CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Welcome to 2021 at last. Though theres still a lot to do to get back to normal, its a brand-new year filled with optimism and fresh possibilities. A clean start, lots of positivity, and..and then it all comes crashing down. Because no matter what else is going on, the year always, inevitably, without fail, begins with January. Bummer. Whether youre contemplating the bleak wasteland from home, or dragging through the snow, slush, and ice on the way to work, its interminable.

So, as a public service, were going to help you through the dread January doldrums with 10 new, or at least newish, ways to ease through the month, deliciously. Despite the pandemic, theres a lot happening on the North Coast, and these culinary enterprises represent some of the very best of whats fresh to eat in town.

This is the season of self-help, and right here is a great therapeutic place to start. Its good for you and great for the local economy. With enough applications of some these inspired and indulgent edibles, we might be able to breeze through Januarys long days journey and move briskly on to February, which can be just as grim, but is shorter.

Bean pies from Bean Pie Heaven LLC. (photo courtesy Bean Pie Heaven LLC)Bean Pie Heaven LLC

Bean Pie Heaven LLC

Bean Pie Heaven LLC began its existence as a fund-raising opportunity for the Islamic School of the Oasis in Cleveland. Sister Rasheedah Abdur-Razzaq eventually took over the business, and made the bean pies her own, reformulating the recipe based on navy beans to make it more healthful and flavorful. Bean pies have a long legacy in the Islamic-American community as a key element of a nutritious diet, promoted by the Nation of Islam founders. Abdur-Razzaqs hand-crafted pies are just sweet enough and properly succulent, the artfully fluted crust tender and flaky. Originally selling from her front porch, with the help of her husband and children, she repurposed a vintage barber shop into a spacious bakery, where everyone can feel safe to come and enjoy a touch of heaven. There, she turns out sweet potato pies, peach cobbler, pecan pies, cheesecakes, rich buttermilk pies, and glamorous meringue-crowned lemon pies as well as her legacy bean pies. It is a place of good temptationsas Abdur-Razzaq herself says, so dangerousYa Allah help me! We know that feeling well.

Bean Pie Heaven LLC 1120 East 105th St. Cleveland, OH 44108.

216-862-9740 Call/text for hours and to order ahead (recommended). Curbside pickup available. Text to request price list.

Cleveland Chocolate Co. owner and chocolate maker Rebecca Hess. (photo courtesy Cleveland Chocolate Co.)Cleveland Chocolate Co.

Cleveland Chocolate Co.

You may remember Rebecca Hess as the chef who made the late-great-and-still-lamented Arcadian Food + Drink the unforgettable dining experience it was -- for way too brief a time. Well, shes back, this time applying her taste and talent to the fine art of single origin chocolate. Lucky us. It all started with a tropical fruit CSA that included fresh cacao pods. She soon fell in love with the process of making chocolate and now, shes says, its been really cool seeing how much joy chocolate can bring someone, and to be able to handcraft each bar with care from start to finish is something really special. Working out of Tremonts Fairmont Creamery in a storefront that is the very model of a modern day confectionery, all bright white and shiny stainless steel, she crafts her organic fair trade chocolate bars from cacao pods from Ghana, Belize, Haiti and other key sources around the world. Each bar, identified by country of origin and varying percentages of cocoa, has identifying tasting notes similar to wine and whiskey (the pleasant ones, like strawberry, honey and butter, no dirt, dill, or dirty socks).

When youre at the shop, or other places around town that stock the bars--check website for locations get a variety and organize a chocolate tasting with your family or a few close friends. Pick a mix of solid chocolate and inclusion bars. If you can, try the 70% dark Dominican Republic bar, deep rich silken chocolate with hints of strawberry and peppercorn, and the exotic Golden Mylk bar, a soft white chocolate made with cashew and oat milk, layered with crystallized ginger, then sprinkled with turmeric, cinnamon, cardamom, and black pepper. No matter which you choose, they all have that really special taste of pure luxury chocolate.

Cleveland Chocolate Co. 2306 West 17th St. Suite 4, Cleveland, OH 44113

http://www.clevelandchocolate.co 440-465-0883 Curbside pickup and online ordering available. Also available at stores, hotels, and restaurants around town.

'Flaming' Fred Stoldt of Fred Hot LLC. (photo courtesy Fred Hot LLC)Fred Hot LLC

Fred Hot

Who could resist a jar full of what looks like dusty chards of broken colored glass with a label displaying a wild-eyed screaming demon head with flaming hair and the immortal words FRED HOT HOT GLASS CANDY: Jalapeno Lime, Habanero Orange, Ghost Pepper Cherry? Ok, I almost passed it up myself the first time I saw it. But then, circling back, I had to have it. You will, too. In the interest of full disclosure, the Jalapeno Lime flavor is kind of bogus. You could give it to your toddler, if toddlers were allowed jagged-edged broken lollipops, which is the basic construct of HOT GLASS CANDY, and she wouldnt even flinch. But the Habanero Orange Flavor has a nice creeping heat, and the Ghost Pepper Cherry is worth every incendiary moment it spends tearing up your mouth. Feel the burn, indeed. Hot glass candy is the brain child, or more like the mutant offspring, of Fred Stoldt, a charming voluble Euclid police officer who develops volcanic edibles on the side. The glass candy is really just a one-off for him. When you check out his website (www.fredhotspice), youll find an entire flaming empire of pretty hot stuff. You could pick one new hot sauce, pickled vegetable, atomic spice blend, sriracha cheese powder, or pepper jelly for every day of the month, and still have a few left over for February. My personal favorite is Himalayan Hell-Fire, 4 oz. of pure Himalayan pink crystal salt blended with the hottest pepper in the world!!! The Carolina Reaper!!! Salt and lots and lots of pepper all wrapped up together. Again, who could resist?

Fred Hot LLC P.O. Box 23423, Euclid, OH 44123 http://www.fredhotspice.com

216-410-4403. Available online and in local stores, refer to website for details.

