-of-social-isolation-during-a-pandemic/">during pandemics</a>.</p>
<p>Fortunately, many of us have found other ways of satisfying these needs through technology, such as using webcams and microphones to have online interactions. It’s not the same as a face-to-face meeting, but it helps maintain connection and satisfies our desire for relatedness. </p>
<h2>What games provide</h2>
<p>Video games can also satisfy these needs and may be a great way to spend some time during this crisis. </p>
<p>Research shows games <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s11031-006-9051-8">help facilitate a sense of autonomy</a> by giving players freedom of choice and, depending on the game, a meaningful narrative for completing tasks. Well-designed <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/a0019440">games also facilitate a feeling of competence</a> by presenting challenges that aren’t too hard or too easy and feel rewarding to overcome. </p>
<p>They offer a clearly defined “sense of progress and achievability”, as <a href="https://www.polygon.com/2020/4/2/21201065/animal-crossing-new-horizons-calm-mindfulness-coronavirus-quarantine">Jennifer Scheurle explains</a>. This is especially valuable during lockdown when your days may feel monotonous.</p>
<p>Games also offer <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/a0019440">a sense of relatedness</a>. This could be through playing with friends, or even connecting with a stranger online (with whom you may be <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/xge0000145">battling a common enemy</a>). </p>
<p>Humans are hardwired for connection. <a href="https://academic.oup.com/ppar/article/27/4/127/4782506">Plenty of literature</a> has established a link between loneliness and early death, and <a href="https://www.nap.edu/catalog/25663/social-isolation-and-loneliness-in-older-adults-opportunities-for-the">increased risk of disease for older people</a>.</p>
<p>Research suggests gamers can also feel a sense of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1386/jgvw.11.3.289_1">relatedness with virtual characters and the game world itself</a>, adding to the overall enjoyment of playing. Caring about a character and their plight (relatedness) motivates players to help them (autonomy), and enhances their sense of competence when they succeed. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/social-distancing-can-make-you-lonely-heres-how-to-stay-connected-when-youre-in-lockdown-133693">Social distancing can make you lonely. Here's how to stay connected when you're in lockdown</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>All good things in moderation</h2>
<p>While playing games is psychologically valuable, it’s important to do so in moderation. <a href="https://childmind.org/article/healthy-limits-on-video-games/">The Child Mind Institute recommends</a> about one to two (maximum) hours per day of gaming for children. For kids older than six, they encourage parents to “determine the appropriate amount of time”.</p>
<p>While there is no universal consensus on how much gaming is “too much” for adults, the answer is likely less to do with hours of play, and more to do with being aware of one’s susceptibility to <a href="https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2018/12/6/18050680/video-game-addiction-gaming-disorder-who">video game addiction</a>. That said, <a href="https://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.ajp.2016.16020224">research suggests</a> only about 1-3% of gamers are at risk of addiction. If you are concerned, you can try <a href="https://do-i-play-too-much-videogames.com/survey/wznn9s7zcy7r/8yr8wul6lop4">this test</a> that was <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/hnewman/2019/05/31/researchers-release-new-test-for-video-gaming-addiction/#2363b85e279c">trialled</a> in a <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/332428375_Measurement_and_conceptualization_of_Gaming_Disorder_according_to_the_World_Health_Organization_framework_The_development_of_the_Gaming_Disorder_Test">paper</a> published by the International Journal of Health and Addiction.</p>
<p>Eating healthy, <a href="https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/diet-and-mental-health">minimising alcohol consumption</a>, <a href="https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/exercise-and-mental-health">exercising</a>, and getting about seven to nine <a href="https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/sleep">hours of sleep</a> are also important for maintaining physical and mental health. </p>
<h2>In the virtual world, do virtually anything</h2>
<p>If life in lockdown is creating a sense of ennui for you, consider playing video games to keep your basic psychological needs satisfied. If you’re already playing, keep doing it (in moderation) without feeling guilty.</p>
<p>And if you see yourself as “not much of a gamer”, still consider giving it a try. The range of digital games is enormously broad, and there are many <a href="https://www.windowscentral.com/how-get-started-pc-gaming">online</a> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/feb/18/how-do-i-start-playing-video-games-a-beginners-guide">guides</a> for beginners wanting to get in on the action. </p>
<p>Whether you enjoy <a href="https://www.chess.com/article/view/the-best-chess-apps">chess</a>, want to explore the <a href="https://unknownworlds.com/subnautica/">ocean</a>, or live the island life <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2020/3/18/21184928/animal-crossing-new-horizons-nintendo-switch-interview-tom-nook">while working for a Japanese raccoon dog</a> – there’s something out there for you.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/135642/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>We live in the time of the ‘quantified self’. This means we’re constantly under pressure to use technology to ‘optimise’ ourselves, and may be why many people view gaming as a ‘waste of time’.Brad Elphinstone, Lecturer in psychology., Swinburne University of TechnologySteven Conway, Senior Lecturer - Games and Interactivity, Swinburne University of TechnologyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1348342020-04-06T12:06:13Z2020-04-06T12:06:13ZStuck at home with your partner? Look to retirees for how to make it work<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/325344/original/file-20200403-74279-zobcwa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=1439%2C1088%2C6806%2C4667&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Take a note from older couples who know how to do it right.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/senior-couple-breakfast-royalty-free-image/1095804716">Geber86/E+ via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Across the country an unprecedented number of couples are suddenly spending every waking and sleeping hour of the day with one another. </p>
<p>That’s what <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/a0019087">many older retired couples do too</a>, even when there isn’t a pandemic. Their experiences are worth listening to, because many psychology studies find that marriages among the Medicare-eligible set <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.79.4.644">are the happiest</a> of any <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/000312240807300202">cohort across the life span</a>.</p>
<p>A review of the research reveals a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.88.1.189">U-shaped pattern of marital happiness</a> over the life cycle. Early marriage features many positive aspects interlaced with a lot of conflict, while older couples enjoy the highest levels of companionship with low levels of conflict. Midlife couples who are raising children are at the bottom of the U. They tend to see a plunge in their enjoyment of one another, along with an uptick in fighting.</p>
<p>Of course, you might wish you could be securely retired with a partner right now, especially if you’re currently on your own. Working remotely or facing unemployment while running a one-room schoolhouse, planning three meals a day without running out of food and worrying about your family’s health makes retirement look like a dreamy vacation.</p>
<p>But there are some important similarities between retirement and the isolation required by social distancing. Your social networks have shrunk. Without work connections and friends to meet for lunch or at the gym, a partner becomes more essential than ever. <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=sh-v7eQAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao">As a therapist who has been treating couples</a> <a href="http://www.momentumpress.net/books/life-cycle-approach-treating-couples-dating-death">at all stages of life</a> for almost three decades, I’m currently witnessing the relational challenges of this pandemic, a big magnifier that can bring out the very best and sometimes the worst in relationships.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/325345/original/file-20200403-74255-12eb4un.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/325345/original/file-20200403-74255-12eb4un.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/325345/original/file-20200403-74255-12eb4un.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=408&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/325345/original/file-20200403-74255-12eb4un.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=408&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/325345/original/file-20200403-74255-12eb4un.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=408&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/325345/original/file-20200403-74255-12eb4un.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=512&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/325345/original/file-20200403-74255-12eb4un.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=512&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/325345/original/file-20200403-74255-12eb4un.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=512&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Older couples rely on one another to help weather the storms.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/senior-couple-looking-out-the-window-leaning-on-royalty-free-image/1141290546">Adolescent Content/Niyani Lingham Green/DigitalVision via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Lean on me</h2>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/56.6.p321">Older, retired couples</a> primarily focus on supporting one another: Can I depend on you when I need help, feel scared, worry about dying or don’t feel well? And am I willing to be that source of comfort and stability when you need me?</p>
<p>No matter the age or stage of the couple, the current pandemic has revealed the need for much more mutual dependency. Can I count on you to protect yourself and us when you go to the grocery store? If I’m feeling scared about my parents’ health or mine, can I tell you? If teaching algebra (a subject I struggled with the first time around) to our children has pushed me to the breaking point, can I ask you to take over, kindly and with no eye-rolling?</p>
<p>Now is an ideal time to develop your help-asking muscle and, in turn, to welcome your partner’s vulnerability. You can practice now for the years ahead when you’ll need to be comfortable with more mutual dependency – being able to count on and be counted on in moments of need and frailty.</p>
<h2>Have fewer, kinder fights</h2>
<p>My colleague, psychiatrist Bob Waldinger, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/a0019087">brings octogenarian couples</a> into his laboratory to study their conflicts. He told me that he often has trouble getting them to reenact a fight. Having had the same fights for decades, these older couples are quite bored at the prospect of another round. They already know the other one’s lines. Do we have to do this again?</p>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1037//0003-066x.54.3.165">When older couples do fight</a>, they tend to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/0882-7974.10.1.140">handle conflict better</a> than younger ones: They are more likely to interject expressions of affection and are less prone to voicing disgust, belligerence and whining. Because the relationship is so central, they may be more likely to forgive their partners or let a grievance slide.</p>
