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My path to living a simpler life started a few years ago, the intention was to let go of everything that wasn’t good for me, this way of living has most definitely brought more peace into my world, but it also has brought with it the pain of loss. The loss of friendships, and belief in myself and other people. There were times when I doubted myself for choosing the path that I did, when everyone else seemed to be hustling to make it in the world.  Now I know, loss isn’t always a bad thing, simplifying your life isn’t about shutting out people, consumerism, money or material things. It’s more about embracing them in a more conscious, intentional way. That’s the way it works for me, you many decide to approach it differently; some people refer to this way of living as minimalism, I call it simple living.  The more experiences I have in life, the clearer it becomes to me that to be happy, the more selective I need to be with how I spend my time, energy and money. How do I do this? Living a simple life. On my journey I have come to value knowledge and experiences way more than things.  Having nice things is cool. But ultimately, the people who truly care about you don’t care about the things you own. All they care about is that you’re happy, and that you’re able to spend quality time with them. And the people you’re trying to impress with the cool things? They couldn’t care less about whether you’re happy or miserable, so why not choose to invest your time, energy and money in making beautiful memories with the ones who do matter, and knowledge that will help enrich your relationships with them?  We live in a world where we are bombarded with thousands of images every single moment that encourage us to act impulsively on urges that bring us little to no real benefit. “Feeling down about your life? We know how to make you feel better”. Or, “This waist trainer will give you a tiny waist and make you look beautiful”. The more you buy into these ideas you realise that you can drown, in stuff that is no good for you.  Simplifying my life has allowed me to align my actions with my values. We may have goals that we want to achieve and values that we claim to live by, but often, our day-to-day actions don’t reflect them. Until your words, thoughts and actions align with each other, the values that you want to embody will remain disconnected from your reality as mere thoughts in your head.  If you’re wondering if living a simple life is for you, I will be discussing it in more detail here over the next few weeks. I will tell you about the strategies that have made the biggest impact on my simple-living journey, things that have helped me find the true essence of living a meaningful, intentional life. * The author is a consultant and coach. Instagram handle: @miss_shefa,  Website: missshefa.com

Are you a person that is constantly watching the news? Either by television, newspapers, or social media?  We are in a world in where news, either good or bad is surrounding us and affects us positively or even worse negatively! In these times, especially with the Covid-19 pandemic, we are glued to the news. We all want to know if a vaccine has been invented, the numbers of corona cases in our country or the world. Well, I’m sorry to tell you that doing that influences us resentfully more than the virus itself!  Let me give you a few tips on how to handle the Covid-19 news or bad news in general: 1. Limit your exposure to media as much as possible. 2. Think of the blessings you have in your life or in general in the world. 3. Control your thoughts instead of letting them control you. 4. Take a course in stress management. 5. Avoid gatherings in where you know the negative topic will be brought up. 6. Surround yourself with positive individuals and surroundings. 7. Meditate. 8. Try to work out as much as possible, as endorphin gets released when you fo. 9. Last but not least, accept it! Because resistance outcomes persistence. It is ok and normal to feel bad now and then, but with real issues! A loved one’s death — God forbid, a chronic sickness, work issues, or any situation you feel that triggers your life. But one must nor focus on that continually and stay in that cycle! One must focus on the solutions instead of frowning on the topic itself and blaming one’s bad luck. If you still feel that you are in the negative circle and cannot escape it then professional help is needed. Here is where a life coach’s work comes in. First let us define what a life coach is, as some might not be familiar with it. Meriiam-Webster dictionary states that a life coach is an adviser who helps people make decisions, set and reach goals, or deal with problems. Soon this case,  seeking a life coach might be the perfect solution to one. A life coach will identify your fears and helps you overcome them with tips or solutions, which will be a perfect positive life style for you. Finally, you only live once so try to make it a happy and positive life, that you won’t regret having once your old. Stay safe and happy! *The author is a consultant in Public Relations and Personality Types. Instagram: @Tipsbyhalahill

Be organised, start off slow and do the plank every day. Have a training plan: Even a free one-size-fits-all training plan that you can download is good. They help you build up your distance safely, and remind you to plan in enough rest and recovery days. Don’t go too fast on your longer training runs: These practice runs are about building endurance, not speed. Aim for a gentle pace where you can hold a conversation. If you struggle, you will get demotivated. Use your shorter runs for speed training. Most people do three training runs a week. Do regular injury-proofing exercises: Squats, lunges, planks and bridge strengthen legs and core. Do 5 to 10 minutes a day, or half an hour a few times a week. Don’t explode out of the starting gate: As the race day approaches, remember that you will be full of adrenaline, so it will be tempting to go off too fast. You will pay for it later as your energy levels flag. Studies show that it is best to run the first half more slowly than the second.

As we all assumed, Covid-19 wave two is happening and is finally here. Did you continue to practice the safety precautions when the country started to re-open or did you go back to the old ways pre-pandemic? Personally, I continued to be precautious rather than directly revert to old ways as I urged you all to do in one of my recent articles. To tell you the truth, I really dislike the face masks and am really unable to be strict with wearing them; that’s why I rarely go out and if I do, I try to get back home as fast as possible. You guys know how much I love working out, but I still choose to not wear the mask when I am outside, but of course I practice social distancing and stay far from others as much as I can. If you’re active, did you notice the lack of oxygen and increased sweating? I tried it once and will never do it again, but guess what, it seems my body was trying to tell me something and now I understand what that was. Recent studies have revealed that wearing face masks can negatively effect the mind and body. How? Masks reduce the amount of oxygen intake and lead to it not being delivered efficiently throughout your body and naturally to the brain as well. They even saw that these effects continue after removing the mask as the body becomes used to that kind of state. In more detail, masks can cause you to inhale and exhale more rapidly possibly leading to hyperventilation. This effects the balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide and causes you to use your chest and neck muscles more rather than your diaphragm and makes it more difficult for your body to relax. If you haven’t already and hope you don’t, but headaches, dizziness, confusion, numbness or tingling in hands and feet and problems sleeping are very common symptoms from frequent mask-wearing. Therefore, it is clear that all these masks, whatever type, have adverse effects and are not recommended to be worn continuously. This is why I urge you all to reduce your outings, in turn reducing the use of masks and to firmly adopt the following guidelines if you have to go out and wear your mask: 1. Take five long breaths before putting on your mask, after putting it on and when you remove it. For one long breath, breathe in for 4 seconds through the nose and breathe out for 6 seconds through the mouth. Then take a 2 second break in between breaths. 2. Take slower and longer breaths while wearing the mask. Take note of your breathing speed and try to relax. 3. If you are wearing the mask for an extended amount of time, make sure to take breaks around every 30-60 minutes to take it off and to take in five long breaths.  4. For hygiene purposes: dispose of your disposable masks once used and make sure to frequently wash your reusable masks as masks can cause and increase infections. 5. If you are sick and have been effected by Covid-19 then make sure to stay home and not have to wear your mask as it may potentially worsen your health. So, in conclusion, please be ware while wearing your mask and to take care of your health by following the discussed protocols above. Most importantly, if you are an active person and want to continue your healthy lifestyle, that’s great, but please make sure to watch your breathing and try to refrain from wearing your mask as much as possible (while still practicing social distancing). This means try to workout at home or in the outdoors away from others or simply do not engage in public activities where you must wear a mask. Good luck and happy breathing! * The author is a wellness advocate and influencer @keys2balance.

