More than $2.2 million in sports equipment grants distributed by Coles in four years
Coles is helping Little Athletics centres to stay on track with more than $250,000 in sports equipment grants to be distributed to 73 local centres across Australia for this summer’s season.
“The past two seasons have been extremely testing for our clubs and centres who have battled numerous challenges such as COVID-19, floods and bushfires,” he said.
“These natural disasters and the pandemic have not only impacted on Little Athletics centres’ ability to fundraise at a local level but it’s also had a huge impact on the morale of the centres. The grants from this round of the Coles Little Athletics Community Fund will not only help centres buy new equipment but it will lift the spirits of their volunteers, athletes and families for the new season.”
“We’re very aware of the challenges local Little Athletics centres have faced over the past two years and we’re proud to do our bit to help them to recover and grow so that kids and families can continue to enjoy Little Athletics each week.”
“The floods last season destroyed some of our equipment and it also damaged our buildings, grounds and canteen equipment, which means that our ability to fundraise this season will be severely impacted,” he said.
“The grant from Coles will allow volunteers to concentrate on training the athletes rather than constant fundraising as the club is still needing to pay for other repairs to the grounds. It will help us to buy a new trolley for our volunteers to move equipment safely and efficiently and the new hurdles and javelins will provide a more enjoyable experience for our athletes.”
In addition to providing more than $2.2 million in equipment grants, Coles has donated more than 3.7 million bananas to Little Athletics centres since 2017.
Climate talks begin at COP27 in Cairo, Egypt with a World Health Organization grim reminder that the climate crisis continues to make people sick and jeopardises lives and states that health must be at the core of these critical negotiations.
WHO believes the conference must conclude with progress on the four key goals of mitigation, adaptation, financing and collaboration to tackle the climate crisis.
WHO states that COP27 will be a crucial opportunity for the world to come together and re-commit to keeping the 1.5 °C Paris Agreement goal alive with a focus on health threats from the climate crisis.
Climate change is making millions of people sick or more vulnerable to disease all over the world and the increasing destructiveness of extreme weather events disproportionately affects poor and marginalized communities. It is crucial that leaders and decision makers come together at COP27 to put health at the heart of the negotiations.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General
Our health depends on the health of the ecosystems that surround us, and these ecosystems are now under threat from deforestation, agriculture and other changes in land use and rapid urban development. The encroachment ever further into animal habitats is increasing opportunities for viruses harmful to humans to make the transition from their animal host. Between 2030 and 2050, climate change is expected to cause approximately 250 000 additional deaths per year from malnutrition, malaria, diarrhoea and heat stress.
The direct damage costs to health (i.e., excluding costs in health-determining sectors such as agriculture and water and sanitation), is estimated to be between US$ 2–4 billion per year by 2030.
The rise in global temperature that has already occurred is leading to extreme weather events that bring intense heatwaves and droughts, devastating floods and increasingly powerful hurricanes and tropical storms. The combination of these factors means the impact on human health is increasing and is likely to accelerate.
But there is room for hope, particularly if governments take action now to honour the pledges made at Glasgow in November 2021 and to go further in resolving the climate crisis.
WHO is calling on governments to lead a just, equitable and fast phase out of fossil fuels and transition to a clean energy future. There has also been encouraging progress on commitments to decarbonization and WHO is calling for the creation of a fossil fuel non-proliferation treaty that would see coal and other fossil fuels harmful to the atmosphere phased out in a just and equitable way. This would represent one of the most significant contributions to climate change mitigation.
Improvement in human health is something that all citizens can contribute to, whether through the promotion of more urban green spaces, which facilitate climate mitigation and adaptation while decreasing the exposure to air pollution, or campaigning for local traffic restrictions and the enhancement of local transport systems. Community engagement and participation on climate change is essential to building resilience and strengthening food and health systems, and this is particularly important for vulnerable communities and small island developing states (SIDS), who are bearing the brunt of extreme weather events.
Thirty-one million people in the greater Horn of Africa are facing acute hunger and 11 million children are facing acute malnutrition as the region faces one of the worst droughts in recent decades. Climate change already has an impact on food security and if current trends persist, it will only get worse. The floods in Pakistan are a result of climate change and have devasted vast swathes of the country. The impact will be felt for years to come. Over 33 million people have been affected and almost 1,500 health centres damaged.
But even communities and regions less familiar with extreme weather must increase their resilience, as we have seen with flooding and heatwaves recently in central Europe. WHO encourages everyone to work with their local leaders on these issues and take action in their communities.
Climate policy must now put health at the centre and promote climate change mitigation policies that bring health benefits simultaneously. Health-focused climate policy would help bring about a planet that has cleaner air, more abundant and safer freshwater and food, more effective and fairer health and social protection systems and, as a result, healthier people.
