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How much stress is too much? A psychiatrist explains the links between toxic stress and poor health − and how to get help

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/lawson-r-wulsin-1493655">Lawson R. Wulsin</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-cincinnati-1717">University of Cincinnati </a> COVID-19 taught most people that the line between tolerable and toxic stress – defined as persistent demands that lead to disease – varies widely. But some people will age faster and die younger from toxic stressors than others. So how much stress is too much, and what can you do about it? I’m a <a href="https://researchdirectory.uc.edu/p/wulsinlr">psychiatrist specializing in psychosomatic medicine</a>, which is the study and treatment of people who have physical and mental illnesses. My research is focused on people who have psychological conditions and medical illnesses as well as those whose stress exacerbates their health issues. I’ve spent my career studying mind-body questions and training physicians to treat mental illness in primary care settings. My <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/toxic-stress/677FA62B741540DBDB53E2F0A52A74B1">forthcoming book</a> is titled “Toxic Stress: How Stress is Killing Us and What We Can Do About It.” A 2023 study of stress and aging over the life span – one of the first studies to confirm this piece of common wisdom – found that four measures of stress all speed up the pace of biological aging in midlife. It also found that persistent high stress ages people in a comparable way to the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1097/PSY.0000000000001197">effects of smoking and low socioeconomic status</a>, two well-established risk factors for accelerated aging. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yiglpsqv5ik?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption>Children with alcoholic or drug-addicted parents have a greater risk of developing toxic stress.</figcaption></figure> <h2>The difference between good stress and the toxic kind</h2> Good stress – a demand or challenge you readily cope with – is good for your health. In fact, the rhythm of these daily challenges, including feeding yourself, cleaning up messes, communicating with one another and carrying out your job, helps to regulate your stress response system and keep you fit. Toxic stress, on the other hand, wears down your stress response system in ways that have lasting effects, as psychiatrist and trauma expert Bessel van der Kolk explains in his bestselling book “<a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/313183/the-body-%20keeps-the-score-by-bessel-van-der-kolk-md/">The Body Keeps the Score</a>.” The earliest effects of toxic stress are often persistent symptoms such as headache, fatigue or abdominal pain that interfere with overall functioning. After months of initial symptoms, a full-blown illness with a life of its own – such as migraine headaches, asthma, diabetes or ulcerative colitis – may surface. When we are healthy, our stress response systems are like an orchestra of organs that miraculously tune themselves and play in unison without our conscious effort – a process called self-regulation. But when we are sick, some parts of this orchestra struggle to regulate themselves, which causes a cascade of stress-related dysregulation that contributes to other conditions. For instance, in the case of diabetes, the hormonal system struggles to regulate sugar. With obesity, the metabolic system has a difficult time regulating energy intake and consumption. With depression, the central nervous system develops an imbalance in its circuits and neurotransmitters that makes it difficult to regulate mood, thoughts and behaviors. <h2>‘Treating’ stress</h2> Though stress neuroscience in recent years has given researchers like me <a href="https://doi.org/10.1097/PSY.0000000000001051">new ways to measure and understand stress</a>, you may have noticed that in your doctor’s office, the management of stress isn’t typically part of your treatment plan. Most doctors don’t assess the contribution of stress to a patient’s common chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and obesity, partly because stress is complicated to measure and partly because it is difficult to treat. In general, doctors don’t treat what they can’t measure. Stress neuroscience and epidemiology have also taught researchers recently that the chances of developing serious mental and physical illnesses in midlife rise dramatically when people are exposed to trauma or adverse events, especially during <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/aces/ace-brfss.html">vulnerable periods such as childhood</a>. Over the past 40 years in the U.S., the alarming rise in <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/health-equity/diabetes-by-the-numbers.html">rates of diabetes</a>, <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hestat/obesity-child-17-18/overweight-obesity-child-H.pdf">obesity</a>, depression, PTSD, <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db433.htm">suicide</a> and addictions points to one contributing factor that these different illnesses share: toxic stress. Toxic stress increases the risk for the onset, progression, complications or early death from these illnesses. <h2>Suffering from toxic stress</h2> Because the definition of toxic stress varies from one person to another, it’s hard to know how many people struggle with it. One starting point is the fact that about 16% of adults report having been exposed to <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/aces/fastfact.html">four or more adverse events in childhood</a>. This is the threshold for higher risk for illnesses in adulthood. Research dating back to before the COVID-19 pandemic also shows that about 19% of adults in the U.S. have <a href="https://doi.org/10.7249/TL221">four or more chronic illnesses</a>. If you have even one chronic illness, you can imagine how stressful four must be. And about 12% of the U.S. population <a href="https://blogs.worldbank.org/opendata/introducing-second-edition-world-banks-global-subnational-atlas-poverty">lives in poverty</a>, the epitome of a life in which demands exceed resources every day. For instance, if a person doesn’t know how they will get to work each day, or doesn’t have a way to fix a leaking water pipe or resolve a conflict with their partner, their stress response system can never rest. One or any combination of threats may keep them on high alert or shut them down in a way that prevents them from trying to cope at all. Add to these overlapping groups all those who struggle with harassing relationships, homelessness, captivity, severe loneliness, living in high-crime neighborhoods or working in or around noise or air pollution. It seems conservative to estimate that about 20% of people in the U.S. live with the effects of toxic stress. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WuyPuH9ojCE?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption>Exercise, meditation and a healthy diet help fight toxic stress.</figcaption></figure> <h2>Recognizing and managing stress and its associated conditions</h2> The first step to managing stress is to recognize it and talk to your primary care clinician about it. The clinician may do an assessment involving a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1097/PSY.0000000000001051">self-reported measure of stress</a>. The next step is treatment. Research shows that it is possible to retrain a dysregulated stress response system. This approach, <a href="https://lifestylemedicine.org/">called “lifestyle medicine</a>,” focuses on improving health outcomes through changing high-risk health behaviors and adopting daily habits that help the stress response system self-regulate. Adopting these lifestyle changes is not quick or easy, but it works. The <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/prevention/index.html">National Diabetes Prevention Program</a>, the <a href="https://www.ornish.com/">Ornish “UnDo” heart disease program</a> and the <a href="https://www.ptsd.va.gov/understand_tx/tx_basics.asp">U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs PTSD program</a>, for example, all achieve a slowing or reversal of stress-related chronic conditions through weekly support groups and guided daily practice over six to nine months. These programs help teach people how to practice personal regimens of stress management, diet and exercise in ways that build and sustain their new habits. There is now strong evidence that it is possible to treat toxic stress in ways that improve health outcomes for people with stress-related conditions. The next steps include finding ways to expand the recognition of toxic stress and, for those affected, to expand access to these new and effective approaches to treatment.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/222245/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/lawson-r-wulsin-1493655">Lawson R. Wulsin</a>, Professor of Psychiatry and Family Medicine, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-cincinnati-1717">University of Cincinnati</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-much-stress-is-too-much-a-psychiatrist-explains-the-links-between-toxic-stress-and-poor-health-and-how-to-get-help-222245">original article</a>.

Mind

"Am I being too sensitive?": Woman's dilemma after partner forgets 60th birthday

A woman has shared her dilemma on how to approach her partner of 30 years, after he forgot her 60th birthday. "It's my 60th birthday today, and my partner of 30 years has not acknowledged it. Should I tell him?" she titled her post on Reddit. "It's my actual birthday today, and whilst we have planned a big party for next weekend, when I woke up this morning I expected a 'Happy Birthday!' and a smile," she continued. "I didn't get anything. He started my coffee but he does that almost every morning. "At first I thought maybe he forgot but now I am thinking that he thinks he doesn't have to say anything because we are having a big party this weekend. "Am I being too sensitive? Should I tell him? If so, how?" she asked in her post. Hundreds of Reddit users took to the comments to share their thoughts on how to approach the situation, with a few sharing crafty solutions of their own. "I'd make a joke of it. 'I can't believe they moved my birthday!' Or 'I saw on the TV we should ask easy questions to check for dementia- I'll ask you first, when's my birthday?'" one user playfully suggested. "I'm going to say the absolute minimum I'd expect for ANY birthday is my wife wishing me a Happy Birthday. Don't let it fester and ruin your day - just ask him about it" another added. One user saw the bright side of things and said: "He's handed you the best birthday present of all - the opportunity to use this against him for the next twenty years. "I'd be rubbing my hands with glee. Happy Birthday!" "Happy Birthday. Go out and buy a large cake. Eat it all yourself. Nobody need ever know" to which she responded: "there is a Costco not that far away. Go big or go home." Another Redditor came up with an elaborate plan on how she could get her partner's attention. "Purchase this 'Acknowledge Me' t-shirt of WWE wrestle Roman Reigns. Then write 'Birthday' on a piece of card and use some tape to stick on the t-shirt. 'Acknowledge Me Birthday.' Then just wear it around the house," they said. The woman was onboard with the plan, but luckily she didn't need to apply any of their crafty solutions and shared an update. "He just came up to my home office and gave me a big hug, admitting he had forgotten because he was so focussed on both work and next weekend's party," she wrote. "He apologised sheepishly, which was exactly the best outcome possible. Now I have both my birthday acknowledged as well as a fine story and/or bit of ammo to be saved for another day. "So there you go. I've cancelled the 'acknowledge me' t-shirt order, and shall now share my Costco cake with him instead of eating it from across the table, glaring. "Thank you everyone for the very fine passive aggressive suggestions which made me smile. Much appreciated!" Image: Getty

Relationships

"Gone way too soon”: Neighbours star dead at 48

Neighbours star Troy Beckwith, who immortalised the infamous villain Michael Martin, has passed away at the age of 48. The news was confirmed by his former co-star, Kym Valentine, leaving the Neighbours community and fans around the world mourning the loss of a talented actor and cherished friend. Valentine took to social media to share the heartbreaking news, saying, “It pains me so much to have to say this. Our dear old friend Troy Beckwith has passed away.” The void left by his departure is felt deeply by those who knew him, with Valentine expressing sorrow over the untimely loss of another member of their TV family. “Another member of our TV family gone way too soon. There will be no funeral as per Troy’s request. Thanks for all the memories my cheeky mate and all my love to your friends and family.” Troy's character, "Sicko Micko", became an iconic figure in the world of Neighbours during his run from 1992 to 1998. Ausculture even likened him to "the Charles Manson of Ramsay Street" because of the profound impact he had on fans and the show's legacy. His portrayal of Michael Martin earned him a special place in the hearts of viewers, and he remains a fixture in lists ranking the best Neighbours characters of the 1990s. As the news spread, tributes poured in from fellow cast members and friends. Brett Stark actor Brett Blewitt, currently part of the Neighbours revival, shared his thoughts, describing Troy as a "lovely person" who was "deeply thoughtful and empathetic". The pain of the loss is palpable in Blewitt's words, echoing the sentiments of many who had the privilege of knowing Troy. Even as the Neighbours family grapples with the shock, Lucinda Cowden, who plays Melanie Pearson, expressed her sorrow through a series of broken heart emojis. The collective grief is evident, as the cast and crew mourn the departure of a talent gone too soon. Troy's friend Selina Laine Bonica reflected on the complexity of their relationship, saying, “Troy, you were a pain in my a**, but I loved you dearly. I’m just glad you’re free from pain.” Beckwith's impact extended beyond Neighbours, as evidenced by his role in the series Pugwall. Ricky Fleming, his co-star, paid tribute by remembering the mischievous adventures they shared, saying, “May you be in peace and still be the infectious joy of those who are in your presence now.” The absence of a cause of death only deepens the sense of loss, leaving fans to remember a talent that graced their screens and a person who touched the hearts of many. Images: Facebook

Caring

How 22 minutes of exercise a day could reduce the health risks from sitting too long

