The Rajneesh movement made its way to Oregon in 1981 and was led by Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh. The religious cult made national news after engaging in immigration fraud, busing homeless people to their commune, and perpetrating the largest bioterrorism attack in US history in an attempt to overthrow local government leaders.

The group had several disagreements with neighboring cities and the authorities before the community was disbanded in the mid-1980s. More recently, interest in the Rajneesh movement has been reignited by the Netflix documentary Wild Wild Country. Here are ten shocking facts about the Rajneesh movement.

Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, born in 1931, was a guru and meditation teacher from India. His success as a spiritual leader began in the city of Pune. He taught his disciples to live in the world fully without becoming too attached to it. He also taught dynamic meditation to help people experience the divine, and he had a progressive approach to sexuality.

In 1981, he moved to the United States, and a year later, he incorporated Rajneeshpuram. This was the new city in Oregon he planned to build for his followers. The spiritual leader attracted thousands of followers from around the world. Many of his devotees were highly educated and wealthy. Several years after opening the large ranch for his followers, Rajneesh was arrested on charges of immigration fraud. After his trial, he immediately left for India and changed his name to Osho. He spent the rest of his life in several countries before his death in 1990.[1]

Many people were attracted to Rajneesh and his teachings largely due to the embrace of materialism and sexual hedonism. Rajneesh was a wealthy man himself, and he didnt mind flaunting it. He often wore expensive watches to show his wealth. Many of his followers were already rich or had a higher education and were attracted to his wealth.

Rajneesh also taught that sex is a path to enlightenment. He believed sex is divine, and the primal energy of sex has the reflection of godliness in it. He said that in the moment of sexual climax, the mind becomes empty of all thought. The empty mind is like a void, and a vacuum is the cause of the shower of divine joy.[2] Its obvious to see why Rajneesh attracted so many followers with teachings centered on wealth and sex.

When Rajneesh moved to the US in 1981, he purchased the Big Muddy Ranch just outside of Antelope, Oregon. The community was named Rajneeshpuram, also known as Rancho Rajneesh, and was briefly incorporated as a city in the early 1980s. People from all over the world escaped here to create a utopia filled with spirituality and a free love atmosphere. The community was self-sufficient and had everything it needed.

Legal issues soon shook Rajneeshpuram as Rajneesh and several others found themselves in legal battles for criminal activities. The Rajneesh movement quickly collapsed, and Rajneeshpuram was evacuated.[3] Montana billionaire Dennis Washington bought the property to be used as a destination resort, but he ran into zoning issues later. The Washington family later donated the land to Young Life in 1996. The land is now home to Young Lifes Washington Family Ranch, which is a 64,000-acre Christian youth camp that features zip lines, an Olympic-sized pool, go-karts, a man-made lake, water slides, and an 8,200-square-meter (88,000 ft2) fitness center.

Rajneeshs right-hand person and secretary was Ma Anand Sheela. She instantly became devoted to Rajneesh after meeting him when she was just 16 years old. She helped convince him to come to America and managed the commune while also being the president of the Rajneesh Foundation International. She was a fearless and ruthless leader in Rajneeshpuram and made many media appearances to troll the neighboring towns and those who hated the Rajneesh people.

She was looked at by many as someone who shouldnt be crossed, but her crimes started catching up with her. In 1984, she attempted to influence a local election by using hundreds of homeless people and registering them to vote. After the plan failed, she arranged for Rajneesh scientists to contaminate food at local restaurants to make people sick before the elections.[4] She was also accused of wiretapping and attempted murder.

In 1986, she pleaded guilty to attempted murder, wiretapping, immigration fraud, and engineering a salmonella outbreak. She was released from prison early for good behavior, and she now lives in Switzerland, where she cares for 29 mentally disabled patients in her two care homes.

The Rajneesh people are responsible for one of the largest recorded marriage fraud cases in the United States. It is said that there were more than 400 sham marriages perpetrated by the Rajneeshees. The immigration fraud was believed to be headed by Ma Anand Sheela when they moved to America. The marriages were between US citizens and visiting foreigners. They were created to give the foreigners permanent residence in the United States and bypass American laws.

Authorities were aware of the possible illegal marriages, though, and the Rajneesh people could feel the pressure. The religious cult stayed in a legal battle with the US over the immigration fraud, but they eventually lost the fight.[5] Several people were arrested for immigration fraud, admitting that the marriages were a sham to allow followers to settle in Oregon with Rajneesh. Rajneesh also pleaded guilty to immigration fraud, was ordered to pay a $400,000 fine, and was not allowed to reenter the country.

Thousands of homeless people were being bused into Rajneeshpuram to live and work in the commune. Followers claimed this was a massive new charity being performed by the group to give homeless people another chance at life. Critics of the group claimed the homeless were being shipped to the area to boost voting for members of the religious group. The leaders of Rajneeshpuram wanted to start getting members elected into government positions to give the group help with certain things, but they would need more people to vote for their members in order to get elected. This was the reason homeless people were being moved to the location and registering to vote.

The cult soon realized that many of the homeless were mentally ill and refused to vote for them or live with their ridiculous rules at Rajneeshpuram. The homeless people were told they would receive a ticket back to where they came from, but instead, they were dropped off at nearby cities, causing an influx of homeless people to these towns. Many of the homeless were even part of a $40 million suit against the Indian guru after learning they were used for voting.[6]

The people of Rajneeshpuram wanted to take over the local government, and another one of their crazy plans to do so would be more harmful than shipping homeless people in and out of their town. Since they didnt have enough people to swing the votes their way, they decided they would take out their competition. After conducting an inspection of the ranch, Wasco County Executive William Hulse and Commissioner Raymond Matthew became ill. They had drunk ice water from the commune that had traces of salmonella in it.

Followers of the group didnt stop there, though; they would also be responsible for the largest bioterrorism attack in the United States. Salsa bars, vegetable and salad bars, table-top creamers, and other foods at a dozen local restaurants and supermarkets were contaminated with salmonella. Nobody died, but more than 750 people were sickened due to the Rajneeshees actions. They had hoped that if enough people were sick during the election, they could throw it to get their leaders in. The plot didnt work, though, because the locals were angry and turned out to vote against the Rajneesh people after suspecting it was them who caused the illness.[7]

The controversial guru was accused of brainwashing his followers. They would always wear certain colors and a portrait of Rajneesh around their necks. Dynamic meditation was performed every day by the Rajneeshees to get them out of their heads and bodies. There were four phases of the mediation that gave the followers the experience that their minds were leaving their bodies. This was believed to be part of the mind control that Rajneesh employed on the Rajneeshees.

