A woman drawing on an easel in a courtyard with greenery and a modern glass building in the background.
PAINTING AND SCULPTURE

To become more attuned to the world around you, try sketching outdoors

Video by The Museum of Modern Art

Photo of a cupcake with white icing and orange sprinkles in a yellow wrapper against a bright yellow background.
EATING DISORDERS

How to enjoy food without feeling guilty about it

Through mindful eating and a shift in mindset, you can alleviate unwarranted negative feelings and embrace the joy of food

by Vivienne Lewis

Photo of two children visiting Santa Claus in a festive setting with Christmas trees and decorations.
CHILDHOOD AND ADOLESCENCE
7

At what point does the Santa myth become a harmful deception?

Exactly when and how children discover they’ve been duped makes an important difference to the revelatory experience

by Shayla Love

Ideas

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A smartphone with app icons visible inside an open wooden drawer with red cables partially visible.
TECHNOLOGY AND MEDIA

Curious about a digital ‘detox’? Here’s what you should know

by Kostadin Kushlev

Photo of flight crew in blue uniforms waving in front of a parked aeroplane on a runway, with people in the background.
CIVIC LIFE

We’re losing trust in civic institutions – can we get it back?

by Ros Taylor

Street scene in India with people, bullock carts and shops, showing a bustling atmosphere.
CIVIC LIFE

Tolerance isn’t just nice, it’s a civic virtue we all can build

by Kiran Kumbhar

Guides

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Women laughing and dancing in a studio, all wearing pink tops and black leggings.
DANCE

How to start learning dance

Follow these steps to find a style of movement that will captivate you – even if you’ve never seen yourself as a dancer

by Dawn Davis Loring

Black and white photo of a hand touching a rain-specked window with four blurred windows in the background.
GRIEF
4

How to talk to someone who’s grieving

It’s normal to worry you’ll say the wrong thing. Here’s how to ensure your words and gestures are as supportive as possible

by Lauren Breen & Maarten Eisma

Life stories

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A child’s hand resting on an elderly person’s hands.
LIFE STAGES

Learning to inhale

I brought my newborn to visit a hospice patient. It took me far from what I’d thought medicine was

by Lynn Hallarman

Editor’s picks

Photo of a rural road with a steep hill warning sign marked 1:4 surrounded by green landscape under a blue sky.
EMOTION REGULATION
5

How to take the high road

When someone provokes you, it’s easy to react without thinking. Learn to slow down and respond in ways you’ll be proud of

by Alissa Hebbeln & Russell Kolts

Photo of a sumo wrestler in traditional attire, making a facial expression, with an audience in the background.
EMOTIONS
4

There’s something in my eye: why we happy-cry and what it does for us

Happy tears are often neglected in emotion research. But there are many types, and they have an important function

by Janis Zickfeld

Latest videos

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Photo of a woman in a red dress running barefoot on a path with a scarf trailing behind her, greenery in the background.
HISTORY OF IDEAS

What a romantic comedy cliché reveals about modern love

Video by The Nerdwriter

Photo of a person standing on a large rock in the sea during a sunset with scattered smaller rocks around.
HOME

A modern ‘cave man’ on the business of living authentically

Photo of two women sitting in blue chairs talking in a bright room with plants, a patterned table between them.
LOVE

More than laissez-faire love – demystifying modern polyamory

Photo of hands drawing a figure in a sketchbook on a splattered art table with ruler and paintbrush.
HOME

Memories of home adopt surreal shapes in a Sudanese expat’s art

Painting of a man with a dark beard and cloth headwear aiding an injured man wearing a toga in a pastoral landscape with horses and a rider in the background.
LOVE

More than just a feeling, love can guide our moral compasses

Notes to self

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A couple sitting in a beach chair on a sandy shore during a cloudy evening surrounded by empty striped chairs.
LOVE

It’s a gift to share reality with someone

by Hannah Seo

A bearded person gently cradling a newborn wrapped in a patterned blanket by a window in soft light.
EMOTIONS

Why kama muta is an emotion worth seeking

by Hannah Seo

Popular

Black and white photo of a crow perched on a post against a snowy background.
DEATH AND DYING
17

The existential balm of seeing yourself as a verb, not a noun

In the therapy room, I’ve seen how rethinking what we are – and what it means to ‘be dead’ – can lighten our fears

by Eric Jannazzo

A person walking on a pavement, holding their head, with blue shutters and a lightly graffitied wall in the background.
COMMUNICATION AND LANGUAGE

How to talk to yourself

Self-talk is a proven way to boost motivation, think clearly and process your emotions. These tips will help you use it well

by Maryellen MacDonald

Black and white photo of a hand touching a rain-specked window with four blurred windows in the background.
GRIEF
4

How to talk to someone who’s grieving

It’s normal to worry you’ll say the wrong thing. Here’s how to ensure your words and gestures are as supportive as possible

by Lauren Breen & Maarten Eisma

A cyclist in a red jacket on a winding rural road surrounded by autumnal trees with misty hills in the background.
MEANING AND THE GOOD LIFE
6

Your purpose isn’t something to find, it’s something you form

In my therapy office, I’ve found that to live with greater purpose, we must think differently about where it comes from

by Ross White

A person’s left hand holds an old family photo near documents and letters on a table; their right hand holds a pen that is positioned to write on a yellow strip of paper.
MEMORY AND NOSTALGIA

How to be the archivist of your own family

By curating your family’s stories, rituals and relics, you’ll feel anchored – and create a bridge between the generations

by Samantha Ellis

Black and white photo of two blurred men passing a weathered statue of a reclining man in a courtyard setting.
LEARNING AND EDUCATION

Why are we curious about some things and indifferent to others?

Many of us crave trivial details while ignoring much of the world around us. Research helps explain this selective curiosity

by Tommy Blanchard

A pair of white trainers with a black tick Nike logo against a wooden floor, sunlight casting a shadow behind.
HABITS AND ROUTINES

Why some healthy habits still take so much effort

Contrary to classic habit science, certain behaviours never become easy. Recognising this can help you stick with them

by Blair Saunders & Kimberly R More

Black and white photo of a person walking on a wavy striped surface creating an optical illusion.
THE NATURE OF REALITY

Reality shifting opens portals to the weirdness of our world

It’s easy to denounce ‘reality shifting’ as a shared delusion. But there is value in making the world feel unfamiliar

by Ed Simon

Explore: Stories and literature

Two people watching a film in a dark, nearly empty cinema. One person is holding a popcorn box.
STORIES AND LITERATURE
1

‘Once upon a time…’ Deconstructing our insatiable appetite for stories

Directed by Aisling Chin-Yee

A historical book illustration featuring intricate circular designs and Norse symbols in faded colours; a page of old text is visible.
STORIES AND LITERATURE

In Viking sagas, the ‘truth’ is a tangle of history and fiction

by Anatoly Liberman

A stylised figure drawn in glowing red lines stands on a cliff reaching towards a dark sky full of stars above a calm sea. The scene has a mystical atmosphere.
SYMBOLS AND MYTH
1

A Navajo creation story illustrates why humans must forge their own path

Directed by Dallin Penman