<p>So, try to catch a fight as it starts and consider saying to your partner, “Can we talk about something more interesting? We probably already know how this is going to unfold.”</p>
<p>Or, if the conflict is important to air, try to remember that you can say something kind without surrendering, or give a warm nonverbal smile or touch. </p>
<p>It’s also a good idea to refrain from making any contemptuous or nasty comments. Couples researchers recommend following the <a href="https://www.gottman.com/blog/the-magic-relationship-ratio-according-science/">“magic ratio” of 5 to 1</a> during a fight to secure a stable relationship: Try to say five positive things to every one zinger or negative comment. This ratio, which may seem outlandish, is based on the fact that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1545-5300.2002.40102000083.x">negative interactions carry more weight</a> than positive ones.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/325348/original/file-20200403-74206-1luvyl5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/325348/original/file-20200403-74206-1luvyl5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/325348/original/file-20200403-74206-1luvyl5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/325348/original/file-20200403-74206-1luvyl5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/325348/original/file-20200403-74206-1luvyl5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/325348/original/file-20200403-74206-1luvyl5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/325348/original/file-20200403-74206-1luvyl5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/325348/original/file-20200403-74206-1luvyl5.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">When ‘for better or worse’ includes every waking moment.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/senior-married-couple-eating-healthy-food-for-royalty-free-image/1207315875">Drazen_/E+ via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Focus on the present reality</h2>
<p>Studies suggest that older couples <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/56.6.p321">focus on the present</a> and are better able to accept the relationship as it is, rather than looking ahead to a time when it is going to be transformed. </p>
<p>While they may not discuss their own mortality, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1024569803230">older couples’ perspectives are shaped</a> by a shorter time horizon. They typically pay more attention to positive experiences, want to understand their emotions better and focus on a smaller group of close friends and family.</p>
<p>Try focusing on what is good about your relationship. What do you admire and feel grateful for? If you focus on the ways your partner is supportive, research shows that both you and your spouse will <a href="https://doi.org/10.1024/1662-9647/a000077">feel better about the relationship</a>. Focusing on emotion will not be hard during a pandemic that elicits powerful feelings of anger, fear, worry, grief, love and gratitude. What can you learn about your partner that you didn’t know before about his or her strengths, ways of coping and cracks in that coping?</p>
<p>Being stuck with your partner 24/7 may leave you pondering the expression “for better or worse, but not for breakfast, lunch and dinner.” But you may come out the other side with some new skills. You don’t have to wait for retirement to have a stronger relationship.</p>
<p>[<em>You need to understand the coronavirus pandemic, and we can help.</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=upper-coronavirus-help">Read The Conversation’s newsletter</a>.]</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/134834/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Anne Fishel does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Cooped up with a partner and nowhere to go to break it up? Coronavirus social distancing… or another day in retirement? Research on older couples holds tips for everyone else on how to deal.Anne Fishel, Associate Clinical Professor of Psychology, Harvard UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1349842020-04-01T12:09:25Z2020-04-01T12:09:25ZTake it from Pluto the Schnauzer: Comedy will help us through the coronavirus crisis<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/324423/original/file-20200331-65537-1hkmtph.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=12%2C2%2C1399%2C881&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">What's got four legs, a wet nose and can help us laugh through the crisis?</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.facebook.com/nanciewight/videos/10158289063493653/">Facebook</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>It took an adorable talking dog to shake me from my gloom.</p>
<p>Ten days into the Great Pandemic Shutdown of 2020, I was still scrolling my phone for increasingly grim statistics, epidemiological forecast models and horror stories from the medical front lines of COVID-19. </p>
<p>Then I stumbled onto her: Pluto the Schnauzer, in a ridiculous <a href="https://www.facebook.com/100346998277754/posts/100350721610715/?d=n">Facebook video</a>, offering counsel “on the internets” about how we humans might re-frame our anxious quarantined existence. </p>
<p>There’s always something to do, says Pluto. Straight to camera like a doggy newscaster, she reminds us that “we (four-leggeds) curl up, we wander around, we play with a tennis ball.” She offers wisdom about the humans’ curious <a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/03/30/nation/were-still-hoarding-toilet-paper-because-coronavirus-no-good-reason/">toilet paper “crisis”</a> and advises us to avoid sniffing crotches until social distancing is over. Pluto for president, I say – she’s giving it to us straight. </p>
<h2>The best medicine?</h2>
<p>There is plenty to laugh at, it seems, in a crisis moment when the world’s shared destiny has become breathtakingly clear. This doesn’t mean that we’re trivializing the suffering. We’re trying to cope. Beyond the obvious illness, we’re facing <a href="https://hbr.org/2020/03/understanding-the-economic-shock-of-coronavirus">economic and social devastation</a>, which will be felt most acutely by <a href="https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/race/news/2020/03/27/482337/coronavirus-compounds-inequality-endangers-communities-color/">vulnerable communities</a>. Many of us are <a href="https://hbr.org/2020/03/that-discomfort-youre-feeling-is-grief">experiencing the emotions of grief</a> and trying to figure out some kind of routine in the stressful, uncertain new normal. It’s hard to fully contemplate the ripple effects of the loss and anxiety, or the enormity of the task that befalls us when we finally come out of hiding to repair our communities.</p>
<p>But humor can help. </p>
<p>As Lauren Feldman and I wrote in our new book, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Comedian-Activist-Walk-into-Communication/dp/0520299779">“A Comedian and An Activist Walk Into a Bar: The Serious Role of Comedy in Social Justice,”</a> comedy plays an important societal role when we are working through dire, complex social problems. It offers catharsis, resilience and a source of civic imagination that invites play and helps us imagine the future. It can also provide a vital and biting wellspring of social critique that can point out injustice in accessible ways that can be hard to convey even through traditional forms of serious information, like journalism. </p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">Not so much A Night at the Opera, more a month in the bedroom.</span></figcaption>
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<p>We need comedy. And homemade “coronavirus comedy” is everywhere – videos, <a href="https://www.boredpanda.com/quarantine-coronavirus-jokes/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=organic">memes</a>, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2020/mar/18/coronaviral-the-best-memes-tweets-and-cartoons-to-get-you-through-open-thread">tweets</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lr_tEdQvFcc">re-written music lyrics</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1tNv-dKd1E">parody music videos</a>. Sure, there’s plenty of funny stuff from the expected professional media sources, even while they’re on lockdown – <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ls0ZormAOhU">“The Daily Show,”</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvJ1BuEtZEo&feature=emb_logo">“The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,”</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4qvO0StKto">“Saturday Night Live”</a> – but the inventive creativity coming from us ordinary folks is really killing it. In the <a href="https://politybooks.com/bookdetail/?isbn=9780745660707">participatory media age</a>, we can access the production tools and distribution channels to share our expressions of hope, play and silliness through YouTube, TikTok, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. The whole world has been given a license to be funny and deviant, and it turns out, we are really, really hilarious.</p>
<p>But is it OK to giggle about hard times? Are we wrong to seemingly make fun of something so serious? I would argue that these aren’t the right questions. </p>
<p>Look closely. In the age of COVID-19, we’re making comedy that punches up, not down. It is aimed at ourselves and at institutions of power that need to be held accountable. Through our comedy, we invite each other to see our shared experiences through much-needed playfulness - even across ideological divides. </p>
<p>The humor is found in the absurd dystopian reality of our weird new lives: Being <a href="https://www.facebook.com/581553707/posts/10158351509018708/?sfnsn=mo&d=n&vh=e">stuck inside our homes</a> with these irritating other humans, even the ones we love, is “Groundhog Day” tedium. We parents never really wanted to to spend a full <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B92mDL0Hbrv/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet">nonstop 24 hours</a> with our elementary- or middle school-aged children for weeks at a time, did we? (I’m sure my kids won’t read this.) </p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">Italian mayors clearly aren’t impressed by everyone’s social distancing efforts.</span></figcaption>
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<p>We are <a href="https://www.marketwatch.com/story/take-your-mind-off-of-the-coronavirus-for-few-minutes-with-these-feel-good-videos-memes-and-threads-2020-03-19">fighting over toilet paper</a> at Costco and challenging our kids to dance-offs on TikTok. And then there are the many adventures in Zoom, our <a href="https://news.lvhn.org/stay-home-stay-safe-and-dont-forget-to-smile/">new conference room</a> and college classroom. Suddenly, we have discovered the humor in <a href="https://www.facebook.com/100010288871601/posts/1121202954899323/?sfnsn=mo&d=n&vh=i">your mic being off</a>, your mic being on (oops), <a href="https://twitter.com/JeffreyButts/status/1239742025651687424">floating in the New York skyline</a> or hosting a serious budget meeting while <a href="https://mashable.com/article/zoom-background-change-coronavirus-meetings/">oversized cats</a> appear over your shoulder – thank you, Zoom background graphics. </p>
<p>Meanwhile, stressed-out professors are <a href="https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=CCe5PaeAeew#dialog">singing about teaching online</a>. Even a <a href="https://www.thepoke.co.uk/2020/03/20/this-commentators-got-no-live-sport-left-so-hes-commentating-on-everyday-life-and-its-brilliant/#.XnVQ0MnKCsk.facebook">sidelined sports commentator</a> got in on the comedy game with a hilarious series of sportscaster-narrated everyday life scenes. None of our current experience is – or should become – normal (except the dance-offs, perhaps), and comedy lets us say that. </p>
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<p>Comedy serves <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Comedian-Activist-Walk-into-Communication/dp/0520299779">crucial cultural functions</a> as we deal with tough challenges: sharing and amplifying messages, addressing taboo topics in accessible ways, and inspiring us to feel emotions of hope and optimism, which motivate us to <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15205436.2018.1545035">engage in social problems</a>.
