There is a revealing moment in Isabel Hardmans book where the author, a political journalist who lives with post-traumatic stress disorder, joins a forest therapy session. The therapist encourages her to connect with herself and experience nature better. Hardman wanders through the wood and finds a small hornbeam, which is twisting up towards the light, struggling to make its way in the shade of a mature oak. She is attracted to its shape, admires its bark, and draws parallels with her own life: how long it takes to heal and grow, how the scars we gather can still be beautiful like the zig-zagging trunk of this young tree. She reaches up and snaps one of its twigs: the tree is dead.

Serves me right for being so dreadfully whimsical, Hardman writes. There seemed to be no neat life lesson here, nothing youd want to write on a fridge magnet or share on social media. Id come here hoping to connect with myself, and instead Id been drawn to a tree that was secretly dead.

It is a valuable lesson in Hardmans The Natural Health Service, a practical and self-aware account of the relief from mental illness to be found outside. Hardman, and the many people she meets, identify respite, recovery and resilience in walking, running, cold-water swimming, gardening, forest bathing, birdwatching, botanising, horse riding and caring for pets. The common denominator is what Hardman calls the great outdoors, that plangent, hearty Victorian-sounding cliche. But as she shows, other species and their ecosystems can be rebellious medics. At times, the natural world resembles the magic mirror that undercuts Snow Whites stepmother: rather than reflecting back ourselves, it is alive with its own agency, a challenge to our narcissism.

The Natural Health Service is one of a rapidly growing forest of new books that examine cures found in nature. This winter alone has brought the publication of The Wild Remedy by Emma Mitchell; Losing Eden by Lucy Jones; Rootbound by Alice Vincent; and Wintering by Katherine May. One of last years unexpectedly prominent books unexpected because it was rejected by publishers and crowdfunded via Unbound was Bird Therapy by Joe Harkness. Just as trend is followed by takedown, so this spring sees a potential debunking in the form of Natural: The Seductive Myth of Natures Goodness by American philosopher Alan Levinovitz.

The idea that human health can be salved by nature has been around for as long as we have regarded ourselves as a species apart from other living things. It truly arrived in Britain with the Romantics, for whom prosperity enabled a more reflective and worshipful relationship with the landscape that others had to toil in for a living. Keats and Byron loved swimming; sea-bathing was an upper-class health fad that inspired the first seaside resorts. The popularisation of natures healing power peaked after the industrial revolution, when later Victorians were beset by fears of the all-conquering machine. Fresh air, exercise and healthful hobbies, from collecting butterflies to finding fossils, were prescribed in much the same way as GPs today are experimenting with prescribing nature to patients. Hardman reminds us of the prescience of Octavia Hill, the social reformer and co-founder of the National Trust in 1895, who campaigned to save urban land for city parks. London commons that could make developers fortunes had greater value as outdoor space, Hill argued: To my mind they are even now worth very much; but they will be more and more valuable every year valuable in the deepest sense of the word; health-giving, joy-inspiring, peace-bringing.

In Losing Eden, Jones shows that, ahead of todays scientists, even Florence Nightingale was aware of how green space and plants can assist recovery from physical illness. In 1859, Nightingale wrote that when she had been ill, her recovery quickened after she received a nosegay of wild flowers. The nurse noticed in her patients that there was most acute suffering when [the] patient cant see out of the window; Jones and Hardman both cite a more modern scientific study by Roger Ulrich who examined the records of 46 patients recovering from gall bladder surgery between 1972 and 1981. Some patients were randomly assigned a hospital bed with a view of deciduous trees; others a view of a brick wall. Those with a view of trees had shorter post-operative stays, took fewer painkillers and had fewer minor complications. And yet 40 years on, hospitals are run as sterile environments without plants, as Levinovitz notes in Natural: An entirely unsuperstitious take on natural healing would recognise the importance of being around life of facilitating hospital garden walks, say instead of systematically excluding it.

As the climate and extinction crisis quickens, so there is a rush for a literary cure. In Britain it began with Richard Mabeys Nature Cure in 2005. In many of the most popular recent examples of nature writing, other species and wild places have played a healing role for bereavement in Helen Macdonalds H Is for Hawk, and alcoholism in Amy Liptrots The Outrun. Nature Cure (briefly) details Mabeys mental breakdown after completing his magnum opus, Flora Britannica, and the succour he found by forgoing his childhood home in the Chilterns for the bleaker plains of south Norfolk. When I ask Mabey if he regrets being midwife to the nature cure subgenre, an emphatic yes spills forth. I feel slightly guilty about the title, which was my idea and it was very euphonious, but I quite soon began getting letters from people saying they loved the book but that it was not much to do with nature curing me. If a pedantic scholar counted the paragraphs that were to do with the illness, it probably amounts to about six pages, he says. Really its a book about encountering and adapting to a quite new landscape, which you could say was a post-cure experience. Mabey had to reach a certain stage of recovery to write Nature Cure. As he, Hardman and other nature cure writers emphasise, they can be too ill to leave the house to imbibe the healing wild, and too ill to write, too.

Its wonderful when it occurs; people in distress find that encounters with the natural world do restore them, says Mabey. But two things concern him about the concept of a nature cure. Im worried that its become mooted as a kind of panacea green Prozac. And if theres anything wrong you just go out and look at the pretty flowers and youre going to be marvellous. Thats a tall order if the natural world is in a state of crisis with the insect apocalypse and British songbirds collapsing all around us. There is also a danger that therapeutic nature becomes another way in which nature is reduced to service provider. The foregrounding of us being the centre of attention, the central agents of change and growth, all form part of a mindset that I think is obsolete. We need to rethink where we stand in relation to all these other organisms and what the transactions are between us, and stop saying they are all for our benefit, even though most of them probably are.

In an insightful essay on nature cures, Richard Smyth quotes the poet Polly Atkin, who is diagnosed with chronic illnesses Ehlers-Danlos syndromes and genetic haemochromatosis, a metabolic disorder that leads to a toxic accumulation of iron in the body. Like Mabey, Atkin has misgivings about this literary blossoming. There is very little published work that points out how problematic it is largely because the people who understand the problem are mainly those with incurable conditions and theyre often too busy being incurable to write books about nature, she says. More importantly, mainstream UK publishing is so attached to the nature cure narrative that it cant imagine another story to tell about how we relate to the world around us.