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/matthew-ahmadi-1241767">Matthew Ahmadi</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/emmanuel-stamatakis-161783">Emmanuel Stamatakis</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a> People in developed countries spend an average of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2022-106568">nine to ten hours</a> a day sitting. Whether it’s spending time in front of a computer, stuck in traffic, or unwinding in front of the TV, our lives have become increasingly sedentary. This is concerning because prolonged time spent sitting is <a href="https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/54/24/1451?s=09&int_source=trendmd&int_medium=cpc&int_campaign=usage-042019">linked to a number of health issues</a> including obesity, heart disease, and certain types of cancers. These health issues can contribute to earlier death. But a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2022-106568">new study</a> suggests that for people over 50, getting just 22 minutes of exercise a day can lower the increased risk of premature death from a highly sedentary lifestyle. <h2>What the researchers did</h2> The team combined data from two studies from Norway, one from Sweden and one from the United States. The studies included about 12,000 people aged 50 or older who wore wearable devices to track how active and sedentary they were during their daily routines. Participants were followed up for at least two years (the median was 5.2 years) during the study period, which spanned 2003-2020. Analyses took several lifestyle and health factors into account, such as education, alcohol intake, smoking status, and previous history of heart disease, cancer and diabetes. All this data was linked to national death registries. <h2>A 22 minute threshold</h2> A total of 805 participants died during follow up. The researchers found people who were sedentary for more than 12 hours a day had the highest risk of death (a 38% higher risk than people who were sedentary for eight hours). However, this was only observed in those who did less than 22 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity daily. So for people who did more than 22 minutes of exercise, there was no longer a significantly heightened risk – that is, the risk became generally similar to those who were sedentary for eight hours. Higher daily duration of physical activity was consistently associated with lower risk of death, regardless of total sedentary time. For example, the team reported an additional ten minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity each day could lower mortality risk by up to 15% for people who were sedentary less than 10.5 hours a day. For those considered highly sedentary (10.5 hours a day or more), an additional ten minutes lowered mortality risk by up to 35%. <h2>The study had some limitations</h2> The team couldn’t assess how changes in physical activity or sedentary time over several months or years may affect risk of death. And the study included only participants aged 50 and above, making results less applicable to younger age groups. Further, cultural and lifestyle differences between countries may have influenced how data between studies was measured and analysed. Ultimately, because this study was observational, we can’t draw conclusions on cause and effect with certainty. But the results of this research align with a growing body of evidence exploring the relationship between physical activity, sedentary time, and death. <h2>It’s positive news</h2> Research has previously suggested <a href="https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/54/24/1499">physical activity may offset</a> health risks associated with <a href="https://www.jacc.org/doi/abs/10.1016/j.jacc.2019.02.031">high sedentary time</a>. The good news is, even short bouts of exercise can have these positive effects. In this study, the 22 minutes wasn’t necessarily done all at once. It was a total of the physical activity someone did in a day, and would have included incidental exercise (activity that’s part of a daily routine, such as climbing the stairs). Several studies using wearable devices have found short bursts of high-intensity everyday activities such as stair climbing or energetic outdoor home maintenance activities such as mowing the lawn or cleaning the windows can lower <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-022-02100-x">mortality</a>, <a href="https://academic.oup.com/eurheartj/article/43/46/4801/6771381">heart disease</a> and <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaoncology/fullarticle/2807734">cancer</a> risk. A recent study using wearable devices found moderate to vigorous bouts of activity <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpub/article/PIIS2468-2667(23)00183-4/fulltext">lasting three to five minutes</a> provide similar benefits to bouts longer than ten minutes when it comes to stroke and heart attack risk. Several other studies have found <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2596007">being active just on the weekend</a> provides similar health benefits as <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2794038">being active throughout the week</a>. Research has also shown the benefits of <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaneurology/fullarticle/2795819">physical activity</a> and <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2809418">reducing sedentary time</a> extend to cognitive health. Routines such as desk jobs can foster a sedentary lifestyle that may be difficult to shift. But mixing short bursts of activity into our day can make a significant difference towards improving our health and longevity. Whether it’s a brisk walk during lunch, taking the stairs, or even a short at-home workout, this study is yet another to suggest that every minute counts.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/216259/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/matthew-ahmadi-1241767">Matthew Ahmadi</a>, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Faculty of Medicine and Health, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/emmanuel-stamatakis-161783">Emmanuel Stamatakis</a>, Professor of Physical Activity, Lifestyle, and Population Health, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-22-minutes-of-exercise-a-day-could-reduce-the-health-risks-from-sitting-too-long-216259">original article</a>.

Body

Feeling lonely? Too many of us are. Here’s what our supermarkets can do to help

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/louise-grimmer-212082">Louise Grimmer</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-tasmania-888">University of Tasmania</a> Even <a href="https://endingloneliness.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Ending-Loneliness-Together-in-Australia_Nov20.pdf">before COVID-19</a>, <a href="https://aifs.gov.au/resources/resource-sheets/understanding-and-defining-loneliness-and-social-isolation">social isolation and loneliness</a> were all too common across the community. Living among millions of other people is no comfort for people in cities, where the pace of life is often hectic, and technology and digitisation often limit, rather than help with, social interaction. The pandemic <a href="https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/releases/amp-amp0001005.pdf">amplified these problems</a>. In its wake, more of us report we’re lonely. For some, a weekly shopping trip may be the only chance to interact with others. A supermarket chain in the Netherlands is helping to combat loneliness with so-called “slow” checkouts where chatting is encouraged. Could a similar approach work here? <h2>We’re getting lonelier</h2> Around a third of Australians report feeling lonely. <a href="https://lonelinessawarenessweek.com.au/download/512/">One in six</a> experience severe loneliness. According to the annual Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (<a href="https://melbourneinstitute.unimelb.edu.au/hilda/publications/hilda-statistical-reports">HILDA</a>) Survey, people <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-17/social-media-work-hours-cost-of-living-rising-loneliness/102563666">aged 15 to 24</a> report the greatest increase in social isolation over the past 20 years and the highest rates of loneliness. Another <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-14/middle-aged-men-experiencing-high-level-loneliness/102563492">Australian survey</a> found men aged 35 to 49 had the highest levels of loneliness. Loneliness and social isolation are <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-17/social-media-work-hours-cost-of-living-rising-loneliness/102563666">not the same</a>. Social isolation is a matter of how often we have contact with friends, family and others, which can be measured. Loneliness is more subjective. It describes how we feel about the “quality” of our interactions with others. Technology is <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/live-long-and-prosper/202210/technology-use-loneliness-and-isolation#:%7E:text=Technology%20compulsion%20might%20lead%20to,disconnection%20and%20reduce%20well%2Dbeing.">contributing</a> to <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-17/social-media-work-hours-cost-of-living-rising-loneliness/102563666">high rates of loneliness</a>. Instead of meaningful face-to-face interactions, many of us now rely on social media, phone apps and video calls to socialise. We’re also working longer hours, often at home. And due to the cost of living, many of us are choosing to stay home and save money, rather than eat out or go to “the local”. It isn’t only in Australia where this is happening. In the UK, around <a href="https://www.lonelinessawarenessweek.org/statistics">3.9 million older people</a> say television is their main company. Half a million may go five or six days a week without seeing anyone. The World Health Organisation <a href="https://www.who.int/teams/social-determinants-of-health/demographic-change-and-healthy-ageing/social-isolation-and-loneliness">recognises</a> loneliness and social isolation as public health issues and priorities for policymakers. These issues seriously affect people’s mental and physical health as well as longevity. The impacts are comparable with other <a href="https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-023-15967-3">risk factors</a> such as smoking, alcohol consumption, obesity and not being physically active. <h2>Could slow, ‘chatty’ checkouts be part of the solution?</h2> For many, a visit to the supermarket may be the only time they interact with others. Sadly, increased use of technology, including self-serve checkouts, and cashiers tasked with speedily processing customers can make it challenging to have a conversation. <iframe title="The FASTEST checkout cashier ever😮 TikTok: rogerlopez7511" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TpALSOvw4LU" width="100%" height="750" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> Four years ago, the Netherlands’ second-largest supermarket chain, <a href="https://jumbo.com">Jumbo</a>, introduced Kletskassa or “chat checkout”. It’s for shoppers who want to chat and aren’t in a hurry. Recognising loneliness was an issue for many, the idea was to increase social interaction between customers and staff by slowing things down and encouraging conversation. Jumbo’s chief commercial officer, Colette Cloosterman-van Eerd, <a href="https://www.dutchnews.nl/2021/09/jumbo-opens-chat-checkouts-to-combat-loneliness-among-the-elderly/">explained</a>: <blockquote> Many people, especially the elderly, sometimes feel lonely. As a family business and supermarket chain, we are at the heart of society. Our shops are an important meeting place for many people, and we want to play a role in identifying and reducing loneliness. </blockquote> The first Kletskassa, in Vlijmen in Brabant, was so successful the family-owned company started rolling out slow checkouts in <a href="https://www.dutchnews.nl/2021/09/jumbo-opens-chat-checkouts-to-combat-loneliness-among-the-elderly/">200 of its stores</a>. Not only were customers responding positively, the concept also appealed to Jumbo’s employees. They are trained to recognise signs of loneliness and come up with local initiatives to combat social isolation. Cloosterman-Van Eerd said: <blockquote> We are proud our staff want to work the chat checkout. They really want to help people and make contact with them. It’s a small gesture but it’s a valuable one, particularly in a world that is becoming more digital and faster. </blockquote> The original focus of Jumbo’s initiative was older shoppers. However, the trial showed people of all ages were keen to use the Kletskassa. The desire for human interaction didn’t change across age groups. So, these “chatty” checkouts are open to anyone who will benefit from social connection. Some Jumbo stores also have an <a href="https://www.brightvibes.com/dutch-supermarket-introduces-a-unique-chat-checkout-to-help-fight-loneliness/">All Together Coffee Corner</a>, where locals can enjoy a coffee and chat with neighbours and volunteers who also <a href="https://scoop.upworthy.com/dutch-supermarket-introduces-a-unique-slow-checkout-lane-to-help-fight-loneliness-595693-595693">help out</a> with shopping and gardening. The Netherlands’ government is partnering a range of organisations, local government and companies to come up with solutions to combat loneliness across the country. Some 50% of the 1.3 million people over 75 report they regularly feel lonely. Jumbo’s initiatives are part of the Health Ministry’s <a href="https://www.globalwellnesssummit.com/blog/governments-ramp-up-the-war-on-loneliness/">One Against Loneliness</a> campaign. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/11SY0wG6Zc8?wmode=transparent&start=10" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption>Jumbo supermarket’s innovation of slow chat checkouts has been extended to 200 of its stores.</figcaption></figure> <h2>Supermarkets as ‘third places’ to combat loneliness</h2> In the 1980s, sociologist Ray Oldenberg coined the term <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF00986754">“third place”</a> – a place that’s not home (the “first place”) and not work (the “second place”). Third places are familiar public spaces where people can connect over a shared interest or activity. Libraries, coffee shops, book stores, community gardens, churches, gyms and clubs are examples of third places. They all provide the opportunity for close proximity, interaction and often serendipitous conversations with other people we might not usually meet. Kletkassa have helped thousands of people, of all ages and backgrounds, by providing a few minutes of kindness and conversation. Imagine what could be achieved if our supermarkets offered their own version of the “slow checkout” for anyone who’s in need of a chat to brighten their day. The first chain to introduce this sort of initiative in Australia would have a solid advantage over competitors through differentiation and prioritising customers. At the same time, it would make a small but meaningful contribution to improving social wellbeing. Challenge extended!<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/211126/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/louise-grimmer-212082">Louise Grimmer</a>, Senior Lecturer in Retail Marketing, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-tasmania-888">University of Tasmania</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/feeling-lonely-too-many-of-us-are-heres-what-our-supermarkets-can-do-to-help-211126">original article</a>.

Caring

Beyond Barbie and Oppenheimer, how do cinemas make money? And do we pay too much for movie tickets?