Working out, keeping fit, going to the gym — we do this in the best interest of our bodies with the intention of keeping our body fit and healthy. But should your workouts extend above the neck as well as below? The very concept of face massages/exercise is an art that dates back to many, many years and has roots in China, Mexico, France and Sweden, with each nation having a role to play in shaping what we know as facial massage today. Essentially, the results of a good facial massage are a reduction in puffiness, an uplift in the firmness of the skin, a release of any tension in the face and that a healthy, rested glow. Harvard scientists say the primary target in facial massage is the lymph nodes underneath the ears and on the neck. The act of working out and massaging the skin means increased blood flow to the area. More blood to the skin means more oxygen to the skin, and that blood flow also brings more nutrients. Another benefit of facial massage is that it also relieves tension. Just as firming and toning our muscles with exercise make our body look and feel better, facial massages works the same way too. These massages work our facial muscles by releasing tension while lifting the skin and making them firmer. Think of it as natural therapy. A small 2017 survey examined the effectiveness of facial massage that included a stimulating massage device such as a face roller. When combined with natural face oils, improvements were seen in wrinkles, skin sagging, and texture. Face exercises, including stretching and movement, can be used to loosen up and lessen the appearance of any imperfections, such as scars, as well as to help improve muscle tone in the face and could theoretically help with gravity-related fat loss or redistribution on the face.  It’s a trend that’s growing at a good pace, and more people are paying attention to natural ways in which they can exercise the face. As I grow my businesses, my next project will focus on professional face massages to complement my existing brands centred around veganism, health, skincare and sustainability. Whether you have 15 minutes or an entire hour, you will be able to put together your favourite elements to create an individualised facial massage routine. Focusing on the health and strength of your facial muscles as part of your selfcare routine will work wonders for the appearance of key focus areas like the jawline, forehead and eye area – let me know if it’s something you’ve considered before, or your own experiences with facial exercises.  *The author is an expert in vegan wellbeing and health. Instagram handle: @Ghanim92 

Suzanne Malek, expatriate from the US, shares how she started helping people needing food and grocery during Covid-19 outbreak Helping others in the hour of need is a noble cause. It may be easy to take an initiative but it is often daunting to sustain volunteering and social work. The urge for volunteerism and social work might not have been felt stronger than it is being felt during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. In Qatar, many organisations and groups – both Governmental and non-governmental – have been dedicated to extending helping hand to the people in need. The challenging times have also forced many individuals to get to social work and help the needy as the pandemic has rendered many jobless putting them in dire financial conditions. Suzanne Malek, an expatriate from the United States, is one such volunteer who has committed herself to providing grocery and food to those who asked for the stuff. In a recent interaction with Gulf Times, Suzanne shared that how she resumed helping others during the coronavirus outbreak. Mother of four, she moved to Qatar with her husband in 2007. “We came with three children and had our fourth child here. I have a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology. I have a heart for social work and enjoy helping others in need.” Soon after the virus outbreak, Suzanne realised that the pandemic is going to stay for a long time and a lot of people will face harsh times. “During the lockdown, I spent a lot of time with my family at home. When I began to realise that things could be shut down for a long time, I started praying for something special to do. I knew that I needed an outward focus and that I would no longer be able to meet with people as before.” The volunteer got a push when she saw one of her neighbours distributing food items among the people in need. “One day my neighbour let me know she was contributing to an effort to help people in need of food. In April, I joined in and also began to help people with groceries. I knew that to keep this effort sustainable, I would need a lot of support. I reached out to friends and neighbours and we communicated as needs were made known. We have a list of grocery items and when requests come in we determine how many items we need to provide for the people for two weeks. “People volunteer to purchase enough grocery items for those requesting. Some people, involved in this effort, traveled outside Qatar but continued to be involved by using various online grocery delivery services available here. Some neighbours and friends would regularly bring basic food items to help with keeping up the stock. Sometimes, my children would help in packaging the food parcels.” She further said: “Finally, volunteers pick up the food parcels and deliver them to the people that had requested for it. We also give the grocery recipients links to charity help in case they qualify. We also let them know that if they need groceries again, they should contact us in two weeks. Often we receive requests from new people as food recipients share our contact information with their friends in need. We have continued to help those reaching out to us for food, but they are fewer now as many have thankfully been able to return to work or to their home countries.” Besides giving away the grocery and food, Suzanne has also been involved in other volunteer activities in Qatar. “I have been able to volunteer at schools, at a women’s centre teaching English, at Church and at Hamad Hospital. I have had more time to contribute to volunteering as my children are older now.” The expatriate pursues her work religiously. “Almighty wants us to help others in need and there are many ways we can do this. When the virus outbreak happened, none of us could have guessed how many people would run into difficult times and how long things would remain shut down. When I was a child, my family experienced difficulties and we received help from others. I am grateful to have found a way to go outside of myself by contributing to the needs of others in this time. It has been a blessing for me and the group I have been able to be a part of. I have also experienced the added gift of friendship and community as I have been able to communicate and work with amazing and generous people while doing this, as well as very kind and appreciative recipients.”