The stage is set for a debunking of the literary nature cure but in Natural, it never quite arrives. At the end of the book, despite Levinovitz taking smart aim at the snake-oil salespeople of late capitalism those selling expensive natural remedies, natural cures for cancer, or loudly advocating wholly natural childbirth, sex or sport he concludes that there is something innately glorious about the non-human natural world.

Im worried its become mooted as a kindof panacea if theres anything wrong you just go out and look at the flowers

What Levinovitz critiques is what he sees as a religious attitude towards nature. An appeal to natural goodness with unnatural as its evil twin is among the most influential arguments in all human thought, ancient and modern, east and west. In fact, every human-made object is extracted from our planet; everything is natural. Levinovitz argues our veneration of nature is dangerous, citing former South African president Thabo Mbekis desire for Aids patients to take beetroot and other natural treatments. What Levinovitz does is help us to identify the propagandists, bigots, demagogues, and marketeers who wrap their rhetoric in the mantle of whats natural.

When it comes to making money from nature, the small, poorly renumerated band of writers proselytising for its health benefits do not enter Levinovitzs line of fire. While H Is for Hawk will long stand as a literary classic, nature cure writing has taken a practical turn. Hardman and Harknesss books are squarely self-help. Their qualities include brutal honesty and generous advice. Both authors, alongside others such as Jones and Mitchell, make clear that while time in the natural world has ameliorated their mental illnesses, so too have antidepressants and talking cures. These writers dont succumb to the requirement for a happy ending either: no one suggests they are cured.

We might wonder if a writing cure is also part of their wider recovery, but it is not always so. John Clare, who died in 1864, has long been the most notable nature writer with mental health problems. The Northamptonshire farm labourer, whose superb poems made him a literary sensation in the early 19th century, could be considered both evidence for and against the theory that nature makes us well. Did he only fall ill once embraced by literary London, psychically uprooted from his rural heartland? Or was he ill despite surrounding himself with nature? A country life is no guarantee of mental wellbeing: depression is a major problem in modern farming; plenty of farm workers endure it.

There is an echo of Clares experience in Harknesss account of life since the publication of his debut, Bird Therapy. I will never write about nature again, says Harkness bluntly. He has been diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder and generalised anxiety disorder mild medical terms for the crippling anxiety that Harkness vividly describes. After an attempted suicide and a breakdown, he began walking and discovered the exhilaration of encountering birds. Of all the therapies Ive tried, he writes, nothing has had the prolonged and positive impact that birdwatching has. He spotted that the requirements of birdwatching matched the five ways to wellbeing devised by a project endorsed by the charity Mind: to connect, to take notice, to give, to keep learning and to be active.

As Harknesss profile grew on social media, he decided to write a book, receiving high-profile endorsements, including an incisive foreword by the naturalist Chris Packham, who declared it an exceptional publication because it would save lives. Eight months on, Harkness recognises that his book has brought positive things: his honesty about mental illness has encouraged others to reciprocate. He has been told by readers that it has indeed saved their lives. Unfortunately, the online platform that enabled him to promote his book also damaged him. The more open I was on social media, the less people engaged with me. If youre already struggling with self-esteem, it is hell to be on it. The only way I could deal with it is not use Twitter any more, he says.

He has also shed his illusions about the guild of nature writers. He imagined this literary world would be an inclusive salon for the free exchange of ideas about nature and mental health; instead he found a workplace, a competitive market with a lot of emphasis on product and what youre selling, where people become very focused on themselves. One nature writer, he says, told him that Bird Therapy only sold well because of Packhams foreword. Harkness, who is a special educational needs co-ordinator working with vulnerable young people, says he is so glad that writing is not his job. His post-book cure has been to remove himself from social media and literary backslapping and simplify his birdwatching regimen. I dont drive to birdwatch any more. I walk from my house. Im under no pressure to see anything exciting. Ive stopped commodifying it. I just think of being out where I should be. Whenever I do that Im really thankful for it. Nature is not there to make me feel better. Its something we can use to help us but ultimately we have to be there for it as well. And weve got to make wholesale changes to how we live.

Most nature cure books, both literary triumphs and practical manuals, are overwhelmingly about us. Perhaps we should catch more glimpses of other species as we look into the mirror? Mitchells The Wild Remedy, a diary of a year with severe depression, throws welcome attention on natural medicines the thrilling dash of a sparrowhawk, or the cosy sight of ladybirds clustered together during winter in a knapweed seedhead. She recreates her encounters with other species around her home in Cambridgeshire in paintings, sketches, photographs and cabinets of curiosities. But, she says, Im not using my garden and the wood beyond my cottage as a sort of green Tesco, burgling myself some green serotonin and dopamine. Its much more of a two-way relationship. Mitchell, like Harkness, initially connected via social media with readers and others who lived with mental illness. She is not always well enough to visit a nearby wood every day. When she does, she monitors, observes and records the wildlife, and relays it to her audience. A biologist by training, Mitchell hopes her writing and art enlighten our increasingly urban society. Im trying to use the place where I live as a source of education for people who may not know what cherry plum blossom looks like This is coming into flower, go and see if youve got it on your patch, she says. Awakening readers to other species around us is a gift to those species, and it is bequeathed by almost every nature cure writer.

As humans reshape life on Earth, its hazardous to pin our wellbeing on the fragments of non-human life that remain

Last summer, an area of flowery meadowland in the wood near Mitchell exploded with life. The hot summer of 2018 must have produced a metric fucktonne of caterpillars she laughs: the following year there emerged hundreds of marbled white butterflies. The dose of dopamine was just off the scale. She filmed it for her social media followers. A few days later, in full flower, the meadow was scalped because of fears it contained ragwort, a flower that can in rare cases prove fatal to horses (and which landowners sometimes mistakenly believe they are obliged to control under an arcane injurious weeds law). An exquisite ecosystem was cut down at its peak. Alongside Mitchells enjoyment of this meadow emerged a deep connection with it, and a responsibility for it. My connection with this land is not as a commodity. This is not skincare I get from a beauty parlour. This is not a monthly subscription to sniff some dead-nettle flowers. This is something that has changed my ability to live with my depression, she says. In this case, she went into battle with her local council, at some personal cost Im a spokesperson for thousands of invertebrates because theyve got no voice, she says and succeeded in changing the cutting regime. The meadow wont be cut again this year until the flowers and invertebrates have finished flowering and flying.

