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.

Turning back the clock

As modern medicine improves, so too does our ability to stave off disease. But can we overcome the most inescapable of afflictions – old age? Researchers around the world are trying to find out.

Is COVID changing our personalities?

Our personalities have been known to change during unusually distressing times, such as a global pandemic locking us all away in our homes, but researchers from the US say that so far the COVID-19 pandemic has had very little effect on the “Big Five” personality traits.

How work can affect your health and wellbeing

74% of us worry that our work isn’t paying enough to keep up with the cost of living and 60% are concerned about the impact of work on our life and wellbeing.