And, not least, comedy helps us to bolster individual and collective resilience we need to re-imagine and re-build the post-COVID-19 world.</p>
<h2>Comedy going viral</h2>
<p>Beyond the silliness, much of this “coronavirus comedy” is functionally reminding us what to do – <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9YirNgAzXI">wash our hands</a>, stay home, and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqx19f0ceUo">practice social distancing</a>. It’s also providing <a href="https://www.facebook.com/thejuicemedia/videos/honest-government-ad-coronavirus/626685584556823/">scathing and needed critiques of official government responses</a>. We know from research that we are much more likely to <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Comedian-Activist-Walk-into-Communication/dp/0520299779">remember and share messages</a> that are funny, which means we are amplifying the information across networks and individuals. And when we spread comedy wildly, we communicate our identities and communal experiences with one another, even while we are physically separated.</p>
<p>Comedy really matters. Through its generative, disruptive, deviant energy, humor can help us to engage and find tenacity, resilience and cathartic release during these trying times.</p>
<p>[<em>You need to understand the coronavirus pandemic, and we can help.</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=upper-coronavirus-help">Read our newsletter</a>.]</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/134984/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The Center for Media & Social Impact, directed by Caty Borum Chattoo, receives funding from Luminate, Comedy Central, Atlantic Philanthropies, and the McNulty Foundation for research, convenings, and creative production initiatives focused on the intersection of mediated comedy, civic empowerment and social change.</span></em></p>It isn’t wrong to laugh at coronavirus comedy. Rather a chortle here and there will help us through the crisis, and it may even help spread vital information and give comfort to those in need.Caty Borum Chattoo, Executive Director of the Center for Media & Social Impact, Assistant Professor, American University School of CommunicationLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1346672020-03-31T05:54:25Z2020-03-31T05:54:25Z‘Pandemic drones’: useful for enforcing social distancing, or for creating a police state?<p>People in Western Australia may soon see more than birds in the sky, as the state’s police force <a href="https://www.watoday.com.au/national/western-australia/wa-coronavirus-live-wa-to-see-if-premier-adopts-two-person-rule-as-cruise-debacle-escalates-20200329-p54f35.html">has announced plans</a> to deploy drones to enforce social distancing. The drones will visit parks, beaches and cafe strips, ensuring people comply with the most <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/mar/30/australia-coronavirus-shutdown-rules-stage-3-not-lockdown-what-is-closed-open-restrictions">recent round of gathering rules</a>. </p>
<p>As COVID-19 restrictions tighten around the world, governments are harnessing the potential of drones. From delivering medical supplies, to helping keep people indoors – drones can do a lot in a pandemic.</p>
<p>Since the outbreak began, China has used drones to deliver <a href="https://www.terra-drone.net/global/2020/02/07/terra-drones-group-company-antwork-helps-fighting-corona-virus-with-drones/">medical supplies</a> and <a href="https://kr-asia.com/jd-com-uses-logistics-drones-as-coronavirus-disrupts-traffic-in-china">food</a>, <a href="https://apnews.com/PR%20Newswire/084d73b9bc8644301e02ef2d8e809597">disinfect villages</a>, and even provide <a href="https://www.dezeen.com/2020/02/20/drones-robots-coronavirus-china-technology/">lighting</a> to <a href="https://www.dezeen.com/2020/02/03/coronavirus-hospital-complete-wuhan-china-news/">build a hospital in Wuhan in nine days</a>. <a href="https://www.gpsworld.com/china-fights-coronavirus-with-delivery-drones/">Drone medical deliveries</a> have cut transit times, reduced the strain on health personnel and enabled contactless handovers, reducing the risk of infection.</p>
<p>It’s clear drones are helping combat COVID-19, as governments use them to control and monitor. </p>
<p>But these measures may be difficult to rollback once the pandemic passes. And safeguards will be needed to prevent unwanted surveillance in the future.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/aerial-threat-why-drone-hacking-could-be-bad-news-for-the-military-124588">Aerial threat: why drone hacking could be bad news for the military</a>
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<h2>Drone use: clever, quirky and sometimes concerning</h2>
<p>With cities on lockdown, drones have shown <a href="https://theconversation.com/friday-essay-the-uncanny-melancholy-of-empty-photographs-in-the-time-of-coronavirus-133615">uncanny</a> images of emptied urban landscapes from <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com.au/wuhan-coronavirus-drone-video-abandoned-city-quarantine-2020-2?r=US&IR=T">Wuhan</a> and <a href="https://futurism.com/drone-footage-haunting-emptiness-cities-under-quarantine">metros across the globe</a>. </p>
<p>Social distancing has inspired some quirky uses by individuals, including walking the dog and <a href="https://nypost.com/2020/03/23/brooklyn-guy-uses-drone-to-hit-on-a-gal-during-coronavirus-lockdown/">asking for a date</a>.</p>
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<p>But the main game has been about control. China is using drones to enforce quarantine rules and deter gatherings that violate social distancing rules. </p>
<p>One viral video showed a drone scolding an elderly woman for not wearing a mask. In some cases, traffic police and municipal officials used drones fitted with speakers to <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/6535353/china-coronavirus-drones-quarantine/">order people home and break up mahjong games</a>.</p>
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<p>Flying at high altitudes, drones can help police and other officials monitor large areas to identify those violating restrictions. Similar tactics are being used in <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spanish-police-using-drones-to-ask-people-stay-at-home-2020-3">Madrid</a> and <a href="http://www.rfi.fr/en/france/20200322-french-police-deploy-drones-helicopters-to-enforce-coronavirus-restrictions-covivd-19-lockdown">Nice</a>, with talk of deployment in many other places.</p>
<h2>A defence for the ‘good drone’?</h2>
<p>There are huge advantages in sending drones into disaster zones such as <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/gallery/2020/feb/11/drones-thermal-imaging-australia-koalas-bushfire-crisis">bushfires</a>, or remote landscapes for <a href="https://www.dezeen.com/2019/05/11/rega-autonomous-rescue-drone/">search and rescue</a>. Pilots can safely stream crucial vision from a drone’s optical and thermal cameras. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/drones-help-track-wildfires-count-wildlife-and-map-plants-125115">Drones help track wildfires, count wildlife and map plants</a>
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<p>But while “good drones” can be valuable in disaster, they have been criticised for giving drone warfare an ethical veneer by association with humanitarian work. Some have even argued that using drones at all risks tainting relief work, because militaries <a href="https://www.routledge.com/The-Good-Drone-1st-Edition/Sandvik-Jumbert/p/book/9781472451118">have played a major role in developing drone technologies that are also responsible for humanitarian tragedies</a>. </p>
<p>Like all technologies, the question with drones should be about how they are used. For instance, inspecting the <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2011/04/inside-the-drone-missions-to-fukushima/237981/">breached nuclear reactor at Fukushima</a> with drones is sensible. But embedding systems of control that can be turned against civilians is its own disaster in the making.</p>
<h2>Normalising surveillance</h2>
<p>With high definition and infrared images streamed to command stations, China’s drones may be able to use <a href="https://www.wsj.com/video/china-deploys-drones-citizens-and-big-data-to-tackle-coronavirus/40590C07-FB56-46CE-8C25-72471A5ECD39.html">facial recognition</a> to identify specific individuals using its <a href="https://time.com/collection/davos-2019/5502592/china-social-credit-score/">Social Credit System</a>, and fine them for indiscretions. </p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/hundreds-of-chinese-citizens-told-me-what-they-thought-about-the-controversial-social-credit-system-127467">Hundreds of Chinese citizens told me what they thought about the controversial social credit system</a>
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<p>This level of social control may be appealing in a pandemic that could cost millions of lives. But it could also have chilling effects on social and political life.</p>
<p>Surveillance tools typically work best for social control when <a href="https://books.google.com.au/books?id=aXXlAAAAQBAJ">people know they are being watched</a>. Even in liberal societies, people might think twice about joining climate or racial justice protests if they know they’ll be recorded by a drone overhead.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/323423/original/file-20200326-132995-1ycz5w5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/323423/original/file-20200326-132995-1ycz5w5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=364&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/323423/original/file-20200326-132995-1ycz5w5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=364&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/323423/original/file-20200326-132995-1ycz5w5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=364&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/323423/original/file-20200326-132995-1ycz5w5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=458&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/323423/original/file-20200326-132995-1ycz5w5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=458&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/323423/original/file-20200326-132995-1ycz5w5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=458&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">The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) used drones to capture scenes from the 2017 Black Lives Matter protests in Baltimore.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">FBI / ACLU</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Feeling like you’re constantly being watched can can create a kind of atmospheric anxiety, particularly for marginalised groups that are already closely monitored because of their religion or welfare status.</p>