Investment in clean energy will yield health gains that repay those investments twice over. There are proven interventions able to reduce emissions of short-lived climate pollutants, for instance applying higher standards for vehicle emissions, which have been calculated to save approximately 2.4 million lives per year, through improved air quality and reduce global warming by about 0.5 °C by 2050. The cost of renewable sources of energy has decreased significantly in the last few years, and solar energy is now cheaper than coal or gas in most major economies.
WHO is custodian to 32 Sustainable Development Goal indicators, 17 of which are impacted by climate change or its drivers, and 16 of which specifically impact the health of children.
The COP27 Health Pavilion will convene the global health community and its partners to ensure health and equity are placed at the centre of the climate negotiations. It will offer a 2-week programme of events showcasing evidence, initiatives and solutions to maximize the health benefits of tackling climate change across regions, sectors and communities.
MANILA, Philippines l 24 October 2022 – Health ministers and senior officials from 37 countries and areas across Asia and the Pacific are meeting this week to address key health issues and priorities for the work of the World Health Organization (WHO) in the Western Pacific Region.
The 73rd session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Western Pacific from 24 to 28 October is a hybrid meeting, with many delegates joining in person in Manila, Philippines, and others connecting online.
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus travelled to Manila and addressed the Regional Committee on day one: “Excellencies. Your agenda this week reflects the wide range of challenges you face as a region. I give you my commitment that your WHO will continue to support you, through our country and regional offices, and at headquarters, to promote, provide, protect, power and perform for health.”
In her remarks to the Committee, Dr Zsuzsanna Jakab, WHO’s Deputy Director General and Officer-in-Charge of the Western Pacific Regional Office, said “The Region has made impressive achievements in the past year, rapidly rolling out COVID-19 vaccines, redesigning healthcare pathways to prepare for future pandemics, and driving forward the shared vision For the Future.”
In a presentation by the Region’s Directors on key achievements Dr Corinne Capuano, WHO Director of Programme Management for the Western Pacific, said “WHO in the Region has been responding to COVID-19 while continuing to drive forward our shared vision For the Future. The world and the Western Pacific look quite different compared to this time last year. More borders are open, more people are vaccinated, and, thankfully, far fewer are dying from COVID-19. In this Region, we have fared relatively well. Our collective investments and efforts – by leaders across the Region, by communities, and by individuals – have paid off. We have also built on our culture of learning and improving, and we have undertaken significant work to improve our workplace culture since we last met last year.”
During the seventy-third session of the Regional Committee this week, delegates will consider for endorsement resolutions on issues including:
• mental health
• cervical cancer
• noncommunicable disease prevention and control
• primary health care
• reaching the unreached.
In addition, this year’s session will feature a panel discussion on Communication for Health (C4H), and delegates will discuss progress in several programmes such as: health security, including COVID-19 and antimicrobial resistance; climate change, the environment and health; and advancing implementation of For the Future: Towards the Healthiest and Safest Region, the vision for WHO’s work with Member States and partners in the Western Pacific.
The Honourable Dr Bounfeng Phoummalaysith, Minister of Health of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, was elected Chair for this year’s session of the Regional Committee. Accepting the role, Dr Phoummalaysith said, “I am humbled by your trust and confidence in me to chair this seventy-third session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Western Pacific. I thank you all, and it is my pleasure to welcome you – physically and virtually – to Manila. I also wish to thank the outgoing Chairperson – the honourable Minister of Health of Tuvalu – and other officers of the last session. I will do my best to follow in your footsteps this week.”
The Honourable Dr Saia Ma’u Piukala, Minister of Health, Tonga, was elected Vice-Chair.
WHO
Working with 194 Member States across six regions, WHO is the United Nations specialized agency responsible for public health. Each WHO region has its own regional committee – a governing body composed of ministers of health and senior officials from the region’s Member States. Each regional committee meets annually to agree on health actions and chart priorities for WHO’s work.
WHOWPRO
The WHO Western Pacific Region is home to more than 1.9 billion people across 37 countries and areas in Asia and the Pacific: Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China, Cook Islands, Fiji, France (which has responsibility for French Polynesia, New Caledonia, and Wallis and Futuna), Hong Kong SAR (China), Japan, Kiribati, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Macao SAR (China), Malaysia, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia (Federated States of), Mongolia, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, the Republic of Korea, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (which has responsibility for Pitcairn Islands), the United States of America (which has responsibility for American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and Guam), Vanuatu and Viet Nam.
FWD Group survey finds people in Asia view mental health as a critical concern, yet are unlikely to seek external support – positive reframing of the issue may hold the key to bridging the gap.