Mitchells experience also reveals that in the Anthropocene, an era in which humans are reshaping all life on Earth, it is hazardous to pin our wellbeing on the fragments of non-human life that remain. Lucy Joness Losing Eden is a passionate and thorough exploration of the growing scientific evidence showing why humans require other species to stay well from a diversity of microbiota in our guts to a diversity of species in nearby green space. But she is aware that the medicalisation of nature also demonstrates that we still see ourselves as takers and overseers, the authority figures, rather than being on an equal footing with the rest of nature. Just as Mabey wonders if we can extract wellbeing from an environment we are traducing, so Jones considers the 21st-century challenge posed by ecological grief. Is the epidemic of mental illness in wealthy western societies in part because some part of our spirits [is] afflicted by the mass burglary humanity has committed on the Earth? Jones writes. I know that I feel rotten and out of sorts when I am selfish or hurtful to the people around me. The ecopsychologist and activist Chellis Glendinning diagnosed western culture as suffering from original trauma caused by our severance from nature and natural cycles. She noted that the symptoms were the same as PTSD: hyperreactions; inappropriate outbursts of anger, psychic numbing; constriction of the emotions; and loss of a sense of control over our destiny.

The Earth is our home and we are making ourselves homeless. Jones quotes the farmer-thinker Wendell Berry: We are involved in a kind of lostness in which most people are participating more or less unconsciously in the destruction of the natural world, which is to say, the sources of our own lives. Perhaps some of our lack of awareness, Jones thinks, is an instinctive denial of death; just as we block out our own mortality, so too we pretend our compulsive consumption is not hastening the premature end of our species enjoyment of the planet.

As Jones argues, despite all our writing about nature, we still lack the language to bring its jeopardy our jeopardy to the forefront of our troubled minds. Western consumption has made the planet ill, and now we are patients too. Grief and mental illness can be introspective and paralysing or they can inspire action. Which path will we as individuals, societies and as a species choose?

View post:
Can nature really heal us? - The Guardian

Everyone wants to be happier. We overthink the process the way we think about what to have for brunch. It doesnt have to be that hard.

I spent much of my life being incredibly unhappy. This unhappiness was shown through arrogance, entitlement, rage, poor judgment and cruelty towards other human beings.

I wasnt a bad person. I was just unhappy because nobody showed me what I could do to fix myself rather than walk through the world smashing every good situation to pieces with my fists and blaming everybody else for it.

In my late 20s, I started to turn things around. I focused on small things I could do to experience tiny increases in happiness.

The changes seemed insignificant at the time. After five years of experimenting with these changes in thinking, my approach to life is different. It can be summed up with this thought:

Move away from tasks, people, and events that continually rob you of happiness. It was subtracting unhappiness first that laid the foundation for everything that followed. Here are the five tiny shifts in thinking to gradually increase your happiness levels.

People carry a lot of drama around with them. They cant wait to dump it on somebody who is happy to accept it on their behalf.

Let them dump their sh*t elsewhere. Do not make drama dumpers your problem.

The way you do this is to care less about other peoples drama and stop playing a part in their circus. Their drama looks like this:

There is so much drama in society and you can escape it by exiting out the stage door and getting back to reality.

See Setbacks as Free Harvard Business Degree

A business degree at a university like Harvard costs thousands of dollars. People get into debt for years just to get one.

What if I told you that a major setback will teach you more than a degree?

Setbacks teach you the following:

Now tell me, would you like a degree or life experience that gives you the greatest learning of all? A giant setback is like getting a free Harvard Degree.

Seeing setbacks as having a degree-sized price tag helps change your thinking. The thinking that comes from seeing setbacks as valuable helps you on the days when you want to be anything but happy.

Happiness is a habit and setbacks will test how strong your happiness muscle is so you can grow it.

Every idea I have, my brain tells me its stupid. When you have an idea and judge it, all you do is sabotage it. Sabotaging your ideas stops them from coming to life and that takes away a piece of your happiness.

Accepting your ideas and letting them through is huge. It goes beyond backing your ideas to backing yourself. When you back yourself, you win more and learn more, and that brings about increased levels of happiness.

You realize you can win at life when you apply yourself and respect your ideas even if at first they may sound stupid in your own head.

The quality of your ideas is subjective, so stop judging them and subtracting happiness in the process.

Getting into public speaking made me feel like vomiting. It was my biggest fear. I felt exposed and open to critique.

The first time on stage, I had visions of public vomiting and a front-row audience wiping the chunks of my breakfast off their faces as I stood there humiliated.

What made me happier was to change my thinking. I nowwelcomethat vomit feeling. That vomit feeling is a representation that Im not just playing it safe and sitting in my PJs every day waiting for an inheritance cheque.

Its a representation of living life and being prepared to forward hurl the contents of my stomach for an opportunity to challenge myself.Challenging yourself will make you feel happier.

Over the last six years, I have used social media to subtly change my thinking each day.

I have chosen a few people I adore and created social media posts admiring them and sharing their learning. I have chosen to speak like them, act like them, respond to messages like them butnotbe them.

This involved hunting down quotes, pictures, and videos that helped me to admire them and portray their ideas. At the start, I was a complete rip-off like those 1980s self-help scammers.

After a while, all the inputs needed to publish on social media changed my thinking.

Instead of becoming the people I admired, I unconsciously took what they taught and spat it out in my own way while adding my experience to the process. What resulted was a fusion. There were parts of the people I admired and parts of myself.

The practice of fusing these many mentors together with my own self produced an entirely different human being.

I replaced all the selfishness, fakery and ego, and transplanted their good traits like humility, kindness, and empathy into my brain.

Its not a finished project by any means and Im still perfectly broken on some days but none the less, social media gave me the role models and traits to build a new self on. The process has made me a better person who is happier and healthier.

Social media is a strange tool but it is fantastic at changing your thinking over time and you can use it to your own advantage.

These are not necessarily the usual strategies and recommendations youll find in your typical How To Be Happy And Love Yourself type article. They are weird and thats why they are wonderfully powerful at the same time.

Want to be happier?

Make tiny adjustments to your thinking by caring less about other peoples drama, seeing setbacks as being worth a lot of money, not allowing yourself to judge your own ideas, by feeling like you want to vomit more (aka vomit moments), and turning social media into a weapon you can leverage to adopt the traits of those you admire.

Change your thinking with a few small tweaks over time and it will add to your happiness levels.

This article originally appeared on Medium.

See more here:
Want to be happier? Here are 5 tiny shifts in thinking to help - Ladders

Photo: Michail Petrov/Fotolia

More and more people will have to privately fund their residential care after the government froze the capital thresholds that gatekeep access to public funding for the 10th consecutive year.