<p>Putting more drones in the sky raises concerns about trust, privacy, data protection and ownership. In a crisis, those questions are often ignored. This was clear after 9/11, when the world learnt the lessons of surveillance systems and draconian national security laws.</p>
<h2>The impact would hit home</h2>
<p>Police in the west are already <a href="http://dronecenter.bard.edu/files/2017/04/CSD-Public-Safety-Drones-Web.pdf">deploying drones</a> for various purposes, including at <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/police-drones-to-monitor-crowds-at-footy-public-events-from-next-month-20190709-p525jf.html">sporting events in Australia</a>. Our defence force is buying Reaper MQ-9B drones because they are cleared for use in <a href="https://www.australiandefence.com.au/news/mq-9b-sky-guardian-chosen-over-reaper">civilian airspace</a>.</p>
<p>We might be fine with <a href="https://wing.com/australia/canberra/">delivery drones in Canberra</a>, or disaster drones ferrying urgent medical supplies, but how would we feel if they were <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-50262650">indistinguishable</a> from drones piloted by police, the military or private security companies?</p>
<p>A team at the University of South Australia is currently designing a <a href="http://theleadsouthaustralia.com.au/industries/technology/pandemic-drone-could-detect-virus-symptoms-in-crowds/">“pandemic” drone</a> to detect virus symptoms such as fever and coughing from a distance. Valuable as that is now, this tool could easily be used to intrusively manage the public’s health after the crisis is over.</p>
<p>It can be difficult to see the long term impacts of choices made in an emergency. But now is the best time for policymakers to set limits on how drones an be used in public space. </p>
<p>They need to write sunset clauses into new laws so that surveillance and control systems are rolled back once the pandemic eases, and create accountability mechanisms to ensure oversight.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/134667/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Michael Richardson receives funding from the Australian Research Council. </span></em></p>While ‘good drones’ have been valuable in this pandemic, using drones to embed new systems of surveillance could be a dangerous and slippery slope.Michael Richardson, Senior Research Fellow, UNSW SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1340442020-03-25T18:43:34Z2020-03-25T18:43:34ZHow to stay fit and active at home during the coronavirus self-isolation<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/322822/original/file-20200325-181239-14axs9g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=44%2C0%2C4947%2C2357&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Unspash/ayo ogunseinde</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The extensive social distancing policies put in place to limit the spread of COVID-19 mean most people will have to spend much, if not all, their time at home.</p>
<p>Self-isolation means far fewer opportunities to be physically active if you are used to walking or cycling for transportation and doing leisure time sports.</p>
<p>But equally worryingly, the home environment also offers abundant opportunity to be sedentary (sitting or reclining).</p>
<p><iframe id="tc-infographic-475" class="tc-infographic" height="400px" src="https://cdn.theconversation.com/infographics/475/167f32450b757dee630517574b9794275e3e7dce/site/index.html" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<p>While self-isolation measures are necessary, our bodies and minds still need exercise to function well, prevent weight gain and <a href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/more-evidence-that-exercise-can-boost-mood">keep the spirits up</a> during these challenging times.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-are-we-calling-it-social-distancing-right-now-we-need-social-connections-more-than-ever-134249">Why are we calling it 'social distancing'? Right now, we need social connections more than ever</a>
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<p>Exercise can help keep our immune system become strong, <a href="https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/45/12/987" title="Upper respiratory tract infection is reduced in physically fit and active adults">less susceptible to infections</a> and their most <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0091743519300775?via%3Dihub" title="Lifestyle risk factors, obesity and infectious disease mortality in the general population: Linkage study of 97,844 adults from England and Scotland">severe consequences</a>, and better able to recover from them. </p>
<p>Even before the restrictive conditions were announced, physical inactivity cost <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(12)61031-9/fulltext" title="Effect of physical inactivity on major non-communicable diseases worldwide: an analysis of burden of disease and life expectancy">5.3 million</a> lives a year globally.</p>
<p>So we should consider ways to limit the effects of the impact of the COVID-19 crisis, as well as its wider impact of contributing to the long-term chronic disease crisis.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/322823/original/file-20200325-181225-9iso0v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/322823/original/file-20200325-181225-9iso0v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/322823/original/file-20200325-181225-9iso0v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=385&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/322823/original/file-20200325-181225-9iso0v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=385&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/322823/original/file-20200325-181225-9iso0v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=385&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/322823/original/file-20200325-181225-9iso0v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=484&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/322823/original/file-20200325-181225-9iso0v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=484&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/322823/original/file-20200325-181225-9iso0v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=484&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Don’t just sit there in front of the screen.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Unsplash</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>How much physical activity?</h2>
<p>Global recommendations are for all <a href="https://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/factsheet_adults/en/" title="Physical Activity and Adults">adults</a> to accumulate at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity per week, as well as muscle-strengthening activities on two or more days a week.</p>
<p>Any activity is better than none, and more activity provides more physical and mental health benefits.</p>
<p>As several countries are <a href="https://www.euronews.com/2020/03/19/coronavirus-which-countries-are-under-lockdown-and-who-s-next">already under lockdown</a>, it is uncertain for how long you can go outside for a walk, run or cycle. The key question is how can people meet these guidelines when restricted to the home environment?</p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/322771/original/file-20200325-194478-1716gw.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/322771/original/file-20200325-194478-1716gw.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=1126&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/322771/original/file-20200325-194478-1716gw.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=1126&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/322771/original/file-20200325-194478-1716gw.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=1126&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/322771/original/file-20200325-194478-1716gw.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1415&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/322771/original/file-20200325-194478-1716gw.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1415&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/322771/original/file-20200325-194478-1716gw.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1415&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">The Conversation</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<h2>Sitting, standing and movement</h2>
<p>Take <a href="https://www.heartandstroke.ca/articles/5-simple-ways-to-reduce-sedentary-time">regular breaks</a> from continuous sitting in front of your computer, tablet, or smartphone every 20 to 30 minutes.</p>
<p>For example, you could take a few minutes break to walk around the house, take some fresh air on the balcony, in the garden or yard, or play with your dog for a few moments.</p>
<p>Alternate periods of standing while working/studying with sitting by creating your own stand-up desk area.</p>
<h2>Make stairs your best friend</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6627027/" title="Associations of self-reported stair climbing with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality: The Harvard Alumni Health Study">Using the stairs</a> is an extremely <a href="https://theconversation.com/dont-have-time-to-exercise-heres-a-regimen-everyone-can-squeeze-in-111600">time-efficient</a> way to maintain fitness. As little as three 20-second fast stair climbs a day <a href="https://nrc-prod.literatumonline.com/doi/10.1139/apnm-2018-0675" title="Do stair climbing exercise 'snacks' improve cardiorespiratory fitness?">can improve fitness</a> in only six weeks.</p>
<p>If you live in an apartment, avoid uncomfortable lift encounters with other self-isolating neighbours by using the staircase for any necessary outdoor journeys. Take care to avoid much contact with handrails. </p>
<p>Internal stairs also offer more stairclimbing and <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/7-quick-stair-exercises-to-do-at-home/art-20390063">strength exercise</a> opportunities. </p>
<h2>Use your own bodyweight</h2>