Marchant Manor Cheeses Henley, Elmstead Ash, and Lapworth Peppercorn Camembert (photo courtesy Marchant Manor Cheese)Marchant Manor Cheese

Marchant Manor Cheese

You would think pathology would not be the typical path to cheese maker and monger, but when purchasing Marchant Manors elegant ashy chevres and creamy peppercorn-layered Camembert, you can rest assured there are no pathogens lurking, thanks to Kandice Marchants medical training. A practicing pathologist at the Cleveland Clinic, she is counting the days until she can segue full-time into the cheese shop on Lee Road thats having a soft opening during the holiday season before going dormant again until future notice. A cheese course gifted to her by her late husband several years ago inspired her to delve deeper into the art of cheese. Encouragement from Trevor Clutterback at Ohio City Provisions pushed her further. He was so impressed with her sample cheeses that he made a match between Marchant and his own partner dairy in Stark County. And now shes doing a deep dive using Guernsey, Holstein, and goat milk to turn out sophisticated multi- textured cheeses of intriguing nuance and complex flavor. Shes also working the other end of the cheese spectrum, producing super premium versions of the simpler pleasures of fresh ricotta and cottage cheese. All this bodes well for Clevelands expanding cheese community, particularly when Marchant will be able to permanently open her shop, a charming mash-up of French Provincial and dairy barn, when her whimsical neon sign will fulfill its promise, and the cheese doctor will be in attendance full-time.

Marchant Manor Cheese 2211 Lee Rd. Cleveland Heights, OH 44118

marchantmanor.com Refer to website for details.

Nosh Butters

In 2018, NOSH began with a single food processor and a pantry full of nuts in Sam and Lauren Trohmans Cuyahoga Falls home kitchen. As Sam describes it, Lauren has a food and nutrition degree and Sams an entrepreneur who thought it would be a good idea to try making pistachio butter at home and seeing if it was any good. And it was! From there the business quickly evolved into a small-batch manufacturing operation and now NOSH butters are available online and all over the north coast, with a brick and mortar shop soon to open. As for that pistachio butter, its now Pistachio Almond Butter, and it is good. Unlike other mixed nut butters, this one has a pistachio punch that gives it real panache. Great on toast, it also begs to be turned into elegant pistachio almond butter cookies.

Not content with just one esoteric butter, Sam and Lauren have now launched six varieties of natural nut butters. 2Seed Almond Butter with hemp, chia seeds, dates and coconut oil packs healthy omega fatty acids, iron, protein, and healthy fats and Golden Cashew Almond Butter provides, as Sam points out, the closest thing to a warm cozy hug that food can offer. Featuring cashews, almonds, ginger, cinnamon, turmeric, and maple syrup, it could be a prescriptive therapy for those in need of immediate succor in sandwich form on a snowy afternoon.

Nosh Butters 3345 State Rd. PO Box 3672, Cuyahoga Falls, OH 44223 http://www.NOSHbutters.com 440-732-2215. Available online and in local stores, refer to website for details.

Pat's Granola a la yogurt parfait (Pat's Granola)Pat's Granola

Pats Granola

Pat Bennett started making granola more than 25 years ago when faced with making healthier snacks for her school age sons who were all athletes. They were always hungry after school and before sports practices, so I made granola as a way to feed them the right kind of fuel to optimize their energy. Pat ultimately ended up with three varieties of granola. Ginger Spiced, with molasses, maple syrup, spices, and coconut oil added to gluten-free oats, dried apricots, cherries, cranberries, and almonds is the perfect mix of delicious and healthy for January, when you need a bit of quick energy to shovel the drive, knock those icicles off the eavesagain.or just take a brisk walk around the block to drive off cabin fever.

Granola making is Pats encore career. A 64 year-old African American woman, she turned her love of food and cooking into a strong and growing small business on the north coast. Her enthusiasm for independent businesses and ability to work collaboratively have put her in the forefront of small business enterprise here in Cleveland. But she still has time to come up with new flavors of granola. Later this year, she will be offering subscriptions for frequent buyers. In the meantime, shes busy distributing Ginger-Spiced, Peanut Butter, and Tropical granola blends. That mix, including dried pineapple, banana chips, and sunflower seeds, sounds like a fun summer treat for if/when we can run freely around the neighborhood again!

Pats Granola 891 East 185th St. #19513 Cleveland, OH 44119 http://www.patsgranola.com 917-623-7230. Available online and in local stores, refer to website for details.

Picnic Hill co-owner and chef Shawn BrownPicnic Hill Gourmet Market

Picnic Hill

Picnic Hill covers a lot of ground. Since it opened in Fairmount Circle in Cleveland Heights in January, 2020, this charming establishment has offered breakfast, lunch and dinner to eat in, or carry out, with lovely daily specials and wine and cocktails as well. Plus a gourmet market with beautifully curated products for cooking, baking, charcuterie and just plain snacking. And, most importantly for us in January 2021, when were looking for something to make our lives a little less humdrum, something Michael Miller and Shawn Brown, the proprietors, call Picnic Fresh. Similar to Blue Apron and other delivery meals you cook yourself, but so much better because everything is fresh and local. Go on their website and pick the number of people youre cooking for and choose one, two or three meals of your choice for the week. Each meal has about six steps and takes 30 minutes each and costs around $13/person. The particulars are all laid out on the site in an easy to follow format, but suffice it to say that you can fill the month with well-directed freshly cooked home-made dishes such as Three Cup Chicken, Sheet-Pan Roasted Salmon Nicoise Salad and Crisp Tofu and Sweet Potatoes. Tasty and fun, right?

Picnic Hill 20621 Fairmount Blvd. Shaker Heights, OH 44118

http://www.picnichillmarketcafe.com 216-795-5660 Refer to website for details.

Charlie Eisenstat Making a Pour Over Coffee (pourcleveland.com) Pour Cleveland.Pour Cleveland

Pour Cleveland

Charlie Eisenstat has been the lodestar, and the rock star, of all things coffee on the north coast since he opened Pour Cleveland in 2013. In mid-March, after closing down the shop that had introduced international roasters to local fans, Eisenstat decided to pivot to promoting five of his favorite European coffee distributors on his website.

There are several ways to get these fresh seasonal coffees. One of the best is to caffeinate with 250 gram bags shipped two or four at a time once a month. Its dealers choice as to what you get, but the coffee whisperer knows his stuff and chances are youll be thrilled. However, if you really want to curate your subscription, Eisenstat says, For anybody who is curious or interested but isnt sure what to get, we have chat features on the site that go right to me so I can make recommendations based on what exactly the customer is looking for. This is part of what I miss most about being in the shop: connecting customers to coffees that completely blow their minds. Well, regular shipments of mind-blowing coffee seems like a great way to get through Januaryand subsequent months. Im signing up now.

http://www.pourcleveland.com Refer to website for details.