· 65% of people in Asia believe mental health will be one of the most critical issues in the coming year, yet only one-third are open to seeking external support
· 31% of respondents in Asia believe renaming “mental health” can help people to open up
· 40% of respondents in Asia say the cost of treatment is the biggest impediment to seeking outside help for mental health care
Hong Kong, 10 October 2022 (AFTNN/PRNews) – FWD Group Holdings Limited (“FWD Group”) today released the findings from its international mental health survey, one of the largest completed in Asia, to identify insights and ideas to help promote better overall emotional well-being.
In collaboration with Blackbox, an independent research company, the survey interviewed more than 10,000 people across 16 international markets between June and July 2022, including nine markets where FWD operates: Cambodia; Hong Kong; Indonesia; Japan; Malaysia; the Philippines; Singapore; Thailand and Vietnam.
Sim Preston, Managing Director and Group Chief Operating Officer, FWD Group, said, “While it’s great that mental health is gaining more and more awareness, especially in Asia, the stigma and cost of treatment remain barriers for people to seek the help they need. Published on World Mental Health Day, we hope this survey contributes insights and ideas that can help further raise awareness for this critical issue. As an insurer, we also look forward to making mental health protection more inclusive and focused on building mind strength, to enable people to celebrate living.”
While the survey found that 65% of people in Asia believe that mental health will become a critical issue in the coming year, only one-third of them prefer discussing their concerns externally. Given the cultural and societal stigmas associated with mental health, the survey findings showed that reframing mental health in a more positive way, such as ‘mind strength’, may reduce the stigma attached to the more traditional term and encourage more people in the region to open up about their challenges.
Cost of treatment was also identified as one of the most significant barriers to receiving care for mental health challenges in Asia, and 76% of respondents expressed their interest in exploring insurance options to address such challenges. The survey also uncovered that people in Asia worry about their families and jobs, which can lead to a higher rate of mental health challenges.
“Our survey showed that contributing factors to mental stress include concerns about a wide range of family responsibilities, coupled with work-related stress, rising inflation and post-pandemic adjustment. Given we also know that people may not be comfortable seeking help externally as individuals, family assumes a particularly important role. Opening up and addressing these challenges as a family unit first instead of individually, can make a difference as people may feel more comfortable,” added Joanna Chu, Group Head of Product Proposition, FWD Group.
Overall key findings of the survey include:
Mental health issues will become more prominent around the world, yet stigma remains:
o 65% of people in Asia believe mental health will be one of the most critical issues in the coming year
o 74% of people said they had experienced (16%) or known someone close (28%) and distant (30%) to them who had suffered from mental health challenges
o People in Asia place a higher value on self-help rather than seeking outside assistance, only 34% prefer discussing issues openly with others
o 31% of people in Asia believe renaming “mental health” can help people to open up
Inflation and the future of children/family are top concerns leading to mental health challenges today
o Concerns around inflation (47%) cause more mental health challenges than post-pandemic adjustment (30%)
o People in Asia worry about their jobs (31%) and family-related concerns, including the future of children/family (34%) and increasing family responsibilities (32%)
People in Asia are interested in insurance options for mental health
o 76% of people want to explore insurance to assist them in dealing with mental health challenges
o The cost of treatment is one of the most significant barriers to receiving mental health care in Asia; 40% of people in Asia say the cost of treatment is the biggest impediment to seeking outside help.
– Ends –
About FWD Group
FWD Group is a pan-Asian life insurance business with approximately 10 million customers across 10 markets, including some of the fastest growing insurance markets in the world. Established in 2013, FWD is focused on making the insurance journey simpler, faster and smoother, with innovative propositions and easy-to-understand products, supported by digital technology. Through this customer-led approach, FWD is committed to changing the way people feel about insurance.
Dementia Action Week takes place from 19 – 25 September 2022 in Australia.
Celebrity supporters, Ambassadors, Patron Ita Buttrose AC OBE and a person living with dementia have combined forces and lent their voices to an audiobook version of Dementia Australia’s Dementia Guide.
“The Dementia Guide is the go-to online resource for any person impacted by any form of dementia, of any age, in any location across Australia,” Ms Buttrose said.
“Speaking for the voices team, I know we have all been thrilled to contribute to The Dementia Guide Audiobook to increase the accessibility to vital information about dementia and the support available.
“Each person who has shared their voice has had an experience of dementia in their family and we have done this to raise awareness and help others to know they are not alone and that there is support available.”
Dementia Australia Ambassadors and voices Natarsha Belling, Stephanie Bendixsen, Takaya Honda, Mark Seymour, Denis Walter OAM, Pat Welsh and celebrity supporters Rhonda Burchmore OAM and Geraldine Hickey wholeheartedly echo Ita’s words and have enthusiastically backed the project.