<p>A <a href="https://academic.oup.com/aje/article/187/5/1102/4582884" title="Does Strength-Promoting Exercise Confer Unique Health Benefits? A Pooled Analysis of Data on 11 Population Cohorts With All-Cause, Cancer, and Cardiovascular Mortality Endpoints">2017 British study</a> found home based strength exercises that utilise your own bodyweight – such as press-ups, sit-ups and planks – are <a href="https://theconversation.com/strength-training-can-have-unique-health-benefits-and-it-doesnt-have-to-happen-in-a-gym-84904">as important for health</a> as aerobic exercise.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/322826/original/file-20200325-181195-4es1sh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/322826/original/file-20200325-181195-4es1sh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/322826/original/file-20200325-181195-4es1sh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=899&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/322826/original/file-20200325-181195-4es1sh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=899&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/322826/original/file-20200325-181195-4es1sh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=899&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/322826/original/file-20200325-181195-4es1sh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1129&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/322826/original/file-20200325-181195-4es1sh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1129&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/322826/original/file-20200325-181195-4es1sh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1129&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Using your bodyweight.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/26344495@N05/49488914752/">Ivan Radic/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>There are many great resources for such <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/7-quick-stair-exercises-to-do-at-home/art-20390063">indoor</a> bodyweight exercises for <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAxW1XT0iEJo0TYlRfn6rYQ">people of all ages</a> <a href="https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/strength-exercises/">online</a>.</p>
<p>Aim for at least <a href="https://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/factsheet_adults/en/">a couple of own bodyweight sessions per week</a>, with <a href="https://insights.ovid.com/pubmed?pmid=21694556" title="Quantity and Quality of Exercise for Developing and Maintaining Cardiorespiratory, Musculoskeletal, and Neuromotor Fitness in Apparently Healthy Adults: Guidance for Prescribing Exercise">each session involving</a> two to four sets of eight to 15 repetitions of each strength-promoting exercise. Make sure you take a two to three minutes rest between sets.</p>
<h2>Dance the COVID-19 blues away!</h2>
<p>An increasing number of live <a href="https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/9335531/coronavirus-quarantine-music-events-online-streams">concerts</a> are streamed online. Use the <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17437199.2019.1627897" title="Effects of music interventions on stress-related outcomes: a systematic review and two meta-analyses">stress-releasing</a> magic of music and dance at home like nobody’s watching (which is not unlikely). </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yrABUJc_4vE?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Dance alone like no one is watching.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Dancing is an excellent way to <a href="https://www.ajpmonline.org/article/S0749-3797(16)00030-1/abstract" title="Dancing Participation and Cardiovascular Disease Mortality">protect the heart</a> and maintain fitness as it can reach <a href="https://journals.lww.com/acsm-msse/Fulltext/2000/09001/Compendium_of_Physical_Activities__an_update_of.9.aspx" title="Compendium of Physical Activities: an update of activity codes and MET intensities">moderate and vigorous intensity</a> and can even imitate high-intensity interval training.</p>
<p>Dancing also has established <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0197455613001676" title="Effects of dance movement therapy and dance on health-related psychological outcomes: A meta-analysis">mental health</a> benefits to help us cope with the coronavirus-imposed solitude.</p>
<p>Whether it’s electronic beats, rock or traditional Irish music that floats your boat, it will not be difficult to turn up the volume of your stereo a little higher and turn your lounge or kitchen into a little dance hall every now and again.</p>
<h2>Give them the play time they’ve always wanted</h2>
<p>Social-distancing is a good opportunity to bond more with the little two and four legged members of your family through active play. Both children and dogs will love you replacing some of your online media and sitting time with playing in and around the house with them.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/322829/original/file-20200325-181180-15858nt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/322829/original/file-20200325-181180-15858nt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/322829/original/file-20200325-181180-15858nt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=448&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/322829/original/file-20200325-181180-15858nt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=448&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/322829/original/file-20200325-181180-15858nt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=448&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/322829/original/file-20200325-181180-15858nt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=563&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/322829/original/file-20200325-181180-15858nt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=563&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/322829/original/file-20200325-181180-15858nt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=563&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Let your pets take you away from that screen for some exercise play.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ret0dd/4382972221/">Flickr/Todd Dwyer</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Dogs thrive on human attention and, given the opportunity, they would keep you on your feet 24/7. Take advantage of the extra time you will be in and around the house. There are many <a href="https://www.puppyleaks.com/easy-ways-to-keep-your-dog-busy-indoors/">great indoor games</a> to keep you active and improve your dog’s well-being.</p>
<p>No matter <a href="https://activeforlife.com/49-fun-physical-activities-to-do-with-kids-aged-2-to-4/">how young or how old your children</a> are, there are <a href="https://www.nhs.uk/change4life/activities">many fun activities</a> you can do together indoors and in the garden. </p>
<h2>Just do something!</h2>
<p>Left unattended, the self-isolation imposed by COVID-19 will likely skyrocket sedentary time and will drastically reduce the physical activity levels for many. Our suggestions are only a few examples of ideas that need no special equipment and can be done within limited space.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-distancing-measures-are-confusing-here-are-3-things-to-ask-yourself-before-you-see-someone-134394">Coronavirus distancing measures are confusing. Here are 3 things to ask yourself before you see someone</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>For more ideas take a look at the online resources of reputable organisations such as the <a href="http://www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/health-emergencies/coronavirus-covid-19/novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov-technical-guidance/stay-physically-active-during-self-quarantine/_recache">World Health Organisation</a>, the <a href="https://www.exerciseismedicine.org/support_page.php/stories/?b=892">American College of Sports Medicine</a>, <a href="https://www.sportengland.org/news/how-stay-active-while-youre-home">Sport England</a> and the <a href="https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/fitness/getting-active/25-ways-to-get-moving-at-home-infographic">American Heart Association</a>.</p>
<p>The end goal during self-isolation is to prevent long term physical and mental health damage by sitting less, moving as often as possible, and aiming to maintain fitness by huffing and puffing a few times a day.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/322827/original/file-20200325-181211-1p6jbgu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/322827/original/file-20200325-181211-1p6jbgu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/322827/original/file-20200325-181211-1p6jbgu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=375&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/322827/original/file-20200325-181211-1p6jbgu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=375&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/322827/original/file-20200325-181211-1p6jbgu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=375&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/322827/original/file-20200325-181211-1p6jbgu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=471&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/322827/original/file-20200325-181211-1p6jbgu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=471&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/322827/original/file-20200325-181211-1p6jbgu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=471&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Remember to have a good stretch after any exercise.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/adammcguffie/34789086373/">Flickr/Adam McGuffie</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/134044/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Emmanuel Stamatakis receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council and PAL Technologies (Scotland) for research projects related to physical activity and health. He is affiliated with the BMJ as Editor-in Chief of BMJ Open Sports & Exercise Medicine, and Editor of the British Journal of Sports Medicine. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Andrew Murray is a Sports and Exercise Consultant with the University of Edinburgh, NHS Inform, the European Tour Golf and Scottish Rugby. He previously worked for the Scottish Government in Physical Activity/ Sport policy. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Fiona Bull is Head of unit on physical activity at the World Health Organisation Head Quarters in Geneva, Professor (on leave) at the University of Western Australia and Honorary Professor at the University of Edinburgh. She has previously received funding from government research funding agencies in Australia, UK, and Europe and from not for profit funding health related foundations. No research funding from private sector organizations. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kate Edwards is an Associate Professor at the University of Sydney, her research includes work on the interactions between exercise and vaccination responses for which has received funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Ramaciotti Foundation and the Financial Markets Foundation for Children.</span></em></p>Don’t just sit there. It’s easy to get some exercise in your daily routine if you’re stuck at home.Emmanuel Stamatakis, Professor of Physical Activity, Lifestyle, and Population Health, University of SydneyAndrew Murray, Consultant, Sports and Exercise Medicine, The University of EdinburghFiona Bull, Professor, School of Human Sciences, The University of Western AustraliaKate Edwards, Associate Professor, Sydney School of Health Sciences, University of SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1339582020-03-23T13:17:12Z2020-03-23T13:17:12ZThree reasons great thinkers liked armchair travel<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/321628/original/file-20200319-22606-1flb4wm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=50%2C25%2C5615%2C3707&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Many philosophers believed books are better than travel</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/red-chair-on-rock-mountains-433214272">Ollyy/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Coronavirus has led to unprecedented <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2020/mar/18/coronavirus-latest-travel-updates-countries-restrictions-bans-fco-warnings">worldwide restrictions on travel</a>. But philosophers and others have argued for centuries that real-world travel comes second to armchair travel. From your own living room, you can visit new places by reading about them, tucked under a blanket with a mug of cocoa. In these grim times, here’s a light-hearted look at three benefits of voyaging without leaving your home.</p>
<h2>1. Fewer monsters</h2>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/321624/original/file-20200319-22590-1o8pjvt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/321624/original/file-20200319-22590-1o8pjvt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=568&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/321624/original/file-20200319-22590-1o8pjvt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=568&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/321624/original/file-20200319-22590-1o8pjvt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=568&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/321624/original/file-20200319-22590-1o8pjvt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=713&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/321624/original/file-20200319-22590-1o8pjvt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=713&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/321624/original/file-20200319-22590-1o8pjvt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=713&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Map of imaginary southern lands from ‘Mundus alter et idem’ (1607) by Mercurius Britannicus.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Map_from_Mundus_alter_et_idem.jpg#/media/File:Hall_Another_World_and_Yet_the_Same_1607_Cornell_CUL_PJM_1009_01.jpg">Wikimedia</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In 1605, English philosopher <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Joseph-Hall">Joseph Hall</a> published a voracious attack on travel. His book Another World and Yet the Same parodied popular books like Mandeville’s Travels. It stars a man named Mercurious Britannicus, who sets sail on the ship Fancie towards the south pole. There he discovers a new continent: Terra Australis.</p>
<p>Mercurious spends three decades exploring its lands. He discovers that Gluttonia, Drinkallia, Viraginia, Moronia and Lavernia are populated by gluttons, drunkards, women, morons and criminals. Afterwards, he argues that people shouldn’t bother travelling:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Have you considered all the dangers of so great an enterprise, the costs, the difficulty? … </p>
<p>There is heaven, you say, but perhaps you can scarcely see it through the continuous darkness. </p>
<p>There is earth, which you won’t dare to tread upon, perhaps because of the multitude of beasts and serpents.</p>
<p>There are men, but you would prefer to do without their company. What if some Patagonian Polyphemus [Cyclops] were to tear you to pieces and then straightaway devour the throbbing and still-living parts?</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Hall believes it’s better to visit new worlds by reading, avoiding storms, sails, and “never-ending tossing of waves”. Certainly, there are no serpents or Patagonian Cyclops in your living room.</p>
<h2>2. Many books are better than one trip</h2>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/321580/original/file-20200319-22590-1guwg4a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/321580/original/file-20200319-22590-1guwg4a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/321580/original/file-20200319-22590-1guwg4a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/321580/original/file-20200319-22590-1guwg4a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/321580/original/file-20200319-22590-1guwg4a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/321580/original/file-20200319-22590-1guwg4a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/321580/original/file-20200319-22590-1guwg4a.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">The Greek philosopher Socrates believed there was more to be learnt in books than travel.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/socrates-greek-philosopher-796293319">Anastasios71/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Socrates">Socrates</a> refused to set foot outside Athens. He argued he could learn much more about the world by reading: “you can lead me all over Attica or anywhere else you like simply waving in front of me the leaves of a book”. Similarly, a 1635 <a href="http://tei.it.ox.ac.uk/tcp/Texts-HTML/free/A07/A07439">Mercator atlas</a> claimed that maps allow you to see at home what others have sought through travel: “uncouth Continents… the Rocks, the Isles, the Rivers and their falls… God’s greatest Work”.</p>
<p>Like Socrates, philosopher <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Immanuel-Kant">Immanuel Kant</a> never travelled far from his birthplace of Königsberg (now Kaliningrad), Prussia. Yet he was fascinated by the world, reading travelogues, writing and teaching geography. He said <a href="https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=qpPeBQAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q=no%20time%20for%20travel&f=false">he didn’t have time to travel</a> – because he wanted to know so much about so many countries.</p>
<h2>3. The best travel writing was free of travel</h2>
<p>Some of the best travel writing is made up. One such tale is that of English sailor <a href="https://www.americanheritage.com/longest-walk-david-ingrams-amazing-journey#1">David Ingram</a>, who lost a sea-battle in 1567 and was marooned on the coast of Mexico. Ingram claimed he spent the next 11 months trekking through north America, covering around 3,000 miles to Nova Scotia. </p>
<p>The distance itself is impressive – in modern times, writer <a href="http://www.richardnathan.com/walk/walk.html">Richard Nathan</a> re-traced the trek in nine months. Less plausible are the things Ingram encountered along the route: elephants, red sheep, giant birds with peacock-like feathers, uncrossable rivers; and cities laced with gold, pearls and crystals. </p>
<p>Richard Hakluyt <a href="http://www.hakluyt.org">published</a> Ingram’s account alongside writings by exploration giants such as Gerardus Mercator, Francis Drake, and Martin Frobisher. Yet historians have long doubted its veracity. <a href="https://books.google.co.uk/books/about/Travelers_and_Travel_Liars_1660_1800.html?id=ClfXAAAAMAAJ&redir_esc=y">One</a> writes that the most fantastic thing about Ingram’s tale is not that he made this journey “along rivers that for the most part flowed the wrong way”, rather that “intelligent” people believed it.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/321596/original/file-20200319-22606-6j13yq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/321596/original/file-20200319-22606-6j13yq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=475&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/321596/original/file-20200319-22606-6j13yq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=475&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/321596/original/file-20200319-22606-6j13yq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=475&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/321596/original/file-20200319-22606-6j13yq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=597&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/321596/original/file-20200319-22606-6j13yq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=597&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/321596/original/file-20200319-22606-6j13yq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=597&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Jacques Le Moyne de Morgues’ 1591 map of Florida, where David Ingram supposedly set off.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://tile.loc.gov/image-services/iiif/service:gmd:gmd393:g3930:g3930:ct000134/full/pct:25/0/default.jpg">Library of Congress</a></span>
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<p>But Ingram was far from alone. At the turn of the 19th century, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Francois-Auguste-Rene-vicomte-de-Chateaubriand">François-René de Chateaubriand</a> published several beguiling travel books – large chunks of which were probably imaginary.</p>
<p>His <em>Voyage en Amérique</em> describes a six-month trip during which he visited New York, New England, the Great Lakes, Niagara Falls; met George Washington; lived with native Americans; and roamed Ohio and Florida. In 1903, a <a href="https://fr.wikisource.org/w/index.php?title=Fichier:B%C3%A9dier_-_%C3%89tudes_critiques,_1903.djvu&page=7">historian</a> argued that this trip was impossible, and its descriptions were plagiarised from earlier sources. </p>
<p>As <a href="https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/how-to-talk-about-places-youve-never-been-9781620401378/">one scholar</a> explains, Chateaubriand even changed geography to suit his fancy. He describes an island buzzing with “glittering baubles”: dragonflies, hummingbirds, butterflies. Between travel books, this island migrates from Florida to Ohio. As another <a href="https://muse.jhu.edu/book/37672">historian</a> put it, to treat Chateaubriand’s journeys as a source of authentic information “would be folly”.</p>