The upper capital limit above which people must fund their care in full will remain at 23,250 from April 2020, while the lower limit, below which people receive full public funding subject to them foregoing much of their income, stays at 14,250, a circular issued by government today said.

The upper limit has fallen by 4,500 in real terms since 2010, pushing more and more people into self-funding, said Simon Bottery, senior fellow, social care, at the Kings Fund.

The effect is that publicly funded social care is being denied to more and more people, he said.

Bottery added: Though social care has other, more urgent, issues to tackle right now this matters because it affects people directly they have to pay for themselves, rely on family or go without and as a symbol of a wider policy indecision that has beset social care for too long.

The government also froze the personal expenses allowance the weekly sum that publicly-funded care home residents are allowed to keep from their income for the fifth consecutive year, at 24.90.

The minimum income guarantee the minimum weekly income that people receiving publicly-funded care outside a care home must be left after charging was also frozen for the fifth year in a row.

The Department of Health and Social Care annual circular on charging for care and support says that the lower and upper capital limits will remain at 14,250 and 23,250 respectively in 2020-21, meaning that individuals with less than 14,250 in assets (in most cases, including their home) do not have to pay for their residential care from their assets.

Their fees are paid by their local authority, though such individuals must contribute to this from their income including most state benefits and pension income but excluding any earnings so long as they are left with a weekly personal expenses allowance (PEA) of 24.90 per week. This allowance could be used to pay for items, such as toiletries or reading materials.

The PEA has remained at this level since 2015.

If an individual has assets worth more than 23,250, the upper capital limit, they must pay the full cost of their residential care without help from the council.

A person with assets between the capital limits must pay what they are obliged to from their income, plus a means-tested contribution from their assets (calculated as 1 per week for every 250 of capital between the capital limits).

Capital includes buildings, land, savings or shares, but the regulations around charging and financial assessment specifies that certain assets are disregarded, such as those derived from a personal injury award.

Where a person owns their own home, this is generally taken into account when they are admitted to a care home as a long-term resident, unless the property is occupied by certain loved-ones or relatives.

For people receiving care at home, the minimum income guarantee, the minimum weekly amount they must be left with after charging, remains at 2015 levels. The amount an individual receives differs dependent on their age and whether they have dependent children, are a lone parent or are in a couple.

See the article here:
More care home residents will have to self-fund as means-test threshold frozen for 10th year - Communitycare.co.uk

Coronavirus! Yes, its a serious situation, and yes, it deserves your vigilance and attention.

But the constant spring of information, precautions and warnings, whether its straight from the CDC or some recirculated, dubiously-sourced post on Facebook, can take a real toll on your mental health.

When does caution become overreaction? When does staying informed cross the line into, well, too much information?

The good news is, there is a happy medium between willfully ignoring the biggest story in the world right now, and going into a full-on panic. Here are some tips. Think of it like hand-washing and social distancing, but for your brain.

There is a ton of information out there. The challenge is trying to determine which information is accurate. says Lynn Bufka, Associate Executive Director for Research and Policy at the American Psychological Association. She suggests taking control of your intake through the following steps:

A pandemic is a rather abstract villain, so it may help to sit down and really consider what specific threats worry you. Do you think you will catch the coronavirus and die? The fear of death taps into one of our core existential fears, says Bufka. But you have to think about what your fear is, and how realistic it is. Consider your personal risk and how likely it is that you will actually come in contact with the virus.

And, even if your greatest fear is realized and you or someone you love does fall ill, you may not have really thought about what comes next. Yes, you may get it. Yes, you may need treatment. But in all likelihood, hope is still not lost. We tend to overestimate the likelihood of something happening, and we tend to underestimate our capacity to deal with it, Bufka says.

Of course, you could have other, more practical fears. Some people may worry about what would happen if they were moved into self quarantine, or if theyre not able to work. Theyre wondering if they would have access to groceries or childcare, says Bufka. Again, people have greater abilities to manage hardships than they think they do. Think about a plan. Consider options if you cant telework. Do you have savings? Do you have support? Being prepared for your fears will help keep them in scale.

READ MORE: Allergies, the flu or coronavirus? Heres the difference

Since action can allay our anxieties, you may want to also consider what you can do to help others who may be more affected by the outbreak than you. Service workers, medical workers, hourly workers and people in the restaurant or entertainment industries may have their livelihoods paralyzed or have to put themselves in disproportionate danger. It will be important for us as communities to think about how to support these individuals whose lives are going to be disrupted, Bufka says. How can we even this burden and support those who have less options?

After all, most of the precautions put in place to help stall the spread of the virus arent just for you, as an individual. Theyre intended to keep entire communities and vulnerable demographics safe. Doing the same with your own time and care can empower you to see the real effects of the situation, rather than your abstract fears.

People are going to talk. But if you want to run to a friend to discuss the latest outbreak cluster or your familys contingency plans, try not to create an echo chamber. If you are overwhelmed, dont necessarily go to someone who has a similar level of fear, Bufka says. Seek out someone who is handling it differently, who can check you on your anxiety and provide some advice.

If you cant seem to get a handle on your thoughts, professional help can be an option. It doesnt need to be a long-term thing, Bufka says. It means you can get some guidance for this specific situation.

In short, dont get so wrapped up in thinking about the coronavirus that you forget the essential, healthy practices that affect your wellbeing every day. In times of stress, we tend to minimize the importance of our foundation when we really should be paying more attention to it, Bufka says. Make sure you are:

Practicing mindfulness, meditation, yoga or other forms of self care can also help center you in routines and awareness, and keep your mind from wandering into the dark and sometimes irrational unknown.

Finally, dont let guilt be your anxietys unwelcome companion. You are allowed to worry or feel bad. When discussing how to talk to children about the coronavirus, health experts told CNN people should acknowledge a childs fear and let them know their feelings are valid. Surely, you can afford yourself the same compassion. The key is to work toward understanding and contextualizing your fears so they dont keep you from living your healthiest life.

See the rest here:
How to keep coronavirus fears from affecting your mental health - KTVZ

CHARLESTON March is the 15th National Problem Gambling Awareness Month. Nation-wide efforts during this event are designed to increase awareness of the effects of problem gambling in the lives of individuals and families, and let communities know that there is help available.

Fifteen percent of Americans gamble at least once a month, and 4 percent meet the criteria for Problem Gambling. The risk is two to three times higher for youth. An estimated 6 percent of American college students have a gambling problem.