Not just for people living with dementia, The Dementia Guide is also for friends, families and carers, and talks to the impact dementia may have on a person, the treatment, support and services they may need, and how loved ones can provide support.
Stephanie Bendixsen, video game critic and television presenter, said she added her voice to the audiobook as she sees the value in a more accessible resource for families, such as hers, who need to navigate life with dementia.
“My mother passed away from Alzheimer’s disease in 2018, and we really knew so little about dementia when she was diagnosed,” Ms Bendixsen said.
“This made it difficult to understand why certain things were happening with her behaviourally, and we struggled to understand what was truly going on inside her brain, how her physicality was affected and how best we could support her and my Dad, her main carer, as a family.
“Resources like this are so very valuable, and their accessibility even more so. Even though I consider myself a big reader – finding the time to sit down and read a book can be tricky when you have a busy lifestyle. I switched to audiobooks years ago so that I can absorb books while I’m driving, walking the dog, doing chores – it’s been life-changing. An easily accessible resource like this would have made a wonderful difference to me and my family when we were coming to terms with how Mum’s – and our lives – would change.”
The audiobook includes a welcome from Dementia Australia CEO Maree McCabe AM and a chapter recorded by Ann Pietsch, who is a Dementia Advocate and lives with dementia.
“I was invited to read one of the chapters and I personally think that The Dementia Guide is a valuable resource, making it available as an audio book is a great idea as it will now be easily available to more people living with dementia, carers, and families and the wider public,” Mrs Pietsch said.
This media release has been provided by DementiaAustralia.org media release issued on 17 August 2022.
My grandpa Winston was a hat-bearing fit gentleman who would ask me to drop him off in Butterworth just so that he could walk back to Penang Island! My cousin Richard walks an average of 20,000 steps a day – a phenomenal feat considering our minimum daily is 10,000 steps a day. Another cousin Madeleine and husband Hieu, owners of Taste Baguette share their secret. They walk an average of 15-hours a week and walk everywhere because she says, “We like to eat, so we need to walk!”.
“We walk to the shops, to the bank, to the post office, to visit our stores and walk with friends on the weekends to each other’s houses or to have brunch at the store”.
My retired uncle James is an early riser and starts his day with a daily walk of at least 45-minutes before heading back for breakfast. My father has begun a routine of jogging at least 30-minutes around the park in the mornings. I’ve found their stories immensely inspiring and have started on a walking spree myself! I walk to the train station to and from work, I walk to lunch, I walk whenever I find an opportunity to walk. I’ve been walking at least 30-minutes a day! And I love this way of ‘tricking’ my body into exercise.
Just a thought. If you’re reading this while seated, may I invite you to stand up? Go on, that’s the purpose of this article. Just stand and shake your legs, stretch and let the blood flow. Stretch your arms up high. Draw a deep breath and breathe out in two fast spurts. Think about walking. Just visualise it. Imagine it in your mind’s eye.
Here are SEVEN REASONS why you could consider walking at least 30-minutes a day. You won’t regret it once your waist starts to trim and find energy in your feet 😛
Reason 1
Walking is a simple yet great stress reliever. Walking increases your heart rate and helps you breath more efficiently and when you have a combination of these two, you’re bound to feel better already!
Reason 2
It improves your mood. Regular walking outdoors helps you enjoy natural sunlight, lovely scenery and fresh air which can help burn calories and build muscle—all while boosting your mood.
Reason 3
Time out walking gets your blood flowing through to your brains and soon you’ll be ticking with fresh ideas! Stuck on something? Go for a brisk walk and see if it helps.
Reason 4
It reduces your risks of chronic disease. Many university studies have proven that walking lowers your blood sugar levels and your overall risk for diabetes. Imagine… just walking alone can reduce the chances of cardiovascular disease by 30%.
Reason 5
Get rid of those unsightly varicose veins! Our venous system includes an area called ‘the second heart,’ which is formed by muscles, veins, and valves in our calf and feet. Here, blood is pushed back up to the heart and lungs so when you walk, you’re strengthening ‘the second heart’, boost blood flow and reduce varicose veins.
Reason 6
Get your digestive juices flowing and get more regular! As you walk and move, you tend to engage your core and your abdominal muscles, encouraging movement in your gastrointestinal system.
Reason 7
Lose weight! It’s a slow way but a sure way! It may take a month, or two but as you continue to walk, you will notice a tightening of your muscles, especially around your midsection, your legs and buttocks. Regular walking helps improve your body’s response to insulin, which can help reduce belly fat. Your metabolic rate increases too!