<p>In 1704, Frenchman <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2014/04/london-forgotten-aryan-asian-fraudster/361035/">George Psalmanazar</a> published An Historical and Geographical Description of Formosa. This travel book about latterday Taiwan was a complete fabrication, based on other books and the contents of Psalmanazar’s head. </p>
<p>What’s amazing is how far Psalmanazar took the fraud. The book contained a fictional yet apparently convincing alphabet. And despite his blond hair and blue eyes, Psalmanazar convinced England he was Asian, kidnapped from Formosa by Jesuit priests. Psalmanazar had an answer for everything – even claiming his skin was white because <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2014/04/london-forgotten-aryan-asian-fraudster/361035/">Formosans lived underground</a>.</p>
<h2>Off on your own armchair travels</h2>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/321625/original/file-20200319-22606-1ned9r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/321625/original/file-20200319-22606-1ned9r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/321625/original/file-20200319-22606-1ned9r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/321625/original/file-20200319-22606-1ned9r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/321625/original/file-20200319-22606-1ned9r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/321625/original/file-20200319-22606-1ned9r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/321625/original/file-20200319-22606-1ned9r.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">Marco Polo bridge in Beijing, although it is likely he never made it there.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/lion-on-marco-polo-bridge-beijing-502699618">Reuben Teo/Shutterstock</a></span>
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</figure>
<p>Marco Polo <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Did-Marco-Polo-Go-To-China-1st-Edition/Wood/p/book/9780429500992">probably never</a> made it to China. The safest, most learned and <em>imaginative</em> travel is undoubtedly embarked on from the fireside. How else can you traverse rivers running uphill, and cram more miles into a trip than is strictly possible? If you’re stuck in one place for a bit and fancy some armchair roaming, here are some classics to strike out from. </p>
<ul>
<li><p>Percy G Adams, <a href="https://books.google.co.uk/books/about/Travelers_and_Travel_Liars_1660_1800.html?id=ClfXAAAAMAAJ&redir_esc=y">Travelers and Travel Liars, 1660-1800</a> (1980): This well researched but funny book collects many travel fraudsters together, describing travellers who “embellished” their tales and made up whole chunks of geography.</p></li>
<li><p>Pierre Bayard, <a href="https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/how-to-talk-about-places-youve-never-been-9781620401378/">How to Talk About Places You’ve Never Been: On the Importance of Armchair Travel</a> (2015): This tongue-in-cheek study argues there’s no need to visit a place to write interestingly about it, and provides lots of evidence. It includes the endearing tale of Édouard Glissant who was too old to journey to Easter Island to write a book - so sent his wife instead. </p></li>
<li><p>Francis Wood, <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Did-Marco-Polo-Go-To-China-1st-Edition/Wood/p/book/9780429500992">Did Marco Polo Go To China?</a> (2018): This more serious but readable study of Marco Polo’s Travels asks, how far did he really get? Wood argues probably no farther than Constantinople.</p></li>
</ul><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/133958/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Emily Thomas receives funding from the AHRC. </span></em></p>Sometimes you can understand more of the world from the comfort of your own homeEmily Thomas, Associate Professor of Philosophy, author of The Meaning of Travel: Philosophers Abroad (2020), Durham UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1338932020-03-23T04:18:18Z2020-03-23T04:18:18ZSelf-isolating for coronavirus is impossible for tens of thousands of New Zealanders – unless we help them fast<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/321779/original/file-20200319-22632-18haari.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C89%2C2206%2C1478&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Clare Aspinall</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>In less than 48 hours, all people in New Zealand will <a href="https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/new-zealand-moves-covid-19-alert-level-3-then-level-4-48-hours">have to self-isolate</a>, unless they are essential service workers. This is our best chance to stop the spread of COVID-19.</p>
<p>But what about the tens of thousands of New Zealanders who don’t have a secure home, or enough living space to avoid close or prolonged contact with others?</p>
<p>In <a href="https://caeh.ca/covid-19-homeless-sector/">Canada</a> homelessness agencies report action against COVID-19 has not happened quickly enough and services have not received adequate support from government, putting the lives of some of the most vulnerable people in society at risk. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/new-zealand-outstrips-australia-uk-and-us-with-12-billion-coronavirus-package-for-business-and-people-in-isolation-133789">New Zealand outstrips Australia, UK and US with $12 billion coronavirus package for business and people in isolation</a>
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<p>At a time when the New Zealand government is trying hard to stamp out coronavirus to avoid wider <a href="https://thespinoff.co.nz/covid-19/23-03-2020/the-stark-choice-jacinda-arderns-national-shutdown-speech-in-full/">community spread</a>, looking after the health of New Zealanders who are homeless, or living in crowded or emergency accommodation, has never been more urgent. </p>
<h2>One-in-100 people in NZ are homeless</h2>
<p>According to the <a href="http://archive.stats.govt.nz/Census/2013-census.aspx">2013 census</a> around 41,000, or 1-in-100 New Zealanders, were <a href="https://www.healthyhousing.org.nz/wp-content/uploads2016/08_Severe_housing_deprivation_in_AotearoaNew_Zealand_2001-2013-1.pdf">homeless</a>. </p>
<p>This includes 28,500 New Zealanders living as temporary residents in severely crowded housing, 8,490 living in non-private accommodation run by private landlords and community organisations, as well as 4,197 who are without habitable <a href="https://www.healthyhousing.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2016/08_Severe_housing_deprivation_in_AotearoaNew_Zealand_2001-2013-1.pdf">accommodation</a>. That’s tens of thousands of people without secure or adequate accommodation. </p>
<p>We’ll have to wait for the 2018 census to know more recent figures, and do have to take into account the NZ$2.2-billion plus per year spent on <a href="http://sustainablecities.org.nz/2018/02/new-report-released-a-stocktake-of-new-zealands-housing/">housing assistance</a> and NZ$197-million over three years to fund 2,700 places in <a href="https://www.hud.govt.nz/news-and-resources/news/housing-and-budget-2019/">Housing First</a>.</p>
<p>Even if the situation has improved for some people since then, given the increase in demand for housing, and the government’s increased funding for community housing providers, it is likely that the number of households living in crowded or non-private accommodation has increased between census.</p>
<h2>Housing solutions for the next 48 hours and beyond</h2>
<p>Government has the chance to move swiftly and make people’s accommodation more secure and prevent wider community spread of the coronavirus. </p>
<p>Building new housing is the long-term answer. But in the next 48 hours, local and central government can redirect accommodation that is no longer used by tourists for use as family homes and self-contained accommodation. That way, people who are currently homeless, living in non-private or crowded accommodation are protected.</p>
<p>People and families can self-isolate if they can control who they share their home with. This redirection will guarantee an income for those impacted by cancellations to accommodation bookings due to travel restrictions. Action is in society’s interest.</p>
<p>Under the New Zealand Influenza <a href="https://www.health.govt.nz/system/files/documents/publications/influenza-pandemic-plan-framework-action-2nd-edn-aug17.pdf">Pandemic Plan</a>, national and local agencies, led by Ministry of Health and public health units, will work together in response to COVID-19.</p>
<p>Local pandemic responses must consider public health and community welfare. It is critical that agencies establish clear lines of communication and understand one another’s roles, as quickly as possible.</p>
<p>Given the risk for people who are homeless, each community needs to establish a list of organisations who work with people who are homeless, and identify those who are most vulnerable to COVID-19. Some public health units have begun to do so. </p>
<p>Community Housing Aotearoa (<a href="http://www.communityhousing.org.nz/">CHA</a>), a peak body for the community housing sector, is well placed to link lead government agencies and public health units with community housing providers and homelessness services to implement pandemic plans. </p>
<p>Lead government agencies need to ensure community housing providers and homelessness services have access to the resources and equipment they need to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and deal with the consequences, if containment is no longer possible. </p>
<p>Some of the NZ$300 million attached to the government’s new <a href="https://www.hud.govt.nz/community-and-public-housing/support-for-people-in-need/homelessness-action-plan/">Homelessness Action Plan</a> 2020-2023 could be prioritised and brought forward for this purpose. </p>
<h2>Identify those in need</h2>
<p>In the next 48 hours, government priority needs to focus on sourcing self-contained accommodation for people without shelter, living in communal forms of housing, and crowded housing with large numbers of people and families sharing facilities.</p>
<p>Groups who are most at risk can be identified through community housing providers who have contracts with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, landlords who have multiple bonds lodged with the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, and some councils that register boarding houses.</p>
