Lucy Foulkes
Lucy Foulkes is a psychologist and honorary lecturer at University College London. A former associate editor at Aeon+Psyche, she is the author of Losing Our Minds (2021). She lives in London.
Written by Lucy Foulkes
Communication and language
guide
How to have more meaningful conversations
Be brave enough to share, kind enough to listen, and you can escape the shallows of small talk to dive deep with another
by Lucy Foulkes
Depression
guide
How to engage with life when you feel down
Withdrawing from activities you enjoy is both a product and cause of low mood. Break the cycle with behavioural activation
by Lucy Foulkes
Violence and aggression
idea
Ever taken pleasure in another’s pain? That’s ‘everyday sadism’
It’s not just killers who are sadistic. To counteract the suffering caused by everyday sadism, recognise how common it is
by Lucy Foulkes
Edited by Lucy Foulkes
Love
idea
Digital entanglement is changing the nature of breakups
We interviewed people about their breakups to find out how matters were complicated by being technologically intertwined
by Elise van den Hoven
Love
idea
Your partner’s infidelity needn’t be a relationship catastrophe
Infidelity needn’t end a relationship: many people have affairs for reasons that have nothing to do with their partner
by Dylan Selterman
Anxiety
idea
Set yourself free by developing a growth mindset toward anxiety
Everyone feels anxious in moments of not knowing. It’s your beliefs about anxiety that influence what you do next
by Hans Schroder
Worry and rumination
idea
Worry is an unhelpful friend and a shoddy fortune-teller
Worry is emotionally distressing, messes with our thinking, and makes us miss out on the things that matter. Dump it fast
by Lucas LaFreniere
Dissociation and detachment
idea
When reality slips through your fingers: in search of dissociation
Pinning down the slippery strangeness of dissociation is like grappling with a bar of soap, but it badly needs a definition
by Emma Černis
Emotions
idea
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
Addiction
idea
If you think you’ve got a porn addiction, you probably haven’t
People with addictions see relationships, health and careers fall apart. Most people who watch porn don’t meet this definition
by Joshua Grubbs
Parenting and families
idea
It should be OK for parents to express regret about having children
Regret is common to all humans. So it’s no surprise that some parents regret having children: it shouldn’t be a taboo topic
by Jenna Abetz & Julia Moore
Difficult emotions
guide
How to calm your inner storm
When your emotions become too painful and overwhelming, regain control using skills from dialectical behaviour therapy
by Sheri Van Dijk
Difficult emotions
idea
You can train yourself to find disgusting things less gross
Disgust protects you, but it can also keep you at arm’s length from others. You can learn to lessen disgust’s false alarms
by Shiu Wong
Pain
idea
Solving chronic pain via the kitchen, not the medicine cabinet
While medicine still struggles with the mystery of chronic pain, simple dietary changes can bring much-needed relief
by Rowena Field
Shame and guilt
guide
How to save yourself another pointless guilt trip
Just because you feel guilty doesn’t mean you’ve done something wrong. Relax the rules you live by and set yourself free
by Aziz Gazipura