So these are the seven reasons but do you really need seven? Try adopt a walk a day now. Walk around the block, up and down the stairs, with a good friend or even with a client in the park. And do tell me about it if it works! Enjoy!!
Click image to join the MOVE8 campaign
Photo credit: Richard Cheah. Follow him on Instagram: @rich_c8. Article by Jasmine Low, co-founder GoInternationalGroup.com’s Innovation Labs, where it’s incubating www.AsiaFitnessToday.com, fitness media and training startup that promotes fitness and wellness programs at the workplace. Originally published on 26 June, 2017.
As borders open up and flights resume, tourism picks up throughout the Southeast Asia region. Our team at AFT has compiled this list of standard operating procedures (SOPs) for those who are travelling to popular destinations like Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand & Vietnam. Travel safe and always follow the SOPs. Enjoy!
Starting 1 May 2022, fully-vaccinated inbound travellers are no longer required to undergo pre-departure and on-arrival COVID-19 tests, including children aged 12 and below as well as for those who have been infected with COVID-19 within six to 60 days before departure to Malaysia. Travel insurance will also not be a prerequisite for foreigners entering the country.
Traveller’s Checklist into Malaysia:
Download the MySejahtera app and create an account.
Verify your digital COVID-19 vaccine certificate. If you have previously verified your digital vaccination certificate on the MySejahtera application, you can skip this step.
As of 28 April 2022, all International travelers, both Indonesian citizens and foreign nationals can enter Indonesia through the assigned entry points by air and sea (list displayed in the website above).
Travellers must abide with the strict health protocols implemented by the Indonesian government and must download the PeduliLindungi app before departure.
Travellers must show certificates (physical and digital) of having received a complete dose of COVID-19 vaccine consisting of two doses and/or a booster (third) vaccine which are administered 14 days before departure at the earliest as a requirement to enter Indonesia with conditions stated in the website above.
Indonesian citizens must show proof (physical and digital) of having received a complete dose of COVID-19 vaccine consisting of two doses and/or a booster (third) vaccine as a requirement to enter Indonesia, and in the event that the Indonesian citizens have not received vaccine abroad, they will be vaccinated in the quarantine place in Indonesia after a second RT-PCR examination with negative results;
The Indonesian government accepts all kinds of COVID-19 vaccine administered to international travelers.
In the event of foreign nationals have not received vaccine abroad, they will be vaccinated in the quarantine place upon arrival in Indonesia after a second RT-PCR examination with negative results (refer to the website above for full description).
From 1 April 2022, there will be specific entry requirements in place based on whether you are fully vaccinated or non-fully vaccinated.
We welcome all fully vaccinated visitors* to Singapore. No entry approvals, pre-departure tests, on-arrival tests and quarantine required.
*Fully vaccinated visitors and non-fully vaccinated children aged 12 and below will be allowed to enter Singapore.
Pre-departure checklist:
Obtain proof of vaccination and upload vaccination certificate onto the Vaccination Check Portal.
Secure tickets for any flight to Singapore.
Download the TraceTogether app and register your profile.
3 days before departure: Submit SG Arrival Card and e-health declaration via the official and free e-service on the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) website.
Travelers may enter Thailand with or without quarantine based on their vaccination status and country of departure.
New entry requirements were introduced on May 1, 2022 but always check on the websites above for updates prior to your departure.
Fully Vaccinated travelers will no longer need to apply to enter Thailand under the Test & Go or Sandbox scheme. A vaccinated traveler does not need to book 1 night’s accommodation in an approved SHA+ hotel or complete an RT-PCR test on arrival. Fully vaccinated foreigners will need to provide proof of insurance and their vaccination certificate when applying for Thailand Pass. Thai Nationals only need to provide their vaccination certificate as insurance is not required.Unvaccinated children under 18 years old may travel with vaccinated parents without quarantine.
Unvaccinated travelers will have 2 options for entering Thailand:
Unvaccinated travelers will be able to enter Thailand under the existing 5-day Alternate Quarantine scheme; OR
Unvaccinated travelers will be able to avoid the 5-day Alternate Quarantine by completing an RT-PCR test and uploading the result into their Thailand Pass application. The test cannot be older than 72 hours before their arrival date. Book your AQ Hotel Quarantine today.
On 15 March 2022, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism issued Guidance on reopening the tourism activities under the new normal with the spirit “Adapting safely, flexibly and controlling the COVID-19 pandemic effectively” following the directions of the Government and the Prime Minister.
All Vietnam destinations are open. No self-isolation is required.
Here are key points of the new guidelines: RT-PCR test + visa + travel insurance now accepted for entry.