Its been a _______ year. I am not sure of the word to use here. There doesn’t seem to be one, perhaps if I just give you the facts you can fill in the blank for me. Within the first few months of the year I have lost people I love to cancer and suicide, there has also been miscarriage and witnessing the struggle and sacrifice that comes with aeging family members.   These things leave you with a tangle of emotions that I can’t describe or even put a word to; but these losses have also made something else come to focus, that has for a long time now, has been in my mind.  The growing realisation, some call it consciousness, that life should be lived more simply and that way of living adds to happiness. I am not suggesting that we should run away from real life, to go and be hermits and live in caves. This isn’t about living a life without joy and fun — it’s actually the opposite. Its about finding, or re-discovering, the aspects of life that really matter and having time to value and enjoy them. It is a search for simplicity and the contentment that goes with it.  There is also another factor at play here, the state of our planet that is our home, that sustains all living things, has never been so fragile. It disturbs me deeply that the things we do and do not do, they way of live we have become so used to is causing that fragility.   With all this in mind, over the next few weeks I am going to take you on a journey with me as I tell you about the strategies, I have adopted over the years to simplify my life and the ways I will continue to do so. Watch this space, there is beauty in simplicity. * The author is a consultant and coach. Instagram handle: @miss_shefa,  Website: missshefa.com

Do you often feel your thoughts are running your life? Do you frequently find yourself deep in thoughts, ruminating, analysing, or worrying? Are you feeling sad and sour at most times of the day and unable to pinpoint the reason that is bothering you? Surely, you have a series of unhappy thoughts moving around your head all day long and you are unable to concentrate on your daily routine. If you are going through such a situation, there may be replays of the past looping over and over again in your head, followed by hopes and worries of what is coming in the future.  There are many chances that you are either living in your past or overwhelming your head with future worries and consequently, you stay sublimely unhappy. Living in the past is too painful to bear and worrying too much about the future is exhausting and leads to sadness and hopelessness. If you find yourself adhering to a particular time from your past because you think there is nothing in the present or future that could be better and if thinking about the past makes you feel unhappy you may be stuck in the past. Living in the present means eliminating worries about anything that happened in the past and not fearing what will happen in the future. It means living for today and enjoying what is happening right now. Living in your past not only takes away your enjoyment of today but also steals from you the true living. The most important moment to live is the present moment. If you are unable to figure out if you are living in the past, you can ask yourself the following questions to help you figure it out: 1. Does thinking about the past make you sad? 2. Are you not satisfied with your current life situation? 3. Is there one specific time from the past that you find yourself adhering to? 4. Are you frightened of the future? 5. Do you feel that you will never reach that level of happiness, status, satisfaction, acceptance, etc. again? Why is living in the past a problem? It is a problem because it takes away the opportunity to enjoy your present moment. If you are not happy and enjoying where you are and what is happening around you, then living in the past will not help. Living in the past won’t let you be able to deal with the issues in your present life. If you are currently underemployed or unemployed, it feels better to go to the past and think about the time when you were the boss, when people respected you and when people were depending on you and looked up to you. Reasons for living in the past: Some people live in the past as they don’t want to or are unable to deal with the present situation, while others live in the past because of the fear of upcoming situations in the future. Looking back on your life doesn’t bring any surprises and it is easy to live in the past because it is at least, predictable. Bottom line: To stay happy, don’t look back at the past, look for happiness in the present and enjoy the moment you are in now. You won’t be able to live this moment again, that’s why you should make the most of it. Be present at this very moment by watching positive things around you. Focus on yourself and what you are doing as well as take in what people are saying. Lastly, leave the past behind as you can’t change what has already happened. Concentrate on the present moment and focus on your happiness. Opting to be positive will lead you towards a life full of joy. Learning how to live and enjoy the present moment is a necessary component of a happy life. Enjoy your life NOW! * The author is a consultant in Public Relations and Personality Types. Instagram: @Tipsbyhalahill

This sequence is to be performed straight through, with no breaks. Aim to hold poses for 10 seconds on each side of the body. Complete the sequence three times, breathing steadily throughout and exhaling deeply as you move between stretches. Lower back Lie on your back with legs out straight. Raise one knee, pulling it towards your chest. Hold, then repeat with the other leg. Glute stretch Lie on your back with your knees bent. Put your right foot on to your left knee, so that your knee is out to one side. Pull your left leg in towards you. Hold, then repeat on the other side. Cobra Lie face down with arms bent on the ground. Push up with them to lift your torso and gently arch your back.