Former members of the cult have even spoken out about how they believed they were brainwashed after arriving. Roselyn Smith claimed that she was part of a sophisticated program of mental manipulation. She remembered entering a four-day breath therapy group after arriving at the commune, and she said that by day three, shed entered into a cathartic state that lasted for hours. She then went through a five-day intensive enlightenment group, a sensory deprivation tank, and a 14-day insight group. She said it took her years of expert counseling to regain self-confidence and self-worth after leaving the group.[8]

As stated earlier, Rajneesh embraced materialism and enjoyed the finer things. He owned a massive fleet of expensive cars which he would use for his daily drive-bys, which was a drive along the road of Rajneeshpuram while the followers would line the road clapping. Rajneesh once said, Wealth is a perfect means which can enhance people in every way...So I am a materialistic spiritualist.[9]

His first two Rolls-Royces were a Corniche and Silver Shadow, which were shipped from India to the Oregon ranch. His collection would eventually grow to a fleet of 93 Rolls-Royces. After Rajneesh left the country, the Rolls-Royces were auctioned off. The cars were in mint condition and had very few miles on them because Rajneesh drove a different one each day. The cars were sold for anywhere from $60,000 to $265,000 a piece.

Devotees of the religious leader plotted to assassinate Oregons US attorney and its attorney general in order to prevent criminal probes against Rajneesh. The plan was uncovered by FBI agents investigating the followers.[10] The group decided to murder the US attorney and then assembled weapons and spied on him, but they never carried out the plot.

This was the end of the Rajneeshees in Oregon; Rajneesh had already been deported from the United States. Several of the other top members had fled the country as well. Sheela served time in prison and was eventually deported to Switzerland (where she could not be extradited). Seven cult members had been indicted in the murder conspiracy by 2006.

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10 Shocking Facts About The Rajneesh Movement - Listverse

"I would be lying if I said that my mother's misery has never given me pleasure."

This is the first of many barbs of truth unleashed in Avni Doshi's debut, a lacerating look at a toxic mother-daughter relationship.

Antara's mother, Tara, is losing her memory. She forgets to pay the electricity bill, the name of the road she lives on, what century it is.

She claims to have bought razors and threatens to use them if things "deterioriate". She rips up Antara's artworks, douses them in alcohol and sets them on fire.

Antara feels her mother neglected her during the reckless years that included a spiritual interlude at an ashram as the guru's lover, a stint begging on the streets and an affair with a photographer, Reza Pine.

Tara's dementia seems to her a final elusion of responsibility. Antara - of Tara yet un-Tara - has spent years honing her resentment like a blade, but now she cannot make her mother feel guilty about things she claims not to remember.

Doshi holds nothing back in this portrait of warped motherhood, of two women entrenched in despising one another, yet so inextricable that they sometimes slip into, even usurp each other's places.

She excels in her control of the novel's sensory aspects: assailing the reader with a miasma of details, like in Antara's childish memory of the ashram as a spit, sweat and sex-soaked nightmare.

Elsewhere, she draws back with cool economy, loading compact phrases with layers, as in her descriptions of Dilip, Antara's affluent America-bred husband, as a man who "breaks his rotis with two hands" and prizes his wife's odourlessness in pungent Pune.

Tara is a talented cook and food fills the narrative, beginning with the evocative title, something sweet that has been pushed too far.

Doshi picks out tastes and scents that stick in the mind, like the pickled Kashmiri garlic that Tara's mother-in-law eats daily, filling their house with "the particular smell of digested allium".

By Avni Doshi

Hamish Hamilton/ Paperback/ 231 pages/ $32.10/ Available at bit.ly/BurntSugar_AD

Rating: 4 Stars

Both Tara and Antara try constantly to escape: Tara, the farcical strictures of her marriage and society, but also the hurt she has caused others; Antara, her body - first puberty "opening (her) up from the inside" in uncontrollable ways, then motherhood, as she has her own daughter and is dismantled by the ensuing depression.

"Maybe this is the point of a pregnancy, of motherhood itself," she thinks. "A child to undo the woman who bears it, to pull her safely apart."

Above all, they try to escape each other and fail, bringing the novel to its febrile climax. Motherhood means not being able to choose who you love. But it is love, however much it hurts.

If you like this, read: Everything Under by Daisy Johnson (Vintage, 2018, $18.95, available at bit.ly/ EverythingUnder_DJ), another Booker-shortlisted debut about a fraught mother-daughter relationship. In this Oedipal retelling, Gretel is confronted with the dementia-stricken mother who abandoned her 16 years ago after raising her on a canal houseboat.

Writing about postpartum depression did not prepare Avni Doshi, 37, for actually experiencing it.

"I didn't know I had postpartum depression," says the mother of a son, two, and a newborn daughter.

"Even though people had spoken to me about it, I wasn't able to recognise the various symptoms in myself. I just thought I was tired or a little stressed out. I couldn't really see the depth of the despair I had fallen into."

Doshi was born in New Jersey to parents from India and previously worked as an art curator in Mumbai. She began her debut novel Burnt Sugar eight years ago, moving in the meantime to Dubai, her husband's home town.

She never thought it would get published, let alone make the Booker shortlist. When her editor called with the news, she was convinced she was hallucinating. She sat there in quiet disbelief until she received an e-mail confirmation.

In Burnt Sugar, set in Pune, India, the narrator Antara experiences postpartum depression after the birth of her daughter.

Antara, an artist, is also struggling to care for her mother Tara, who has dementia. Antara feels her mother neglected her as a child, running away from her marriage to an ashram.

The relationship between mother and daughter in the novel is so toxic that it upset Doshi's mother before she had even read it.

"People must have told her that it's quite intense and difficult," she says over Skype from Dubai. "So she said, 'You've exposed me, you don't have a right to do that, how can you write about things that are private?'