Stir Studio Kitchen in Tremont (Stir Studio Kitchen)Stir Studio Kitchen

Stir Studio Kitchen

Decidedly not your mothers cooking classes, Stir Studio Kitchen offers group experiences that emphasize the fun rather than the fundamentals of cooking. Thats the whole point of Stir, according to founder/owner Charlie Denk. Our guests undoubtedly learn a lot when they spend an evening with us, but our classes are unapologetically focused on entertainment, fun, and providing a unique, hospitable experience. Our studios are super chic, we crank up the music, and our instructors radiate energy. There are public and private classes being held in the schools kitchens in both Tremont and Chagrin Falls, but you can also get the Stir experience on Zoom. So round up your funner friends and settle in for a very entertaining evening. Drinks sound de rigueur here, you can bring your own regardless of the setting.

The menus reflect an intriguing variety of interests. Theres a seasonal evening featuring cozy pork roulade and butternut squash puree, a Mexican menu with scratch chorizo and handmade tortillas, and Knockout Gnocchi, make-your-own gnocchi to serve with herb pesto and baked meatballs. For remote classes, theres a written packet distributed before hand that includes the recipes, ingredients, equipment, and instructions. People can either shop for themselves or Stir can provide pre-measured ingredients packages. Regardless how you do it, its bound to be an indelible experience. Denk and his instructors work hard to make sure their guests have fun. I like to think Stir is a very special business with incredible people. Were a bunch of kids who work our absolute tails off and are genuinely setting out to reinvent the entire cooking class industry in the US.

Cheers to that!

Stir Studio Kitchen 4461 Lorain Ave. Cleveland, OH

http://www.stirstudiokitchen.com 440-829-3136 Refer to website for details.

Whoa! Dough

We all have friends who are gluten-intolerant. Most of us have friends who are lactose-sensitive. Many of us have friends who are vegan or keep kosher. Or cant eat eggs. Or wont eat GMO foods. For all those friends, you now have one snack that will make every one of them very happy. Whoa! Dough cookie dough bars are all that and still shockingly tasty. Todd Goldstein, founder of Whoa! Dough and self-described Cookie Dough King has always been a foodie. He says, my earliest memory was at six years old working with the baker at my grandfathers restaurant in downtown Cleveland. After graduating college, I moved back to Cleveland and started LaunchHouse and have spent the last 10 years working with entrepreneurs and small businesses. In 2011, I was diagnosed with a gluten intolerance, which began my hunt for healthy, gluten-free products. My sons were born in 2015 and 2017 and later diagnosed with gluten-intolerances, increasing my desire to create a gluten-free treat my family would enjoy. So in 2019, Whoa! Dough was born. Six of the most popular flavors of cookies in a dough bar that can be eaten chilled, but are shelf-stable so can be stashed anywhere to be snacked on later. You can also bake them, 350 degrees for 3 to 5 minutes, if you want the non-raw experience.

So, how are they, really? Really, they are very good. At warm room temperature, when they become just a little gooey and develop the sugary texture thats so attractive in cookie dough is when they are best. The sugar cookie, peanut butter chocolate chip, and brownie batter varieties are a very convincing comfort food for consumers of all persuasions, and are going into my most favored snack list rotation. But if you dont believe me, look at the numbers. On November 1, 2020, Whoa! Dough started growing its retail presence nationwide. Since then, according to Goldstein, brick and mortar store sales have grown over 100% and online sales by 500%. So try them yourself, and when you do, pick up a few more for when you go for a brisk winter walk with your gluten-free vegan friend. Theyll be touched that you were so thoughtful and impressed, that, finally, theres a fun indulgent snack that you can enjoy together.

Whoa! Dough 675 Alpha Drive, Suite E, Highland Heights, OH 44143

http://www.whoadough.com 216-338-3000 Available online and in grocery stores throughout the country. Refer to website for details.

Continued here:
10 great local foodie products to help soothe Clevelands cold January bluster - cleveland.com

It's here. We've finally made it to the end of 2020.

This year has been more of a marathon than a sprint and honestly, really more like a game of Jumanji than anything else.

The hard truth is that it all won't be magically better at 12:01 A.M. on January 1st.

So it's time to restock those self-care toolkits and assess how you want to step into the new year. There's a lot you can't control about what happens next but the one thing you can do is shape how you show up.

Your home is your sanctuary, especially these days when you're spending a lot of time within its walls. If you don't already have a space to help you unwind, Rewire contributor Danielle Broadway has some tips to get you started.

"You might think meditation gardens are too pricey and difficult to create in your own home. In reality, they can be as expensive or as affordable as you'd like them to be," Broadway said.

In "Build Your Own Indoor Meditation Garden," Broadway offers advice on how to create the space, pick the plants and find centering exercises to do once it's all put together.

Not a natural gardener, inside or out? We've got you covered with "8 Hardy Houseplants for Inattentive Gardeners."

As you prepare for your green journey, you may find further inspiration from Jared Alexander's experience learning to garden this summer while quarantining at home with his mother.

"Through gardening I've been able to look outward again, to remember the world around me and where I'm headed," Alexander said.

I've never been more inspired to try to not kill plants. I hope it helps you too.

If I'm attempting to find the bright side of 2020 while doing my best to avoid falling into a toxic positivity trap I think this year has really reinforced the idea that your learning is never done.

You may feel like you're aware of the world around you and how you fit into it but everything we do and think is shaped by perspective. If you get stuck in your own way of thinking, the world becomes pretty one dimensional. But continuing to expand your perspective, now that's where things get interesting.

Instead of doomscrolling for another hour, put some of that time to use taking a free or low-cost online social justice course to shake up your point of view.

Jill Silos, associate professor of history and political science at Massachusetts Bay Community College, shared with Rewire a list to get you started, a jumping off point for anyone "who wants to learn more about social justice and how to work toward a better future."

If the less-formal route to greater awareness is your thing, fiction can be a way to build empathy and understanding without feeling like you're eating broccoli. "8 Contemporary Black Novelists to Read Right Now" can get you started.

Or, go the podcast route with "Essential Listening: Podcasts on Race and Racism."

With all of this self-discovery and centering, it's also a good time to think about how what you value aligns with your actions.

Sometimes we can't do anything about this you need a job and have to accept and work hard for whatever employer you have.