Signs of a gambling problem include gambling for higher and higher stakes to get the same level of excitement, lying about and hiding gambling, repeated unsuccessful attempts to cut down or quit, gambling to try to recover losses from gambling, jeopardizing or losing significant relationships or jobs due to gambling, having to borrow or steal or rely on others for financial help due to losses from gambling, being irritable when trying to cut down or stop, and gambling when feeling distress. Often friends and family members become aware of the problem long before the problem gambler admits to themselves or others that there is a problem. Friends and family members often feel worried, angry, afraid and betrayed by the gamblers behavior. They try to find a way to control the gambling and cover the debts, and their efforts are unsuccessful or only temporary. This creates incredible stress for family members and friends.

Read more:
Hour House to provide help for those with gambling addiction - Journal Gazette and Times-Courier

Fans leave the Golden 1 Center after the NBA basketball game between the New Orleans Pelicans and ... [+] Sacramento Kings was postponed at the last minute in Sacramento, Calif., Wednesday, March 11, 2020. The league said the decision was made out of an "abundance of caution," because official Courtney Kirkland, who was scheduled to work the game, had worked the Utah Jazz game earlier in the week. A player for the Jazz tested positive for the coronavirus. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

For those impacted by it, both within and outside the sports world, understanding and managing the physical health and prevention side of the novel coronavirus outbreak currently facing our world is the obvious top priority. All should take great care and follow the latest guidelines set out by the CDC, Johns Hopkins and other top health resources to keep themselves and their families safe from coronavirus and the resulting COVID-19 condition.

For many, though, from athletes and other staffers with professional sports teams to ordinary citizens, theres another important health area to consider here as well: Mental health.

With large chunks of the country either mandating or strongly suggesting social distancing and other similar themes and resulting postponements or full-on cancellations of leagues like the NBA, NHL and numerous college athletics the mental health landscape will be changing for millions of people in coming days and weeks. Those used to certain levels of social interaction will be without them. Some worry about risks like cabin fever or other forms of anxiety, especially in people already prone to issues in these areas.

What follows is a question-and-answer session with Dr. Scott Goldman, Director of Performance Psychology and Identified Team Clinician for an NFL team and a regular contractor in the NBA (these teams must remain anonymous for confidentiality purposes).

Dr. Goldman, who has spent decades on the mental health side of the sports world, including multiple top-tier leagues and teams, provides insights into how professional and collegiate sports organizations are managing the mental health side of the outbreak. He also offers a glimpse into the mental health fields collective response to the growing crisis and how ordinary individuals might cope effectively.

(Note: This interview has been edited for quality and clarity. This information is not intended to serve as medical advice or treatment for any person. Those seeking medical advice or treatment for any condition related to this outbreak should contact their medical providers.)

Q: Can you recall a situation in your career that remotely resembles this current one in terms of mental and psychological impact across such a wide population?

Dr. Goldman: The closest that I can think of off the top of my head is 9/11. I was a practicing psychologist in New York City during that tragic event.

Q: While the practical elements in this situation will obviously be very different from 9/11, are there similar themes you can carry across to this event, particularly its impact on professional and college sports organizations?

Dr. Goldman: There are a couple things I think are worth elaborating on. This is different than 9/11, for sure, for a lot of different reasons.

When were talking about the coronavirus and how people are managing it now, in a lot of ways you can look at the Kubler-Ross Stages of Grief. It applies in a lot of ways, because I think you can have strong emotions going in a lot of different directions. There can be fear, frustration, anger, depression. Across not just the pro level, but also at the collegiate level, there is a lot of change that was unexpected and unanticipated. And there are also a lot of unintentional consequences.

Think of a college player in the last year of college eligibility on a basketball team thats about to go to March Madness. Maybe this was the first time the team qualified. [This is] somebody who all of a sudden has had something taken away from them. Or a guy like Vince Carter who I dont know he might have just taken his last basketball shot.

Whats really interesting, being a sports psychologist, is dissecting whats the same and whats different [about athletes]. When youre thinking about working with athletes, sometimes its really important to remember theyre human beings like anyone else, they go through human experiences like anyone else. They laugh, they cry, they have partners, etc.

Q: How might self-quarantining and other forms of avoiding social contact compare to a player rehabilitating an injury away from his or her teammates? Might some of the same coping mechanisms be valuable to players now separated from their teammates and normal lives?

Dr. Goldman: Going back to whats the same and whats different about this special population, one element is they might actually have some familiarity with certain forms of isolation, like having an injury. When you think about the idea of adapting and being resilient, these are things that athletes are often conditioned for. Uncertainty and instability are common threads within a sports setting. So in some ways I think there is some conditioning that helps the players be robust.

But another element to it is not just the players, but starting to think about the coaches and staff. At the pro level, its not a nine-to-five job. Theyre on the road, long hours, long days, high levels of intensity. Now theyre being isolated at home, and for some people theyre having to re-calibrate to interactions on a more frequent basis with say, family, partners, husbands, wives. So it also becomes an interesting dynamic of interpersonal relationship.

Q: What kinds of outreach or programs might be realistic to keep teams connected and in good spirits during quarantine periods?

Dr. Goldman: One of the keys is communication. This is where technology becomes both a blessing and a curse we can use FaceTime apps, we can use technology like social media, and that can help us feel a sense of connectivity. The curse of that, though, is it can produce misinformation, or even a sense of feeling overtaxed or overwhelmed because its prevalent everywhere you go.

Even though the recommendation is social distancing to minimize the spread, its really important to feel connected to one another as best we can without being overly absorbed in the stress or the weight of it. Going back to, say, 9/11 as a reference, it was hard because it was something everyone was talking about, and it was on every channel. One of the things we recommended then is something Im recommending to the players and coaches and staff I work with: Its okay to turn the TV off from time to time and take a nice walk or a bike ride. Its alright not to be consumed about the virus 24/7.

Q: What kinds of techniques might assist players or other staffers with this balance and maintaining their mental health during this event?

Dr. Goldman: One thing I would recommend is, be mindful about misinformation. Unfortunately, were living in an era where its tough to trust the flow of information and certain sources. The CDC are constantly updating and providing recommendations for self-care, emotional and physical. So I think thats always a good place to go.

Another element is, you have to trust organizational leaders. These are incredibly intelligent people. Theres a lot of communication and decision-making as to what happens next. And again, this issue isnt static, its fluid. As things evolve, alterations will be made. Really what its about is knowing theres a plan, trusting that theres a plan.