"Then she read the book and realised it was nothing like us, so that calmed her down a little bit."

Doshi has a "relatively good" relationship with her mother, whom she says is "very proper" and not in the least like the rebellious Tara.

Still, much of her novel is drawn from reality. Many relatives from her mother's side belonged to the Osho ashram in Pune, founded by the controversial guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh.

Doshi's grandmother in Pune was diagnosed five years ago with Alzheimer's disease. Doshi became obsessed with researching the condition. She read scientific journals, listened to podcasts and talked to doctors about it.

"I thought, I'm going to cure my grandmother," she says. "I have no background in science, so obviously that wasn't a possibility."

Just as Antara uses her artwork to comprehend her mother's condition, so Doshi used her novel to try to understand what was happening to her grandmother.

Becoming a mother in the process of writing her novel has shifted her perspective on motherhood, she says.

"I think now that I'm a mother, I realise how important it is to be able to decide that you don't want to be a mother. The more I understand about motherhood, the more I realise it's not the best choice for everyone.

"I can understand how having, for generations, that kind of pressure where motherhood is a decision that's made for you automatically, can be extremely difficult and damaging for families."

Olivia Ho

Read more from the original source:
A portrait of warped motherhood, Arts News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

Bloomberg

(Bloomberg) -- Greece became the latest European country to declare a national lockdown on the same day England entered a four-week shutdown to combat the accelerating spread of Covid-19. U.K. Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak extended the furlough wage support scheme until March.New cases in Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic climbed to records, while unprecedented numbers of coronavirus patients are in intensive care in Belgium. The European Commission cut its economic forecast for 2021, projecting growth of just 4.2%.AstraZeneca Plc said its ready to supply hundreds of millions of doses of its Covid-19 vaccine and will seek approval for its shot in many countries at once. The pandemic continued to spread in the U.S., with almost 100,000 new cases. Coronavirus deaths and infections worldwide surged by daily records, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.Key Developments:Global Tracker: Cases surpass 48 million; deaths top 1.22 millionEuropes lockdown wave risks double-dip recessionsBrexit in a lockdown is worst of all worlds for U.K. businessAmericas Covid-19 hotspots stuck with TrumpCaution arises on rapid tests in asymptomatic peopleVaccine Tracker: Clinical trials restart in hopeful signSubscribe to a daily update on the virus from Bloombergs Prognosis team here. Click CVID on the terminal for global data on coronavirus cases and deaths.Sunak Extends U.K. Furlough Wage Support to March (7:26 a.m. NY)U.K. Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak extended furlough payments to employees of shuttered companies until the end of March as he sought to provide certainty to the countrys coronavirus-ravaged economy.Government payments of 80% of wages for workers at companies forced to close because of coronavirus pandemic restrictions will continue after the end of the partial English lockdown on Dec. 2, Sunak told the House of Commons on Thursday.Speaking on the day England entered a new four-week lockdown, Sunak abandoned his previous position that the program should end on Oct. 31 in order for new, less-generous measures to focus on supporting viable jobs.Regeneron to Ramp Up Antibody Output (6:47 a.m. NY)Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. said it should have enough of its Covid-19-fighting antibody to treat 80,000 patients by the end of the month, and 200,000 doses of the medication that President Donald Trump dubbed a cure by the first week of January.It plans to produce another 100,000 doses to fulfill its $450 million contract with the U.S. governments Operation Warp Speed by the end of January. It submitted data to support an emergency use authorization of the experimental antibody cocktail last month.Montenegro Tightens Rules After Funeral of Cleric (6:35 a.m. NY)Montenegro imposed new restrictions after thousands of people ignored existing distancing measures and flocked to the funeral of a famous local Orthodox cleric. On Sunday, an open-casket funeral of Bishop Amfilohije, who died of Covid-19 last week, drew masses to the capital of Podgorica despite a ban on gatherings.Exponential growth in new infections, a consequence of a disregard for measures and mass gatherings in recent days, require the tightening, health authorities said late Wednesday by email. Restrictions will be tightened in four cities, including Podgorica, by closing down schools, bars and restaurants.Astra Preparing to Roll Out Vaccine Supplies (6:48 p.m. HK)AstraZeneca Plc is poised to unveil coronavirus vaccine test results by year-end and to begin supplying the world with hundreds of millions of doses shortly afterwards if it gains approval from regulators, Chief Executive Officer Pascal Soriot said on Thursday. Soriot dismissed reports of delays and manufacturing snags.After summer delays, a recent resurgence of the virus has allowed scientists to gather the clinical data they need, Soriot said on a conference call. Astra is keeping the vaccine in a frozen bulk state for now to maximize its shelf life while it awaits final test results and regulatory clearances.Norway Restricts Alcohol Sales in Bid to Avoid Lockdown (6:38 p.m. HK)Norway is banning alcohol sales at bars and restaurants after midnight, extending measures already imposed in some municipalities nationwide. The new curbs also limit gatherings in public places to 20 people, while Prime Minister Erna Solberg urged people to stay at home if they can and advised against unnecessary domestic travel. Norwegians will still be free to travel to their cabins, provided they can avoid contact with others.Solberg said the latest rise in infections means theres no time to see whether restrictions introduced last week are enough.Greece to Enter National Lockdown on Saturday (6:08 p.m. HK)Greece will go into a three-week national lockdown from 6 a.m. Saturday after a prolonged rise in coronavirus infections and an increase in the number of patients in intensive care, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said.If we continued to see the same rate of increase in cases as in the past week wed have thousands in our hospitals, Mitsotakis said in a nationally televised address.Greece recorded a new daily record high of 2,646 new cases Wednesday, while the occupancy rate of total intensive-care units currently stands at 69%. The total number of infections in the country of around 11 million people is now 46,892.Europe Economy Faces Sluggish Recovery in 2021 (6:00 p.m. HK)The euro-area economy will grow 4.2% in 2021, less than previously anticipated, the European Commission said. The European Unions executive arm does see a shallower recession this year, though that doesnt include the latest government lockdowns, which could push some of the regions biggest economies back into recession.The outlook is for a sluggish recovery next year that leaves EU nations open to rising company failures and long-term unemployment, the Commission said.Polish, Czech Infections Hit New Records (5:44 p.m. HK)Poland confirmed 27,143 new coronavirus cases in the last 234 hours, a record, with 367 more deaths, the countrys health ministry said. That pushes the countrys infection rate over a threshold set by the government for the imposition of a full lockdown.The Czech Republic also registered a record daily caseload, with 15,729 new Covid-19 infections on Wednesday, according to health ministry. The countrys health-care system is under pressure and a state of emergency was recently extended until Dec. 3.Swedish Economy Disappoints, PM Enters Isolation (5:40 p.m. HK)Swedens economy grew less than expected in the third quarter, when a lull in the virus during the summer months allowed businesses and households to return to a semi-normal existence. Gross domestic product grew 4.3% from the previous quarter, Statistics Sweden said on Thursday, less than economists predictions of 5%.Separately, Prime Minister Stefan Lofven said he is self-isolating after being exposed to a person who tested positive for Covid-19. Lofven said on Facebook that he has no symptoms and feels well.Top Serb Clerics Get Covid-19 After Funeral (3:50 p.m. HK)The head of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Irinej, and one of his bishops tested positive for the coronavirus days after holding service for another top cleric whose funeral in neighboring Montenegro drew crowds that ignored health warnings.Patriarch Irinej, 90, has been hospitalized in Belgrade, the Serbian Orthodox Church said by email late Wednesday. Bishop Joanikije, another dignitary of the denomination, also tested positive.Both attended the funeral on Sunday for Bishop Amfilohije, who died last week from Covid-19 in Montenegro. He was a prominent political figure whose support of opposition groups helped them defeat the long-ruling party of President Milo Djukanovic in August elections.Bank of England Boosts U.K. Stimulus (3:00 p.m. HK)Policymakers at the Bank of England voted unanimously to inject an extra 150 billion pounds ($195 billion) into the U.K. economy by increasing the size of its government bond-buying program to combat the effects of the accelerating pandemic.Officials also slashed their economic growth estimates, saying they now expected a contraction in the fourth quarter. The U.K. economy will shrink by 11% in 2020 before expanding 7.5% in 2021, the bank said.German Cases Climb to Record (2:28 p.m. HK)Germany registered a record increase in new cases, days after the government imposed the toughest restrictions since a national lockdown in the spring.Europes biggest economy had 31,480 new infections in the 24 hours through Thursday morning, bringing the total to 608,611, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. The figures have fluctuated wildly in recent weeks, with daily infections falling to the lowest in almost two weeks on Wednesday.India Adds More Than 50,000 Cases (12:09 p.m. HK)India reported 50,210 new infections Thursday, the first time in 10 days that cases have topped 50,000. Daily infections have dropped from a peak of more than 97,000 in mid-September, but a rise in cases is expected as India kicks off its festival season -- culminating in Diwali on Nov. 14.Total cases in India are at 8.36 million, the second-highest globally behind the U.S., while the countrys death toll rose to 124,315 as of Thursday.Record Worldwide Deaths (11:33 a.m. HK)Daily coronavirus deaths worldwide set a new record of more than 10,000, while global infections passed 600,000 in a day for the first time as the pandemic gathered pace, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.Hokkaido Outbreak Grows (10:25 a.m. HK)Infections in Japans northern-most prefecture Hokkaido, where cases have spiked since October, may break through 100 for the first time today, according to local broadcaster FNN.Hokkaidos governor and the mayor for the prefectures biggest city met Wednesday to discuss possible restrictions, such as asking restaurants in the citys nightlife district to shorten operating hours in exchange for subsidies, FNN reported.China Suspends Entry for U.K. Visas (9:10 a.m. HK)China will temporarily suspend entry by non-Chinese U.K. nationals who hold valid visas or residence permits, the Chinese Embassy in the U.K. said in a statement.The suspension is in response to the Covid-19 outbreak and will be assessed as it evolves, the embassy said. Entry by holders of diplomatic, service or C visas wont be affected, it said.Denver Mulls Tighter Rules (8:15 a.m. HK)Denver is considering more tools to restrict gatherings and avoid a stay-at-home order, said Theresa Marchetta, spokeswoman for Denver Mayor Michael Hancock. Its safe to say everything is on the table.Pueblo, the ninth-largest city in Colorado, last week imposed a two-week, overnight curfew.U.K. May Unveil Furlough Details (7:33 a.m. HK)The U.K. is expected to unveil details of a wage support program Thursday, amid calls for more generous help for people who cant work due to coronavirus restrictions.The Treasury announced Saturday it would extend furlough payments at 80% of employee wages until Dec. 2 to support workers during a second lockdown that starts Thursday. Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak is due to announce further extending the program beyond Dec. 2 in areas under the highest levels of restrictions, the Sun newspaper said.For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.2020 Bloomberg L.P.