But if you're in a place in your life where you can be more particular, maybe take a moment to reflect. If there isn't alignment between your workplace and your values, should you find a different employer? Or can you try to make change where you are?

It's a complex issue to be sure but one worth examining.

"Prolonged exposure to a harmful workplace culture results in PTSD," saidHR consultant Sarah Morgan to Rewire.

"It impacts our focus, our critical thinking, and our work outputs. It impacts our mental and physical health. It impacts our confidence and our trust of other people."

On a smaller scale even if you can't change your job, you can align your banking with your values.

"Are you comfortable with where your money sleeps? Are the institutions where you're placing it supporting communities you care about? If you aren't comfortable with the answer to that question, it may be time to make a change," saidEbony Perkins, manager of investor and community relations atSelf-Help Credit Union's North Carolina branch.

Learn more in, "'There's Power in Where You Place Your Money.'"

Don't just nurture your private self, think about how you can position yourself at work in the year ahead.

Are you bringing your best self to your job? And if you are, is your work equal to your skills or is there room for you to grow into even more responsibility?

"Put together a proposal first for the work you think needs to get done," career coachHeather MacArthur said to Rewire.

"Showing up as a thought partner to help your manager succeed takes you out of the lane of being an employee that needs to be taken care of, to a business partner that thinks strategically on behalf of the team. Next, pitch how you'd best be able to help achieve those results."

Change may not happen immediately but being proactive and engaged can build trust and create opportunities.

If you're already working hard and feeling under-appreciated, you may be thinking about asking for a higher salary. We've got some expert advice about negotiating from afar in "How to Negotiate Your Salary and Benefits Over Zoom" to get you started.

Your mental health is directly linked to your quality of life and physical health. Make the most of 2021 by prioritizing it.

Work on managing your anxiety in these uncertain times. Listen to other's experiences with mental health, and learn how to talk about your own mental health with the people who love you.

"Go offline. Go off social media when you need to. Live your life. Go outside and say "Hi!" to someone through a mask. It works, " said Lorelei Ramirez, stand-up comedian, writer,actorandpodcaster to Rewire in "Finding Humor in Dark Times."

"Be a little selfish with how you give out your energy to people and with how you're helping. Care for yourself, like you're caring for a little baby that's where people should be at."

Link:
5 Ways to Take Care of Yourself in the Year Ahead - Rewire.org

When conducting refugee health assessments, Michelle Smith, a nurse practitioner at the Community Health Center of Buffalo, sometimes notices jittery behavior, shaking legs and hair pulling. Her patients may not be reporting any signs of depression or anxiety, but their body language suggests it. You can view that theyre having trauma, she said. Theyre not able to express exactly what it is.

Ting Lee, a licensed mental health counselor in Buffalo, works with a range of clients, including those who are American-born and refugees around the world. The way that trauma is manifested is extremely different across the cultures, said Lee, who is from Singapore. Her Asian and Arab clients, she said, tend to externalize their symptoms by noting physical conditions such as, My back hurts, or I cant get out of bed. Sometimes, she added, her clients will see doctors who order an MRI, but then find no serious physical ailments, which then leads to a behavioral health referral.

On the opposite, Lee said, Cultures that identify with Abrahamic religions are very in touch with affect and emotion. Theyre able to say, I have no meaning. I'm unable to build a new home in the U.S. I have a lot of survivors guilt.

Gender differences play out here, too. One example: Research byDr. Isok Kim, an associate professor at the University at Buffalos School of Social Work, found a "pronounced" gender disparity in Karen refugees, who are an ethnic minority from Burma. The rate of alcohol use disorder for Karen men was 24%.

Read this article:
Three ways to help refugees and each other create a healthy path - Buffalo News

Written by Robby Berman on December 28, 2020 Fact checked by Anna Guildford, Ph.D.

A study of severe COVID-19 in the United Kingdom reveals the risk that healthcare workers take to help others.

A new study in the journal Occupational & Environmental Medicine examines the risks that essential and nonessential British workers will develop severe COVID-19.

It suggests that healthcare workers are seven times more likely to develop severe cases of COVID-19 than people with nonessential roles.

Stay informed with live updates on the current COVID-19 outbreak and visit our coronavirus hub for more advice on prevention and treatment.

Although it makes sense that people who interact with COVID-19 patients are at greater risk, this is the first study to compare their risk of developing severe disease with that of other types of workers.

As the study authors conclude:

Our findings reinforce the need for adequate health and safety arrangements and provision of [personal protective equipment] for essential workers, especially in the health and social care sectors. The health and well-being of essential workers is critical to limiting the spread and managing the burden of global pandemics.

The researchers analyzed three sources of data:

The UK Biobank data allowed the researchers to track multiple factors that may be associated with the development of severe disease beyond ones occupation.

A total of 120,075 employees, aged 4964 years, were involved in the study. Black and Asian people, who are more likely to be essential workers, comprised nearly 3% of the group.

Around 32,127 employees, or 29% of the participants, were essential workers.

The team broke the healthcare workers category down further into:

For the purposes of the study, the researchers considered anyone with a hospital diagnosis of COVID-19 and anyone who died of the disease to have a severe case.

Of the total study group, 271 employees had severe COVID-19.

The healthcare workers category overall experienced an average of seven times as many severe cases as nonessential workers.

The study suggests that medical support staff are the most vulnerable. They were nine times more likely to develop severe disease than people in nonessential occupations.

People in the social care and education category had an 84% higher risk, while those providing social care were 2.5 times more likely to have a severe case of the disease.

Transport workers were twice as likely to get seriously ill as nonessential workers, and the risks for people in the other category, in general, were 60% higher.

The researchers analysis revealed a racial disparity in the likelihood of having a severe case of the disease. This parallels the racial imbalance in deaths from COVID-19.

Black and Asian essential workers were eight times as likely to have severe cases as white nonessential workers.

Black and Asian nonessential employees were three times more likely to have severe cases than their white counterparts.

In addition, their severe case rates were roughly equivalent to those that white essential workers experienced.

The researchers point out several limitations of their study. These include the following:

However, the study authors do point out that despite these issues, their conclusions are consistent with the findings of other COVID-19 research.

For live updates on the latest developments regarding the novel coronavirus and COVID-19, click here.

Continue reading here:
Healthcare workers have 7 times the risk of severe COVID-19 - Medical News Today

TAUNTON After a difficult year, there's much to have learned about ourselves and our world. We spoke to Taunton leaders about their takeaways from 2020 and what they will carry with them into 2021.