Q: Both for athletes and the general population, what can you recommend to help deal with whats been termed as coronavirus anxiety?

Dr. Goldman: If you think about the construct of anxiety, anxiety is always about the future, not the present. Not whats happening now, what will happen. We dont worry about the test, we worry about the grade we get from the test.

The second rule [of anxiety] is its always about some kind of perceived catastrophe or horror, and the other element is ego threat. In this scenario, Id say its less about ego threat and more about perceived catastrophe.

One of the best ways to navigate around that is to be well-informed. Ask questions. Ask lots of questions. Ask questions of your medical providers; ask questions of the CDC; [athletes] ask questions from your team leaders. I think that helps minimize some of that anxiety.

Q: Some will understandably be concerned about the potential for cabin fever and related concerns during potentially long periods of social distancing. Can you provide any themes to assist individuals with this?

Dr. Goldman: [From what I understand], social distancing is not isolation (note: Dr. Goldman is correct here, and this Cleveland Clinic resource does a good job breaking down the differences between quarantine, isolation and social distancing). Not everybody is quarantined. Social distancing, by the definition being put out there, is six feet of distance and avoiding populated areas and events. Its not about isolation as much as it is about social distancing.

And again, the best weapon we have in our arsenal right now is all the stuff we already know to be true about good health: Wash your hands, avoid touching your face. Just the facts, I think, can help.

Q: Those who already undergo therapy may be worried about seeing their therapist in-person due to disease spread risks. Those experiencing new mental health issues related to the outbreak may have similar fears. What would you say to those in this position?

Dr. Goldman: Talking with peers, one of the questions is about licensure and ethical conduct. If youre licensed, say, in the state of Michigan, can you provide care for someone whose residence is in Wyoming? There has been what we call tele-health, whether that be through a video chat or a telephone call.

There are rules and regulations set up for tele-health therapy. [But recently], theyve begun to loosen some of these stringent rules. The community is responding in live time right now. Theyve made some concessions regarding some of the stipulations.

Something Im honored [to be part of] is a group called Big Sky, which is a group of licensed professionals in the pro space and the collegiate space. There are over 100 of us. Weve been dialogue-ing as a collective [during this incident], and discussing best practices.

Dr. Goldman was also kind enough to note that he recently sent his staff and employees of the team he works for a few resources, including basic anxiety coping measures. He strongly advises anyone dealing with anxiety or other mental health issues during this outbreak to seek similar resources.

Read more here:
The Mental Health Side Of An Epidemic: Conversation With A Leading Performance Psychologist - Forbes

Jacinda Ardern announces self-quarantine restrictions for entrants to New Zealand. Photograph: Dave Rowland/Getty Images

New Zealand will require people who arrive in the country including returning Kiwis to self-isolate for a 14 days as the country locks down to ward off the spread of coronavirus, excluding people from the Pacific Islands.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced the measure on Saturday after an emergency meeting of cabinet.

We do not take these decisions lightly, she said.

Alongside Israel and a small number of Pacific islands who have effectively closed their borders, this decision will mean New Zealand will have the widest ranging and toughest border restrictions of any country in the world, she said.

Ardern said the measure applied to people, and not goods, though gave an exemption to people arriving from the Pacific a region largely devoid of the virus.

The decisions will take effect as of midnight local time Saturday into Sunday. The decision will be reviewed in 16 days.

New Zealand has just six cases of the disease to date, and none that have been transmitted through the community.

Ardern also announced cruise ships would not be allowed to dock in New Zealand until at least 30 June.

She also encouraged all New Zealanders to avoid all non-essential travel overseas.

Earlier on Saturday, the government cancelled the national remembrance service in honour of the Christchurch mosque attacks, which took place on 15 March last year.

Go here to see the original:
New Zealand tells arrivals to self-isolate for two weeks, including citizens - The Guardian

The terms revolution and disruption in the context of technological innovation are probably bandied about a bit more liberally than they should. Technological revolution and disruption imply upheaval and systemic reevaluations of the way that humans interact with industry and even each other. Actual technological advancement, however, moves at a much slower pace and tends to augment our current processes rather than to outright displace them. Oftentimes, we fail to realize the ubiquity of legacy systems in our everyday lives sometimes to our own detriment.

Consider the keyboard. The QWERTY layout of keys is standard for English keyboards across the world. Even though the layout remains a mainstay of modern office setups, its origins trace back to the mass popularization of a typewriter manufactured and sold by E. Remington & Sons in 1874.[1] Urban legend has it that the layout was designed to slow down typists from jamming typing mechanisms, yet the reality reveals otherwise the layout was actually designed to assist those transcribing messages from Morse code.[2] Once typists took to the format, the keyboard, as we know it today, was embraced as a global standard even as the use of Morse code declined.[3] Like QWERTY, our familiarity and comfort with legacy systems has contributed to their rise. These systems are varied in their scope, and they touch everything: healthcare, supply chains, our financial systems and even the way we interact at a human level. However, their use and value may be tested sooner than we realize.

Artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain technology (blockchain) are two novel innovations that offer the opportunity for us to move beyond our legacy systems and streamline enterprise management and compliance in ways previously unimaginable. However, their potential is often clouded by their buzzword status, with bad actors taking advantage of the hype. When one cuts through the haze, it becomes clear that these two technologies hold significant transformative potential. While these new innovations can certainly function on their own, AI and blockchain also complement one another in such ways that their combination offers business solutions, not only the ability to build upon legacy enterprise systems but also the power to eventually upend them in favor of next level solutions. Getting to that point, however, takes time and is not without cost. While humans are generally quick to embrace technological change, our regulatory frameworks take longer to adapt. The need to address this constraint is pressing real market solutions for these technologies have started to come online, while regulatory opaqueness hurdles abound. As innovators seek to exploit the convergence of AI and blockchain innovations, they must pay careful attention to overcome both technical and regulatory hurdles that accompany them. Do so successfully, and the rewards promise to be bountiful.

First, a bit of taxonomy is in order.