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Trial launched to test app that promises digital self-help for youngsters - Yahoo Finance UK

New items are available at the Hancock County Public Library.

The following items are available at the Hancock County Public Library, 900 W. McKenzie Road. For more information on the librarys collection or to reserve a title, visit hcplibrary.org.

Adult Fiction

The Book of V. by Anna Solomon

Suzanne Falter's book encourage women to take care of themselves amid a busy life. submitted

"The Book of V" examines the lives of three women over time to determine how things have changed -- or not changed. submitted

Three women: Lily, Vivian and Esther.

Lily is a mother and a daughter, a second wife and maybe a writer. Or she was going to be, before she had children. Now, in her rented Brooklyn apartment shes grappling with her sexual and intellectual desires, while also trying to manage her roles as a mother and a wife in 2016. Vivian Barr seems to be the perfect political wife, dedicated to helping her charismatic and ambitious husband find success in Watergate-era Washington D.C. But one night, he demands a humiliating favor, and her refusal to obey changes the course of her life and the lives of others. Esther is a fiercely independent young woman in ancient Persia, where she and her uncles tribe live a tenuous existence outside the palace walls. When an innocent mistake results in devastating consequences for her people, she is offered up as a sacrifice to please the King, in the hopes that she will save them all. In author Anna Solomons The Book of V., the lives of these three characters overlap and ultimately collide, illuminating how womens lives have and have not changed over thousands of years.