Upon arrival, you must present:
Negative Covid-19 test result per passenger:
Travelers entering via air: Present a negative SARS-CoV-2 test result (except for children under 2 years old) using RT-PCR/RT-LAMP method within 72 hours before entry into Vietnam. Or have a negative rapid test result within 24 hours before departure, certified by the competent authority of the country where the test is performed. Travelers entering via land, rail and sea routes: Present negative test results as mentioned in the section above. In case not presenting proof of a negative test result for SARS-CoV-2 as specified above, entrants are required to undergo a SARS-CoV-2 test at the border gate before entry (using RT-PCR/RT-LAMP method or rapid antigen test for SARS-CoV-2). Upon receiving a negative SARS-CoV-2 test result, they are allowed to enter and join tour activities. If the RT – PCR test result returns positive, they must follow strictly the regulations of the health authority. Children under 2 years old are not required to be tested for SARS-CoV-2. Having not been vaccinated against COVID-19 or having never been infected with SARS-CoV-2 before, they are allowed to enter and to join outdoor activities with their parents and relatives.
Proof of valid medical/travel insurance covering Covid-19 treatment. Minimum cover USD10,000 (Link to info).
Downloaded PC-Covid mobile app (Apple/Google Play) which must be presented to enter all VN establishments.
“February 2023 will be a moment in time of a gathering of great minds for commitments to resolve what it takes, to move from where we are now to get to a better future. This can be Your Legacy; you can help change the current course from a catastrophic outcome to a healthy, habitable planet. Please do this for the next generation, for the future of humanity.”
Dr. Sylvia Earle, oceanographer, marine biologist and explorer
Ocean Geographic, Aurora Expeditions and Mission Blue invite thought leaders in the fields of science, art, education, and economics, alongside inquisitive teenagers and corporate executives, to participate in an expedition to Antarctica with Dr Sylvia Earle. The principal expedition team for this most important climate summit will be comprised of conservationists, celebrities, and ocean luminaries.
You can be part of this pivotal Antarctic summit to save our environment for future generations.
In a recent study published in Preventive Medicine Reports*, Dr Shian-Ling Keng, Associate Professor from the Department of Psychology at Monash University Malaysia, along with a team of 107 researchers from over 40 countries globally, are charting COVID-19’s deadly sweep across the world by delving into the virus’ often overlooked impact on people’s health behaviours. This study is conducted with Dr Michael Stanton, Assistant Professor in the Department of Public Health at California State University, East Bay as a co-leading investigator. Other key collaborators of the study include Dr LeeAnn Haskins (University of Georgia, USA), Dr Jeannette Ickovics (Yale University, USA), Dr Antwan Jones (the George Washington University, USA), Dr Diana Grigsby-Toussaint (Brown University, USA), and Dr Carlos Almenara (Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas, Peru).
Anxiety associated with the COVID-19 pandemic and home confinement measures have been found to be associated with adverse health behaviours, such as unhealthy eating, smoking, drinking, and decreased physical activity. These unhealthy behaviours are risk factors for non-communicable diseases, including obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases, which in turn increase the risk of contracting COVID-19 and greater disease severity and may eventually lead to increased mortality. However, to date, most studies have been limited by regional sampling, which precludes the examination of behavioural consequences associated with the pandemic at a global level.
Using data from the global PsyCorona project, an international, longitudinal online study of psychological and behavioural correlates of COVID-19, Dr Keng and over 100 behavioural scientists surveyed 7,402 adult participants from 86 countries across three waves of assessment and measured their perceived infection risk, economic burden, and engagement in health behaviours ranging from physical exercise, unhealthy eating, smoking, to alcohol consumption. By employing a multilevel regression approach in its data analysis, the team tested whether COVID-19 infection risk and economic burden correlate with a decline in healthy behavioural habits. The study found that perceived economic burden was linked with reduced diet quality and sleep quality, as well as increased smoking. There was also an interaction between perceived COVID-19 infection risk and economic burden, such that diet quality and sleep quality were lowest among those reported high levels of COVID-19 infection risk and economic burden. Neither binge drinking nor physical exercise were associated with perceived COVID-19 infection risk, economic burden, or their interaction.
“The pandemic is teaching us key lessons about the relationship between different types of stressors and health outcomes across different socioeconomic groups. In particular, it highlights the importance of attending to cumulative, negative effects of high infection risk and economic burden on health outcomes”, said Dr Keng. This project began when Dr Keng was a faculty member with the Division of Psychology at Yale-NUS College, Singapore.
Since March 2020, the PsyCorona scientists have conducted ongoing 20-minute interviews with more than 60,000 people in 115 countries. The survey topics range from handwashing and mask-wearing to dissatisfaction with government messaging. The project is jointly funded by the New York University Abu Dhabi, the University of Groningen in the Netherlands, and the Instituto de Salud Carlos III in Madrid, with Dr Pontus Leander (Wayne State University, USA) and Dr Jocelyn Bélanger (NYU Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates) as principal investigators.