<p>Local environmental health officers and homelessness agencies will know where people who require protection and support are. Priority can start with households who are medically most vulnerable and extend to as many households as possible to reduce the risk of transmission.</p>
<p>The government’s immediate priority needs to focus on supporting organisations to obtain self-contained accommodation for people sleeping rough or living in emergency housing that uses dormitory style accommodation.</p>
<p>It is not possible for people to protect themselves from infection and self-isolate in these situations. There is a risk infection will spread quickly in these environments. </p>
<p>Families who are living in communal emergency housing or severely crowded housing are another priority group. To prevent spread of COVID-19, the government needs to provide self-contained accommodation with adequate bedrooms for household members and a private bathroom, or more than one bathroom for larger families.</p>
<p>There is a window of opportunity for government to seek accommodation, so people are able to self isolate to protect themselves. In turn this protects the community and public health. </p>
<h2>Supplying quarantined households in need</h2>
<p>In the next 48 hours, government and community agencies need to clarify who will fund and deliver supplies for households in self-isolation or living in premises that have been quarantined. As yet this is unclear.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-how-long-does-it-take-to-get-sick-how-infectious-is-it-will-you-always-have-a-fever-covid-19-basics-explained-132963">Coronavirus: how long does it take to get sick? How infectious is it? Will you always have a fever? COVID-19 basics explained</a>
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<p>Households will need food, medicine, extra cleaning and personal hygiene products for each member of the family. These measures to protect and support people are especially important over the next month, but may be required through multiple waves of the pandemic. The response will need to remain in place until hopefully a vaccine is found.</p>
<p>This pandemic is an extraordinary situation. It highlights the importance of the right to housing. Housing has a central role in promoting population health and avoiding health inequalities. </p>
<p>We are in a window of opportunity to act, where it is critical to prioritise and do everything possible to address homelessness. Such measures will help to prevent the wider spread and impact of COVID-19 across New Zealand.</p>
<p><em>* Stay in touch with The Conversation’s coverage from New Zealand experts by signing up for <a href="https://theconversation.com/nz/newsletters/new-zealand-weekly-58?utm_campaign=System&utm_content=newsletter&utm_medium=TopBar&utm_source=theconversation.com">our weekly newsletter</a> – delivered to you each Wednesday.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/133893/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Clare Aspinall received a research scholarship from the University of Otago in 2010 and 2017 and is on the board of a community housing organisation. </span></em></p>Tens of thousands of New Zealanders don’t have secure or adequate accommodation – so how can they safely self-isolate in NZ’s lockdown? But there are solutions – and here’s where to start.Clare Aspinall, PhD Student He Kainga Oranga, Housing and Health Research Group, University of OtagoLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1341412020-03-20T04:18:32Z2020-03-20T04:18:32ZNo work, no money: how self-isolation due to COVID-19 pandemic punishes the poor in Indonesia<p>The spread of COVID-19 continues to unfold across the globe. <a href="https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/685d0ace521648f8a5beeeee1b9125cd">More than 209,000 people in 168 countries</a> have been infected. The disease has recorded <a href="https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/685d0ace521648f8a5beeeee1b9125cd">a fatality rate of more than 4% as 8,600 people</a> have died from the disease.</p>
<p>The world’s third-largest democracy, Indonesia, has reported <a href="https://nasional.kompas.com/read/2020/03/19/18444201/pemerintah-koreksi-data-ada-308-kasus-positif-covid-19-hingga-19-maret">more than 300 cases with a higher fatality rate of over 8%</a>.</p>
<p>Since the outbreak, the Indonesian government has made public calls for people to self-isolate if they have symptoms. Self-isolation means staying indoors and completely avoiding contact with other people.</p>
<p>Public health experts have encouraged the public to self-isolate for at least 14 days to contain the rapid spread of the coronavirus. Research <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4555310/">has shown</a> that self-isolation is highly effective, especially when the majority of COVID-19 cases do not show symptoms. </p>
<p>Echoing many health experts, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has suggested people <a href="https://nasional.kompas.com/read/2020/03/16/15454571/jokowi-kerja-dari-rumah-belajar-dari-rumah-ibadah-di-rumah-perlu-digencarkan">“stay, work and pray at home” for two weeks</a> to prevent further spread of the highly contagious disease.</p>
<p>Even though this preventive action is proven effective, it fails to take into account the fact that many poor and low-income people cannot afford to self-isolate. </p>
<p>People working in informal sectors and casuals like online drivers, grocery store assistants and kitchen hands do not have the luxury of working from home as their jobs cannot be done remotely. </p>
<p>In 2019, people working in informal sectors accounted for 57.2% of Indonesia’s workforce, or around <a href="https://databoks.katadata.co.id/datapublish/2019/10/21/sektor-informal-mendominasi-pekerjaan-di-indonesia-2015-2019">74 million people</a>.
As many as <a href="https://www.bps.go.id/pressrelease/2019/07/15/1629/persentase-penduduk-miskin-maret-2019-sebesar-9-41-persen.html">25.14 million people </a> live under the poverty line – that’s about 9% of Indonesia’s population. </p>
<p>Two weeks of self-isolation means these people risk losing their sole income source.</p>
<h2>The poor narratives</h2>
<p>The COVID-19 pandemic has hurt the economy <a href="https://www.csis.org/analysis/global-economic-impacts-covid-19">worldwide</a>. Many companies have reported losses as demand drops. With business slowing down, workers are facing greater risks of losing their jobs and income. It is happening in Indonesia. </p>
<p>“Ohh so sad. No <em>turis</em> [tourists] no job,” posted one online driver on his social media just three days after the government declared COVID-19 a national disaster. </p>
<p>Online drivers are also prone to coronavirus infections as they meet many different people in the course of their work. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.gojek.com/">GOJEK</a>, one of the largest online driver platforms in Indonesia, has suspended the account of one of its drivers who was suspected of having COVID-19. But how will the driver get his income?</p>
<p>A similar story involves a 36-year-old casual domestic worker and mother from Yogyakarta, about 500 kilometres from the capital Jakarta. </p>
<p>“I can’t afford to self-isolate. I need to go to work,” she said. “No work means no money, and no money means no food for my kids.”</p>
<p>These accounts illustrate the difficult situations facing many blue-collar workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. They can not afford to take a day off, let alone two weeks. </p>
<h2>What can be done</h2>
<p>To minimise discriminatory policies against poor people during the COVID-19 pandemic, the government should address the underlying and structural issues that create vulnerabilities in the first place. </p>
<p>This can be done, for example, by strengthening poverty eradication programs and establishing universal health coverage for low-income households. </p>
<p>A <a href="https://www.who.int/health_financing/universal_coverage_definition/en/">universal health coverage system</a> will ensure everyone, regardless of their economic status, has access to high-quality health services and financial risk protection. </p>
<p>The current Indonesian system, known as <a href="https://bpjs-kesehatan.go.id/bpjs/">BPJS</a>, is not adequate to be called universal health coverage as it still requires people to pay a monthly premium. This could be a problem for <a href="https://www.cnnindonesia.com/ekonomi/20181029213815-78-342466/kepesertaan-pekerja-informal-jadi-momok-bpjs-kesehatan">informal and casual workers who are often unable to pay their monthly charge regularly</a>, resulting in their memberships being cancelled.</p>
<p>The government must allocate a budget to provide primary health services to poor people. <a href="https://www.who.int/publications/almaata_declaration_en.pdf?ua=1">These services</a> include providing access to health education,safe drinking water, nutrition, immunisation and treatment of communicable and non-communicable diseases.</p>
<p>In addition, the government should address more fundamental problems related to the changing nature of work during the pandemic. </p>
<p>One of the strategies required is to provide social assistance and social insurance for people working in informal sectors during the COVID-19 emergency period.</p>
<p>Without adequate support from the government, many of these people face a higher risk of losing their income or contracting the disease and then spreading the virus. </p>
<p>Therefore, any public health measures to mitigate multiple impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic must seriously consider the society’s various economic and social backgrounds to ensure preventive measures do not further punish already marginalised and vulnerable communities. </p>
<p>By strengthening the nation’s social welfare and health care systems, the government can help keep all citizens both physically and economically healthy and also protect the vulnerable during the pandemic.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/134141/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Para penulis tidak bekerja, menjadi konsultan, memiliki saham atau menerima dana dari perusahaan atau organisasi mana pun yang akan mengambil untung dari artikel ini, dan telah mengungkapkan bahwa ia tidak memiliki afiliasi di luar afiliasi akademis yang telah disebut di atas.</span></em></p>The policy of self-isolation fails to take into account the fact that many poor and low-income people cannot afford to do it.I Nyoman Sutarsa, Lecturer in Rural Clinical School, Medical School, The Australian National University, Australian National UniversityAtin Prabandari, Lecturer at the Department of International Relations, Universitas Gadjah Mada Fina Itriyati, Australian National UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.