[one_fourth]A new study has found taking a five-day break from Facebook could dramatically reduce stress. The study published in the Journal of Social Psychology asked people to take a break from Facebook and measured their cortisol levels before and after the break. Cortisol is released by the adrenal gland in response to fear or stress, increased cortisol has been linked to a greater risk for depression and mental illness, and even a shorter life expectancy. However, the research found while stress was reduced, the participants have a “worsened sense of wellbeing”. University of Queensland lead researcher Dr Eric Vanman said…
Author: Stephanie Bailey
The FIFA World Cup is just three weeks away and local football teams are preparing for more people to sign up after the world’s biggest sporting event. “The numbers have already increased dramatically,” Nepean Football Association’s Rob Young said. Young expects more people to be encouraged to sign up after the World Cup. “We already have another team for the 2018 Summer competition,” he said. Some people are hesitant to acknowledge the so called “trickle-down impact” of big events on sports. Researchers have concluded that while select people may be encouraged to participate in sports, others are put off by…
A dairy farm in Picton has made a plea for the public to adopt one of their cows in an attempt to get the farm through the drought in New South Wales. In an emotional Facebook appeal, Country Valley dairy farm owner John Fairley asked supporters “to adopt a cow or a calf, to help my family get through to Spring.” The award-winning farm has been in the Fairley family since the 1850s and has been heavily impacted by the drought in the Greater Sydney area. Mr Fairley has estimated he will need $1350 per cow, as feed will become more…
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=it-CT5lwzaU[/embedyt] The Splendour in the Grass line up dropped today, with Kendrick Lamar and Lorde headlining the weekend. But does Australia’s biggest festival have a gender bias? Statistics show female musicians are under-represented in the music industry. The band Camp Cope brought this issue into the spotlight with their critique of the Falls Festival line up. Splendour and Falls are organised by Live Nation. Laneway Festival’s 2017 line up was made up of 44 per cent women, performing the best of any Australian music festival in terms of the gender divide. But with female artists getting more airtime than…
It’s estimated by the year 2050 Wollongong and surrounding areas will experience sea levels rises of almost one metre and an increase in rain fall by up to 10 per cent, according to a new report. According to the ‘Wollongong Coastal Zone Management Study’, the sea-level changes would put 71 houses in Thirroul at risk, as well as 13 popular surf clubs and 12 roads. 360 Video: Some of the sites reported to be threatened by inundation. https://youtu.be/g_HN7Jy5e1k
Sunday night, June 5, 2016, while many were getting ready for bed, and contemplating the week ahead, the residents and business owners of Picton had their minds on something very different. Told to pack their bags, sandbag what they could and evacuate. Floodwaters were rising and there was nothing anyone could do but watch and wait. It’s been almost three months since that evening that saw 140mm of rain and three people across the region lose their lives. Still most businesses in Picton haven’t reopened and some of Australia’s oldest establishments, like the George IV Inn built in 1835 have…