I am drawing a line today not because I have uncovered all the answers, but because I have a powerful hunch that the moment is right to do so. If nothing else, I hope I’ve acquired sufficient self-knowledge to know when it’s time to move on. So what did I learn? What follows isn’t intended as an exhaustive summary. But these are the principles that surfaced again and again, and that now seem to me most useful for navigating times as baffling and stress-inducing as ours. There will always be too much to do – and this realisation is liberating:  Today more than ever, there’s just no reason to assume any fit between the demands on your time – all the things you would like to do, or feel you ought to do – and the amount of time available. Thanks to capitalism, technology and human ambition, these demands keep increasing, while your capacities remain largely fixed. It follows that the attempt to “get on top of everything” is doomed. (Indeed, it’s worse than that – the more tasks you get done, the more you’ll generate.) The upside is that you needn’t berate yourself for failing to do it all, since doing it all is structurally impossible. The only viable solution is to make a shift: from a life spent trying not to neglect anything, to one spent proactively and consciously choosing what to neglect, in favour of what matters most. When stumped by a life choice, choose “enlargement” over happiness:  I’m indebted to the Jungian therapist James Hollis for the insight that major personal decisions should be made not by asking, “Will this make me happy?”, but “Will this choice enlarge me or diminish me?” We’re terrible at predicting what will make us happy: the question swiftly gets bogged down in our narrow preferences for security and control. But the enlargement question elicits a deeper, intuitive response. You tend to just know whether, say, leaving or remaining in a relationship or a job, though it might bring short-term comfort, would mean cheating yourself of growth. (Relatedly, don’t worry about burning bridges: irreversible decisions tend to be more satisfying, because now there’s only one direction to travel – forward into whatever choice you made.) The capacity to tolerate minor discomfort is a superpower: It’s shocking to realise how readily we set aside even our greatest ambitions in life, merely to avoid easily tolerable levels of unpleasantness. You already know it won’t kill you to endure the mild agitation of getting back to work on an important creative project; initiating a difficult conversation with a colleague; asking someone out; or checking your bank balance – but you can waste years in avoidance nonetheless. (This is how social media platforms flourish: by providing an instantly available, compelling place to go at the first hint of unease.) It’s possible, instead, to make a game of gradually increasing your capacity for discomfort, like weight training at the gym. When you expect that an action will be accompanied by feelings of irritability, anxiety or boredom, it’s usually possible to let that feeling arise and fade, while doing the action anyway. The rewards come so quickly, in terms of what you’ll accomplish, that it soon becomes the more appealing way to live. The advice you don’t want to hear is usually the advice you need: I spent a long time fixated on becoming hyper-productive before I finally started wondering why I was staking so much of my self-worth on my productivity levels. What I needed wasn’t another exciting productivity book, since those just functioned as enablers, but to ask more uncomfortable questions instead. The broader point here is that it isn’t fun to confront whatever emotional experiences you’re avoiding – if it were, you wouldn’t avoid them – so the advice that could really help is likely to make you uncomfortable. (You may need to introspect with care here, since bad advice from manipulative friends or partners is also likely to make you uncomfortable.) One good question to ask is what kind of practices strike you as intolerably cheesy or self-indulgent: gratitude journals, mindfulness meditation, seeing a therapist? That might mean they are worth pursuing. (I can say from personal experience that all three are worth it.) Oh, and be especially wary of celebrities offering advice in public forums: they probably pursued fame in an effort to fill an inner void, which tends not to work – so they are likely to be more troubled than you are. The future will never provide the reassurance you seek from it: As the ancient Greek and Roman Stoics understood, much of our suffering arises from attempting to control what is not in our control. And the main thing we try but fail to control – the seasoned worriers among us, anyway – is the future. We want to know, from our vantage point in the present, that things will be OK later on. But we never can. (This is why it’s wrong to say we live in especially uncertain times. The future is always uncertain; it’s just that we’re currently very aware of it.) The solution to imposter syndrome is to see that you are one: When I first wrote about how useful it is to remember that everyone is totally just winging it, all the time, we hadn’t yet entered the current era of leaderly incompetence (Brexit, Trump, coronavirus). Now, it’s harder to ignore. But the lesson to be drawn isn’t that we’re doomed to chaos. It’s that you – unconfident, self-conscious, all-too-aware-of-your-flaws – potentially have as much to contribute to your field, or the world, as anyone else. Remember: the reason you can’t hear other people’s inner monologues of self-doubt isn’t that they don’t have them Selflessness is overrated: We respectable types, although women especially, are raised to think a life well spent means helping others – and plenty of self-help gurus stand ready to affirm that kindness, generosity and volunteering are the route to happiness. There’s truth here, but it generally gets tangled up with deep-seated issues of guilt and self-esteem. (Meanwhile, of course, the people who boast all day on Twitter about their charity work or political awareness aren’t being selfless at all; they are burnishing their egos.) If you’re prone to thinking you should be helping more, that’s probably a sign that you could afford to direct more energy to your idiosyncratic ambitions and enthusiasms. As the Buddhist teacher Susan Piver observes, it’s radical, at least for some of us, to ask how we’d enjoy spending an hour or day of discretionary time. And the irony is that you don’t actually serve anyone else by suppressing your true passions anyway. More often than not, by doing your thing – as opposed to what you think you ought to be doing – you kindle a fire that helps keep the rest of us warm. Know when to move on:  And then, finally, there’s the one about knowing when something that’s meant a great deal to you – like writing this column – has reached its natural endpoint, and that the most creative choice would be to turn to what’s next. This is where you find me. Thank you for reading.

If you adhere to an ethical, vegan diet, there’s a good chance that honey is not on your list. The production of honey is a major source of harm for honeybees due to pesticide poisoning, disease, and poor nutrition. Industrial bee farming has been known to ‘cull’ hives after harvesting because it’s cheaper than feeding the bees throughout the winter. Those farmers who do choose to keep the hives in operation feed the bees that insipid sugar water, which in turn weakens their immune systems and leaves them vulnerable to infection. In the honey industry, beekeepers often clip queen bees’ wings to prevent swarming, kill and replace a queen after just one or two years, and artificially inseminate them using drone bees who are killed in the process — here’s a breakdown of the best alternatives. Date Paste A great option for us here in the Middle East, date paste is another natural sweetener that has no cruelty behind it, and it’s easy to make yourself. All you need to do is blend a handful of pitted dates with water until the mixture reaches a thick liquid state. They are loaded with fibre and nutrients that are not found in refined sugars. Dates contain vitamins and minerals like potassium, magnesium, copper, manganese, iron and are also high in antioxidants.  Coconut Nectar Made from the reduced sap of coconut palms, coconut nectar has a sweet, tangy, taste with no coconut flavour. It is high in amino acids, vitamins and minerals. The nectar also is low-glycaemic. Maple Syrup Maple syrup is a syrup usually made from the xylem sap of sugar maple, red maple, or black maple trees, although it can also be made from other maple species. In cold climates, these trees store starch in their trunks and roots before the winter; the starch is then converted to sugar that rises in the sap in the spring. Brown Rice Syrup Brown rice syrup is a sweetener made by exposing cooked rice to enzymes that break down the starches and turn them into smaller sugars. Then all the “impurities” are filtered out and all that is left is a thick dark syrup with a caramel type flavour.  * The author is an expert in vegan wellbeing and health. Instagram handle: @Ghanim92 