“We are asking: If you perceive that you will get infected, and if you think that in the next few months your personal situation will be worse due to the economic consequences of COVID, will you sleep less, and will you eat more and eat unhealthy food?” Dr Stanton explained.
Preliminary findings from the study point to the value of developing interventions to address COVID-related stressors, which have an impact on health behaviours that, in turn, may influence vulnerability to COVID-19 and other health outcomes. Dr Keng noted that the relationships between COVID-19 stressors and health behaviours appear to be consistent across geographical regions — from impoverished nations to more developed European countries and the United States, and the relationships remained after controlling for variations in gender, age and levels of education. As a next step, the team aims to examine psychological mechanisms that may account for the relationships, including negative emotions and use of coping strategies such as problem solving and avoidance.
Dr Jones, Associate Professor from the Department of Sociology at The George Washington University, expressed that pandemics are notorious for inciting short- and long-term economic challenges. “However, there has been less attention on…how socially and economically vulnerable populations will be affected by the changing spatial landscape brought on by the consequences of the pandemic,” he stated.
Another co-author, Dr Grigsby-Toussaint, Associate Professor of Behavioural and Social Sciences and Epidemiology at the Brown University School of Public Health, indicated that supporting and engaging in international collaborative efforts are critical for mitigating the impact of COVID-19. “Although effective interventions targeting COVID-19 have to be tailored to the local context, it is important to have a broader view of stressors and health behaviours that are continuing to drive the pandemic.”
*Articles published on Preventive Medicine Reports are peer-reviewed and made freely available for everyone to read, download, and reuse in line with the user license displayed on the article.
AFT Ed.’s notes:
The World Health Organization (WHO) states that the official names announced for the virus responsible for COVID-19 (previously known as “2019 novel coronavirus”) and the disease it causes are as follows. The official name for the Disease is coronavirus disease (COVID-19), whereas the Virus is severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).
The PsyCorona Study aims to identify psychological and cultural factors that affect the spread of SARS-CoV-2. The fast-spreading coronavirus prompted many countries to go into lockdowns and to take various other mitigation measures, some of which may be required for years. Due to its Data Science component, the PsyCorona project is able to examine how individual-level psychological factors interact with different containment measures to predict differences in virus spread between countries and regions. Visit https://psycorona.org/ to learn more.
Other interesting links from The PsyCorona Study include:
Including workbook with exercise and step-by-step instructions.
What are core values?
Simply put, your personal core values are your fundamental beliefs. They reflect what you stand for, what’s important to you. Your core values guide your behavior and your decisions. The emphasis here is on YOU; we’re not talking about values in a sense of morality or social norms.
Why core values are important
As a career coach, personal values are one of the most important tools in my work with any client, and one of the first things I want to get clarity on. For me, those values form the base for all subsequent work, such as creating a personal mission statement, building a vision or setting career goals.
If our goals are not set in line with our values, we’ll have a much harder time mastering the challenges along the way. Similarly, if your job does not satisfy your personal values, you’re more likely to experience a lack of motivation and fulfillment in the long run. Knowing your values can therefore help you make the right career choice.
And there are other reasons why identifying your core values is beneficial, such as:
Making good decisions
Knowing your personal values is one of the best tools to make difficult decisions. If you’re crystal clear about what you want and what’s important to you, you can eliminate a lot of inner dialogue and arrive at decisions more efficiently and with more confidence. Or put the other way around, I believe the best decisions we make are the ones based on and aligned with our values.
Experiencing more fulfillment
People who live by their values tend to experience greater fulfillment and happiness. In other words, if we neglect our personal values, we suffer mentally and emotionally. I have experienced this in my own life too. Dr. Russ Harris, author of The Happiness Trap, claims that our values are even more important than our goals, because “we might not reach our goals, but we can always choose to live by our values”.
Becoming an effective leader
Getting clarity on your own values is also a critical step in becoming an effective and authentic leader. Studies have shown that leaders who are seen as inspiring tend to have consistent values that they display every day. It seems that people become effective leaders when they are rooted in who they are and what matters most to them.
Are you ready to discover your personal values? Scroll down to find an exercise that will help you discover yours.
Exercise – Discover Your Core Values
Download the workbook or follow the step-by-step instructions below
Approach things with an open mind. We’re often quick to presume we know the answers before we even start. As a result, we are missing the opportunity to embark on a creative self-discovery process. Adopt a beginner’s mind by letting go of any expectations about what will happen and instead develop a curiosity to understand yourself more deeply.