Adult Nonfiction

The Extremely Busy Womans Guide to Self-Care: Do Less, Achieve More, and Live the Life You Want, by Suzanne Falter

Close your eyes. Take a deep breath. Imagine your perfect day. What if that perfect day was every day? Youre probably doing a lot: taking care of your family, killing it at your job, volunteering, organizing, scheduling and delegating. At the end of all of that, do you have any time or energy left to take care of the most important person: you? If you are ready to step out of feelings of frenzy, guilt, stress and overwhelm, this is the perfect book to guide you on that journey with simple steps you can take each day to improve your self-care. Self-care movement leader and author Suzanne Falter gets it. In fact, she lived the life that every woman today feels expected to lead, chasing career goals while balancing the commitment of raising a family. But after facing an unthinkable tragedy, Suzanne transformed her identity as a stressed-out workaholic to find her way back to wholeness and balance after experiencing overwhelming grief. In The Extremely Busy Womans Guide to Self-Care, Suzanne shares simple, bite-sized suggestions to help you ease onto the path of effective self-care in a way that feels doable rather than demanding.

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Off the Shelves November 5 - Greenfield Daily Reporter

Mary Carney Published 7:08 a.m. ET Nov. 5, 2020

Even though were gaining an hour of sleep, coming out of Daylight Saving Time can have an affect on our natural sleep cycles. Buzz60

At the outset of COVID-19 in early March, there was overwhelming support for our health care workers. As we enter flu season and COVID-19 infections in Indiana continue to rise, there is a heightened need for 24-hour care availability for patients.

While frontline and essential workers in all industries face risks as they work to keep the country running in the face of a global pandemic, shift-work fatigue is an invisible risk they face.

Pandemic fatigue: It may cause need for help from mental health professionals

Nursing homes: Holcomb to send in National Guard to help facilities care for residents

Fatigue is a public health problem on a local and global scale. Humans are the only species that pretend to be nocturnal, but willpower cannot overcome biology.

There are many risks involved with fighting the need for sleep, including impaired reaction time, judgment and vision, problems with information processing and short-term memory, decreased performance, vigilance and motivationand increased moodiness and aggressive behaviors.

Mary Carney is the Western Governors University state director of nursing in Indiana.(Photo: Provided)

Nationwide, 16% of wage and salary employees follow shift-work schedules outside of the hours of 7 a.m. and 6 p.m., including 10% who work evening shifts or night shifts. More than 43% of workers are sleep-deprived, and those most at risk work the night shift, long shifts or irregular shifts.

Furthermore, fatigue is estimated to cost employers $136 billion a year in health-related productivity. While there is no perfect solution for night-shift work, meaningful steps can be taken to improve the impacts related to shift-worker sleep and fatigue.

In general, employees receive little education on the importance of sleep andsleep disorders and the consequences of fatigue. And while night-shift work is necessary in many industries, there is a growing body of evidence that its negative impacts can be mitigated through onboarding education, science-based scheduling and rostering, and increased recognition of the added burden shift work places on employees.

Employers are in a unique position to educate employees on how to avoid fatigue-related safety incidents. These strategies can help this nocturnal workforce mitigate their inherent risk, improve their quality of lifeand increase productivity in the workplace.

The pandemic has layered an additional burden on shift workers with the loss of child care, remote learning for their children (most of which is scheduled during the daytime hours), and the loss of an already limited social life.

Working in hospitals and health care facilities creates an increased chance that friends and colleagues become sick and must isolate themselves, which also creates additional emotional challenges for an already stressful line of work.

If one good thing has come of COVID-19, its that the pandemic has made employers think more carefully about mental health resources for their employees and learn to be more accepting of the mental-health burden that goes alongside night-shift work.

While fatigue impacts workers across sectors, its particularly important for health care workers who cannot properly care for patients if their own needs arent met first.

Their self-care must be prioritized and supported by family, friends, neighbors and peers. I encourage anyone who knows someone in the health care industry to remind them to take time for themselves and even lend a helping hand.

One small but mighty way to honor the important and often unrecognized contributions of night-shift nurses and shift workers is to thank those who had to work an extra hour during their normal shift due to the daylight-savingtime change on Nov. 1.

This is one reason why Western Governors University Indiana launched its Night Shift Nurses campaign, which will deliver 1,900 appreciation kits to night shift workers at health care facilities statewide this year.

We must remain aware of the sacrifices of those on the front lines and learn how we can best help them care for themselves so they can care for the most vulnerable.

At this critical time, I am urging employers and communities to prioritize health care workers sleep health through education, resources and self-care.

Mary Carney is the Indiana state director of nursing in Western Governors University.

Read or Share this story: https://www.indystar.com/story/opinion/2020/11/05/op-ed-health-care-workers-literally-lose-sleep-over-pandemic/6004717002/

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Op-ed: Health care workers literally lose sleep over pandemic. That's bad for patients. - IndyStar

November 03, 2020 03:08 ET | Source: Research and Markets

Dublin, Nov. 03, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Digital Transformation Initiatives Post Pandemic to Drive Marginal Growth in the Global Airport Self-service Market, 2025" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The total self-service market was worth $981.7 million in 2019 and, considering the impact of Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19), is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 0.3% through 2025.

The airport self-service market is poised to witness the advent of latest solutions that improve passenger experience and process efficiency of airports. This study covers the global market and provides a 6-year forecast from 2020 to 2025.

This research covers self-service check-in systems, self-service bag drop systems, self-boarding, and self-service security and immigration systems which are widely adopted at airport passenger touch points. The self-service check-in segment has the highest market share, followed by bag drop, boarding, and security and immigration. Major growth will be observed in the North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific (APAC) regions during the forecast period.

Major airports across the globe have reached their maximum capacity and are facing capacity constraints. Large numbers of congested airports are in the process of expansion or have long-term plans to expand their infrastructure. Major airports are also focusing on digital transformation, which will help them to improve their process efficiency.

However, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a liquidity crisis at airports, which in turn has halted expansion plans and forced airports to realign their digitalization journey. The pandemic has severely lessened passenger traffic at airports reducing congestion, but health regulatory guidelines such as social distancing and contactless travel will strain capacity even amidst such reduced traffic. This provides an opportunity for self-service solution providers to deliver new, tailor-made self-service solutions as per the requirements of airports.