The world is reeling under the impact of Covid-19 pandemic. There are, however, a few countries that have flattened the curve and Qatar is one of them. During these distressing times, some Nepali expatriates, who were infected with the virus and later recovered in Qatar, has some encouraging words to share. They recently spoke to 'Gulf Times' about their Covid-19 experience, quarantine care and recovery process. Excerpts: Neema Bhusal Before going for the test, I was prepared to face the result. After I received the test result, I told my friends and co-workers that I was corona positive. I stayed in the quarantine facility of my company, Mechanics Quarantine at Salwa Road, for 15 days. The period became a time for me to introspect, and to know myself. I talked to my family members over phone. I talked to my school friends. I used to talk for three to four hours a day. In quarantine, I remembered my childhood, school, and friends. After 17 years, I wrote a poem. I was not unhappy in quarantine. The only symptom I had was body ache. The reason that I went for testing was that I had met a person. The person was later tested positive. I and my roommate went for tests. My roommate tested negative. I want to thank Qatar. The quarantine facility was well-equipped with all the basic amenities. I am a vegetarian. They ordered and provided food accordingly. I used to listen to motivational talks provided by the Red Crescent and used to exercise. My suggestion for all is that we should maintain social distance everywhere. Those who have underlying diseases should be more careful. The rate of coronavirus infection has gone down in Qatar. Things are becoming normal. Karim Baks Miya I am the president of Federation of Nepali Journalists Qatar. I had submitted an application of leave in the first week of April. I wanted to go to Nepal. The air travel to Nepal was soon closed. So, I had to stay here. From April 2, I was feeling unwell with little fever and some cold. I went to the clinic for checkup. It was getting better. On April 9, I had fatigue, fever and difficulty in breathing. I called the hotline and they tried to assure me that my symptoms were not related to coronavirus according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). But, I did not feel confident. So, I called an ambulance. I was taken to a swab test centre in Al Baqarah. Medical professionals took my swab, and I was put in a waiting quarantine facility. At midnight, I was referred to a hospital in Sanaiya. Doctors said that my symptoms were serious. I was put in the ICU ward. I stayed at the same hospital for 16 days. On the 17th day, I was transferred to a quarantine centre. I was discharged on the 41st day. Doctors had said my lungs were seriously damaged by the infection. I had pneumonia. When I knew that my condition was worse, I had lost hope of getting well. It was a surreal experience. I cried. But, doctors assured me that my condition would become better and suggested that I should not lose confidence. Thanks to Allah and the well-equipped hospital and competent medics, I became normal. I know that there is no medicine or vaccine for corona but I strongly feel that I was cured because of medicines and care provided by doctors and nurses in Qatar. Shiva Bhujel I am the president of Nepali Indigenous Society Qatar. I was tested positive with coronavirus on April 12. At first, I was nervous. The number of deaths across the world came to my mind. Would I be the one who succumbed to the virus or would I be the one who successfully battled the virus? These questions haunted me. To my surprise, my body did not show any symptoms. I was put in a quarantine facility at Hamad Hospital for 14 days. The Qatar government’s response to the pandemic and its successful treatment and management of every single patient is commendable. As there were no symptoms, I was asked to take medicines only to boost my immunity. I was tested negative on the 15th and 16th days. Thereafter, I was allowed to go home. Hospital officials asked me to download the Etheraz app on my mobile phone. I applaud the measures taken by the Qatar government in combating the coronavirus. I want to tell everyone that if you are tested positive, do not panic because the hospitals are world-class and well-equipped. I would also urge the people to maintain social distancing. Sabitri Lamichane I had symptoms of fever and cough. I went to the hospital for a checkup and was tested positive with corona. I was admitted to the hospital. I stayed at the hospital for 14 days. I was confident that I was getting better. I want to thank all the hospital staff for my recovery. Even if I am an expat, I get world-class treatment and care. I want to urge all to follow social distancing rules and to wear masks. If you are infected, do not panic because the Qatar government will take care of you and will provide you with world-class treatment and care. Ishwor Kafle I am the president of Basanta Film Private Limited. I had headache, fatigue, fever, nausea and diarrhoea. I stayed at home quarantine. Doctors and nurses used to call me, and ask about my conditions on a daily basis. I followed all the relevant rules and protocols. Additionally, I used to work out for an hour and drink three litres of hot water. During my quarantine, I avoided social media to keep myself away from the negative news. The response of the Qatari government was commendable. Even if I was home quarantined, doctors and nurses frequently inquired about my condition. I am happy and proud that I am in Qatar.

Addiction refers to the pattern of behaviour that causes negative consequences for the person. Many people believe that addiction only refers to those who have an irresistible and overwhelming needs for specific substances or obsessive behaviour. But it is easy for someone to become addicted to almost anything!  What is addiction? It can be harder than it looks to recognise an addiction in someone. According to the American Society of Addiction Medicine, addiction can be defined as a chronic disorder that affects the brain’s rewards, memory, and motivation functions. A person with an addiction will desire for a substance or other behavioural habits. An addict often disregards other aspects of life to support their desires.  Generally, an addict can show signs such as, unable to stay away from specific behaviour or substance, lack of control, less socialisation like ignoring relationships, or abandoning commitments, ignoring risk factors, such as sharing needles even with potentially harmful consequences, physical effects, including needing higher dosage for effect or withdrawal symptoms. The intensity of each symptom depends on the length of addiction someone has been going through. Types of addiction: Behavioural addictions such as the Internet and mobile phone addictions, are also serious threats to human health and lifestyle. Behavioural addiction is the compulsive, self-destructive, and recurring behaviour to an extent that results in harmful effects on the personal and social life of an individual, as well as the physical and mental health.  Behavioural addictions are as consequential as substance addictions. Both types of addictions result in dependency and have similar adverse effects and negative consequences. Behavioural addiction includes addiction to things like mobile phones, working, shopping, video games, using social media, or others. Regardless, it is essential to understand the warning symptoms and get help if needed.  Internet Gaming: Addiction to the Internet is a comparatively a new finding, but it doesn’t mean that it’s less dangerous. According to Kimberly Young, Psy D, Clinical Director of the Centre for Internet Addiction, obsessive gaming exactly meets the criteria of addiction. Young said that children may become aggressive, depressed, or angry if parents stop them from playing games and they can cry and refuse to sleep or eat or do anything else! Mobile phone addiction: When a person spends more time using a mobile phone than interacting with the real world, or can’t control him or herself from using a mobile phone,it has negative consequences in your life, then it is time to reconsider technology use as the chances are that you are a mobile addict! Smartphone addiction, also known as nomophobia meaning the fear of being without a smartphone is often geared up by Internet addiction disorder or Internet overuse problem. After all, it is not the tablet of the phone itself that generates the problem but the apps, games, and online world that connect us to.  Shopping Addiction: Addiction to shopping features excessive money and time spent on shopping, not mentioning the activities and hiding purchases. Shopping addicts feel a high sense of excitement from buying different things. Shopping may also bring on feelings of emptiness, helplessness, depression, anger, and the terrible need to create a sense of control. A person addicted to shopping purchases frivolous stuff and feel extremely guilty about it later! Difference between passion and addiction: Our many daily activities and behaviours represent our motivations, aspirations, and passions for growth and improvement. Passion is a measure of a person’s enthusiasm and delight for a highly desirable goal of life that he/she pursues with pleasure and excitement for satisfaction and self-fulfilment. Moderation and balance are the key components when we talk about a passionate behaviour. The balance disrupts when a person loses control, satisfaction, a sense of fulfilment and joy, but obsessively and uncontrollably continue to engage in that behaviour despite negative effects on physical, mental, social, and financial life, that is termed as addictive behaviour!  Addiction treatment: We have learned about the various forms of addiction that people can be affected by. They all have one thing in common, and that is that they have harmful consequences for addicts. Addiction is a disease that can be treated with professional help.  In the case of substance addiction, an individual needs to go through a programme of detoxification. Recovery from substance addiction needs an addict to stay away from that substance to maintain their recovery.  In contrast, for behavioural addicts like people addicted to the internet, social media, or an eating disorder, it is not possible to completely stay away from those things for which they have an addiction. They need to know how to manage their behavioral habits to prevent addiction.  Ask yourself now, are you an addict? *The author is a consultant in Public Relations and Personality Types. Instagram: @Tipsbyhalahill

