The dawn of the new year is often a stressful and sorrowful time. Not always immediately; it can take a few weeks to kick in. Consumer debt spikes in January, just as the credit card bills for the "festive season" start to arrive. Then there is also the issue known as "the broken promise effect", when the holiday season fails to live up to one’s expectations, and the return to routine is imminent. By the second week of January, most of us will have trashed our New Year's resolutions. Empty cigarette cartons or junk-food packaging, staring up at us, remind us of our ill-disciplined imperfectability. Worst of all, for those who have lost hope, the new year can represent a warped, self-imposed deadline: "If things are not better by 2022, they never will be".
January can be a challenging time of the year, so we need to go easy on ourselves and one another. It is important to refrain, as best we can, from adding stress to stress. Kindness, of course, should be a year-round thing, but during January, it seems, we need it most. So what can we do to safeguard our wellbeing as we pass through the gateway month into the new year?
One evidence-based approach suggests that we give more attention to what is going on internally and externally in the present moment. What are we feeling? What is here right now? What is this? These are questions that mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) instructors ask all the time. MBSR, and its close cousin, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT), have proven hugely successful in promoting psychological wellbeing and preventing relapse in depression. But how can being more attentive to present moment experience help?
Attention and curiosity about what is going on, within and without, allow us to notice things. But, unfortunately, we are often stressed without even being aware. It just kind of sneaks up, and the first casualty of stress is kindness. This unkindness takes the form of negative self-talk ("I'm such a loser") or hostility and impatience towards others.
Negative self-talk brings us down, and being horrible to others damages valuable relationships. If we are going to have any chance of reducing our stress, we need to notice that we are stressed in the first place. This is where paying attention helps. Some practitioners even refer to mindfulness interventions as "attention training".
Paying attention to the present also helps us become more aware of pleasant experiences. We might notice the refreshing winter breeze on our skin, the diversity of birdsong or the way the trees dance in the wind. We might also become aware of delightful absences – those unpleasant things that are not here right now: toothache, illness, noxious smells, lockdown.
The first casualty of stress is kindness
Such awareness frequently leads to gratitude – a sense of thankfulness for what is. The scientific evidence describing the health benefits of gratitude, physical and mental, has increased rapidly over the past decade. A study published in the neuroscience journal Cerebral Cortex back in 2009 established a link between gratitude and the neurochemical dopamine, also known as the "Kardashian molecule" or the pleasure hormone. Subsequent studies have found that just pondering the question "What am I grateful for?" increases dopamine and serotonin, even if an answer is not forthcoming.
Simply paying attention to present moment experience helps us notice when we are stressed or becoming stressed. It also helps reopen our eyes and hearts to the many uplifting gifts of existence.
This awareness is the mother of choice. If we know that we are stressed, we can perhaps choose to do something about it. However, the problem here is that we often unthinkingly rush to "fix" things, chase them away, or avoid them altogether. This is habitual stress reactivity rather than a mindful stress response.
Eight times out of 10, stress reactivity makes things worse or at least prolongs the distress. What is called for is the ability to simply let unpleasant feelings such as anger, sadness or anxiety run their course. MBSR instructors talk about acceptance and "letting be". I like the Arabic word “sabr” – usually translated as “patience”. To be clear, though, this "letting be" is not a form of cowardly resignation. It is more like allowing the dust to settle, so we can see clearly before mindfully choosing a course of action. This approach usually results in wiser, more compassionate choices.
Perhaps more than any other month, January is when we need to be especially compassionate towards ourselves and others. For some people, the new year can be a time of extreme psychological distress. There is a spike in suicide in January in many nations, especially on and around New Year's Day. For example, a 2016 study published in the Journal of Affective Disorders explored suicide data in England over a 15-year period, finding a consistent spike for January. Similar data are reported in other nations, such as Australia, Mexico and the US.
Let 2022 be the year of kindness. And if we can't be kind, let's at least be curious about why not?
UAE%20v%20West%20Indies
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The%20specs
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Black Panther
Dir: Ryan Coogler
Starring: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o
Five stars
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
if you go
The flights
Emirates offer flights to Buenos Aires from Dubai, via Rio De Janeiro from around Dh6,300. emirates.com
Seeing the games
Tangol sell experiences across South America and generally have good access to tickets for most of the big teams in Buenos Aires: Boca Juniors, River Plate, and Independiente. Prices from Dh550 and include pick up and drop off from your hotel in the city. tangol.com
Staying there
Tangol will pick up tourists from any hotel in Buenos Aires, but after the intensity of the game, the Faena makes for tranquil, upmarket accommodation. Doubles from Dh1,110. faena.com
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Types of fraud
Phishing: Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.