"It was a year of uncertainty, true vulnerability and fundamental lessons about health and life. I became more vigilant of the world we live in and that this time that the 'lockdown'was a time to create a new narrative, a wake-up call. Life isnt a competition, but society has conformed many individuals to live for incentives and selfish rewards. Thats not working for us internally, locally, nationally and globally.

Self care is a priority not a privilege.Now more than ever, kids need love. Practice mindfulness, re-evaluate often, reform, learn and apply.

Life is filled with frustration, pain, loss, and unpredictable actions of others. You can't change that, but you can change what you allow in your space.You can have a seat at any table, if you work for it."

"The pandemic has taught us that there is much to be thankful for in our normal everyday lives that we may sometimes take for granted. Connection to friends, family, coworkers, and even the folks you just see in passing. Things can change in an instant, and we should take all of the opportunities we have to love, appreciateand give thanks for all that we have. We have also learned that it is vital for individuals and employers alike to be able to adapt to meet different circumstances while still being able to prioritize physical and mental health."

"In these unprecedented times, I have often been struck by how so many have selflessly stepped forward to help others, and the importance of those whose jobs have been deemed 'essential;'our health care and front-line public safety workers, our teachers, store employees and delivery drivers, among others.So to all those who have sacrificed to help their kids learn remotely, who have resorted to video or phone calls rather than face to face meetings with their loved ones, and our small business owners who have borne much of the brunt of our shutdowns.God bless us, everyone!'

"The greatest lesson Ill take from this year is that anything is possible when you work together and believe in one another. As weve all faced many unique challenges during these unprecedented times, Ive been so fortunate to witness firsthand the incredible amount of compassion, camaraderie and perseverance that is shared by our staff at Morton Hospital. Theyve united as one to provide exceptional care to those who needed us most this year, and they continue to inspire me every day. Im so proud of our team. We are #MortonStrong and we look forward to caring for our community in the New Year.We are in this together and together, anything is possible….#WeAreMorton"

"2020 has been a year of great challenges for the entire world. However, I can say that one of the things we were able to learn from all this is how to improve our family relationships, before it is too late. Enjoy life to the fullest and thank God for what we have. Many have lost everything they had and are in shelters, others are crying for loved ones, and many others in a financial crisis, but we need to move on.

Therefore, let's live it as if today were the last day,let's love our family and those around us with all our might, because we don't know how long they will last, andlet's love God above all things because he is a strong tower and help in times of crisis."

"I discovered the need for flexibility.The pandemic forced us to change the way we operate, but has not stopped the church from functioning.We are online more, observing precautions constantly and we learned to Zoom!

A crisis brings out the best and the worst in people.I am thankful for all who went beyond the call of duty. I have a strong sense that God has sustained me, and all of us, during 2020, and promises to walk with us into the New Year!"

"Like everyone else I have had to adjust to restrictions that 2020 has placed on my accustomed way of life. The pandemic has shown me what it feels like to be deprived of things I enjoy. Zoom connects me to family, friends, work and community. A reasonable accommodation but I miss the hugs.

I have learned to recognize the things over which I have control and not waste time trying to change what I cannot; to focus on the way I respond to the world that makes me happy; to appreciate what I already have and to take nothing for granted."

"2020 has certainly been a year of challenges. We've lost much and have plenty to grieve. We also worked together and learned much. Most importantly, we learned a new definition of 'essential.'Minimum wage workers who make sure we have food and other necessities; nurses, doctors and social workers who face overwhelming numbers needing life saving care; teachers who continue to re-invent education on the fly and so many others who help us get through our days with a bit of normalcy they put their health and safety at risk. Theirwork emerged as essential. We must remember their contributions and their sacrifices."

Link:
What Taunton's leaders have learned from 2020 that they'll carry into 2021 - Taunton Daily Gazette

Picture this: You dont want to cook, but youve spent a half-hour trying to decide which takeout food to order.

Now, you cant decide on which movie to watch. Instead of relaxing, youre stressing out.

If this sounds familiar, you might be suffering from decision fatigue, a kind of mental overload that comes from having to make too many choices too frequently.

All people, regardless of profession, are subject to decision fatigue, said Dr. Michael Wetter, PsyD, FAPA, a clinical psychologist with a private practice in Los Angeles and the director of psychology at UCLA Medical Centers division of adolescent and young adult medicine. It really depends on the number of stressors playing out in their life, the resources available to them to help manage those stressors, and the capacity to engage in appropriate self-care.

There has perhaps been no greater stressor than that of the COVID-19 pandemic. It has resulted in economic, health, political, and family-based stressors to almost everyone, Wetter said.

Its not simply that people are making more decisions. Its also that those decisions are resting on more uncertainty with more impactful consequences.

These days, those formerly uneventful decisions can include whether to go to the grocery store or attend a holiday party.

Making decisions that are based on rapidly shifting data sets, information that keeps changing, and the unpredictability of the nature of the pandemic has most certainly exacerbated peoples difficulty in making fluent and confident decisions, Wetter told Healthline.

Decision fatigue doesnt just complicate making decisions, but also making good ones.

Its very similar to the physical fatigue experienced after a long workout, said Dr. Rashmi Parmar, a child, adolescent, and adult psychiatrist with Community Psychiatry, a California outpatient mental health organization. Once it sets in, your brain will try to compensate by looking for a shortcut, either by making a hasty or impulsive choice or avoiding a choice altogether.

Those choices can have significant effects.

A 2011 study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reported that judges rates of favorable rulings dropped from around 65 percent to near 0 in court sessions preceding a lunch break. Then after lunch, it jumped back up to around 65 percent, and fell again by the end of the day.

In prepandemic life, most people dont have to make as many consequential decisions as a judge might on a daily basis, but the circumstances of COVID-19 have changed that.

A seemingly ordinary day in your life today requires you to make a series of decisions with every passing minute, Parmar told Healthline. With the uncertainty and chaos that set in earlier this year with the COVID-19 pandemic, people have been forced to make additional choices about their lifestyle and safety, which has added to the dilemma of decision fatigue.

She said, this has led to mental burnout earlier than anticipated in the day, further causing reduced functioning at work/home. Peoples overall stress levels have skyrocketed, leading to worsening mental health problems.

Among those worsening health problems are adjustment disorders, which are similar to symptoms of depression and anxiety but directly caused by having trouble adjusting to a new situation.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, nearly everyone had to adjust to a jarring new normal relatively quickly, leading to a kind of mental whiplash.