Its 12:50 London time on Wednesday, I am sitting down to write my column. I am in my unicorn onsie, my hair is wet from shower and I am sipping on my turmeric latte.  Usually, when back in Doha, I would never be in such a relaxed state at this time.  Since childhood, I have been a morning person, on the occasion when I sleep in past 7am, I literally feel guilty about it.  For centuries, our society has been founded on the principle that mornings are when important things get done. Office hours are designated in Qatar to start at 7am and London 9am. I can only imagine how that makes a non-morning person feel; a frantic post alarm rush to get ready and start the commute or drive to work, yawning as they go.  Since quitting the corporate world in 2018, I work for myself and pretty much set my own daily schedule, but never the less I still stick to a 7am start. Lockdown has enabled many people to experience working from home, it makes me wonder if it really matters what time people start their day, as long as their deadlines are met.  I feel like there is a judgment on non- morning people, some people dismiss them as lazy, or that they simply can’t be bothered to get out of bed. When infact that may not be the case at all, maybe they simply produce more effective work later on in the day.   Scientific research has shown that we all have different circadian rhythms and that our unique internal clocks determine whether we are morning or night people. Most of the time, you are an averagely functioning adult; laziness is not a factor at all. The usual categorisation between morning or night person, doesn’t apply to some people. They are neither, they don’t particularly like early morning starts but neither do they love 2am bedtimes, they are in-between the two, they might be afternoon or evening people.  If you were Prime Minister and it was up to you, what time would you start the working day? * The author is a consultant and coach. Instagram handle: @miss_shefa,  Website: missshefa.com

Twenty-five. What an interesting age. Maybe it’s just interesting because it’s my age right now and paying attention to anything relevant to your life, is reason enough to convince you it’s worth your time. Another story we like to tell ourselves. I’ve been thinking a lot about this age, but not just staying focused on the number. The number is just a way in which I can evaluate or highlight this segment of my life. I guess age is a way in which our memory helps us compartmentalise our life according to time. Otherwise imagine how much would overlap, if we didn’t have markers on every 5km our memory decided to run in this marathon of time? We wouldn’t be able to recall what happened on our 10th birthday, our teenage years or when we realised puberty was a reality. I’ve been observing myself at this stage of time because I’ve been noticing, specifically, how defining people’s view of your age can have on your behaviour. Since we are mostly perceived by such external characteristics, like age, that we think make us who we are, it’s important to understand the way the world sees us. To notice it and be aware of it. Twenty-five is perceived as young. It’s also perceived as responsible because you’re granted the most ‘responsible’ privileges at this age. People don’t take you too seriously, but they take you seriously enough to be intrigued or entertained by the things you say. They don’t take you seriously, because seeing potential in something is more comforting than knowing that this potential is building and becoming concrete. Once the tower of action has been built and it’s overshadowed your own structure, you don’t like this potential anymore. It’s blocking your view and it’s constructed with newer technology. When you’re 25, you’re seen as potential, so anyone elder than you is comforted by the fact that this idea of a building could potentially not become something. We love lying down in the bed of empty promises, because even though you might not want to sleep there every night, it’s better than the unmade bed you left at your place. I’ve noticed, not many people want to take me seriously, because if they did, they might have to re-evaluate their own lives or how seriously they take themselves. Most people I interact with, have no long-term goals (neither did I, until I was challenged to think about it). They’ve systematically followed a plan and consequentially, they let this memory marker, or age, allow them to use their neatly arranged and timely ordered memories to parallel with yours. They comment on the mix tape of your life by comparing any song you decide to play, with a track from the different tapes they collected over their lives. The genre might be the same, but the lyrics, the artists, the beats — they’re from a different ‘time’. It’s hard to make people conscious of their reality, separate from their age. They’re so blind to the objectivity of comparing consciousness. Imagine, somebody elder, questions you on your plan for the next 10 years. They’re asking your potential this question, not you, because remember, they don’t take you seriously yet. So, this potential will answer in maybes, hopefully, I dream or believe in. But for a minute, imagine you did have an answer. A carefully thought about, well-constructed and realistic vision of your life, that you supported with the evaluation and analysis of the reliability of your skills. You knew what you wanted, how long it would take and what steps you needed to get there. You explain this elaborate plan to this individual and they smile or laugh, with discomfort or well concealed surprise at your answer. They then wish you all the best or encourage your potential, to work towards it. Then to feel better about themselves, they give you some advice from a random tape, to help you “feel” better about this album you haven’t even recorded yet. If you haven’t even created the song you know is going to be your goal, how is a pre-recorded song supposed to motivate you, when you don’t know what this other song is going to sound like. That would mean, you’re not happy with the direction it’s taking anyway and you needed to hear a similar version to feel better about your own potential. But if you already know what it will sound like, you’re probably not even listening unless it’s close to your vision. Metaphors apart, it’s always better to encourage the possibility of something than to deal with your own discomfort when you realise the reality of something. In this observation, it’s also essential to look at the group behaviour and interaction between 25 year-olds, mostly through conversations. Conversations are mirrors of comparison. You aren’t comparing yourself on husbands, kids, loans, homes, furniture, dogs or promotions yet. Having even the smallest amount of clarity, like knowing exactly how I like my coffee or the type of newspaper I would read, or the books I associate myself with or the materials that now suit me, makes you feel more sorted out than your friends. It’s all about the accessories of self-development at this stage. You know, how deeply you’re planning to think about yourself, where exactly you’re planning to take your life and how much you’ve done vs how much you’ve talked about it. I guess though at 25, you could get away with just talking about it. Responsibility changes the game though. That’s the tough part. So the more responsible your complaint at 25 sounds, the more serious people will take you. If you don’t realise the power of a time marker on your life and how it can start marking other areas of your life in the future, you’re pretty much going to waste your time. You’ve got the energy, the time, the no responsibility lifestyle to take advantage of, when you’re 25. Or at least when you’re in this phase. And people want to distract you so you don’t have time to develop your own potential of this energy, resources and time. I get it, we all want to be around the possibility of things, the exciting energy of something NEW that is stable enough but constantly surprises you. But I’m not interested. I find my own self interesting. And why shouldn’t I? If we were left in a jail cell, this statement would suddenly be the only thing you’d need to survive mentally. To be able to find yourself, your mind and your thoughts interesting. I think about jail a lot. Maybe because it’s such a condition no one would ever want be in. So much time and nothing to do. You’d really need to rely on this one thing we want to constantly ignore, wouldn’t we?  The reason I wrote this column, is because I felt it was important we realise that self-care in our life starts building distinctively at this time. Your prefrontal cortex is fully developed by this age. Which means your own brain is aware that it’s got some pretty big responsibility in this life and decisions to make. The reality is, you can’t give up this time. You absolutely can’t. This period of learning and testing is just too important for your brain right now. Especially since, most decisions don’t have an impact on anyone under your responsibility, yet. Invest in it. Test it out. Make those uncomfortable decisions right now in the real sense, so you can use the time to follow them to their logical conclusions and even the resources to manage damage control. Otherwise later on, you’re just going to be dealing with other people, who never gave their brain this time and are therefore novices in acting and testing out their decisions. And trust me, you don’t want to be in that position.  * The author can be contacted on Instagram @sincerelysanah