Smishing: The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.
Vishing: The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.
SIM swap: Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.
Identity theft: Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.
Prize scams: Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.
* Nada El Sawy
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
More on Quran memorisation:
Five healthy carbs and how to eat them
Brown rice: consume an amount that fits in the palm of your hand
Non-starchy vegetables, such as broccoli: consume raw or at low temperatures, and don’t reheat
Oatmeal: look out for pure whole oat grains or kernels, which are locally grown and packaged; avoid those that have travelled from afar
Fruit: a medium bowl a day and no more, and never fruit juices
Lentils and lentil pasta: soak these well and cook them at a low temperature; refrain from eating highly processed pasta variants
Courtesy Roma Megchiani, functional nutritionist at Dubai’s 77 Veggie Boutique
European arms
Known EU weapons transfers to Ukraine since the war began: Germany 1,000 anti-tank weapons and 500 Stinger surface-to-air missiles. Luxembourg 100 NLAW anti-tank weapons, jeeps and 15 military tents as well as air transport capacity. Belgium 2,000 machine guns, 3,800 tons of fuel. Netherlands 200 Stinger missiles. Poland 100 mortars, 8 drones, Javelin anti-tank weapons, Grot assault rifles, munitions. Slovakia 12,000 pieces of artillery ammunition, 10 million litres of fuel, 2.4 million litres of aviation fuel and 2 Bozena de-mining systems. Estonia Javelin anti-tank weapons. Latvia Stinger surface to air missiles. Czech Republic machine guns, assault rifles, other light weapons and ammunition worth $8.57 million.
Brief scoreline:
Liverpool 2
Mane 51', Salah 53'
Chelsea 0
Man of the Match: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
The years Ramadan fell in May
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
PRO BASH
Thursday’s fixtures
6pm: Hyderabad Nawabs v Pakhtoon Warriors
10pm: Lahore Sikandars v Pakhtoon Blasters
Teams
Chennai Knights, Lahore Sikandars, Pakhtoon Blasters, Abu Dhabi Stars, Abu Dhabi Dragons, Pakhtoon Warriors and Hyderabad Nawabs.
Squad rules
All teams consist of 15-player squads that include those contracted in the diamond (3), platinum (2) and gold (2) categories, plus eight free to sign team members.
Tournament rules
The matches are of 25 over-a-side with an 8-over power play in which only two fielders allowed outside the 30-yard circle. Teams play in a single round robin league followed by the semi-finals and final. The league toppers will feature in the semi-final eliminator.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Adele: The Stories Behind The Songs
Caroline Sullivan
Carlton Books
Huddersfield Town permanent signings:
- Steve Mounie (striker): signed from Montpellier for £11 million
- Tom Ince (winger): signed from Derby County for £7.7m
- Aaron Mooy (midfielder): signed from Manchester City for £7.7m
- Laurent Depoitre (striker): signed from Porto for £3.4m
- Scott Malone (defender): signed from Fulham for £3.3m
- Zanka (defender): signed from Copenhagen for £2.3m
- Elias Kachunga (winger): signed for Ingolstadt for £1.1m
- Danny WIlliams (midfielder): signed from Reading on a free transfer
GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
Winners
Best Men's Player of the Year: Kylian Mbappe (PSG)
Maradona Award for Best Goal Scorer of the Year: Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
TikTok Fans’ Player of the Year: Robert Lewandowski
Top Goal Scorer of All Time: Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
Best Women's Player of the Year: Alexia Putellas (Barcelona)
Best Men's Club of the Year: Chelsea
Best Women's Club of the Year: Barcelona
Best Defender of the Year: Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus/Italy)
Best Goalkeeper of the Year: Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG/Italy)
Best Coach of the Year: Roberto Mancini (Italy)
Best National Team of the Year: Italy
Best Agent of the Year: Federico Pastorello
Best Sporting Director of the Year: Txiki Begiristain (Manchester City)
Player Career Award: Ronaldinho