These solutions will not only help improve process efficiency but will also enhance passenger experience and ensure the maintenance of high standards of health and safety. Leading vendors in the airport self-service market are pivoting their focus on enabling a contactless experience by integrating new technologies like biometrics, near field communications (NFC), robotics, cyber security, and blockchain, and on delivering them within a short timeframe. The market leaders are also partnering with start-ups and developing a complete portfolio of self-service solutions.

Additionally, new entrants are bringing innovations and utilizing new technologies to enable a seamless and touchless experience. In the coming years, the increase in usage of self-service solutions will automate passenger processes across multiple touch points, leading to an increase in collection of sensitive passenger data. All stakeholders (airports, airlines, and solution providers) involved need to ensure fair and transparent use of such critical data. Vendors need to develop their solutions with a security-first approach and ensure adherence to local and global data regulations.

Key Issues Addressed

Key Topics Covered:

1. Executive Summary

2. Market Overview

3. COVID-19 - Impact of the Pandemic

4. Drivers and Restraints - Total Market

5. Key Market Trends

6. Key Technology Trends

7. Forecast and Trends - Total Market

8. Market Share and Competitive Analysis - Total Market

9. Growth Opportunities and Companies to Action

10. Self-Service - Check-In Segment Analysis

11. Self-Service - Bag Drop Segment Analysis

12. Self-Service - Boarding Segment Analysis

13. Self-Service - Security & Immigration Segment Analysis

14. The Last Word

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/i6lcp0

Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research.

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Global Airport Self-service Markets, 2019-2020 & Forecast to 2025: COVID-19 Impact - Market is Expected to Expand at a CAGR of 0.3% -...

Photo courtesy Natasha Vicens/PublicSource

A global pandemic, daily protests fueled by racial injustice, social media everywhere, and now the 2020 election a virtual tsunami for our country and our communities. For many students and first-time voters, the commotion and urgency of it all has become overwhelming. If you are feeling anxious or consumed with stress, you are not alone. Here are a few self-care tips to consider as the election approaches:

Many people view social media outlets like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter as crucial and necessary sources for information and news. However, many students also agree that it can be a lot to face at one time.

Give yourself a break from scrolling until you feel comfortable to face the internet again. Student activist, Deyona Burton, says that taking a mental break, is great for her mental health.

Sometimes I just put my phone on airplane mode and take some me time. I started surfing, doing yoga, and journaling. I even messed around with some natural hair styles. Anything that gets you off of your phone counts as self care in my book, she said.

Many Americans feel strongly about their views and feel the need to educate others when they are unsure about theirs. While this can sometimes be a good thing, it can also be draining. Stepping away is one of the most imperative variations of self care, especially during times like these.

Javon Thomas, a first-year psychology major at Florida A&M, can attest to feeling this level of responsibility.

One thing I struggled with was just the overwhelming feeling of wanting to help in so many different areas at once. On the day I filled in my mail-in ballot, I was also volunteering for a social justice group, reading articles to stay informed, responding to social media inquiries about my latest activism posts, and much more. It is hard to manage everything Id like to accomplish to see change, he said.

Thomas believes that students like himself should, only control what you can control.

Id advise others to do their research on candidates to make informed decisions and cast wise votes. But, also know that youve done your part. Stressing about stuff you cant effect will only leave you unhappy, Thomas said.

For many, politics comes with unexpected waves of stressors. Instead of invalidating your feelings and anxiety, address them. It could help to find a trusted friend or family member to confide in. More times than not, they may be facing the same thing.

To face his emotions, Thomas has incorporated reflection periods in his daily life.

Aside from my regular prayer time, Ive been carving time into my schedule for meditation and self-reflection. This is the time where I really focus on my breathing and try not to stress about everything, he said.

When feeling overwhelmed, it is OK to step away from certain dialogue at some point. A simple, I dont want to talk about this right now, could be better than overindulging in pressure-packedconversations.

As a student activist, Burton understands that politics can be overwhelming at times.

We consume so much information via social media and our phones that we dont realize how stressful it can be on our bodies. So self care is very important, Burton said.

Everyone can be surrounded with uncertainties during the election season at some point. The way that you deal with it is what matters most. Self care and taking a step back can be the push that you need.

Read more here:
Self-care is critical this election season - Famuan

So on Wednesday, the day after a presidential election whose outcome remained unclear, she knew that she wanted to ditch her normal class structure and simply let students talk. Its a decision that many professors have made as they help their students discuss, debate, and support one another during a period of tremendous conflict and uncertainty.

The mood was pretty grim, she said, after wrapping up two hours of conversation by Zoom, one for each class. Students really felt like theres nothing they can do. The difficult part was to come to grips with the fact that the country is still divided.

At times of great stress, professors often wonder, What is their role? Educator? Facilitator? Adviser? Berg took on a bit of all three. She answered questions about what might happen next in the political process, and why so many voters backed Trump, something her mostly progressive students seemed to find unfathomable. She gave them a space to talk, which many said they found helpful. And she reminded them that they should still invest their time in the causes they care about and the communities they support.

I tell students they need to take care of each other and of themselves, and remember that a lot of things can be done incrementally, and history doesnt change quickly, she said. Even a Biden presidency wouldn't change a lot of the things they are most concerned about.

Every professor handles classroom conversations in their own way, of course. For Berg, Wednesdays discussions may have been easier to navigate because she has been open with her students all semester about her views on the Trump administration, which she considers dangerous on many levels. (Berg has said her family history has informed her professional life: She was born and raised in Germany, and her grandparents had ties to the Nazis.) Her students needed, she said, someone they can talk to who is not pretending this is business as normal.

She also helped her students make sense of what to them seems nonsensical. Some were expecting a blue wave of voters and were stunned to see the turnout so evenly divided. Someone even asked, are people really that stupid? No, she said. Theyre not stupid. Theyre simply voting their interests. For many, she says, it was a referendum on race, one in which white voters made their feelings clear. For others, it was about lower taxes. And for others, it was about a desire to restart the economy rather than wear masks and social-distance. Its something to look into and think about, she told her students. What was this election about? What was this election for?

