Home is where the heart is

The coronavirus has exposed long standing problems with Australia’s aged care homes, but a little support could go a long way to help us stay in our homes and age with grace.

Counterpoint by Mark Nicol – The super-dominant predator

Forget sharks, bears tigers and even viruses – mankind remains the most terrifyingly effective predator the world has ever seen, with our brains proving far more dangerous to the rest of the natural world than the claws and teeth of our long-vanquished competitors.

This year – A Victorian perspective

As Victoria finally emerges from its long lock-down and travel restrictions begin to ease between the states, Alan Stevenson looks back at the experience and finds rays of hope for his community in what has been a dark year for the country.

The comforts of solitude

Over the past seven months, many of us have got closer to experiencing the kind of solitude long sought by monks, nuns, philosophers and misanthropes. For some, this has brought loneliness, but religions and literature have a rich tradition exploring the benefits of being alone.

A sailor with the sea in his soul

Sam Bateman, one of Australia’s and the region’s finest maritime and strategic thinkers and leaders. died last week at the age of 82.

Life after lockdown

Lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic uprooted a lot of our usual routines, but the ‘great disruption’ has also given birth to new routines which we may want to continue.

Life After lockdown: How the coronavirus pandemic changed the way we design and live in our homes

From dedicated office spaces to more home entertainment options, the prolonged lock-downs of recent months are changing the ways in which we live in our homes.

Are you “technostressed”?

As many of us continue to work from home during COVID-19, there’s increasing incidence of “technostress” and “techno-overload” among workers that needs to be addressed.

Navigating relationships in uncertain times

The latest research by The Medical Journal of Australia found that significant feelings of depression or anxiety were being experienced by 25% of people after just the first month of COVID-19 restrictions.

The long dark teatime of the soul

Several new terms have been coined for the listlessness induced by COVID lockdowns, but an ancient word might be the best.

Drinking gin when expecting water

The social measures to contain COVID-19 have restricted our ability to socialise in traditional ways, but have also forced us to revalue our relations with ourselves and other people.

Face to face with reality

Face pareidolia – the phenomenon of seeing faces in everyday objects – uses the same brain processes that we use to recognise and interpret other ‘real’ human faces.