AI in a Nutshell:

Artificial Intelligence is the capability of machine to imitate intelligent human behavior, such as learning, understanding language, solving problems, planning and identifying objects.[4] More practically speaking, however, todays AI is actually mostly limited to if X, then Y varieties of simple tasks. It is through supervised learning that AI is trained, and this process requires an enormous amount of data. For example, IBMs question-answering supercomputer Watson was able to beat Jeopardy! champions Brad Rutter and Ken Jennings in 2011, because Watson had been coded to understand simple questions by being fed countless iterations and had access to vast knowledge in the form of digital data Likewise, Google DeepMinds AlphaGo defeated the Go champion Lee Sedol in 2016, since AlphaGo had undergone countless instances of Go scenarios and collected them as data. As such, most implementations of AI involve simple tasks, assuming that relevant information is readily accessible. In light of this, Andrew Ng, the Stanford roboticist, noted that, [i]f a typical person can do a mental task with less than one second of thought, we can probably automate it using AI either now or in the near future.[5]

Moreover, a significant portion of AI currently in use or being developed is based on machine learning. Machine learning is a method by which AI adapts its algorithms and models based on exposure to new data thereby allowing AI to learn without being programmed to perform specific tasks. Developing high performance machine learning-based AI, therefore, requires substantial amounts of data. Data high in both quality and quantity will lead to better AI, since an AI instance can indiscriminately accept all data provided to it, and can refine and improve its algorithms to the extent of the provided data. For example, AI that visually distinguishes Labradors from other breeds of dogs will become better at its job the more it is exposed to clear and accurate pictures of Labradors.

It is in these data amalgamations that AI does its job best. Scanning and analyzing vast subsets of data is something that a computer can do very rapidly as compared to a human. However, AI is not perfect, and many of the pitfalls that AI is prone to are often the result of the difficulty in conveying how humans process information in contrast to machines. One example of this phenomenon that has dogged the technology has been AIs penchant for hallucinations. An AI algorithm hallucinates when the input is interpreted by the machine into something that seems implausible to a human looking at the same thing.[6] Case in point, AI has interpreted an image of a turtle as that of a gun or a rifle as a helicopter.[7] This occurs because machines are hypersensitive to, and interpret, the tiniest of pixel patterns that we humans do not process. Because of the complexity of this analysis, developers are only now beginning to understand such AI phenomena.

When one moves beyond pictures of guns and turtles, however, AIs shortfalls can become much less innocuous. AI learning is based on inputted data, yet much of this data reflects the inherent shortfalls and behaviors of everyday individuals. As such, without proper correction for bias and other human assumptions, AI can, for example, perpetuate racial stereotypes and racial profiling.[8] Therefore, proper care for what goes into the system and who gets access to the outputs must be employed for the ethical employment of AI, but therein lies an additional problem who has access to enough data to really take full advantage of and develop robust AI?

Not surprisingly, because large companies are better able to collect and manage increasingly larger amounts of data than individuals or smaller entities, such companies have remained better positioned in developing complex AI. In response to this tilted landscape, various private and public organizations, including the U.S. Department of Justices Bureau of Justice, Google Scholar and the International Monetary Fund, have launched open source initiatives to make publicly available vast amounts of data that such organizations have collected over many years.

Blockchain in a Nutshell:

Blockchain technology as we know it today came onto the scene in late 2009 with the rise of Bitcoin, perhaps the most famous application of the technology. Fundamentally, blockchain is a data structure that makes it possible to create a tamper-proof, distributed, peer-to-peer system of ledgers containing immutable, time-stamped and cryptographically connected blocks of data. In practice, this means that data can be written only once onto a ledger, which is then read-only for every user. However, many of the most utilized blockchain protocols, for example, the Bitcoin or Ethereum networks, maintain and update their distributed ledgers in a decentralized manner, which stands in contrast to traditional networks reliant on a trusted, centralized data repository.[9] In structuring the network in this way, these blockchain mechanisms function to remove the need for a trusted third party to handle and store transaction data. Instead, data are distributed so that every user has access to the same information at the same time. In order to update a ledgers distributed information, the network employs pre-defined consensus mechanisms and militarygrade cryptography to prevent malicious actors from going back and retroactively editing or tampering with previously recorded information. In most cases, networks are open source, maintained by a dedicated community and made accessible to any connected device that can validate transactions on a ledger, which is referred to as a node.

Nevertheless, the decentralizing feature of blockchain comes with significant resource and processing drawbacks. Many blockchain-enabled platforms run very slowly and have interoperability and scalability problems. Moreover, these networks use massive amounts of energy. For example, the Bitcoin network requires the expenditure of about 50 terawatt hours per year equivalent to the energy needs of the entire country of Singapore.[10] To ameliorate these problems, several market participants have developed enterprise blockchains with permissioned networks. While many of them may be open source, the networks are led by known entities that determine who may verify transactions on that blockchain, and, therefore, the required consensus mechanisms are much more energy efficient.

Not unlike AI, a blockchain can also be coded with certain automated processes to augment its recordkeeping abilities, and, arguably, it is these types of processes that contributed to blockchains rise. That rise, some may say, began with the introduction of the Ethereum network and its engineering around smart contracts a term used to describe computer code that automatically executes all or part of an agreement and is stored on a blockchain-enabled platform. Smart contracts are neither contracts in the sense of legally binding agreements nor smart in employing applications of AI. Rather, they consist of coded automated parameters responsive to what is recorded on a blockchain. For example, if the parties in a blockchain network have indicated, by initiating a transaction, that certain parameters have been met, the code will execute the step or steps triggered by those coded parameters. The input parameters and the execution steps for smart contracts need to be specific the digital equivalent of if X, then Y statements. In other words, when required conditions have been met, a particular specified outcome occurs; in the same way that a vending machine sells a can of soda once change has been deposited, smart contracts allow title to digital assets to be transferred upon the occurrence of certain events. Nevertheless, the tasks that smart contracts are currently capable of performing are fairly rudimentary. As developers figure out how to expand their networks, integrate them with enterprise-level technologies and develop more responsive smart contracts, there is every reason to believe that smart contracts and their decentralized applications (dApps) will see increased adoption.

AI and blockchain technology may appear to be diametric opposites. AI is an active technology it analyzes what is around and formulates solutions based on the history of what it has been exposed to. By contrast, blockchain is data agnostic with respect to what is written into it the technology bundle is largely passive. It is primarily in that distinction that we find synergy, for each technology augments the strengths and tempers the weaknesses of the other. For example, AI technology requires access to big data sets in order to learn and improve, yet many of the sources of these data sets are hidden in proprietary silos. With blockchain, stakeholders are empowered to contribute data to an openly available and distributed network with immutability of data as a core feature. With a potentially larger pool of data to work from, the machine learning mechanisms of a widely distributed, blockchain-enabled and AI-powered solution could improve far faster than that of a private data AI counterpart. These technologies on their own are more limited. Blockchain technology, in and of itself, is not capable of evaluating the accuracy of the data written into its immutable network garbage in, garbage out. AI can, however, act as a learned gatekeeper for what information may come on and off the network and from whom. Indeed, the interplay between these diverse capabilities will likely lead to improvements across a broad array of industries, each with unique challenges that the two technologies together may overcome.