There were lots of adjustment disorders caused by the inconveniences and added stress of being under a kind of house arrest, said Charles Figley, PhD, founder of the Traumatology Institute at Tulane University in New Orleans and a professor in their School of Social Work. Stress is our signal to pay attention.

The condition is a preventable and treatable syndrome, fortunately, Figley told Healthline.

If youre feeling particularly anxious from the sudden shift, Figley said, you may talk with your doctor or a mental health professional.

Figley recommends following these steps to reduce decision fatigue and lessen adjustment disorders:

And if youre working from home, make sure to take breaks between meetings to clear your head.

Virtual calls and pandemic restrictions have altered some of our movement habits, Alison Henderson, a certified movement pattern analyst, told Healthline.

At the simplest level, we arent giving our brains the chance to task transition between meetings when we would usually move from office to office, she said. Our brains take that physical transition to clear thoughts from one meeting and begin to focus on the next. With stacked virtual meetings, we are ending one and starting the next with no physical transition for brains, and decision fatigue can set in.

Henderson suggests remote workers to walk around their house for a couple of minutes between meetings. This would help counter decision fatigue.

Change a load of laundry. Walk the dog. Run up and down the stairs a couple of times, she said.

Read this article:
COVID-19 Decision Fatigue: What It Is and How to Deal With It - Healthline

SOLON, Ohio -- As a trauma survivor who has battled self-esteem issues much of her life, Deborah Hallal Bradt has found that writing poetry has helped with her emotional health.

Now Bradt, of Solon, is sharing poems she has written over the past 40 years in an effort to help others who have struggled as she once did to know that they are not alone.

Her first book, Lay Me Down Among the Words: A Poetry Collection by a Trauma Survivor Whose Inner Voice Saved Her Life, was published in July.

The inner voice inside me kept saying, You can do this, Bradt said.

In my head there were two voices -- one telling me I was worthless and was never going to amount to anything, and the other voice was my connection to God and family and saying, Youre needed on this planet.

Because of the poems, I was able to take that positive voice and channel it into these words. When I would read these poems, I would feel my depression start to lift, because these poems are so close to my heart. Its about the authenticity.

Bradt said her poems are all about being real and authentic and loving yourself, even if you feel no one else does.

My poems are a way of processing my grief over things that have happened in my life, she said. I could read the poem and somehow feel a little more resilient, that I was loved and worthy and going to make it through.

Many of the poems were written in difficult moments. I felt that if I could share them, maybe I could inspire people to save their lives.

Bradt said the fact that the suicide rate is increasing -- and her belief that everybody deserves to have an amazing life -- also motivated her to publish the book.

If this book gives even one person a little bit of hope to love themselves in a new way, then it will have been worth it, she said.

The 97-page book also includes a few essays and some of her artwork, but its 85 percent poetry, Bradt said.

It was published by Balboa Press, a division of Hay House. Based in Bloomington, Ind., Balboa Press is a self-publishing company that specializes in self-help books with a positive message, according to its website.

The cover was designed by Andrew Sykaluk, a local graphic designer.

I worked on these poems a very long time, Bradt said. Im 48, and I have written poems (almost) every year of my life.

Because Im a writer and never published before, theyre from the last 40 years of my life, but most are from 1995 to the present.

Noting that her poems share a theme of resilience and unity and send out a message of hope, Bradt said it was important to her to have the book published in 2020.

I was hoping some readers would find it comforting in the midst of a pandemic, she said.

Nobody deserves to be bullied

A Cleveland native, Bradt grew up in Central Florida. Her parents divorced when she was 3. She is a rape survivor who has struggled with prejudice, bullying, depression, anorexia and chronic pain through much of her life.

Im Lebanese, and I was bullied very much and teased a lot when I was younger, she said. Nobody deserves to be bullied.

Bradt admitted that she was close to suicide a couple times.

In college, I had a terrible bout of anorexia and was very close to suicide; that was very difficult to get through, she said. I dont think I would have gotten through it if not for my faith and my writing.

They actually go together, and the writing seems to bring me closer to my source.

Bradt earned a bachelors degree in communications from Florida State University in Tallahassee. Her minor was writing, with a concentration in poetry.

In addition to writing poetry, Solon resident Deborah Hallal Bradt says painting helps her to process her emotions. One of her paintings is seen here in the background. (Photo courtesy of Deborah Hallal Bradt)

She said the title of her book was inspired by her final project in college, Lay Me Down Among the Words.

It was always my dream to make it into a book, she said. The first section of the book is almost entirely from that final project in college.

Every poem in the book is dedicated to someone or a group, Bradt said, including her son, Henry, 13. She said family is very important to her.

Bradt and her husband, Bill, an architect, moved to Solon from Cleveland Heights 7 years ago primarily so that Henry could attend Solon City Schools, she said. He is an eighth-grader at Solon Middle School.

Being a mother is the best job I have ever had, and I thank God every day for my precious son, Henry, she said. He is the most important person to me and closest to my heart.

Bradt, who was diagnosed with fibromyalgia about five years ago, said she has a special interest in those affected by chronic health conditions. But she added that her book was designed to reach a wide array of readers.

I tried my best to make (the book) a variety of poems that could touch peoples hearts and lives and spirits, she said. Families could read it together.

When you read something that touches your soul, it can change your life. I tried to put in there poems that could help shift peoples perceptions of themselves and see their world in a new way, because thats what the writing does for me.

One poem in the book, titled Can We Rise Up?, is dedicated to George Floyd, the Black man who was killed after a white police officer knelt on his neck for more than eight minutes on Memorial Day in Minneapolis. The incident triggered a series of protests against police brutality across the country.

Its the last poem in the book and probably one of the most important poems Ive ever written, said Bradt, a social activist. When I wrote it, I literally had tears running down my face.

Its about how we need to rise above all that gets in the way of loving each other and find a way back to connecting. Theres just no reason to have violence, hatred or racism.

Bradt, who said she has a passion for teaching and the healing arts, is a registered yoga teacher who specializes in therapeutic yoga. She taught yoga for about 18 years and hopes to resume doing that in 2021.

A member of Church of the Resurrection, a Catholic church in Solon, Bradt is already focused on her next book, a memoir and self-help book that will feature poetry, as well. She expects that book to be published in early 2021.