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/peter-martin-682709">Peter Martin</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/crawford-school-of-public-policy-australian-national-university-3292">Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University</a> I’ve got two questions about blockbuster movies like Barbie and Oppenheimer. <ol> <li> Why aren’t the cinemas charging more for them, given they’re so popular? </li> <li> Why are they the same price, given Oppenheimer is an hour longer? </li> </ol> The opening weekend <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/culture/movies/how-australian-cinemas-and-audiences-handled-the-barbenheimer-juggernaut-20230724-p5dqso.html">for both films</a> saw an avalanche of Australians returning to the cinema. Extra staff had to be put on (although probably not enough) to manage queues, turn away pink-clad fans who couldn’t get in, and clean up mountains of popcorn trampled underfoot. An obvious solution to such a rush of demand is to push up prices. Airlines do it when they are getting low on seats. When more people want to get a ride share, Uber makes them pay with “<a href="https://www.uber.com/au/en/drive/driver-app/how-surge-works/">surge pricing</a>”. Even books are sold at different prices, depending on the demand, their length, their quality and how long they’ve been on the shelves. But not movie tickets, which are nearly always the same price, no matter the movie. Why? And how much has the cost of a trip to the movies risen over the past 20 years? <h2>Why not charge more for blockbusters?</h2> In suburban Melbourne, Hoyts is charging $24.50 for the two-hour Barbie – the same as it is charging for the three-hour Oppenheimer, even though it could fit in far fewer showings of Oppenheimer in a day. It’s also the same price as it is charging for much less popular movies, such as Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. It’s also how things are in the United States, where James Surowiecki, author of <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/175380/the-wisdom-of-crowds-by-james-surowiecki/">The Wisdom of Crowds</a> blames convention and says "it costs you as much to see a total dog that’s limping its way through its last week of release as it does to see a hugely popular film on opening night." Australian economists Nicolas de Roos of The University of Sydney and Jordi McKenzie of Macquarie University quote Surowiecki in their <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0167718714000174">2014 study</a> of whether cinema operators could make more by cutting the price of older and less popular films and raising the price of blockbusters. By examining what happened to demand on <a href="https://www.eventcinemas.com.au/Promotions/HalfPriceTuesdays#cinemas=59">cheap Tuesdays</a>, and developing a model taking into account advertising, reviews and the weather, they discovered Australian cinemas could make a lot more by <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0167718714000174">varying their prices</a> by the movie shown. We turn out to be highly price sensitive. So why don’t cinemas do that? <h2>‘There’s a queue, it must be good’</h2> It’s the sort of thing that puzzled <a href="https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/economic-sciences/1992/becker/biographical/">Gary Becker</a>, an economic detective of sorts who won the Nobel Prize for Economics in the early 1990s. A few years earlier, he turned his attention to <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/2937660">restaurants</a> and why one particular seafood restaurant in Palo Alto, California, had long queues every night but didn’t raise its prices. Across the road was a restaurant that charged slightly more, sold food that was about as good, and was mostly empty. His conclusion, which he used a lot of maths to illustrate, was there are some goods for which a consumer’s demand depends on the demand of other consumers. Queues for restaurants (or in 2023, long queues and sold out sessions, as crowds were turned away from Barbie) are all signals other consumers want to get in. This would make queues especially valuable to the providers of such goods, even if the queues meant they didn’t get as much as they could from the customers who got in. The “buzz” such queues create produces a supply of future customers persuaded that what was on offer must be worth trying. Importantly, Becker’s maths showed that getting things right was fragile. It was much easier for a restaurant to go from being “in” to “out” than the other way around. Once a queue had created a buzz, it was wise not to mess with it. <h2>Cashing in from the snack bar</h2> There are other reasons for cinemas to charge a standard ticket price, rather than vary it movie by movie. One is that it is hard to tell ahead of time which movies are going to soar and which are going to bomb, even if you spend a fortune on advertising as the <a href="https://variety.com/2023/film/box-office/barbie-marketing-campaign-explained-warner-bros-1235677922/">makers of Barbie did</a>. In the words of an insider, “<a href="https://variety.com/2018/film/opinion/william-goldman-dies-appreciation-1203030781/">nobody knows anything</a>.” Another is the way cinemas make their money. They have to pay the distributor a share of what they get from ticket sales (typically <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0167718714000174">35-40%</a>). But they don’t have to pay a share of what they make from high-margin snacks. This means it can make sense for some cinemas to charge less than what the market will bear – because they’ll sell more snacks – even if it means less money for the distributor. <h2>Rising prices, despite some falling costs</h2> But cinemas still charge a lot. From 2002 to 2022, Australian cinemas jacked up their average (not their highest) prices <a href="https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/fact-finders/cinema/industry-trends/box-office/ticket-prices">from $9.13 to $16.26</a> – an increase of 78%. In the same 20 year period, overall prices in Australia, as measured by the <a href="https://theconversation.com/whats-in-the-cpi-and-what-does-it-actually-measure-165162">consumer price index</a>, climbed 65% – less than the rise in movie ticket prices. <hr /> <iframe id="E2kxi" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" style="border: none;" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/E2kxi/5/" width="100%" height="400px" frameborder="0"></iframe> <hr /> A 2015 study found Australian cinemas charge more <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/306227560_Counting_the_cost_the_impact_of_cinema_ticket_prices_in_Australia">than cinemas in the US</a>. Yet some of the cinemas’ costs have gone down. They used to have to employ projectionists to lace up and change reels of film. Digital delivery means much less handling. A now-dated <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/about-us/publications/developments-in-the-cinema-distribution-exhibition-industry">1990s report</a> to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission found the two majors, Hoyts and Greater Union/Village, charged near identical prices except where they were faced with competition from a nearby independent, in which case they discounted. Whether “<a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/system/files/The%20Cinema%20Industry.pdf">by design or circumstance</a>”, the two cinema chains rarely competed with each other, clustering their multiplexes in different geographical locations. <h2>Longer films no longer displace shorter films</h2> I think it might be the multiplex that answers my second question: why cinemas don’t charge more for movies that are longer (and movies are <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/culture/movies/bigger-than-ben-hur-why-movies-are-getting-longer-and-longer-20220322-p5a6ty.html">getting longer</a>). In the days of single screens, a cinema that showed a long movie might only fit in (say) four showings a day instead of six. So it would lose out unless it charged more. But these days, multiplexes show many, many films on many screens, some of them simultaneously, meaning long films needn’t displace short films. Although we have <a href="https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/fact-finders/cinema/industry-trends/screens-and-theatres">fewer cinema seats</a> than we had a decade ago (and at least until the advent of Barbie, we’ve been <a href="https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/fact-finders/cinema/industry-trends/screens-and-theatres">going less often</a>) we now have <a href="https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/fact-finders/cinema/industry-trends/screens-and-theatres">far more screens</a>. Long movies no longer stop the multiplexes from playing standard ones. And because cinemas like to keep things simple, you pay the same price, no matter which movie you chose. <img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/211121/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/peter-martin-682709">Peter Martin</a>, Visiting Fellow, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/crawford-school-of-public-policy-australian-national-university-3292">Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/beyond-barbie-and-oppenheimer-how-do-cinemas-make-money-and-do-we-pay-too-much-for-movie-tickets-211121">original article</a>.

Movies

10 pantry items you’re probably keeping for too long

Should you toss these pantry items? It’s likely that many of the items you store in your pantry have a surprising expiration date months (or even years) from now. But just because a product hasn’t expired yet doesn’t mean that it’s in its ideal state for consumption. While you already know which foods you shouldn’t eat past the expiration date, like milk and cheese, it wouldn’t be surprising if you didn’t give a second thought about the food in your pantry. It may be worthwhile to double check the items you have had sitting in your pantry forever. And make sure you think about removing these foods that shouldn’t go in your pantry in the first place. Quinoa The shelf life of whole grains like quinoa and farro is largely dependent on their fat content. Heat, air, and moisture are the top three enemies of whole grains because the elements can negatively affect their healthy oils, which in turn can cause your grains to go rancid sitting in your pantry. “Grains should always look and smell faintly sweet or have no aroma at all,” states the Whole Grains Council. “If you detect a musty or oily scent, the grains have passed their peak.” Turmeric Your favourite ground spices like turmeric, paprika, and nutmeg generally lose their potency after about two to three years. Eating old spices isn’t harmful to your health, but they won’t add any flavour to your recipes anymore. Do a quick sniff and taste test to determine if your spice is still fresh. Baking powder The same rules for ground spices apply to baking ingredients as well. Bags of baking powder and baking soda will lose their leavening power over time, which means a sad, flat cake for you. You can test their leavening power with this easy science experiment in your kitchen: Mix baking soda with vinegar and baking powder with hot water. If they foam up and bubble, it means the ingredients are still fresh enough for baking. Nuts and seeds You’ll want to eat un-shelled nuts like almonds and peanuts within a matter of a few weeks to a few months. “Nuts and seeds typically have a high amount of oil in them and that oil will start to go rancid after a couple of months in your pantry,” Tryg Siverson, chef and co-founder of Feel Good Foods, told INSIDER. Signs of rancidity on a nut or seed include a grassy or paint-like odour and dark or oily appearance. For optimal freshness and longevity, place the nuts and seeds in a clear freezer bag and pop them in your fridge for up to a year. Tea Your tea bags should be consumed within a year because the oils in the tea will go old and give your morning cup of tea a bad flavour. The same goes for your coffee beans and grounds. According to Isabel Maples, MEd, RDN, a registered dietitian nutritionist, you’re best off consuming beans and grounds within two to four weeks. Instant coffee lovers have a bit more time: about two months. Brown sugar An opened bag of brown sugar tends to dry up and harden from exposure to the air after four months in your pantry. Slip the brown sugar into a resealable plastic bag or airtight container to keep it soft and make it last longer. Olive oil Light and heat are not olive oil’s friends. You shouldn’t get sick from an old bottle of olive oil, but an opened bottle of the stuff can taste a bit off after six months. If you don’t use olive oil often, only buy a small bottle so you can use it before the flavour spoils. Whole grain flour Most people store their flour in the pantry, but you should actually store it in the refrigerator or freezer to keep it fresh longer. And does flour ever expire? Whole grain flour lasts up to eight months in the fridge and up to a year in the freezer. “Whole grain flours turn rancid before white flour does,” Maples said. “It doesn’t affect food safety but does affect food quality and taste.” Potatoes The spuds typically last up to two weeks in the refrigerator and two months in the pantry. You’ll know their time is up when they start growing sprouts and developing soft black spots on the skin. Brown rice Although brown rice is a slightly healthier alternative to white rice, it doesn’t last nearly as long on your pantry shelf. “With brown rice, there is oil in its bran layer,” Siverson told INSIDER. “When that oil goes rancid, it gives brown rice a shorter shelf life of about six months. You can store it in the freezer for up to a year.” Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.co.nz/food-home-garden/10-pantry-items-youre-probably-keeping-for-too-long?pages=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader's Digest</a>.

Food & Wine

Too big, too heavy and too slow to change: road transport is way off track for net zero

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/robin-smit-594126">Robin Smit</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-technology-sydney-936">University of Technology Sydney</a> The need to cut the emissions driving climate change is urgent, but it’s proving hard to decarbonise road transport in Australia. Its share of the nation’s total greenhouse gas emissions <a href="https://ageis.climatechange.gov.au/">doubled</a> from 8% in 1990 to 16% in 2020. New vehicles sold in Australia have <a href="https://theconversation.com/we-thought-australian-cars-were-using-less-fuel-new-research-shows-we-were-wrong-122378">barely improved</a> average emissions performance for the last decade or so. The federal government <a href="https://www.dcceew.gov.au/climate-change/publications/australias-emissions-projections-2022">publishes</a> emission forecasts to 2035 – 15 years short of 2050, the net-zero target date. Our <a href="https://www.transport-e-research.com/_files/ugd/d0bd25_7a6920bdd9e8448385863a7c23ec9ecf.pdf">newly published study</a> forecasts road transport emissions through to 2050. The estimated reduction by 2050, 35–45% of pre-COVID levels in 2019, falls well short of what’s needed. Our findings highlight three obstacles to achieving net zero. These are: Australia’s delay in switching to electric vehicles; growing sales of large, heavy vehicles such as SUVs and utes; and uncertainties about hydrogen as a fuel, especially for freight transport. These findings point to policy actions that could get road transport much closer to net zero. <h2>How was this worked out?</h2> Emissions and energy use vary from vehicle to vehicle, so reliable forecasting requires a detailed breakdown of the on-road fleet. Our study <a href="https://www.transport-e-research.com/software">used</a> the Australian Fleet Model and the net zero vehicle emission model (n0vem). The study focused on so-called <a href="https://www.cummins.com/news/2022/05/26/well-wheel-emissions-simplified">well-to-wheel emissions</a> from fuel production, distribution and use while driving. These activities account for about 75–85% of vehicle emissions. (<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-climate-friendly-is-an-electric-car-it-all-comes-down-to-where-you-live-179003">Life-cycle assessment</a> estimates “cradle-to-grave” emissions, including vehicle manufacture and disposal.) Working with European Union colleagues, our emissions simulation drew on an updated <a href="https://www.transport-e-research.com/_files/ugd/d0bd25_7a6920bdd9e8448385863a7c23ec9ecf.pdf">EU scenario</a> (EU-27) showing the changes in the EU vehicle fleet needed to meet the latest (proposed) CO₂ targets. Our study assumed Australia will be ten years behind the EU across all vehicle classes. We further modified the scenario to properly reflect Australian conditions. For instance, the EU has a much higher proportion of plug-in hybrid vehicles than Australia, where buyers are now bypassing them for wholly electric vehicles. <h2>Energy use is shifting, but too slowly</h2> Using this modified scenario, the simulation produces a forecast fall in total wheel-to-wheel emissions from Australian transport from 104 billion tonnes (Mt) in 2018 to 55-65Mt in 2050. Within the range of this 35–45% reduction, the outcome depends largely on the balance of renewable and fossil-fuel energy used to produce hydrogen. The modelling nonetheless predicts a large shift in energy use in road transport in 2050, as 2019 was basically 100% fossil fuels. The on-road energy efficiency of battery electric vehicles is roughly twice that of fuel cell electric (hydrogen) vehicles and roughly three times that of fossil-fuelled vehicles of similar type. The modelling results make this clear. In 2050, battery electric vehicles account for about 70% of total travel, but 25% of on-road energy use and only about 10% of total emissions. In contrast, fossil-fuelled vehicles account for about 25% of total travel in 2050, 60% of energy use and 75-85% of emissions. That’s even allowing for expected efficiency improvements. This means the shift to a mostly electric fleet by 2050 plus the use of hydrogen is predicted to fall short of what’s needed to get to net zero. It will require aggressive new policies to increase the uptake of electric vehicles across all classes. <h2>Lighter vehicles make a big difference</h2> But that is not the whole story. One neglected issue is the growing proportion of <a href="https://theconversation.com/we-may-be-underestimating-just-how-bad-carbon-belching-suvs-are-for-the-climate-and-for-our-health-190743">big, heavy passenger vehicles</a> (SUVs, utes). This trend is very noticeable in Australia. The laws of physics mean heavier vehicles need much more energy and fuel per kilometre of driving, and so produce more emissions. Currently, a large diesel SUV typically emits a kilogram of CO₂ for every 3 kilometres of driving, compared to 15km for a light electric vehicle and 200 kilometres for an e-bike. An average electric vehicle currently emits 1kg of CO₂ every 7km. This distance is expected to be around 60km in 2050, when renewables power the electricity grid. A lightweight electric car will more than double the distance to 125km per kilogram of CO₂. Reducing vehicle weights and optimising energy efficiency in transport will be essential to meet emission targets. The study modelled the impacts of <a href="https://www.automotiveworld.com/special-reports/vehicle-lightweighting-2/">lightweighting</a> passenger vehicles while keeping buses and commercial vehicles the same. If Australians had driven only small cars in 2019 for personal use, total road transport emissions would have been about 15% lower. The reduction in emissions from simply shifting to smaller cars is <a href="https://www.dcceew.gov.au/climate-change/publications/national-greenhouse-accounts-2019/national-inventory-report-2019">similar to</a> emissions from domestic aviation and domestic shipping combined. Importantly, lightweighting cuts emissions for all kinds of vehicles. <h2>The uncertainties about hydrogen</h2> Fuel cell electric vehicles using hydrogen account for only a few percent of all travel, but most will likely be large trucks. As a result, in our scenarios, they use a little over 10% of total on-road energy and produce 5-20% of total emissions, depending on the energy source used for hydrogen production and distribution. The modified EU scenario includes a significant uptake of hydrogen vehicles by 2050. That’s by no means guaranteed. The uptake in Australia has been negligible to date. That’s due to costs (vehicle and fuel), the need for new hydrogen fuel infrastructure, less mature technology (compared to battery electric vehicles) and limited vehicle availability. <a href="https://theconversation.com/we-must-rapidly-decarbonise-transport-but-hydrogens-not-the-answer-166830">Unresolved aspects</a> of hydrogen in transport include lower energy efficiency, the <a href="https://theconversation.com/for-australia-to-lead-the-way-on-green-hydrogen-first-we-must-find-enough-water-196144">need for clean water</a>, uncertainty about leakage, fuel-cell durability and value for consumers. <h2>How do we get back on track?</h2> Our study suggests Australia is on track to miss the net-zero target for 2050 mainly because of the large proportions of fossil-fuelled vehicles and large and heavy passenger vehicles. These two aspects could become targets for new policies such as public information campaigns, tax incentives for small, light vehicles, bans on selling fossil fuel vehicles and programs to scrap them. Other options to cut emissions include measures to reduce travel demand, optimise freight logistics and shift travel to public transport, to name a few. The study confirms the scale of the challenge of decarbonising road transport. Australia will need “all hands on deck” – government, industry and consumers – to achieve net zero in 2050.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/208655/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/robin-smit-594126">Robin Smit</a>, Adjunct Associate Professor, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-technology-sydney-936">University of Technology Sydney</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/too-big-too-heavy-and-too-slow-to-change-road-transport-is-way-off-track-for-net-zero-208655">original article</a>.