Although she said many of her students felt a sense of hopelessness, they were glad to come together. They all expressed that this helped, that this made them feel better in community with other people, to air concerns and questions. I think thats really all we can do right now.

Many colleges have been ramping up programming around the election. Campus counseling centers are on high alert, offering support groups and drop-in sessions for students to help them deal with anger, frustration, stress, and other emotions. Teaching and learning centers, as well as centers for civic engagement, have also been working hard to prepare staff and faculty members to talk about the election and its aftermath with their students.

We were caught unaware in 2016, said Neeraja Aravamudan, associate director for teaching, research, and academic partnerships at the University of Michigans Edward Ginsberg Center, which focuses on the university's community and civic engagement. This year we want to make sure we are really able to support students.

At Michigan, staff from the Ginsberg center and the Center for Research on Learning and Teaching have been helping professors prepare to navigate classroom conversations.

Faculty members should first consider their goals, they say, as different interests require different approaches. Do they want to connect the election to what students are learning in the classroom? Would they rather create a space for students to talk about how theyre feeling? Do they want to help them figure out how to talk with others who think differently? Are they looking to analyze the partisan conflict that has been unfolding, and help students devise ways to move forward?

For Anna Maria Flores and Gail Gibson, the goal on Wednesday was to allow students to talk about their feelings around the election. Flores is associate director, and Gibson the director, of the universitys Kessler presidential-scholars program, which supports first-generation students. And the class they run is a one-credit seminar for first-year students on how to be successful in college.

The Kessler students come from all walks of life, from tiny towns in rural Michigan, to Detroit, Chicago, and New York. Their politics are similarly diverse. Flores said that one student, who wears a hijab, talked about how some students on campus have the privilege of not caring about politics. But, the student said, her identity was not something she could ever step away from.

Another student said she felt that if she ever revealed her political views to her friends, they would very likely ostracize her. Although she didnt explicitly say she was conservative, Flores said that was implied, given that the Ann Arbor campus is very liberal.

In one small class of 40, we saw a snapshot of what you saw take place across the country, said Gibson. We had students across the political spectrum, in essence saying, I dont feel seen. I dont feel heard.

The overall mood, said Gibson, was one of exhaustion. People are tired. This has been an enormously difficult semester. Theyve been managing through Covid and living on campus in a strange, masked, distanced way.

The two mainly let the students talk, but near the end of the conversation tried to move toward a bit of a sense of hope, said Flores. She asked them to think about what things we can control, and next steps

In some ways, she noted, this just feels like the beginning, especially for young people.

Different campus, different students, but Benjamin Blankenship spent the afternoon in a similar discussion. An assistant professor of psychology at James Madison University, he was part of a panel of psychologists helping students process their emotions over the election.

About two dozen students came together over Zoom to talk about feelings of anxiety, disillusionment, and uncertainty. Those feelings often belong to students whose party has lost, but given Tuesdays unclear outcome, they were practically universal.

Many students also worried about threats of violence, should people protest the election results. Student leaders and resident advisers in the group were uncertain about how to talk to other students. Some students worried about Thanksgiving-day conversations with family. Blakenship said students were asking: How do we come back together after this? How are we going to reach across the aisle and try to make connections?

The professors two research psychologists and one therapist walked the students through some of the reasons why people behave the way they do; for example, why we often have visceral reactions to other peoples politics. The issue, they noted, is often more about a persons underlying value system, not a particular policy. So they advised students to frame conversations with friends and family in those terms.

Blankenship also noted that to build bridges, it helps to have a common goal, and suggested that there may be a value in having the College Democrats and College Republicans work on a project together.

That said, he thinks for many students its too early for long-range plans. He noted that an earlier session, in which a panel of faculty members from political science, media, and communication studies analyzed the election results and the role of media, race, and gender, had drawn well over 100 people. Students are still processing the possible outcomes, he said. Building connections will probably come later.

To that end, James Madison University has been putting together a range of post-election programming, on the idea that thats where our hard work really starts, said Abe Goldberg, executive director of the James Madison Center for Civic Engagement. In addition to the politics and psychology panels, the university offered on Wednesday a session on self-care and managing stress, a student-led discussion about free speech on campus; and a session on moving forward as a purple campus, where Democrats and Republicans are well represented.

Its exciting to be building these programs and collaborating with partners around campus, said Goldberg. But at the same time, it signifies where we are as a country. We are going to need so many outlets for these post-election conversations.

If youre wondering how to talk about the election and its aftermath with your students, here are some guides that may help.

Essential Partners, a nonpartisan nonprofit that helps colleges and other organizations build communication skills, offers A Guide to Conversations Across the Red-Blue Divide.

The University of Michigans Edward Ginsberg Center and the Center for Research on Learning and Teaching offer a series of guides around the election, including After Election 2020: Moving from Reaction to Action.

James Madison University has put out a guide to help faculty, staff, and students facilitate difficult election conversations.

The University of Pennsylvanias Center for Teaching and Learning offers advice and resources on responding to the election. And Penns SNF Paideia program, which focuses on civic dialogue in undergraduate education, recently hosted a webinar called Can We Talk? Civil Dialogue for Troubled Times.

Thanks for reading Teaching. If you have suggestions or ideas, please feel free to email us at beckie.supiano@chronicle.com or beth.mcmurtrie@chronicle.com.

Beth

Learn more about our Teaching newsletter, including how to contact us, at the Teaching newsletter archive page.