While Bradts first book was dedicated to her father, David W. Hallal, who died in 2004, she wants to dedicate the second book to her stepfather, Martin Michael Gaydan, who died in July.

Lay Me Down Among the Words is available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Balboa Press. It retails for $11.99 for the soft-cover edition, $28.95 for the hardcover book and $3.99 for the e-book.

Bradt said some proceeds from sales of the book will be donated to the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, the Happy Buddha Precious Temple and Tian Ran Temple in Cleveland.

For more information about Bradt, visit her website, flyfreehealing.com.

Read more from the Chagrin Solon Sun.

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Solon author hopes poetry book will inspire others to love themselves - cleveland.com

AVIJIT PATHAK

Sociologist

Is there nothing left in our politics except the recurrence of cinematic performances? In fact, the drama has already begun as the dominant political parties are thinking of their strategies to win the elections in West Bengal in 2021. To begin with, think of Amit Shah supposedly a master strategist who understands the psychology as well as the mathematics of the electoral politics. Possibly, in this media-saturated world, it is becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish the real from the hyper real. Hence, because of the endless procession of media simulations depicting and disseminating his symbolic gestures as he visits Bengal, we are led to believe that Amit Shah is a great admirer of Rabindranath Tagore; nothing fascinates him more than the company of a baul mystic; and he cant imagine his existence without the ideals Swami Vivekananda preached. Or, for that matter, these days, Narendra Modi seems to be quite fond of quoting Sri Aurobindo, and he is eager to restore the lost glory of Bengal by invoking Netaji Subhas Chandra Boses heroism. In other words, the message is conveyed: none can say that the BJP is an alien organisation, and doesnt understand what Bengal loves: be it Rabindra Sangeet or Ramakrishna Paramahamsas Dakshineswar Kali temple. From hyper-masculine militant nationalists to tender/spiritually sensitive souls with Tagore and Vivekananda as intimate companions: this theatrical act of role playing, it seems, is seen to be a way of charming the Bengali audience. Yes, be prepared for the elections; the stage is ready!

The saffron outfit knows it has to shed its north Indian look and show intimacy with Bengali icons and symbols.

Why is it so? In order to find a meaningful answer to this question, it is important to see the dominant Bengali bhadralok (predominantly, forward caste Hindu) consciousness. Possibly, it would not be entirely wrong to say that this consciousness has not yet been able to free itself from the lost glory of the nineteenth and early twentieth century when Bengal through its renaissance figures from Raja Rammohun Roy to Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, or from Bankim Chandra Chatterjee to Jagadish Chandra Bose witnessed remarkable innovations in the realm of culture, religion and politics. Even though in recent times particularly after the trauma of partition, the influx of the refugees, and the simultaneous economic problem and socio-cultural turmoil Bengal has decayed in almost every sphere, be it education or socio-economic development, the nostalgia remains. And this fixation or, the refusal to come to terms with the new reality in post-Independent India has three consequences.

First, we see some sort of regression: a tendency to stick to the mythical cultural pride with its exclusionary character. Hence, any keen observer of the bhadralok psyche would say that it is not uncommon to see the process of othering non-Bengalis with some sort of negative stereotypes say, the notion that the Marwaris or the Biharis are not the ones who can understand the films of Satyajit Ray and Mrinal Sen; or for that matter, the Gujaratis, it would be argued, know only business; and hence, they cant understand what it meant to be a Rabindranath Tagore or an Amartya Sen. Second, with the passage of time, the engagement with all these Bengali icons, it appears, has been degenerated into mere ritualism: just a process of reaffirmation of the Bengali bhadralok identity. No wonder, Rabindranath Tagore has been reduced into a ritualistic mantra of singing a couple of songs (otherwise, how does one explain the systematic decay of Santiniketan, and spirituality means nothing more than a weekly visit to the Ramakrishna Mission, and listening to the Bengali-speaking monks. And third, the political class has always appropriated and cleverly played with these iconic symbols. For instance, an average Bengali would feel immensely happy if it is said that Netaji was the real hero, and the likes of Gandhi and Nehru betrayed him. Likewise, even the leftists quote selectively from Tagore, and tend to give the impression that the poet was some sort of a Marxist. In fact, be it the centrists, rightists or leftists, there is hardly any political group that will not seek to establish its claim over Tagore, Vivekananda, Kazi Nazrul Islam and Subhas Chandra Bose.

With its triumphant agenda, the BJP too is not lagging behind. It knows that it has to overcome its north Indian look, show its intimacy with all these Bengali icons and symbols, and play the same game of appropriation. Hence, as it is thought, Vivekananda and Tagore ought to be recalled time and again to deprive Mamata Banerjee or, for that matter, bhadralok Marxists of their monopoly over the much-hyped Bengali culture. As this ugly politics of appropriation with its dramaturgical performance becomes the new normal, a severe damage is caused to our ethical and political sensibilities. Imagine Swami Vivekanandas celebrated speech at the Chicago Religious Congress the monks celebration of the Upanishadic message of oneness amid the plurality of paths and traditions; or his urge to transform practical Vedanta into some sort of radical religiosity to create a humane/egalitarian society. Does the BJP understand that the radical monk cannot be fitted into the discourse of militant Hindutva? Or think of Tagore his critique of narcissistic nationalism and the associated psychology of violence, and his poetic universalism as our true religiosity. Will Shah or Modi really contemplate, read the poets Geetanjali or the classic novel Gora, look at themselves, and rethink their politics? Or is it that it is just yet another act of role-playing?

However, the ultimate question is whether you and I can renew our critical faculty, and convey a message to these smart performers that we are not going to be hypnotised by this theatre of the absurd.

Continue reading here:
Theatre of the absurd - The Tribune India

Written by Prabhakar Singh

The year 2020 was historic for being the centenary of the adoption of the Statute of the Permanent Court of International Justice (the PCIJ) in the Hague. The PCIJ complemented the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) that was established in the Hague in 1899. The PCA was established to facilitate arbitration and other forms of dispute resolution between states after the made-in-India expanding Dumdum bullets made the 19th-century European wars untenable. That India has walked hand in hand with the two Hague courts for a century bears reminding.