Travel Trouble

Hallucinations in the movies tend to be about chaos, violence and mental distress. But they can be positive too

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/christopher-patterson-308185">Christopher Patterson</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-wollongong-711">University of Wollongong</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/nicholas-procter-147517">Nicholas Procter</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-australia-1180">University of South Australia</a> Hallucinations are often depicted in the movies as terrifying experiences. Think Jake Gyllenhaal seeing a monstrous rabbit in <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0246578/">Donnie Darko</a>, Leonardo DiCaprio experiencing the torture of <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/reel-therapy/201002/shutter-island-separating-fact-fiction">Shutter Island</a>, Natalie Portman in <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0947798/">Black Swan</a>, or Joaquin Phoenix as the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/oct/21/joker-mental-illness-joaquin-phoenix-dangerous-misinformed">Joker</a>. Each character experiences some form of psychological distress. Scenes connect to, or even explain, a decline into chaos and violence. Experiencing hallucinations can be distressing for some people and their loved ones. However, focusing solely on such depictions perpetuates myths and misconceptions about hallucinations. They also potentially perpetuate harmful stereotypes of mental distress. Movies such as Joker use a broad, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/oct/21/joker-mental-illness-joaquin-phoenix-dangerous-misinformed">arguably incorrect</a>, brush to connect hallucinations, mental health issues and violence. This reinforces the misconception that hallucinations always indicate mental health issues, when this is not necessarily true. <h2>What are hallucinations?</h2> Hallucinations are perceptions that occur without a corresponding external stimulus. They can involve any of the human senses. Auditory hallucinations involve hearing things that aren’t there, such as voices or sounds. Visual hallucinations involve seeing things that aren’t there, such as lights, objects or people. Tactile hallucinations involve feeling things that aren’t there, such as a sensation of something crawling on your skin. Gustatory hallucinations involve taste and smell. People often confuse hallucinations and delusions. The two can be related, but they are not the same thing. Delusions are false beliefs, firmly held by a person despite evidence to the contrary. A person might believe someone is following them (a delusion), and see and hear that figure (a hallucination). Before the 17th century, hallucinations were commonly thought to be of <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00991/full">cultural and religious</a> significance. However, between the mid-1600s and 1700s, hallucinations began to be understood as medical concerns, related to both mental and physical illnesses. This medical lens of hallucination remains. Now we know which <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2702442/">parts of the brain</a> are activated when someone has a hallucination. <h2>What causes hallucinations?</h2> Hallucinations can be a sign of serious mental health issues. The presence or experience of hallucinations is, for example, one of the criteria used to <a href="https://www.psychiatry.org/File%20Library/Psychiatrists/Practice/DSM/APA_DSM-5-Schizophrenia.pdf">diagnose schizophrenia</a> (delusions are another). Hallucinations may also provide insight into mental health issues such as bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and depression. However, hallucinations can also be linked to other medical conditions. Hallucinations can be caused by fever, as well as disease or damage impacting the brain or <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-is-charles-bonnet-syndrome-the-eye-condition-that-causes-hallucinations-122322">optic nerves</a>. Parkinson’s disease causes visual, auditory and tactile hallucinations <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7116251/">in up to 75% of people</a>. Epilepsy and migraine headaches are also linked to hallucinations, and can cause perceptual disturbances, sometimes for days. Substance use, particularly of <a href="https://theconversation.com/weekly-dose-ayahuasca-a-cautionary-tale-for-tourists-eager-to-try-this-shamanic-brew-73953">hallucinogenic drugs</a> such as LSD or ketamine, can also cause hallucinations. Hallucinations can also occur in people without any underlying medical conditions. For example, some people may experience hallucinations during times of <a href="https://academic.oup.com/schizophreniabulletin/article/46/6/1367/5939754">extreme distress or grief</a>. Environmental factors such as <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00303/full">sleep deprivation</a> can cause a range of perceptual disturbances, including visual and auditory hallucinations. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4354964/">Sensory deprivation</a>, such as being placed in a soundproof room, can also cause hallucinations. But still, the common image that hallucinations are connected only to mental health issues persists. <h2>Hallucinations can be frightening, but not always</h2> Hallucinations can be frightening for people, and their families. And the <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0020764016675888">stigma</a> and misconceptions surrounding hallucinations can have a significant impact on someone who experiences them. People who have hallucinations may be afraid or embarrassed of being considered “bizarre” or “unsafe”, and therefore may avoid seeking help. But hallucinations are <a href="https://www.intervoiceonline.org/voices-visions/voices-as-a-gift">not always scary or disturbing</a>. Some hallucinations can be neutral or even pleasant. People have been sharing on social media their positive and empowering experience of hallucinations. In the example below, we see one person’s positive experience of hearing voices. Yet we rarely see such depictions of hallucinations in the movies. <hr /> <iframe id="tc-infographic-853" class="tc-infographic" style="border: none;" src="https://cdn.theconversation.com/infographics/853/9f702c4fefadeb810f9d64d7b4512b39a655a262/site/index.html" width="100%" height="400px" frameborder="0"></iframe> <hr /> <h2>How to support someone having hallucinations</h2> If you are with someone who is having hallucinations, particularly if these are new or distressing for them, here are several ways you can support them: <ul> <li> ask the person if they want to talk about what they are experiencing and listen to them without judgment: “I cannot hear what you are hearing, can you tell me about it?” </li> <li> <a href="https://tuneinnotout.com/videos/r-u-ok-ask-experts-nicholas-procter/">listen</a>. Don’t argue or blame. Acknowledge that hallucinations are real to the person, even if they are seemingly unusual and not based in reality: “I cannot see what you see, but I do understand you see it.” </li> <li> empathise with how the person feels about their experiences. “I cannot feel or taste it, but I can imagine it would be a difficult experience. I can see how much it is concerning you.” </li> <li> support someone to seek care. Persistent or distressing hallucinations should always be evaluated by a qualified health professional. Establishing potential causes is important: “I cannot hear it like you, but let’s talk to a health professional about it. They can help us understand what might be happening.” </li> <li> encourage the person to <a href="https://www.intervoiceonline.org/national-networks#content">reach out to their peers</a> as well as to <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01612840.2023.2189953?src=recsys">hearing voices groups</a> for ongoing support. </li> </ul> We’d like to acknowledge <a href="https://www.nswmentalhealthcommission.com.au/staff-profile/tim-heffernan">Tim Heffernan</a>, Deputy Commissioner of the Mental Health Commission of New South Wales, who contributed to this article. If this article has raised issues for you, or if you’re concerned about someone you know, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.  <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/christopher-patterson-308185">Christopher Patterson</a>, Senior Lecturer, School of Nursing, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-wollongong-711">University of Wollongong</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/nicholas-procter-147517">Nicholas Procter</a>, Professor and Chair: Mental Health Nursing, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-australia-1180">University of South Australia</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/hallucinations-in-the-movies-tend-to-be-about-chaos-violence-and-mental-distress-but-they-can-be-positive-too-204547">original article</a>.