[1] See Rachel Metz, Why We Cant Quit the QWERTY Keyboard, MIT Technology Review (Oct. 13, 2018), available at: https://www.technologyreview.com/s/611620/why-we-cant-quit-the-qwerty-keyboard/.

[2] Alexis Madrigal, The Lies Youve Been Told About the Origin of the QWERTY Keyboard, The Atlantic (May 3, 2013), available at: https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2013/05/the-lies-youve-been-told-about-the-origin-of-the-qwerty-keyboard/275537/.

[3] See Metz, supra note 1.

[4] See Artificial Intelligence, Merriam-Websters Online Dictionary, Merriam-Webster (last accessed Mar. 27, 2019), available at: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/artificial%20intelligence.

[5] See Andrew Ng, What Artificial Intelligence Can and Cant Do Right Now, Harvard Business Review (Nov. 9, 2016), available at: https://hbr.org/2016/11/what-artificial-intelligence-can-and-cant-do-right-now.

[6] Louise Matsakis, Artificial Intelligence May Not Hallucinate After All, Wired (May 8, 2019), available at: https://www.wired.com/story/adversarial-examples-ai-may-not-hallucinate/.

[7] Id.

[8] Jerry Kaplan, Opinion: Why Your AI Might Be Racist, Washington Post (Dec. 17, 2018), available at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2018/12/17/why-your-ai-might-be-racist/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.568983d5e3ec.

[9] See Shanaan Cohsey, David A. Hoffman, Jeremy Sklaroff and David A. Wishnick, Coin-Operated Capitalism, Penn. Inst. for L. & Econ. (No. 18-37) (Jul. 17, 2018) at 12, available at: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3215345##.

[10] See Bitcoin Energy Consumption Index (last accessed May 13, 2019), available at: https://digiconomist.net/bitcoin-energy-consumption.

[View source.]

See the rest here:

The New ABCs: Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain And How Each Complements The Other - JD Supra

If you are anything like me, and curious about how new enterprise tools will transform our relationship with work and business-technology, then you are probably reading a lot about artificial intelligence. Theres likely no other topic thats been written about in more depth in recent years, yet much of it is unrealistic or poorly reasoned hype.

This is why Ive been reading more books from trusted authors on the subject. In previous years, Ive read books such as Erik Brynjolfssons and Andrew McAfees Race Against the Machine, and Martin Fords book Rise of the Robots: Technology and the Threat of a Jobless Future. Both were great books that brilliantly framed AI. Last year, I wasnt as fortunate.

Last year, my reading included The Master Algorithm by Pedro Domingos. It was an interesting look at machine learning algorithms, and specifically the quest for the algorithmthe master algorithmthat would create all future algorithms without the need for humans. This book proved a disappointment because the author seemed as convinced, almost dogmatically so, that general AI success was as close around the next corner as the AI pioneers of the 70s and 80s believed success for them was around the next corner.

The next book up for me was Life 3.0 by Max Tegmark. While this was a good read, it proved to be too much of an analysis of what has been already written than a book that significantly pushed the subject of AI forward in a new or unique way.

Hopefully, my next batch of AI reads will prove better. I realize Im playing catch-up here, as most of these arent new books. But they do look to be important books on the subject.

Heres what I currently have lined up.

Author: Kai-fu Lee.

Following the defeat of the worlds top player of the game Go, to Googles AlphaGo AI, the government of China set ambitious plans to become the global AI hub by 2030. In his book, Kai-fu Lee contends that China has quickly caught up to the U.S. and that dramatic changes from AI developments are happening much more quickly than many expect.

In his book, Lee examines universal basic income, and examines what jobs may be enhanced with AI the possible solutions to the biggest changes AI promises to bring to us all.

Authors: Peter Norvig and Stuart Russell.

At 1152 pages, Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach (due out this April) isnt a light read. The latest edition of this book looks across the entire field of AI, and a deep dive into machine learning, deep learning, transfer learning, multi-agent systems, robotics, natural language processing, causality, probabilistic programming and more.

I have high hopes for this book, as its treatment appears to be exactly what Im looking forward to reading: an overview of the state of AI without going too light on the treatment of each topic.

Authors: Mariya Yao, Adelyn Zhou and Marlene Jia.

This book is made the list because its AI as it can be applied to business-technology. It promises to be a roadmap on how to use data, technology, design and staff to solve enterprise business problems.

We teach you how to lead successful AI initiatives by prioritizing the right opportunities, building a diverse team of experts, conducting strategic experiments and consciously designing your solutions to benefit both your organization and society as a whole.

Thats exactly what enterprises need to do to succeed at integrating AI into their companies in order to get value from this growing enterprise technology.

Authors: Andrew McAfee and Erik Brynjolfsson.

I learned and enjoyed both Race Against the Machine and The Second Machine Age. The latest book from MIT Principal Research Scientist Andrew McAfee and Director of the MIT Center for Digital Business Eric Brynjolfsson, looked at the impact of machine intelligence and big data. In this book, the authors look at another form of augmented intelligence: our collective intelligence, and what it means for transportation, medical research, financial services and more.

Thats it for the reading list for now. Id appreciate hearing what AI-related business books you are reading this spring and summer.

George V. Hulme

Originally posted here:

Enterprise AI Books to Read This Spring - DevOps.com

By Express News Service

KOLLAM: In the wake of the coronavirus spreading to more and more countries and people all over the world experiencing fear, anxiety and confusion, Mata Amritanandamayi addressed the public and called upon the public to pray intensely and work together to overcome the difficult situation.

The ashram has received instructions from the Central and state health departments, and they demanded us to adhere to certain precautionary steps. Everyone should understand the gravity of the situation and cooperate. Even the slightest carelessness on our part could be disastrous, read the message. Last week, in the wake of the coronavirus scare, Mata Amritanandamayi had stopped giving darshan to her followers.

GoK Direct app for info on epidemic TPuram: To disseminate valid information on COVID-19, the state government has launched a mobile application GoK Direct. Besides giving periodic instructions to the public, the app will provide information of people under observation and those returning from abroad, said Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan after launching the app.

View original post here:

Math stopped darshan on the directives of health dept - The New Indian Express