Whether you want to strengthen your core, create long, lean mus- cles, or add a low-impact work- out to your exercise regimen, these exercises can help! Above all, these will focus on teaching you to stabilise and strengthen your core, and this is one of the most important things you can do for your fitness. All of these functional activities require good stability that comes from your middle. And the more stability and strength you have, the less prone to injury you’ll be. Air Squats: Air squats, also known as body weight squats are a staple beginner move for working the lower body. For air squats, stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart and your knees and toes facing straight ahead. Squat down in the same way you’d sit into a chair - by pushing your hips back, then bending your knees. Go as low as you can without your heels coming off the floor or your back rounding, then push back up again. Planks: One of the best core exercises out there is the plank. Start on the floor on your hands and knees. Lower your forearms to the floor with elbows positioned under your shoulders and your hands shoulder-width apart. If someone looked at you from the side, your arms would form a 90-degree an- gle. Step your feet back, one at a time. Maintain a straight line from heels through the top of your head, looking down at the floor, with gaze slightly in front of your face. Now, tighten your abs and hold. Burpees: Burpees are one of those exercises that everybody loves to hate, but they offer so many benefits. Bend over or squat down and place your hands on the floor in front of you, just outside of your feet. Jump both feet back so that you’re now in plank position. Drop to a push- up, your chest should touch the floor. You can also drop to your knees here, which makes the impending push-up easier. Push up to return to plank position. Jump the feet back in toward the hands and explosively jump into the air, reaching your arms straight overhead. V-Up Lie faceup on the floor with your legs and arms straight. In one movement, lift your toes and legs as if you’re trying to touch your toes. Lower your body back down. * The author is an aspirational athlete..

Science is suffering from a replication crisis. Too many landmark studies can’t be repeated in independent labs, a process crucial to separating flukes and errors from solid results. The consequences are hard to overstate: Public policy, medical treatments and the way we see the world may have been built on the shakiest of foundations. In June, the latest chapter in the replication saga featured a highly influential study on memory. In 2010, in a blockbuster article in the journal Nature, New York University researchers found that it was possible — without the use of drugs, brain stimulation or anything invasive — to “rewrite” a person’s memory so they’re less afraid when shown a reminder of something that had scared them in the past. Such results could have groundbreaking implications for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder. Accordingly, the Nature paper has been cited more than 1,100 times, often in trials of new PTSD therapies. The finding also has received generous attention in the popular media, including articles such as How to Erase Fear in Humans and an influential New Yorker profile of the lead author. However, when scientists at KU Leuven, a research university in Belgium, tried to replicate the memory experiment, they ran into one problem after another. They found a host of errors, inconsistencies, omissions and other troubling details in the original study. For example, the NYU researchers had tested a much larger number of subjects than they reported; they made a “judgment call” to drop the data from around half their sample — not a move that’s consistent with full transparency. Months turned to years as the Belgian scientists wrangled with the data to get to the bottom of the discrepancies and work out exactly how the original experiment was performed. Finally, when they eventually did get their new experiment running, they found no evidence for the “rewriting” effect. Their report was published, but a full 10 years after the much-lauded original finding. It’s important to note that failure to replicate doesn’t imply misconduct on the part of the original researchers but it does call into question their conclusions, and other research that relied on them. There are many similar cases. In 2013, scientists set out to replicate 50 high-profile studies on the biological aspects of tumour growth. They discovered that not a single one of the original published papers documenting the work reported enough information about the study methods to allow them to even attempt an independent replication. Eventually, after contacting the original authors, some researchers managed to repeat some of the experiments, with a mixed bag of results compared to the initial findings. Others among the replication researchers gave up entirely. Science shouldn’t be like this. The scientific record is supposed to be a clear, complete document of what scientists have done. If other researchers struggle to even attempt to replicate a study, there’s been a major breakdown in scientific communication. The fact that papers are written and published with such scant, insufficient detail reveals how little the system cares about replication. In fact, surveys of psychology, education, economics and criminology research estimate that no more than 1% of all studies in those fields are explicit replications. Perhaps a look at “harder” sciences would find less discouraging results, but to my knowledge no such surveys have been performed. Scientists care so little for replication because it doesn’t advance their careers. Why run such a study, double-checking someone else’s work, when you could run your own entirely new, exciting experiment? Why focus on carefully adding to an established line of research when what distinguishes you to university tenure committees and to journal editors is a flashy, unique finding? Breaking science’s addiction to novelty will take serious effort on multiple fronts. But the story of the memory-rewriting replication study offers some hope. The journal where the replicators published their work, Cortex, is at the forefront of a new type of science publication that is as interested in investigating past findings as in showcasing what’s brand-new. Cortex had assured the KU Leuven researchers that a competent replication study would be published, making it less likely the researchers would throw up their hands and move on after encountering the frustrations of repeating the original study. Cortex also published the replicators’ paper aimed purely at reanalysing the original study data (and, in this case, exposing its defects). If scientists are rewarded with much-coveted publication credits for running replications and for long-form critiques of each other’s work, it will help rebalance the broken system of incentives. So much relies on scientists getting things right, including our ability to escape from the Covid-19 pandemic. It’s tragic, then, that the scientific system has decoupled the goal of “getting it right” — which usually requires replication — from that of “getting it published.” We may not be able to rewrite our worst memories but we can rewrite the rules of a system that let flawed findings stand unchallenged for 10 years. With the correct incentives, we can make the scientific literature what it’s meant to be: robust, reliable and replicable.  — Los Angeles Times/TNS (Stuart Ritchie is a faculty member in the Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre at King’s College London and author of Science Fictions: How Fraud, Bias, Negligence, and Hype Undermine the Search for Truth)