Caring

Our cemeteries face a housing crisis too. 4 changes can make burial sustainable

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/kate-falconer-1171812">Kate Falconer</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-queensland-805">The University of Queensland</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/hannah-gould-999499">Hannah Gould</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a> Australia’s housing crisis is no secret. What many people don’t realise is that there’s another, less visible housing crisis. Australia’s urban cemeteries are <a href="https://theconversation.com/housing-the-dead-what-happens-when-a-city-runs-out-of-space-70121">running out of space</a> to house the dead. In Sydney, for example, a <a href="https://www.cemeteries.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-01/Statutory-Review-of-the-Cemeteries-Crematoria-Act.pdf">2020 report</a> found all of the city’s existing public cemeteries would be full by 2032. This will leave the communities they serve without a place to bury their dead. We know how to solve this crisis. A few key changes can make Australia’s cemeteries more sustainable and viable for generations to come. But these changes require political will to act. That’s because the solutions involve changes to the state-based laws that govern cemeteries. We can start with Victoria’s <a href="https://www.health.vic.gov.au/cemeteries-and-crematoria/cemeteries-and-crematoria-regulations-2015">Cemeteries and Crematoria Regulations 2015</a>, which must be updated by 2025. <h2>Make renewable grave tenure the default option</h2> Most Australians <a href="https://theconversation.com/losing-the-plot-death-is-permanent-but-your-grave-isnt-33459">assume graves last forever</a>. This system of perpetual tenure is mandatory in Victoria and the ACT. It’s the (near-universal) default in New South Wales, Queensland and Tasmania. But this system makes our burial space a “single use” resource. Overseas, perpetual tenure is the exception rather than the rule. Almost all <a href="https://www.talkdeath.com/cemetery-overcrowding-leading-europe-recycle-burial-plots/">European</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/lack-of-burial-space-is-changing-age-old-funeral-practices-and-in-japan-tree-burials-are-gaining-in-popularity-161323">East Asian countries</a> have limited tenure for burial, or actively encourage cremation. Where grave renewal occurs in Australia, it happens a long time after burial, typically between 25 and 99 years. By this time, the physical remains of the grave’s previous occupant have significantly degraded. Any remnants are preserved in an ossuary or dug deeper into the soil. Cemeteries in South Australia and Western Australia already have renewable grave tenure. Families have an option to extend tenure, should they wish to do so. By making renewable tenure the default option across Australia, cemeteries will greatly increase future capacity. If all of Sydney’s public cemeteries adopted a 35-year renewable tenure system, for example, it has <a href="https://www.cemeteries.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-01/Statutory-Review-of-the-Cemeteries-Crematoria-Act.pdf">been estimated</a> the city’s burial needs over the next 99 years would require 38% less land. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zysuo1Pw-2w?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption>One of Perth’s major cemeteries is redeveloping existing burial grounds in response to running out of space.</figcaption></figure> <h2>Create dedicated natural burial grounds</h2> One simple, more environmentally friendly option is “<a href="https://www.gmct.com.au/services/natural-burials">natural burial</a>”. Natural burial eschews embalming, caskets made from hardwood or metal, and monumental headstones. Instead, the body is buried in biodegradable materials, such as wicker or cardboard. Green burial grounds are popular in the United Kingdom and Europe. They require less irrigation and maintenance. They also offer <a href="https://theecologist.org/2019/jan/14/case-natural-burial">a way to conserve natural woodlands</a> and so help foster biodiversity. Some Australian cemeteries offer <a href="https://smct.org.au/murrun-naroon-natural-burials">natural burial as an option</a> next to traditional grave plots. There are, however, few dedicated natural burial grounds. Legislating natural burial grounds as distinct entities will allow specific regulations that give priority to regular grave renewal and positive environmental impact. Natural burial grounds may also make “better neighbours” than traditional cemeteries if communities are going to be <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-01-23/sydney-is-running-out-of-burial-space/101881570">asked to live alongside new cemeteries</a>. Overcoming resistance to new cemetery developments is essential to secure future burial capacity. <h2>Legalise alternative disposal methods</h2> We are all familiar with burial and cremation. But what about dissolving bodies in an alkaline solution – known as “<a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/could-water-cremation-become-the-new-american-way-of-death-180980479/">water cremation</a>” or “alkaline hydrolysis” – or transforming them into compost (“natural organic reduction”)? These options have <a href="https://theconversation.com/life-after-death-americans-are-embracing-new-ways-to-leave-their-remains-85657">robust environmental credentials</a>. They require less space than burial, as they produce portable remains in the form of ashes or soil. <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-64140571">Several US states</a> now permit these options. In most of Australia, these options exist in a legal grey area. In <a href="https://content.legislation.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-04/03-80aa034%20authorised_0.pdf">Victoria</a>, authorisation must be sought from the Department of Health to dispose of a body other than by burial or cremation. Queensland has no comprehensive cemeteries legislation, and thus no guidance on the legality of these alternatives. <a href="https://legislation.nsw.gov.au/view/pdf/asmade/sl-2011-568">New South Wales</a> legalised water cremation (but not natural organic reduction) in 2011. The state now has two such facilities. Other states and territories should follow NSW in explicitly legalising viable alternative disposal methods. This will ease pressure on cemeteries and provide greater choice to families. <h2>Invest in cemeteries as multi-use green spaces</h2> Current regulatory frameworks emphasise the cemetery as a space of sombre reflection and remembrance. <a href="https://content.legislation.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-07/15-59sra003%20authorised.pdf">Victoria</a>, for example, prohibits a wide range of activities, including dancing, fishing and sport. However, as <a href="https://www.acf.org.au/natural_solutions_needed_for_our_overheating_cities">green space becomes scarce</a> in Australia’s major cities, public opinion and current practices are falling out of alignment with such regulations. In a <a href="https://theconversation.com/visions-of-future-cemeteries-5-models-and-how-australians-feel-about-them-149150">recent national survey</a>, two-thirds of respondents disagreed with the sentiment that cemeteries were solely spaces for memorialisation. They supported the use of cemeteries as public green space. Historic cemeteries, where new burials and visits are rare, offer even greater potential as multi-use public space. In <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1618866722001418">cities overseas</a>, jogging, walking the dog and picnics are common in these cemeteries. Australia is yet to feel the full effects of the impending crisis of cemetery space. While big changes are needed to avert this crisis, at least the path forward is clear.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/205987/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/kate-falconer-1171812">Kate Falconer</a>, Lecturer, T.C. Beirne School of Law, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-queensland-805">The University of Queensland</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/hannah-gould-999499">Hannah Gould</a>, Research Fellow, Social And Political Sciences, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/our-cemeteries-face-a-housing-crisis-too-4-changes-can-make-burial-sustainable-205987">original article</a>.

Caring

Am I too old to build muscle? What science says about sarcopenia and building strength later in life

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/david-scott-1258511">David Scott</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/deakin-university-757">Deakin University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/robin-m-daly-19560">Robin M. Daly</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/deakin-university-757">Deakin University</a> Sarcopenia is the progressive and accelerated loss of muscle mass and strength as we age. The term was coined in the 1980s, and the condition has been recognised as a disease for less <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.5694/mja2.50432">than a decade</a>, but the concept is as old as time: use it or lose it. But what if you’re in your 60s, 70s, 80s or 90s? Is it “too late” to build muscle and fight sarcopenia? Here’s what the research says. <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/525756/original/file-20230511-19-34yuj7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/525756/original/file-20230511-19-34yuj7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/525756/original/file-20230511-19-34yuj7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525756/original/file-20230511-19-34yuj7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525756/original/file-20230511-19-34yuj7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525756/original/file-20230511-19-34yuj7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525756/original/file-20230511-19-34yuj7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525756/original/file-20230511-19-34yuj7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /></a><figcaption>Exercise training during weight loss can also prevent bone loss. Shutterstock</figcaption></figure> <h2>Sarcopenia isn’t just unfortunate. It’s dangerous</h2> All of us will start to gradually lose muscle from our mid-30s, but this loss accelerates in later years. For up to 30% of adults aged over 60, the declines are substantial enough to meet the <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jcsm.12783">definition for sarcopenia</a>. Sarcopenia increases your risk of falls, fractures, hospitalisation, loss of independence and many other chronic diseases. However, people who are active in early life and maintain this as they age can delay or prevent the <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jcsm.13218">onset of sarcopenia</a>. The good news is it’s never too late to make a start, even if you are already experiencing the debilitating effects of sarcopenia. <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/525520/original/file-20230511-29-5201jv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/525520/original/file-20230511-29-5201jv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/525520/original/file-20230511-29-5201jv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=392&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525520/original/file-20230511-29-5201jv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=392&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525520/original/file-20230511-29-5201jv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=392&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525520/original/file-20230511-29-5201jv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=492&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525520/original/file-20230511-29-5201jv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=492&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525520/original/file-20230511-29-5201jv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=492&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /></a><figcaption>It’s never too late to make a start. Shutterstock</figcaption></figure> <h2>What the science says</h2> Resistance training is the most effective way to build and strengthen muscle at all ages. That means things like: <ul> <li> lifting free weights like dumbbells </li> <li> using machine weights, like you find in a gym </li> <li> using resistance bands </li> <li> bodyweight exercises such as push-ups, squats, wall-sits or tricep dips. </li> </ul> It’s OK to start with even very light weights, or do modified, easier versions of bodyweight exercises (for example, you might do a shallow squat rather than a deep one, or a push-up against a wall or windowsill instead of on the floor). Something is always better than nothing. Aim to make the exercise harder over time. Lift progressively heavier weights or do increasingly harder versions of bodyweight or resistance band exercises. This is called progressive resistance training. <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/525565/original/file-20230511-27-1sxqpo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/525565/original/file-20230511-27-1sxqpo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/525565/original/file-20230511-27-1sxqpo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525565/original/file-20230511-27-1sxqpo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525565/original/file-20230511-27-1sxqpo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525565/original/file-20230511-27-1sxqpo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525565/original/file-20230511-27-1sxqpo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525565/original/file-20230511-27-1sxqpo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /></a><figcaption>Aim to make the exercise harder over time. Shutterstock</figcaption></figure> <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40279-020-01331-7?fbclid=IwAR06PPIz8cf2xZExNvrnlueQp0-7SWQwT1x0bUdnZrgTOqcyiAdTrpufTjU">Clinical trials</a> have consistently shown all adults – even very frail people over the age of 75 – can make significant gains in muscle mass and strength by doing progressive resistance training at least twice a week. The improvements can be seen in as little as eight weeks. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2342214/">One seminal study</a> included ten frail, institutionalised 86–96 year olds who did a high-intensity progressive resistance training program. After just eight weeks, the average mid-thigh muscle area had increased by almost 10% (which is equivalent to the amount of muscle typically lost over a decade) and leg strength increased by about 180%. In other words, these older people were almost three times stronger at the end of the short training program than before. It really can be done. British-Swiss man <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGgoCm1hofM">Charles Eugster</a> (1919–2017), for example, took up progressive resistance training in his late 80s after noticing a decline in his muscle mass. He went on to become a <a href="https://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/lessons-from-a-95-year-old-bodybuilder.html">bodybuilder</a>, and in 2012 gave a TEDx <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGgoCm1hofM">talk</a> titled “Why bodybuilding at age 93 is a great idea”. <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/525755/original/file-20230511-23-xwcq71.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C6689%2C4466&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/525755/original/file-20230511-23-xwcq71.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C6689%2C4466&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/525755/original/file-20230511-23-xwcq71.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525755/original/file-20230511-23-xwcq71.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525755/original/file-20230511-23-xwcq71.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525755/original/file-20230511-23-xwcq71.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525755/original/file-20230511-23-xwcq71.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525755/original/file-20230511-23-xwcq71.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /></a><figcaption>Resistance training is the most effective way to build and strengthen muscle at all ages. Shutterstock</figcaption></figure> <h2>What if my doctor has told me to lose weight?</h2> Many older adults have obesity, which increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. They’re often told to lose weight, but any dieting (or other strategy aimed at weight loss) also usually causes muscle loss. Losing muscle mass in older age could increase the risk for many common chronic conditions. For example, muscle is crucial to keeping blood sugar levels under control, so excessive muscle loss could blunt the benefits of weight loss for people with type 2 diabetes. If you’re losing weight, it’s important to try to minimise muscle mass loss at the same time. How? Progressive resistance training. By combining progressive resistance training with weight loss, one study found the resulting muscle loss is <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29596307/">negligible</a>. (It’s also important that if you are dieting, you are still eating <a href="https://www.clinicalnutritionjournal.com/article/S0261-5614(14)00111-3/fulltext">enough protein</a>, so your body has the ingredients it needs to build new muscle). Exercise training during weight loss can also prevent <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2095254621000491">bone loss</a>, which reduces fracture risk in older people. <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/520175/original/file-20230411-26-v63lvh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C19%2C4368%2C2877&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/520175/original/file-20230411-26-v63lvh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C19%2C4368%2C2877&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/520175/original/file-20230411-26-v63lvh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/520175/original/file-20230411-26-v63lvh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/520175/original/file-20230411-26-v63lvh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/520175/original/file-20230411-26-v63lvh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/520175/original/file-20230411-26-v63lvh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/520175/original/file-20230411-26-v63lvh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /></a><figcaption>An accredited exercise professional can help design a program that suits you. Shutterstock</figcaption></figure> <h2>Aim for at least twice a week – more if you can</h2> Whether or not you’re trying to lose weight, and regardless of whether you think you have sarcopenia, all older adults can benefit from strengthening their muscles. Even if getting to a gym or clinic is hard, there are plenty of resistance exercises you can do at home or outdoors that will help build strength. <figure class="align-right zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/525783/original/file-20230512-35478-3o1th8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/525783/original/file-20230512-35478-3o1th8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/525783/original/file-20230512-35478-3o1th8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525783/original/file-20230512-35478-3o1th8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525783/original/file-20230512-35478-3o1th8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525783/original/file-20230512-35478-3o1th8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1130&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525783/original/file-20230512-35478-3o1th8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1130&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525783/original/file-20230512-35478-3o1th8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1130&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="" width="498" height="747" /></a><figcaption>All older adults can benefit from strengthening their muscles. Shutterstock</figcaption></figure> Talk to a health professional before starting a moderate to high intensity progressive resistance training program. An accredited exercise professional can help design a program that suits you. Generally, we should aim to do progressive resistance training at least <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12603-021-1665-8">twice a week</a>. Try to target 8–10 muscle groups, and start out at about 30–40% of your maximum effort before progressing over time to 70–80% of your maximum. As the name suggests, it is key to progressively increase the effort or challenge of your program so you can feel the improvements and achieve your goals. It’s never too late to start training for your fight against sarcopenia and loss of independence in older age. The health benefits will be worth it. As Socrates <a href="https://www.sacred-texts.com/cla/plato/theaetet.htm">said</a> in the 4th Century BC: <blockquote> is not the bodily habit spoiled by rest and idleness, but preserved for a long time by motion and exercise?<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/203562/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> </blockquote> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/david-scott-1258511">David Scott</a>, Associate Professor (Research) and NHMRC Emerging Leadership Fellow, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/deakin-university-757">Deakin University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/robin-m-daly-19560">Robin M. Daly</a>, Professor of Exercise and Ageing, Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition, Deakin University, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/deakin-university-757">Deakin University</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/am-i-too-old-to-build-muscle-what-science-says-about-sarcopenia-and-building-strength-later-in-life-203562">original article</a>.

