community-and-society

Why milestones matter: How birthdays and anniversaries shape our lives

It's not just birthdays, anniversaries or significant days of the calendar.

Consider also the ubiquitous counters on social media sites; the use of biometric technology in personal exercise regimes; the goal-oriented logic of structured weight-loss programs; the steady stream of statistics and sporting records published each week; the significance that accrues around the first 100 days of the US presidency.

In these and a multitude of other ways, we impose a kind of order on the passage of time.

Artists live stream painting process to raise awareness of mental health

Anglicare's Arts&Mind project has seen six south-east Queensland artists living with mental health challenges document their painting process via a social media live stream.

Each artist is expected to complete a work over an eight-hour period.

Snapshots of their progress are then uploaded to billboards throughout the city every 30 minutes.

It is the first project of its kind to run in Australia.

Anglicare's Trina McLellan developed the live art project to refocus people's concepts of mental health.

Dating after the death of a partner

When Sophie Townsend, a widowed mother-of-two, began to navigate the trails of virtual matchmaking, she uncovered a weird world inhabited by faux feminists, shocking spellers, and a meat-loving "vegan" who refused to eat during a dinner date as he'd just devoured a banana.

A few years had passed since her husband's death when friends of the Sydney-based author and creative audio specialist, started urging her to "get back out there".

"Compared to 'out there' I kind of quite like 'in here'," she said.

Got leftovers? Cook at work and save on waste

Don't let it go to waste! Take it to work, get your workmates to do the same and cook it up in a pot-luck lunchtime feast.

That's the concept behind the Cookluck Club.

It's a new initiative by Youth Food Movement Australia which encourages workplaces to pool their leftovers to avoid food wastage and promote team bonding by cooking in the work kitchen.

The Sydney arm of the volunteer organisation do this every day and members take turns creating interesting recipes.

More people than ever before are single — and that's a good thing

Today, the number of single adults in the US — and many other nations around the world — is unprecedented.

And the numbers don't just say people are staying single longer before settling down.

More are staying single for life.

Anzac Day Haka to raise awareness on men's mental health

Hundreds of people — many of whom have never done the haka before — will come together to perform the war dance in a show of support for men's mental health.

Leon Ruri is coordinating the event.

He has battled depression himself and said talking to a friend stopped him taking his life.

"I rang him up and said I can't take it anymore, I'm checking out you know. He had some strong words to say to me down the phone and was able to turn my mindset around," he said.

Mr Ruri wants to encourage men to speak more openly about mental health.

Ballarat keeps Doctor Blake alive as ABC kills off crime series

Locals and tourists alike crane past barriers to get a glimpse of the filming for ABC TV's The Doctor Blake Mysteries.

But not this year.

The soon-to-be-aired fifth season of the murder mystery drama will be the last after the ABC announced the cancellation of the show earlier in the year.

Set in Ballarat in the 1950s, The Doctor Blake Mysteries follow the travails of a country doctor and his housekeeper who are drawn in to solve crimes that often stump the local police.

Is it worth staying in a relationship for your kids

For couples with kids, it's not always that black and white.

But is staying for the children gifting them a nuclear family or a sacrifice that does more harm than good?

Relationships Australia counsellor Fiona Bennett says couples with children often try harder to save their relationship than those without.

"They can feel it's in the best interest for the children in terms of security, stability and good time with both parents," Ms Bennett says.

How to escape a sinking car

After the car was pulled from the water and it became apparent that Stephanie King had died trying to save her children, that pang of fear grew into a need for answers.

What would they do if they found themselves in that situation with their children strapped into the backseat? What could they do?

Videos began appearing on social media feeds of parents who had searched the internet for answers.

How emojis can help children learn and communicate

For young children, emoji can aid inclusion in aspects of society previously closed to them, such as active participation in increasing knowledge of childhood well-being, and being heard in educational and care settings.

Emoji can also support children's learning in areas of health, well-being, safety and diversity.

These are key aspects of supporting children in becoming knowledgeable, confident and informed citizens, essential aspects of high-quality education.