Target core stability, cardiovascular fitness and upper body strength. Plank: Great for core stability and building overall strength. Get into a press-up position, with your back as flat as possible and shoulders and hips in line with each other. Go down on your elbows and hold for as long as you can manage, keeping your core engaged and feet close together. Mountain climber: Improves core stability, cardiovascular fitness and upper-body strength. From a press-up position bring one leg up as close as you can to your chest, before repeating with the opposite leg. Do this in/out motion as fast as you can, keeping your focus on the floor. Make sure your back is flat and core tucked is in – you don’t want your stomach to drop.

The Covid-19 pandemic has brought lots of changes to our lives including uncertainty, financial pressures, disturbed mental health, social isolation, and transformed daily routines. You may have concerns about your health, when the pandemic will end or what the future will bring!  Misinformation, rumours, and information overload can make you feel your life is out of control and unable to decide what to do. Worries, anxiety, and stress regarding Covid-19 and its effects can be devastating. Such anxiety can be even challenging with social distancing practice!  Here are different ways that can help you stay psychologically strong during this pandemic:  1. Limit exposure to news/social media: Continuous news related to Covid-19 pandemic from all sorts of media can increase the fear of the disease and badly affect your mental health. You should limit the exposure to social media that may spread false information or rumours. Also, reduce watching, reading, or hearing other news, however, stay up to date on local and national recommendations. Always look for a reliable new source like WHO and CDC.  2. Accept negative emotions and feelings: It is common to have anxious thoughts and negative emotions at the time of the Covid-19 pandemic. It is necessary to accept them instead of trying to get rid of them or escape them. It is because when you avoid such emotions, they will become even stronger and long-lasting. You need to realise negative thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations when they pop up, check for them carefully, describe them without any judgment and finally let them go. This is the core of mindfulness that has been connected to goof psychological health.  3. Manage stress and sleep: Managing anxiety and stress are important for having enough sleep and proper sleep is important for almost every other aspect of your health. Meditation and yoga are effective tools for managing anxiety and stress, and you can do it in a small space. You can also set a specific area in your house that is free of technology and stock it with items that calm and relax you.  4. Get some time to relax and recharge: Set some time for you to relax. Just a few minutes of quiet time can be helpful and refreshing to make your mind quiet and minimise anxiety. Lots of people gain advantages from practices like yoga, tai chi, deep breathing, and meditation. Listen to music, soak in a bubble bath, or read a book; simply do whatever helps you to relax and regain your energy. Choose a technique that works best for you and do it daily.  5. Pay attention to positive thoughts: Concentrate on positive things that happen in your life rather than focusing on how bad you feel. Choose to begin each of your days by listing things you are thankful for. Work to accept the changes that occur in your everyday life, maintain a sense of optimism, and try to keep issues in view.  6. Quick dealing with stress can avoid long-term difficulties: A review by a psychiatrist, Dana Rose Garfin and colleagues at the University of California, Irvine, showed that people who have gone through acute stress after the shocking event were likely to have negative physical health effects and long term mental health issues including poor general health, increased depression, increased pain, psychiatric disorders, anxiety, disability, mortality and other family conflicts.  Wrap it up: Psychological issues due to Covid-19 can be managed in several ways that we discussed earlier. Consider that experiencing negative emotions and stress can have positive consequences on people’s minds. Various studies reveal that people who experience severe difficulties in their lives can come out from them with an even strong sense of psychological spirit, reawakened relationships, and improved gratefulness of life. Some people start to live their life more completely and purposefully. With planning and care, we can also stay psychologically strong at the time of Covid-19 pandemic and possibly grow from this reframing and transmuting experience! *The author is a consultant in Public Relations and Personality Types. Instagram: @Tipsbyhalahill

This week I am writing to you from Amsterdam, we are experiencing very different weather to last week in sunny Portugal. The last few days have been very stormy, rainy and cold.  Another reminder of the secret of the universe: sometimes challenges and pain can be like a storm that comes out of nowhere. The clearest summer day can end in a downpour, with lighting and thunder.   Right now we could wait for the storm to go away before we go out and get some fresh air, but my husband is insisting we go out now. His insistence got me thinking; you can still dance in the storm; you don’t have to wait for the rain to be over first because it might take all day . Whatever storm you are facing in your life right now, you can go out and face it heads on. Wherever you are, right now, you can now; this very moment. Thunderstorms are as much our friends as sunshine.  When you come out of the storm, you won’t be the same person who walked in; I guarantee you that and that’s what the storms of life are all about.  Once the storm is over, be sure there is always another one not too far away. It’s the way the world works. Snowstorms, rainstorms, windstorms, sandstorms, and firestorms, some are fierce and others are small. You have to deal with each one separately, at the same time keeping an eye on what’s brewing for tomorrow.  Storms are out there and every one of us must eventually face them and when they come, pray that they will shake you to your roots and break you wide-open. Being broken open by a storm can be a wonderful thing. When you are broken open you get to discover for the first time what is inside you. Some people never get to see what is inside them; what beauty, what strength, what truth and love. They were never broken open by the storm. So, don’t run from your pain,  run into your pain. Let life’s storm shatter you only then will you know your true strength. * The author is a consultant and coach. Instagram handle: @miss_shefa,  Website: missshefa.com