Body

Why it's never too late to start dating

Thinking about getting back into the dating game? It’s a new world out there and going on a date has changed. Here’s what you need to know. Whether you’re looking for love and companionship in your 20s and 30s or your 60s and 70s, dating is a universal experience that remains timeless. You’re never too old to meet someone new, rendezvous for a dinner and a movie, and possibly have something develop into a relationship. It’s just the act of “going on a date” that can change over the decades. If you’re looking to get back into the dating game but aren’t sure what to expect, don’t worry because you’re not alone. Many singles in their 50s and 60s would like to find a companion to share their life with but aren’t sure how to go about dipping their toe back into the dating pool. <a href="http://www.valeriegibson.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Valerie Gibson</a>, US-based dating and relationship expert and author of The Later Dater, says dating again doesn’t have to be scary, it’s what you make of it. “Most people just want to have someone in their life who loves them, cares about them, is supportive, fun to be with, interesting to talk to and shares their goals,” she says. “That’s what dating is all about – the search to hopefully find someone with whom you can joyfully and happily spend your later years. You may not find them right away, but the journey through dating while you’re searching can be fun and exciting, and make ageing a fascinating adventure.” With that in mind, here are some tips from Valerie Gibson to get you comfortable with the idea of dating at any age. Dating later While dating is a universal and timeless experience for everyone, it can be different depending on your age. In your 20s and 30s, dating is young, passionate, romantic, and carries the prospect of a long-term relationship leading to marriage. “The pleasure of dating in your later years is that dating is a little more low-key and less energetic, but can be much more meaningful and have a lot of depth and satisfaction, and often a lot of commitment. “Both parties have had relationships/marriages and are well aware of what they want now in a personal connection. Although dating at these lovely ages may not have the same wildfire of that in your 20s and 30s (which can burn out quickly at times), meeting someone new and dating them can be just as exciting at a later age as it was when you were much younger.” However, she adds that a lot depends on your positive attitude, youthful spirit and health as to whether later dating works for you. First date jitters affect everyone One thing that affects singles, no matter their age, is a feeling of nervousness when meeting someone for the first time, particularly on a first date! It can be an intimidating experience, particularly if you haven’t done this in a good 20 to 30 years. The best way forward is to leave your expectations at the door and simply enjoy the experience of meeting and learning about a new person when on your date. Relax, enjoy yourself, learn about the other person and ask questions. “Most people are nervous at that first meeting and often trying too hard to impress. It usually eases on the second date and contrary to most opinions “chemistry” is not necessarily there immediately – it can grow.” If you don’t feel like it’s a good match from the get-go, however, when the time comes politely exit. Always treat people how you would like to be treated in similar circumstances. Winning conversation Whether you’re on a first date or not, there are a few topics you should steer clear of when meeting a person for the first time. It’s generally agreed that religion and politics are no-go zones, since these subjects are too inflammatory and divisive, and certain to make sure there isn’t another date. “I always tell people to not pour out all of their previous problems with their dates, marriages or relationships on the first date, especially any horror stories of your last ex. A person wants to know a little about you and who you are but not your complete life history and all of your life’s disappointments. “Keep it light and basically informative, discuss subjects such as music, books, movies, your travels, food and wine, hobbies, and you can also find out whether you have interests in common which is important.” It’s a digital world The dating game has changed quite a bit over the years, mostly with the arrival of the internet. Meeting someone online through a dating website has become one of the most popular ways where people are now searching for Mr or Mrs Right, particularly singles in their 50s and 60s. “There’s no question that online dating has become the most popular way of meeting someone when you’re over 60. The biggest growing demographic for online dating sites are people 50-plus. “It’s because it can be done from the comfort of your home, there’s some controllable privacy and anonymity to it which older people find reassuring and protective, and it’s the only way to meet hundreds, if not thousands, of other singles in your age group who you would never meet in everyday life – all at the click of a key.” Valerie warns that while there are genuine people looking for love online, you may unfortunately come across others who are not so genuine. Be cautious and if in doubt, ask a friend or family member for advice. While online dating is one great way to meet a partner, other options include through mutual friends, volunteering, joining clubs and groups, taking classes and basically, just getting out and mingling with people. “You’ll never meet someone sitting at home.” Be informed about the new world For those looking to start meeting new people and go on dates, the best way to prepare yourself is to learn as much about the new world of dating as you can. Read books, ask friends (even talk to your children if they’re dating!), do some research and get yourself ready both emotionally and physically. “Always remember you have been through a lot in your life and dating isn’t life threatening after all! Make up your mind that you’re going to enjoy it and enjoy the people you meet, whether or not they are Mr or Mrs Right or someone who fits your long list of requirements. “The people you meet are also probably nervous, just like you, and also looking for someone they might like, can get along with, possibly fall in love with and maybe share their life with or maybe just to share some good times!”

Relationships

Life is too short - it's time to choose a Life List over a Bucket List

Author Kate Christie has rejected the idea of creating a Bucket List and instead has had a mental shift that allows her to now fully embrace the joy of creating a Life List. Here’s why… A month after I turned 50 my ex-husband was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Eleven months later he was gone. He was 54. He left behind our three beautiful children to try to come to terms with a chasmal loss that they don’t yet fully appreciate. Life is too short. With the diagnosis of a terminal illness there is no hope. There is just a decline - sometimes slow and sometimes devastatingly quick, where you have to bear witness to the process of death. You are forced to grieve the loss of someone before they have even gone. It is brutal and life changing. The paramount decision I made after my husband’s death was to stop putting ‘life’ off until later on the assumption that I have all the time in the world. I rejected the idea of creating a Bucket List and instead I have fully embraced the joy of creating a Life List. What is a Life List and why choose it over a Bucket List? A Life List is a long list of everything you want to achieve or experience while you are still young enough to fully achieve, experience, and enjoy it. It is the exact opposite of a Bucket List - which is generally defined as a list of the things you would like to experience before you die — that is, before you ‘kick the bucket’. It’s time to embrace a Life List over a Bucket List if: • You are not focused almost exclusively on travel and adventure. What about everything else that’s important to living a many-faceted brilliant life such as learning, being of service to others, and nurturing your relationships? • When it comes to travel, you don’t necessarily want to just experience crazy adventures that might actually hasten you kicking the bucket - such as swimming with sharks dressed in a wetsuit looking like a very edible seal. • You are not simply looking to create a list of obligations — the things you never, ever made time for in your life but which now you need to get through lickety-split and tick them off the list before you die … from exhaustion. • You are not interested in asking: What do I want to do before I die? Instead, you want to ask: What do I want to do while I am still young enough to enjoy it? 3 Steps to Creating Your Own Life List 1. Pick up a pen. The act of writing your Life List will significantly increase your chances of achieving your goals. 2. Include 3 types of goals on your Life List: • Go Big Goals - The big, hairy, outrageous goals that take planning, or are new experiences, or will take you outside your comfort zone (for example, last year I walked The Larapinta Trail in Central Australia; and I have been cold water swimming almost every single morning for 2 years…) • Go Small Goals - Include a range of smaller, life-affirming, inspiring goals that provide the daily fuel that makes your soul sing. Go Small or short-term goals can be implemented in the near future and generally without extensive planning. • Go Now Goals - Seize the day! Engage in acts of spontaneity to keep you on your toes. Because life is too short. It is too short to the point that we need to live it every single day. We need to think deeply about what is most important to us and we need to prioritise those things - today. We need to purposefully plan to invest our time for the greatest possible joy. We need to invest our time in the people we love most. We need to invest our time in creating memories, in being of service to others, in generating happiness and fulfilment and wonder. And we need to start doing this right now. Because later might be too late. Kate Christie’s book ‘The Life List: Master Every Moment and Live an Audacious Life’ is available from Booktopia and Amazon Image credit: Shutterstock

Mind

"Too busy marching": Debate rages over fiery Anzac Day post

A man has shared a controversial claim on Twitter about Australia’s relationship to Anzac Day, sparking a fiery debate. Australians and New Zealanders gathered to commemorate the 108th anniversary of the landing of Anzac troops at Gallipoli in World War I on April 25th. Services were held all over both countries to mark the day of remembrance. On May 34th, Brad Turner, who says he is a former Navy submariner and AFP officer, took to Twitter to argue that the values of the annual celebration were “no longer reflected” by Australia. He notably called out Australia’s confrontation with China on behalf of the US. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Australia is a society that dutifully gets up early every April 25 to gather, Mach & remember our Dead. Speeches are made, politicians speak of sacrifice & honour whilst possessing or embodying neither. That same society that holds paramount ideals of egalitarianism, mateship &… <a href="https://t.co/sbHHbRiYAF">pic.twitter.com/sbHHbRiYAF</a> — Brad Turner (@tur14865416) <a href="https://twitter.com/tur14865416/status/1650394428841037826?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 24, 2023</a></blockquote> “Australia is a society that dutifully gets up early every April 25 to gather, march and remember our dead,” he wrote in the post, which has been viewed more than 20,000 times. “Speeches are made, politicians speak of sacrifice and honour whilst possessing or embodying neither. That same society that holds paramount ideals of egalitarianism, mateship and sacrifice is forgotten on the other 364 days of the year. “On those days Australia marches right past veteran suicides, war crimes, illegal wars and widespread inequality and corruption. Is it really a day of remembrance? Or is it theatrics so society can pretend they care about victims of war or our conduct as a country with an aim to feel better about apathy and inaction as a nation towards these things. “We don’t notice any of these things because we are too busy marching. But this time it’s headlong into another pointless American war with China. The things we celebrate about our nation on Anzac Day are sadly no longer reflected in Australia’s actions. They have not been in some time.” Several people online took the same stance as Mr Turner. “I don’t like Anzac Day. It overlooks our follies in joining Britain and US wars. WWII was noble. The rest were con jobs to enrich the industrialists. Our people have all these solemn events only to assuage their ‘je ne c’est quoi’ because they don’t feel any guilt but should,” one wrote. “Our politicians spend more on memorial monuments and museums that they can put their name on a plaque on the wall than they do for the actual veterans who are suffering from PTSD or other ‘souvenirs’ they have brought back from their tours,” another said. “Flag waving patriotism has taken over Anzac Day. We are one step away from parades of military hardware while the populace salute. What should be a reflection on the horrors of war has become it‘s celebration. John Howard did this,” a third added. “Listening to the Labor government yesterday follow in the footsteps of the Coalition, justifying spending billions antagonising China at America’s request is not the ‘lest we forget’ I think about,” a fourth wrote. Others fired back and said Anzac Day was still important. “Mate … it’s about remembering the sacrifice and loss of our mates … lest we forget,” one wrote, adding, “I don’t worry about [politicians] anymore grandstanding on the day. It’s our day not theirs to remember our mates.” Another wrote, “It is tradition. It separates the fluff of ordinary living to reflect on sacrifice not only of the dead, of lives unlived, of the unfathomable grief but also of the living dealing with the trauma and moral injury of tooth and claw war. It is not a celebration which distracts.” “I understand this perspective, but at the same time I ask myself — is there any harm in this form national reflection? I agree there have been some military follies following the absolute necessity of WWII, but would add that there is no guarantee that the next engagement is such,” a third wrote. Image credit: Shutterstock

