Tag Archives: WHO

Self-Care for Parents – Back to School

26/08/2020 Tracey Dowdy

By Tracey Dowdy

I don’t know if you’ve been paying attention, but 2020 has been a wild ride. It sometimes seems like we haven’t had time to catch our breath before the sky begins to fall again. Self-care has always been important, but perhaps never more so than in 2020. It’s also probably never felt more impossible.

It’s why flight attendants tell you to put your mask on first in an airline emergency. You can’t take care of someone else if you’re gasping for breath. Yet, across the country, kids are going back to school on campus, and online, offices and workplaces are re-opening, and everyone is trying to find their new normal. How on earth is there time to care for oneself when you’re wearing so many hats?

Coming out of quarantine, depression, anger, and confusion are all possible due to the loss of connection with others, making self-care even more critical. Implementing a few simple changes to your routine can clear your head, refresh your spirit, and equip to save the world once again.

In the words of the great Gloria Estefan, get on your feet! The American Heart Association recommends a minimum of 150 minutes of movement per week, which is just over 20 minutes a day. Have a dance party with your kids, grab a quick walk around the block or do some yoga before anyone else is up. YouTube and the Google Play and App store each have tons of free workouts if you need something more structured to get you moving.

Not many things are better for your mental health than taking a break from social media. Simply putting down your phone and engaging in real-world conversation, making eye contact, and including physical touch boosts your serotonin levels. Create boundaries for when you are online and be sure to get your information from reputable sources like the CDC, WHO, and local health department.

Taking a few minutes a day to meditate or pray can help align your mind and put you in the right mindset to face the challenges of your day. If prayer and meditation aren’t your thing, read something inspirational, savor a cup of tea, do a breathing exercise, or unwind in a relaxing bath. All provide the same mood-boosting benefits.

Despite the fact we’re all still social distancing, it’s never been more important to stay connected. Be intentional about creating virtual hangouts with your friends and play games, host a Netflix party or an online book club.

Tracey Dowdy is a freelance writer based just outside Washington DC. After years working for non-profits and charities, she now freelances, edits, and researches on subjects ranging from family and education to history and trends in technology. Follow Tracey on Twitter.

Tech Trends/Lifestyle, How To, home

How to Talk to Your Children About COVID-19

13/03/2020 Tracey Dowdy 134 Comments

By Tracey Dowdy

The World Health Organization has announced that the Coronavirus (COVID-19) has been diagnosed in 114 countries, killed more than 4,000 people, and is now officially a pandemic. Even though WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged people not to be fearful because of its status as a pandemic, many parents and children have anxiety about their own health as well as the health of loved ones.

As parents, it’s important to remember that our children look to us and other adult authority figures such as teachers, coaches, and Scout leaders for guidance on how to respond to such news. These guidelines from The National Association of School Psychologists and National Association of School Nurses can help you navigate those difficult conversations, allay unnecessary fears and keep your children safe through preventive measures.

Children are constant observers, so remember that your children will react to and follow your reactions – both what you say and what you do. Allow them to share their feelings, show compassion, and remind them that you and their teachers, coaches, and other adults at their school are working to keep them safe and healthy. Unless they have compromised immune systems, even though children may still catch the virus, they’re far less likely to experience symptoms.

Be careful in your conversations not to lay blame on specific people, groups, or organizations and as always, avoid stereotyping or bullying language. It’s also a good idea to be mindful of watching or listening to the news when your children are around as the frequent reports on the virus may increase their anxiety. Remind your children that not everything they see online is real, and to always consider the source to determine whether what they read or saw is fact or fiction.

Try to maintain as much normalcy as safe and possible by sticking to your routines and keeping up with schoolwork, even if there are temporary school closures and distance learning.

Finally, remember how quickly rumors spread around the school when you were a child and how gullible you often were. Having these conversations is important because often what we imagine is far more frightening than reality. Remind them of basic precautions like washing their hands for at least 20 seconds – the length of time it takes to sing Happy Birthday twice – or use hand sanitizer if there’s no sink nearby. The virus can live on some surfaces for up to nine days, so remind them to wipe down their tablets and phones or have you do it, and avoid sharing food or drinks with their friends.

The most important thing for them to hear is that there’s no need to panic, and as always, you’re actively working to keep them safe and healthy.

Tracey Dowdy is a freelance writer based just outside Washington DC. After years working for non-profits and charities, she now freelances, edits and researches on subjects ranging from family and education to history and trends in technology. Follow Tracey on Twitter.

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Gaming Disorder Included in WHO List of International Classification of Diseases

28/05/2019 Tracey Dowdy 1 Comment

By Tracey Dowdy

Back in June 2018, the World Health Organization added “Gaming Disorder” to its list of modern diseases. In May 2019, they updated its classification under the heading “potentially harmful technology-related behaviors,” including excessive use of “the internet, computers, smartphones” and more.

The WHO describes gaming disorder as: “a pattern of behaviour characterised by impaired control over gaming, increasing priority given to gaming over other activities to the extent that gaming takes precedence over other interests and daily activities, and continuation or escalation of gaming despite the occurrence of negative consequences.”

Also included is the qualification that “For gaming disorder to be diagnosed, the behaviour pattern must be of sufficient severity to result in significant impairment in personal, family, social, educational, occupational or other important areas of functioning and would normally have been evident for at least 12 months.”

The decision is not without controversy as the WHO faced strong opposition from trade groups within the video game industry like Entertainment Software Association (ESA) and Interactive Software Federation of Europe (ISFE), both citing research that counters the WHO’s claims.

In January 2019, ESA CEO Stanley Pierre-Louis stated, “more conversation and education” between ESA and the WHO was necessary before a final decision was made. “As an industry we are committed to collaborating with stakeholders, researchers, policymakers, and parents to ensure best-in-class ratings, parental controls, and other tools help video game players and parents understand and manage healthy video game play.”

In a statement issued to GamesIndustry.biz, managing director Simon Little said: “Classifying ‘gaming disorder’ under the mental health and addiction category of the ICD-11 list may well lead to abuse of diagnosis and misdiagnosis as such inclusion is not based on a high level of evidence, as would be required to formalise any other disorder.”

Of course, the controversy surrounding gaming addiction isn’t new. In the latest version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM–5), The American Psychiatric Association says it’s “a condition warranting more clinical research and experience” before it will be included as a formal disorder.

The American Medical Association made its stance clear back in 2007. “There is nothing here to suggest that this is a complex physiological disease state akin to alcoholism or other substance abuse disorders, and it doesn’t get to have the word addiction attached to it,” said Dr. Stuart Gitlow of the American Society of Addiction Medicine and Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York.

Despite opposition, “gaming addiction” has been officially adopted into the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) at the 72nd World Health Assembly.