Continued here:
Teaching: Helping Students Make Sense of the Election - The Chronicle of Higher Education

Are you feeling stressed or anxious about the pending election results? You are not alone.This election season -- and 2020 in general -- has brought on an unusual amount of stress and anxiety to everyone. No one is immune from the waiting game of the presidential race."We tend to fear or get anxious about things that: No. 1, we can't control, and No. 2, that don't have an end in sight," UC Davis clinical professor Dr. Angela Drake said. "And that's kind of what we are dealing with in a nutshell." Drake suggests a variety of different tactics for people to cope with the looming election results.1) Take time for youFirst, she suggests limiting the amount of election TV time you are allowing yourself. "When we're anxious, we are releasing all kinds of stress hormones that aren't good for us," Drake said. "I literally have folks who stay up and watch CNN all night long, especially on the night of an election. That is flooding our bodies with stress hormones." Drake said one way to take care of your physical and and mental is by doing something to distract you. She suggests people "go out in the garden, go rake leaves" to keep your mind occupied for a bit."The goal is to really not even think about the election, not even think about the pandemic," Drake said. "It might only be 10 minutes, but it gives you a break and allows your body to down regulate a bit and reduce the level of stress hormones."2) Mentally prepare for challengesDrake also suggests people anticipate that the election is going to be a challenge -- whether it be some problems with the counts and/or some lawsuits."The idea is that it kind of helps you mentally prepare for that," Drake said. "If it doesn't, and somebody concedes, we go on smoothly -- it's a relief."3) Too much or too little informationDrake also recommends people understand how they deal with information. She suggests people who thrive off information to do their research on potential challenges that might arise with the election. For people who get more anxious with more information, she urges them to unplug."There is really little we can do to control what's going to happen," Drake said.No matter how you deal with information, Drake suggests people find ways to cope with the stress and anxiety they are feeling. It could be through therapy, self-help books, mediation and social support groups."The best thing you can do is be kind to yourself, be kind to other people and really, really make sure that you take care of yourself," Drake said.

Are you feeling stressed or anxious about the pending election results? You are not alone.

This election season -- and 2020 in general -- has brought on an unusual amount of stress and anxiety to everyone. No one is immune from the waiting game of the presidential race.

"We tend to fear or get anxious about things that: No. 1, we can't control, and No. 2, that don't have an end in sight," UC Davis clinical professor Dr. Angela Drake said. "And that's kind of what we are dealing with in a nutshell."

Drake suggests a variety of different tactics for people to cope with the looming election results.

First, she suggests limiting the amount of election TV time you are allowing yourself.

"When we're anxious, we are releasing all kinds of stress hormones that aren't good for us," Drake said. "I literally have folks who stay up and watch CNN all night long, especially on the night of an election. That is flooding our bodies with stress hormones."

Drake said one way to take care of your physical and and mental is by doing something to distract you. She suggests people "go out in the garden, go rake leaves" to keep your mind occupied for a bit.

"The goal is to really not even think about the election, not even think about the pandemic," Drake said. "It might only be 10 minutes, but it gives you a break and allows your body to down regulate a bit and reduce the level of stress hormones."

Drake also suggests people anticipate that the election is going to be a challenge -- whether it be some problems with the counts and/or some lawsuits.

"The idea is that it kind of helps you mentally prepare for that," Drake said. "If it doesn't, and somebody concedes, we go on smoothly -- it's a relief."

Drake also recommends people understand how they deal with information. She suggests people who thrive off information to do their research on potential challenges that might arise with the election. For people who get more anxious with more information, she urges them to unplug.

"There is really little we can do to control what's going to happen," Drake said.

No matter how you deal with information, Drake suggests people find ways to cope with the stress and anxiety they are feeling. It could be through therapy, self-help books, mediation and social support groups.

"The best thing you can do is be kind to yourself, be kind to other people and really, really make sure that you take care of yourself," Drake said.

Read more:
Feeling stressed? 3 ways to cope with election results - KCRA Sacramento

The Pay It Forward cohort and Buckeye Food Alliance after the 2019 Battle Against Hunger. Credit: Alyssa Ciango | For The Lantern

Ohio State student cohort Pay it Forward is working to educate people about food insecurity in Columbus through a program that is now in its 10th year.

Pay It Forward is an initiative focused on providing students with service opportunities and hosting Battle Against Hunger, a month-long program dedicated to raising awareness about food insecurity, which means a person does not have reliable access to a sufficient amount of affordable, nutritious food. Battle Against Hunger began Monday and will run until Nov. 25.

Alyssa Ciango, the graduate administrative associate for the Office of Student Activities, said the Pay It Forward cohort is a group of 27 students whose goal is to educate its peers about social justice issues in and around the Columbus area. She said Battle Against Hunger was established in 2010.

Ciango said there are many ways students can get involved, including donating food and attending virtual programs such as the online educational panel on food insecurity that the program hosted Monday and will host again Nov. 16.

At these panels, we bring in experts, whether that is from the College of Medicine or Social Work, or community partners to talk about food insecurity and how food insecurity affects not only students, but individuals in Columbus, Ciango said.

Ciango said students can also sign up for Food Insecurity 101, a meeting to educate attendees about food insecurity and provide statistics for how it affects Columbus. Meetings are Tuesday and Nov. 18 from 7-8 p.m, according to the Pay It Forward website.

Ciango said the Food Insecurity 101 meetings are marketed as a First Year Success Series event, which first-year students can sign up for online but are available for all students on the website, as are the panel sessions.

We chose to do this because any student, faculty or staff who is associated with Ohio State can use that pantry, Ciango said. So we thought it was important to support our students in that way.

Students can drop off non-perishable and self-care items during a hosted food drive, Ciango said. Drop-off boxes are located at the Ohio Union information desks. Donations will be given to the Buckeye Food Alliance at the end of the month, Ciango said.

Especially in these times, we have found that unfortunately the coronavirus has increased rates of food insecurity, Ciango said. And so its important for us to make donations of any sort.

Megan Haddock, the Ohio State Discount Ticket Program coordinator, said D-Tix became involved in Battle Against Hunger in 2017 when one of her student employees, a previous member of Pay It Forward, told her about it. D-Tix has participated every year since.

D-Tix hosts its own food drive during Battle Against Hunger, with a goal to get as many students to donate as possible, Haddock said. Students can bring their donations to the D-Tix desk in the Union.

We have done it a few years in the past, so we know what we got in the past, Haddock said. So just trying to match or beat the amount we had before would be amazing.

Haddock said she was happy that D-Tix has been involved for the past couple years.

People should donate its for a really good cause, and it will help the community that they live in of Ohio State students and that is a great reason to donate, Haddock said.

Students can find further information about Battle Against Hunger events on Pay It Forwards Instagram, @payitforwardosu.

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Student initiative helps bring attention to food insecurity - OSU - The Lantern