News

Pets can get colds too – here’s how to keep them safe

With winter comes <a href="https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/10.1146/annurev-virology-012420-022445">cold and flu season</a>, making coughs and sneezes rife. But it isn’t just humans who get struck down by these seasonal illnesses – our pets can too. While many of us have an arsenal of home remedies that we can use to combat these illnesses, the same doesn’t necessarily exist for pets. So what can we do for our four-legged companions if they become ill – and how can we prevent seasonal illnesses in the future? <h2>Cold and flu</h2> In the same way that coughs, colds and other respiratory illnesses spread more easily when we’re indoors with other people, the same applies to our pets. Dogs often pick up illnesses after staying in kennels, attending indoor training classes or at competitive events where they’re <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcpa.2020.02.005">in close contact with other dogs</a>. Infections can quickly spread via airborne particles, by sharing drinking water or from contaminated surfaces. We may also inadvertently carry infections to our pets, especially if we have previously handled or stroked an infected animal. Some disease-causing organisms can even remain viable on our clothes and footwear for several hours. Washing your hands, changing your clothes, and good hygiene remain <a href="https://www.aafp.org/pubs/afp/issues/2016/1115/p794.html">simple but effective ways</a> of limiting the spread of many infections, especially if you’re regularly in contact with several animals. <div data-id="17"> </div> Occasionally, diseases can also be passed between species, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2016.0167">including from animal to human and vice versa</a>. These are called zoonotic diseases and can range from mild infections to more deadly diseases, such as <a href="https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-virology-100114-055157">rabies</a>. In such cases, more extreme control measures are needed to control the virus – such as quarantining animals. But if you do have a cold, your pet won’t catch it from you. The viruses that cause colds are specific to humans, though there are dog and cat versions that may cause <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cvsm.2019.10.009">similar cold symptoms in our canine companions</a> and our <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/13/8/1435">feline friends</a>. The good news is that they also cannot share their cold with us. Similarly, <a href="https://virologyj.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12985-022-01888-x">flu tends to be species-specific</a>, although the influenza virus is good at mutating and occasionally “jumping” the species barrier. While rare, this does mean that there is a theoretical risk of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/zph.12723">flu transmission between animals and humans</a>. This why good hygiene and minimising close contact with <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/bmb/ldz036">other species during outbreaks</a> is a good idea. <h2>Cold symptoms</h2> If your dog or cat does contract a cold, the symptoms are very similar to what we experience: sneezing, runny nose, coughing, possibly fever, tiredness and often reduced or lost appetite. If you think your pet is sick, it’s best to speak to your vet first to ensure you get the correct diagnosis. Your pet may also need specific treatment (such as antibiotics). Never be tempted to treat your pet with human medications, however. Over-the-counter medications that are safe for us can be potentially toxic for our pets. Ibuprofen, for example, is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S0167-5877(98)00051-8">dangerous for dogs</a>. There are many easy things you can do to help your pet when they’re sick. First, make sure they’re warm and comfortable, as this is essential for helping them recover. You can do this by providing extra bedding, or even pet-safe clothing for them. Many older dogs benefit from coats both indoors and out to keep old joints warm. Just make sure to wash or change their bedding regularly, to keep a pleasant environment for them to recover in. This will also help <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/8/4/59">reduce the risk</a> of the infection spreading to other pets in the household. Rest is important. Make sure your pet has a quiet, safe space – perhaps away from people and other animals. Reducing exercise is also a good idea, especially if your pet has a respiratory infection so you don’t stress their body further. Make sure fresh, clean drinking water is always available. If the weather is very cold, consider adding some warm water to encourage drinking. This is especially important for pets who live outdoors. If your dog starts to cough, especially when waking – and might even gag or retch – it’s <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prevetmed.2003.10.001">possible they’ve picked up kennel cough</a>. This is highly infectious, and a coughing dog should be kept well away from other dogs until the coughing has stopped and they have recovered. This includes not taking a coughing dog into your vet’s waiting room. However, kennel cough cannot spread to other species of pets (such as cats). For most otherwise healthy pets, seasonal illnesses are mild and self-limiting. Most pets recover quickly – within a few days. But if you’re at all concerned, your pet is very young or old, or suffers from other health conditions, always seek prompt advice from your vet. <h2>Keeping pets healthy</h2> There are many things you can do to reduce a pet’s likelihood of becoming ill. First, keep their <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/epidemiology-and-infection/article/use-of-vaccines-and-factors-associated-with-their-uptake-variability-in-dogs-cats-and-rabbits-attending-a-large-sentinel-network-of-veterinary-practices-across-great-britain/F9ED2C4B0E2E6D6C57A3B95C6ED71A5A">vaccinations up to date</a> and ask your vet if there are any local diseases that may be of concern. While vaccinations won’t prevent everything, they will help support your pet’s health and reduce the risk of severe illness. Keeping pets <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcpa.2017.03.006">lean and at a healthy weight</a>, feeding a <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2021.748776/full">balanced diet</a> and making sure they always have clean drinking water are also simple, effective measures of supporting pet health. Keeping their sleeping area and <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0259478">food and water bowls clean</a> can also reduce disease risk further. We might share our homes, lives and sometimes beds with our pets, but fortunately, we don’t need to worry about sharing our seasonal coughs and colds with them. Image credit: Shutterstock This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/pets-can-get-colds-too-heres-how-to-keep-them-safe-196682" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Family & Pets

School principal forced out after parents complain statue of David is too rude

Hope Carrasquilla, a US charter school principal, has been forced to resign from her position after a parent decreed an art lesson to be “pornographic”. Carrasquilla was given an ultimatum - either she stepped down, or she would face termination from the Tallahassee Classical School - according to the Tallahassee Democrat. “It saddens me that my time here had to end this way,” she told the publication. Carrasquilla also explained that she had been informed of her options by the school’s board chair, Barney Bishop. While Bishop has confirmed that he did hand down the ultimatum, he did not expand on why. However, Carrasquilla believes a Renaissance art lesson to be the main contributing factor. The lesson in question saw students study Michelgangelo’s classic David, as well as his Creation of Adam fresco painting, and Boticelli’s Birth of Venus. Apparently, the school is required to educate students about Renaissance art in their 6th grade. But for three parents this wasn’t reason enough, with each of them voicing their concerns about the lesson plan, while claiming that it had caused their children upset. Two of the parents simply wanted to have been notified about the content before it reached their children, but one had stronger feelings, branding the situation “pornographic”. Carrasquilla said that one of them was “point-blank upset”, and “felt her child should not be viewing those pieces.” But as she informed HuffPost, things were “a little more complicated than that”, before sharing that the school’s usual protocol would be to inform parents before their children are presented with classical art, such as David. According to the now-former principal, a “breakdown in communication” between herself, the direction of operations, and the art teacher has brought upon a kind of administrative oversight, and the parents had never received a letter about the lesson. This came after a new rule was passed in February, with the school board mandating that parents must be notified a fortnight before any “potentially controversial” was taught to students. Parents would also be presented with the option to review their child’s curriculum, as well as any related media, with a reminder to be sent a week ahead. “Parental rights are supreme,” Bishop explained, “and that means protecting the interests of all parents, whether it’s one, 10, 20, or 50.” As her story began to circulate around the globe, Carrasquilla went on to explain in a statement that for a year, Bishop had “expressed his displeasure with my leadership when parents became upset about policies or procedures not being followed to the T. “He was more concerned about litigation and appeasing a small minority of parents, rather than trusting my expertise as an educator for more than 25 years.” Images: Getty

Art

"Let's not worry too much": Sam Neill's devastating diagnosis

Sam Neill has revealed he has been battling blood cancer, but has remained in remission for the last eight months. The 75-year-old actor, who is most known for his work in the Jurassic Park franchise, told <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/mar/17/sam-neill-cancer-memoir-interview" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Guardian</a> he had angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, or stage III blood cancer, and underwent chemotherapy. He will remain on chemo drugs for the rest of his life, but is currently cancer free. “I’m not off the hook as such, but there’s no cancer in my body,” Neill told the publication. Despite being in remission, the actor has battled some "dark moments" since his diagnosis. “I can’t pretend that the last year hasn’t had its dark moments,” Neill added in the interview. “But those dark moments throw the light into sharp relief, you know, and have made me grateful for every day and immensely grateful for all my friends. Just pleased to be alive.” Neill has detailed his journey with cancer in his upcoming memoirs, which he began writing while undergoing treatment. He shared a video to Instagram to give his fans an update on his health after news of his diagnosis broke, and revealed more about his book. He said, “I’m alive and kicking and I’m going to work and I’m very happy to be going back to work." “We start filming in seven days’ time. I’m doing a thing called Apples Never Fall [with] Annette Bening and a really wonderful cast. Here I am, and I wish the headline wasn’t that thing because the main thing is that I have written this book, it’s called Did I Ever Tell You This?. And it does mention cancer because that’s the sort of context in which I wrote it. " “But I didn’t really mean to write a book, I needed something to do while I was undergoing treatment, and I am used to going to work and I suddenly couldn’t go to work. So that’s why I wrote the book, and I have to say there’s been great response to it. People seem to love it, which is great." “I was very nervous, obviously as a first time author. Anyway, I think it’s fun. We subtitled it Movies, Life, Love and Other Catastrophes. So it gives you an idea of all the crazy things that have happened to me." “So I hope you enjoy it, and let’s not worry too much about ‘all that’ because I’m fine. OK!” When speaking to The Guardian about his upcoming memoir, Neill revealed that the opening chapter of his book contained the line, “The thing is, I’m crook. Possibly dying. I may have to speed this up.” Image credits: Getty Images

Caring

Is 13 too young to have a TikTok or Instagram account?

The surgeon general is the “<a href="https://www.hhs.gov/surgeongeneral/index.html">nation’s doctor</a>” in the United States. They are tasked with giving Americans the “best scientific information” about their health. Late last month, the current US surgeon general, Vivek Murthy, <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2023/01/29/health/surgeon-general-social-media/index.html">warned</a> 13 is too young to join social media. He said it poses a risk to young people’s “self-worth and their relationships”, adding, "I, personally, based on the data I’ve seen, believe that 13 is too early […] the skewed and often distorted environment of social media often does a disservice to many of those children." Is 13 too young? What should parents think about when it comes to their kids and social media accounts? <h2>Why are we talking about 13?</h2> Major social media platforms, including <a href="https://help.twitter.com/en/managing-your-account/account-restoration">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://about.instagram.com/blog/announcements/new-ways-to-verify-age-on-instagram">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/help/157793540954833">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/safety/en/guardians-guide/">TikTok</a>, require users to be at least 13. This includes those in Australia and New Zealand. This minimum age requirement stems from <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/legal-library/browse/rules/childrens-online-privacy-protection-rule-coppa">1998 US legislation</a> which banned the collection of children’s personal data without parental consent. For many parents, schools and cybersafety experts, this minimum age has become something of a benchmark. Many assume it comes with the implicit assurance social media platforms are appropriate and safe for children once they turn 13. Conversely, they also assume they are unsafe for children under 13. But this is not necessarily the case. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> When I speak with kids & parents about <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/YouthMentalHealth?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#YouthMentalHealth</a>, the number one question I get is if social media is harming our kids. Based on the data I’ve seen and the conversations I’ve had, I believe 13 is too young for our kids to start using social media. <a href="https://t.co/vpBEcWySFc">https://t.co/vpBEcWySFc</a> — Dr. Vivek Murthy, U.S. Surgeon General (@Surgeon_General) <a href="https://twitter.com/Surgeon_General/status/1621644953347563526?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 3, 2023</a></blockquote> <h2>What does the evidence say?</h2> Social media platforms do present some risks for young people. These include <a href="https://theconversation.com/cyberbullying-among-teens-our-research-shows-online-abuse-and-school-bullying-are-often-linked-119442">online bullying</a> and harassment, exposure to misinformation and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/dec/15/tiktok-self-harm-study-results-every-parents-nightmare">inappropriate content</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/children-can-be-exposed-to-sexual-predators-online-so-how-can-parents-teach-them-to-be-safe-120661">grooming</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/dozens-of-us-schools-universities-move-to-ban-tiktok-197393">privacy breaches</a> and excessive use. Stories documenting the potentially harmful effects of social media are rarely out of the news. Studies claim links between social media and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2022/mar/28/social-media-may-affect-girls-mental-health-earlier-than-boys-study-finds">poor mental health</a> and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/jan/01/social-media-triggers-children-to-dislike-their-own-bodies-says-study">low self-esteem</a>. These findings are concerning, and there is no doubt social media may negatively affect some young people’s wellbeing. However, it is not a straightforward question. While these studies might find a correlation or link between excessive social media use and poor self-esteem, for example, they rarely point to direct causation. Young people already experiencing low self-esteem and depression may use social media significantly more than others. <h2>So why don’t we just increase the age?</h2> Murthy acknowledges it is difficult to keep kids off their devices and social media. But he suggests parents band together, "and say you know, as a group, we’re not going to allow our kids to use social media until 16 or 17 or 18." But any increase in the age - whether formal or informal – will not necessarily keep children safer online. Children can easily falsify their ages (<a href="https://academic.oup.com/jcmc/article/18/3/303/4067510">many already do</a>). And young people are good at finding creative and secretive ways of doing what they want regardless. <h2>Why can’t parents just say no?</h2> It is often suggested – by cyber safety experts – that parents <a href="https://www.cybersafetysolutions.com.au/top-tips/">just say no</a>. This message has been reinforced by celebrity commentators such as British actress Kate Winslet, who recently told the BBC, "My children don’t have social media and haven’t had social media." While these approaches may work with younger kids, older children are unlikely to simply comply. Blanket bans and restrictions not only lead to <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1461444816655099?casa_token=q7SXs7TW4vMAAAAA:F8rirALQj6c2dGZb3pH8OHPbfy7zqwG-pkktOkU6H7Ig6MKg1jmbVNBHFt17bCOh8IfGOsVpsw5aPg">family conflict</a>, but are also more likely to lead to children using social media without parental consent or <a href="https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/parenting4digitalfuture/2017/02/07/digital-skills-matter-in-the-quest-for-the-holy-grail/">knowledge</a>. This is a problem because parents play an important role in helping children navigate online spaces, including the sometimes fraught nature of peer relationships on social media. If a child has a social media account without parental permission, they are much less likely to seek out their parents for help if they have a problem online, for fear of getting into trouble or having their device taken away. <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cl3aWdyPqGw/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cl3aWdyPqGw/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by BBC Woman's Hour (@bbcwomanshour)</a> </div> </blockquote> <h2>Children also have a right to be online</h2> Discussion about risks also tends to ignore the <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2022/11/16/connection-creativity-and-drama-teen-life-on-social-media-in-2022/">potential benefits</a> of being online. Social media is incredibly important for many young people. It keeps them connected with friends and extended family, provides a platform for creativity and self-expression, and enables civic participation and activism. Social media also provides access to like-minded individuals and communities who may provide solidarity and support, especially for marginalised teens. Children, particularly teenagers, also have a right to participate in online spaces, including use of social media. The United Nations’ Committee on the Rights of the Child <a href="https://docstore.ohchr.org/SelfServices/FilesHandler.ashx?enc=6QkG1d%2FPPRiCAqhKb7yhsqIkirKQZLK2M58RF%2F5F0vEG%2BcAAx34gC78FwvnmZXGFUl9nJBDpKR1dfKekJxW2w9nNryRsgArkTJgKelqeZwK9WXzMkZRZd37nLN1bFc2t">notes</a> children have the right to “meaningful access to digital technologies” as a way of realising the full range of their civil, political, cultural, economic and social rights. <h2>So, when should my child get a TikTok account?</h2> There is no one-size-fits-all approach here. Children vary tremendously in terms of their maturity, skills, life experience and judgement. On top of this, online risk is not equally distributed, as children who are <a href="https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/parenting4digitalfuture/2019/02/20/vulnerable-offline-and-at-risk-online/">more vulnerable offline are more vulnerable online</a>. For example, children with mental health problems, learning difficulties, a disability or who have problems at home are more likely to experience high-risk situations online. In deciding whether your child is ready for a social media account, parents might consider: <ul> <li> Is my child especially vulnerable to online harms? </li> <li> Does my child have the required maturity and resilience to manage potentially negative online social interactions? </li> <li> Does my child listen to advice and follow rules? </li> <li> Is my child aware of the risks, and do they have strategies for managing them? </li> <li> Will my child come to me with any problems they encounter online? </li> </ul> Parents might also consider their children’s offline lives, as these often carry over into online spaces. This includes what their friendships are like, their propensity for taking risks, and their ability to consider the consequences of their actions. <h2>Start talking early</h2> The best thing that parents can do is initiate conversations about social media and the internet early and often. Many issues that play out on social media are extensions of young people’s existing peer relationships. Parents can talk to their children about their friends and peers, show an interest in their child’s online activities, and openly discuss their child’s rights and responsibilities online. Some parents may wish to set reasonable expectations and rules about appropriate use of social media. Documenting these expectations through a “family technology agreement” that is negotiated <a href="https://eprints.lse.ac.uk/106403/1/parenting4digitalfuture_2020_08_19_parenting_for_a_digital_future.pdf">democratically</a> as a family, rather than through top-down rules, is more likely to succeed. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/is-13-too-young-to-have-a-tiktok-or-instagram-account-199097" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Technology