Core values are discovered, not selected. Your core values are an integral part of you and the point of the following exercise is to help you become consciously aware of them. Core values are not the same as aspirational values that express who you want to be, what you aspire to.
To do this exercise, all you need is a piece of paper, a pen and an undisturbed place. When you’re ready, start by following the instructions below.
Step 1 – List up
Things you enjoy
Make a list of things you enjoy – What are your interests and hobbies? What are you passionate about? How do you spend your free time? List up everything that comes to your mind.
Think about why you enjoy these things – This is a crucial element of the exercise. Two people can have the same interest, let’s say they like playing tennis, but their WHYs can be very different. One person might enjoy the competition and the challenge, for them it’s about winning and seeing who’s the better player. The other person might play tennis to get some exercise and keep in shape, for them it’s part of a healthy lifestyle. Take some time and carefully think about your motivations for the activities you listed.
Assign values – Go back to your list and try to determine what values lie behind each of the things you enjoy. In some cases the values already became evident when you thought about your motivations. In the example of the person that likes to play tennis in order to win, their values might be “Challenge” or “Recognition”.
Role models
Think about people that inspire you – These can be people you know personally or indirectly or even historical figures. List them all up. Again, the important part is to ask yourself why you respect or admire these people. What do they stand for, what values do they represent?
Same as before, list up the reasons and determine the underlying values.
Negative experiences
Think about negative experiences – Another way to discover your values is by remembering situations in which you were frustrated, upset or sad. What did you feel in those particular situations and why?
What values were being violated or suppressed? Write them down.
If you need help to come up with values, you can refer to a list of the most common values below (page 6 in your workbook). The list is by no means exhaustive so don’t restrict yourself to those values only.
By now, you might have a long list of personal values. Maybe there are 10, 20 or 50 values on your list. The next step is to group similar values under related themes.
For example, compassion, empathy and understanding are similar. Or independence, freedom and individuality are related. Group them together.
Step 3 – Find a common theme
Look at each group and select a word that best represents the whole group. It can be one of the values within the group or a new word.
For example, I might choose “self-reliance” as the word that best describes my values of independence, freedom and individuality.
Step 4 – Determine top values
After completing step 3, you may still have a considerable list of values. Now comes the time to determine which values are most important to you.
You want to end up at somewhere between 5 to 10 values. If you have too many, you won’t be able to remember them all and to use them effectively, for example when making difficult decisions. Picking just a few forces you to get to the root of who you really are and what you stand for.
Ask yourself: What values are essential to your life? What values represent your primary way of being?
Step 5 – Rank your values
In this last step, we want to rank your core values in order of importance. This is usually the most challenging part but also a crucial one; you may have core values that are in conflict with each other, for example, growth and stability. Or there might be situations where not all your values can be met. So it’s important to know which of your values are non-negotiable.
In order to do this, write down your core values in no particular order. Then look at the first two values and ask yourself, “If I could satisfy only one of these, which would I choose?” Go through the whole list and compare all values with each other until your list is in the right order.
Step 6 – Review and adjust
Congratulations! You’ve completed the exercise. It’s time to take a break and clear your mind. I recommend to “sleep over it” and come back to your list the next day.
With a fresh mind, review your core values list.
Do these values “feel right”? Do they resonate with you?
Do these values represent things you would support, even if your choice wasn’t popular?
Would you be comfortable and proud to tell your values to your friends and family?
Don’t hesitate to make changes to your list, nothing is written in stone.
Step 7 – Observe yourself
Over the coming days, be mindful of the choices you make and keep reviewing your list regularly.
Whenever you make a decision, consciously put a label on the values behind. Are the values on your list reflected in your daily life. If not, are there other values that you are living by as you go through your day? Keep working on your list (removing/replacing values, changing the order, finding a better word to describe a specific value, etc.) until you are satisfied with it.
Final notes
Knowing your core values is only one step on the path to an authentic life. Learning to apply them daily is a major component to happiness and success.
The key, especially in the beginning, is to keep your values top of mind. Put them where you can always see them, for example on post-it notes or on your screensaver or desktop.
As you go through your days, identify behaviors and actions that satisfy your core values. Try to bring more of those into your life – and get rid of the ones that are in conflict with your values. Whenever you set a goal or evaluate an opportunity, make sure you take your core values into account.
By actively and consciously living your values, you will experience – and enjoy – personal growth.
“Knowing your values does not mean you’ll always live in perfect accordance with them, but as a map, they will help guide you on your journey through life.”
– Amy Blacklock
This article has been contributed by Dominic Junghaenel of MindfulCareer.org. Dominic is a Career & Leadership Coach who is passionate about personal development and supporting people in overcoming challenges and reaching their goals. He is also a sports enthusiast and is currently challenging himself to go ice swimming in Switzerland.