The Savarkar legend of crossing the sea to escape the British rule was born at the Hague. In 1910, V D Savarkar, a British-Indian subject, escaped British capture to be later detained aboard a British commercial vessel harboured at Marseille, France en route to India. Savarkar was to be tried for abetment of murder. Savarkar swam ashore but was arrested by a brigadier of the French maritime and turned over to the British. The French government, however, disapproved of the manner in which Savarkar was returned to British custody. Paris demanded Savarkars restitution to France on the ground of Savarkars defective extradition. The two governments agreed to submit their dispute to a PCA tribunal. The tribunal concluded that the defective extradition did not result in any obligation on the British government to restore Savarkar to the French. In the same year, Sri Aurobindo, successfully left British India for Pondicherry from Chandernagore, a French enclave in Eastern India. Between two European empires, the PCA made international law an object of imperial convenience.

After World War II, the PCIJ at the Hague became the International Court of Justice (the ICJ). The ICJs role is to settle, in accordance with international law, legal disputes submitted to it by States and to give advisory opinions on legal questions referred to it by authorized United Nations organs and specialized agencies. The ICJ is composed of 15 judges, elected for terms of office of nine years by the UN General Assembly and the Security Council. The ICJ as a whole must represent the main forms of civilization and the principal legal systems of the world.

Article 51 of the Constitution of India promotes faith in international law and dispute resolution by arbitration. Sir Benegal Rau, advisor to Indias Constituent Assembly, was appointed as judge to the ICJ in 1952. In 1973, Nagendra Singh became the second ICJ judge from India. President judge Singh presided over the ICJs perhaps the most important case, the Nicaragua case, where the Court ruled against the United States. While the Nicaragua case became the toast of textbooks, the role of the African and Asian judges in creating the precedents that spoke law to power in the middle of the Cold War remains, like things Third World, less acknowledged.

India has strongly believed in the Hague courts for the resolution of disputes despite, as jurist Antony Anghie says, international law and its courts having been complicit in the project of colonisation. In 1958, Portugal sued India at the ICJ for not allowing Lisbon to cross Indian territory with arms to quell nationalist movements in Daman and Diu. The ICJ ruled that Portugal had only a right of civil, not military, passage subject to Indias consent. Taiwanese Judge Wellington Koo had supported the right the passage of Portuguese armed forces, armed police and arms and ammunition. That very year, Cambodia took Thailand to the ICJ to decide the ownership of the Preah Vihear Temple. The ICJ in June 1962 ruled in favour of Cambodia. K Krishna Rao, Indias legal advisor, immediately suggested going to the ICJ for the resolution of the India-China border dispute with the Preah Vihear precedent in mind. Within months, China retaliated on the Himalayas lest India legalises the dispute at the Hague. Most recently, India took the Kulbhushan Jadhav case to the ICJ. Needless to say, India has been a supporter of peaceful international dispute resolution at the Hague.

In November 2020, speaking at the third PCA-India Conference, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla highlighted how upholding of international law is key to Indias diplomacy. India sees both the courts in the Hague helping to promote international law and lawfare. Shringla said India supports the PCA and its mandate to resolve international disputes. The upholding of international law is central to our diplomacy and in fact our world view.

That cannot be said of China, however. Beijing is working overtime to develop a modern tributary system, a Chinese brand of imperialism, with the belt and road initiative to which India is not a party. Shringlas comments become important after Beijing has stood out in disregarding international law including rejecting a PCA award; the South China Sea award given under the UN Law of the Sea. Yet Chinese judges, as part of the ICJ and other international courts, continue to adjudge cases involving other countries.

The end of 2020 marks India investing, between the Savarkar and the Jadhav cases, a century of faith in international law and international dispute resolution.

The writer is Associate Professor & Executive Director, Centre for International Legal Studies, Jindal Global Law School

See the original post here:
India at the Hague, from Savarkar to Jadhav - The Indian Express

The mean travel speed on some Delhi stretches dipped from 46 kmph during the lockdown period to 29 kmph after it as the reopening of the economy led to a rebound in congestion, the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) said in a report on Monday.

The report is significant as the level of congestion on roads has a strong bearing on vehicular pollution.

"The rebound of congestion post-lockdown indicates Delhi is not prepared for transformational changes to cut down the volume of traffic," the CSE said.

It tracked this change with the help of data from the Google Mobility Report on different categories of visits classified as retail and recreation, groceries and pharmacies, parks, transit stations, workplaces, and residential.

It also analysed traffic speed data from Google as a proxy to understand the level of congestion that has a strong bearing on vehicular pollution, which is significant in Delhi.

The selected 12 major roads included the MG Road, NH44, Sardar Patel Marg, Outer Ring Road, Dr KB Hegdewar Marg, Sri Aurobindo Marg, NH 9, Mehrauli-Badarpur Road, GT Karnal Rd, Lal Bahadur Sha, Dwarka Marg and Najafgarh Marg.

The CSEs travel speed data analysis shows that the mean travel speed on the selected stretches increased from 24 kmph pre-lockdown to 46 kmph during lockdown a 90% increase when fewer vehicles came on the roads as only essential travels were allowed.

But the mean speed reduced again to 29 kmph post-lockdown, it shows.

During peak hours, the travel speed on the selected stretches increased from 23 kmph pre-lockdown to 44 kmph during lockdown. But this again reduced to 27 km per hour post-lockdown, it says.

The CSE said the rebound of congestion is happening when the public transport ridership in Delhi is still low due to the fear of contracting the virus and the scale of public transport options is still very inadequate to meet the demand.

"Public transport is expected to be further constrained by the social distancing norms. This is already encouraging people to shift to private modes of transport," it said.

"Delhi cannot meet its clean air targets if overall traffic and vehicle numbers are not controlled. Delhi Master Plan 2020-21 had set a target of 80% public transport ridership by 2020 that has been missed," the report reads.

The CSE said an eighty-seven percent drop was recorded in visits to transit stations for different purposes during hard lockdown as compared to the baseline levels or the pre-lockdown phase.

"Trips to grocery stores and pharmacies were reduced by more than 70%, but were still higher than all the other visits, as people were trying to restock and prepare for the lockdown.

"Workplace trips reduced by as much as 65% during the weekdays as work from home was widely practiced The change in traffic pattern has also shown up in the air quality data. In fact, the hourly change in nitrogen oxide levels that are more strongly correlated with the traffic nearly flattened during this period," the CSE said.

"Post-lockdown, the travel pattern was close to normal but did not fully regain the pre-lockdown level. Grocery trips and workplace trips recovered maximum by the end of November and were now only about 15% lower than the pre-lockdown phase," it said.

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