Female artists earn less than men. Coming from a diverse cultural background incurs even more of a penalty – but there is good news, too

Artists all over the world, regardless of their gender, earn <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/handbook/handbook-of-the-economics-of-art-and-culture">considerably less</a> than professionals in occupations requiring similar levels of education and qualifications. But there’s an additional income penalty for artists who are female. In an analysis of gender differences in the incomes of professional artists in Australia that <a href="https://australiacouncil.gov.au/advocacy-and-research/the-gender-pay-gap-among-australian-artists/">we undertook in 2020</a>, we found the creative incomes of women were 30% less than those of men. This is true even after allowing for differences in such things as hours worked, education and training, time spent in childcare and so on. This income penalty on women artists was greater than the gender pay gap of 16% experienced in the overall Australian workforce at the time. <a href="https://theconversation.com/screen-australia-celebrates-its-work-in-gender-equality-but-things-are-far-from-equal-122266">Some sectors</a> of the arts have tried to redress this problem. However, women continue to suffer serious and unexplained gender-based discrimination in the artistic workplace. Cultural differences are <a href="https://www.nber.org/papers/w27725">also known</a> to influence pay gaps in many countries. In new research <a href="https://australiacouncil.gov.au/advocacy-and-research/culture-and-the-gender-pay-gap-for-australian-artists">out today</a>, we considered whether cultural factors might also affect the gender pay gap of artists in Australia. In addition, we analysed the gender pay gap for remote Indigenous artists for the first time. <h2>A larger gap for women from a non-English speaking background</h2> In our <a href="https://australiacouncil.gov.au/advocacy-and-research/making-art-work/">2016 survey of 826 professional artists</a> working in metropolitan, regional and rural Australia, we asked participants if they came from a non-English speaking background. Only a relatively small proportion of artists – 10% – came from a non-English-speaking background, compared to 18% for the Australian labour force as a whole. A non-English-speaking background appears to carry an income penalty only for women artists, not for men. We found the annual creative earnings of female artists from a non-English-speaking background are about 71% of the creative incomes of female artists whose first language is English. But there is little difference between the corresponding incomes of male artists. Within the group of artists from language backgrounds other than English, the annual creative earnings of female artists are about half (53%) those of their male counterparts. By contrast, the ratio of female to male creative earnings among English-speaking background artists is 73%. These results suggest that women artists from a non-English-speaking background suffer a triple earnings penalty – from being an artist (and hence as a group earning less than comparable professionals), from their gender, and from their cultural background. Despite this earnings disadvantage, 63% of artists who identified as having a first language other than English thought their background had a positive impact on their artistic practice. Only 16% thought it had a negative impact. When artists were asked whether being from a non-English speaking background was a restricting factor in their professional artistic development, 17% of women answered “yes”, compared to only 5% of men from a similar background. Nevertheless, like their male colleagues, these women artists continue to celebrate their cultural background in their art. They contribute to the increasingly multicultural content of the arts in Australia, holding up a mirror to trends in Australian society at large. <h2>No gender gap in remote Indigenous communities</h2> For First Nations artists working in remote communities, a different picture emerges. For this research, we used results for remote communities in three regions of northern Australia drawn from our <a href="https://apo.org.au/node/257301">National Survey of Remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Artists</a>. The gender gap is not replicated among remotely practising First Nations artists. There are some minor variations in this finding for subgroups in different regions, depending in part on differences in the mix of visual and performing artists in the population. But whatever other differentials may exist between female and male earnings, they do not appear to be attributable to the sorts of systemic gender-based discrimination that affects the residual gender gap for other Australian artists. A possible reason relates to fundamental differences between the cultural norms, values and inherited traditions that apply in remote and very remote First Nations communities. Gender roles in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities have been <a href="https://anthrosource.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1525/can.1992.7.2.02a00020">described</a> by researchers as distinctively different, rather than superior or inferior. The importance of both women and men as bearers of culture has been clearly articulated. The unique cultural content of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander music, dance, visual art and literature is an essential feature of the work of these artists. These characteristics pass through to the marketplace, and there does not appear to be any obvious gender gap in the way the art from these remote communities is received. There is always differentiation between the art produced in different remote regions of Australia which varies depending on the complexities of different inherited cultural traditions. But there is no indication of any gender-based discrimination associated with these regional differences. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/female-artists-earn-less-than-men-coming-from-a-diverse-cultural-background-incurs-even-more-of-a-penalty-but-there-is-good-news-too-195646" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Art

Spending too much money? Tempted by sales? These ways to ‘hack’ your psychology can help

It’s late November, which means the holiday sales period has well and truly begun. If you haven’t already seen your spending go up, the possibility is looming. And you probably have some concerns about spending your money wisely. Furthermore, shopping can be a harrowing experience, and our attitudes towards money are tied up in all kinds of feelings. Based on psychology, here are three tips to improve the way you spend your hard-earned cash this holiday season. Before the purchase – patience is your friend One of the amazing features of the human mind is that we can mentally time travel: we can imagine what the future is going to feel like. Scientists call this “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S0065-2601(03)01006-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">affective forecasting</a>”. Thinking about a future trip – imagining the warm sun, the sand between your toes, finding yourself smiling – is an example of such mental time travel. However, it turns out <a href="https://www.bauer.uh.edu/vpatrick/docs/Looking%20Through%20the%20Crystal%20Ball.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">we’re not very good at affective forecasting</a>. We get wrong not only the emotions we will experience, but also their intensity and duration. Lottery winners are a classic example – contrary to expectations, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037//0022-3514.36.8.917" target="_blank" rel="noopener">many are not happy</a>, or not happy for long. More importantly, you can derive happiness from just anticipating future experiences. For example, one study measured the happiness of 974 people going on a trip compared with 556 people not going on a trip. As you might expect, the vacationers were relatively happier – <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fs11482-009-9091-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">but only before the trip</a>. So, how can we take advantage of our capacity to mentally time travel? Tip #1: Pay now, consume later. These days, fuelled by the rise of “buy now, pay later” options, we get to consume what we want immediately. However, this instant gratification deprives us of a key source of happiness: anticipation. A better strategy is to commit to buy something and then wait a little before actually consuming it. At the point of purchase – notice you’re paying An inevitability of every purchase is spending money. This represents a cost, both in terms of the monetary value but also the opportunity to buy other things. Costs are a form of loss, and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.39.4.341" target="_blank" rel="noopener">we don’t like losing things</a>. For that reason, it psychologically hurts to spend money. Scientists call this the “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1287/mksc.17.1.4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pain of paying</a>”. According to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8721.00151" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one theory of shopping</a>, we decide to buy after making a mental calculation: is the anticipated pleasure of consuming higher than the anticipated pain of buying? <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.neuron.2006.11.010" target="_blank" rel="noopener">This calculus</a> is even represented in the brain. For example, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2901808" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one study</a> looking at people’s brains with fMRI while they purchased food found neural activity in areas linked to higher-order, affective pain processing, which correlated with how high the price was. How did you pay for your last meal? Did you have to dig into your wallet or purse trying to extract the appropriate combination of notes and coins? Maybe you simply pulled out a plastic card and swiped it on the reader? Or perhaps you absentmindedly touched your smartphone to the machine. <figure class="align-center "><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/496420/original/file-20221121-14-8dpx7o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/496420/original/file-20221121-14-8dpx7o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496420/original/file-20221121-14-8dpx7o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496420/original/file-20221121-14-8dpx7o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496420/original/file-20221121-14-8dpx7o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496420/original/file-20221121-14-8dpx7o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496420/original/file-20221121-14-8dpx7o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="A person holding up their smartphone to a contactless payment system" /><figcaption>‘Tapping’ with your phone greatly reduces the pain of paying. <a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/k24rOBJ2D_0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">naipo.de/Unsplash</a></figcaption></figure> It turns out your method of payment changes how much pain you feel. In <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/jcr/ucv056" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one study</a>, researchers asked some university employees if they would like to buy a mug at a discounted price. Half were only allowed to pay in cash, whereas the other half had to use a debit or credit card. Those who paid in cash self-reported more pain of paying. So, how can you use this to your advantage? Tip #2: Ramp up the pain. If you’re worried about overspending this holiday period, ramp up the pain of paying. You can do this by using cash or receiving a notification each time money leaves your account. After the purchase – stop chasing rainbows A fundamental feature of human beings is that we are adaptive – we easily get used to the new normal. This applies to our purchases, too. Scientists call it “<a href="https://www.cmu.edu/dietrich/sds/docs/loewenstein/HedonicAdaptation.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hedonic adaptation</a>”: over time, consumption of the same thing brings decreasing happiness. Remember the day you got your smartphone? You may have felt joy as you caressed the smooth aluminium back and watched light glint off the unblemished glass. Now look at your phone. What happened to the joy? It’s normal to experience hedonic adaptation. However, one problem is that we don’t anticipate it. Remember affective forecasting? Since <a href="https://doi.org/10.2307/3150499" target="_blank" rel="noopener">satisfaction is a function of expectations relative to performance</a>, when we fail to adjust our expectations in light of the inevitable hedonic adaptation, we end up dissatisfied. The second problem with hedonic adaptation is that the obvious solution appears to be buying something new. Maybe you need a new smartphone to replace your slightly scratched-up old one? If this is your thinking, you’ve just hopped onto the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.61.4.305" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hedonic treadmill</a>. Now the only way to maintain your happiness is to spend more and more money to get better and better versions of everything. So, how can you get off this treadmill? Tip #3: Buy experiences, not things. It turns out <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/jcr/ucaa047" target="_blank" rel="noopener">people end up happier when they buy experiences rather than things</a>. For example, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s12232-010-0093-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a study</a> that tracked how older adults spent their money found that only one category of spending was related to happiness: leisure purchases, such as going on trips, seeing a movie at the cinema, and cheering at sporting events. One reason for this is that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1086/597049" target="_blank" rel="noopener">we adapt to purchases of experiences more slowly</a> than purchases of material things. So, the next time you’re tossing up between buying tickets to a festival or getting the latest gadget, pick up your scratched-up smartphone and pre-purchase some festival tickets for you and your friends.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/194821/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> Writen by Adrian R. Camilleri. Republished with permission from <a href="https://theconversation.com/spending-too-much-money-tempted-by-sales-these-ways-to-hack-your-psychology-can-help-194821" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. Image: Getty Images

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How much stress is too much? A psychiatrist explains the links between toxic stress and poor health − and how to get help

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