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

A road below a railway line with a brick wall and red garage doors, graffiti that reads ‘MICK DARNALDS NO PARKING’ behind a table with a can of coke on it and four red chairs.
PLEASURES AND PASTIMES

A psalm for lost spaces

You have to sit down somewhere, unhurried and unbothered, to really hear yourself. But where?

by Atar Hadari

A man in silhouette standing against a reflective surface in an empty room with cityscape visible through large windows.
INTEGRATIVE THERAPY
2

How to stop your life playing on repeat

Those frustrating patterns you keep experiencing might be because of your schemas – and there’s a therapy that can help

by Gemma Gladstone

Ideas

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A tree-lined path in autumn with people walking and sitting on benches, covered by colourful foliage.
COMMUNITY

The existential struggle between being a ‘we’ and an ‘us’

by Tris Hedges

A woman wearing a black gown and veil, and gold and turquoise jewellery raises her harms with eyes closed; musicians wearing headdresses play drums in the background in a dimly lit setting.
ANXIETY

What rituals from the past teach us about panic and anxiety

by Mariem El-Kady

A bustling food stall at dusk with bright signs advertising burgers, curly fries and sausages against a darkening sky.
GOALS AND MOTIVATION

The Ozempic era should change how we think about self-control

by Matthew C Haug

Illuminated currency symbols yen, pound and dollar in red, orange and purple on a textured background.
FAIRNESS AND EQUALITY

Blame the ‘greedy bastards’, and you protect the greedy systems

by David Keen

Guides

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A man holding a notepad and a woman talking in a dimly lit room seen through glass doors.
THERAPEUTIC RELATIONSHIPS

How to deal with doubts about your therapist

It’s not wrong to wonder whether your therapist is helping – it could be a useful signal. Here’s what to do next

by Alice Rizzi

Photo of a hand holding a smartphone displaying a chat app interface asking “How can I help you this afternoon?”
THINKING AND INTELLIGENCE
6

How to use chatbots to make you smarter, not dumber

Use AI thoughtlessly and it dulls your mind. But with a strategic approach and the right prompts, it can be a powerful tool

by Nick Kabrel

Life stories

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A person in a library sitting on the floor reading a red book wearing a white knitted jumper.
COMPASSION AND EMPATHY

The empathy lie

In medicine, empathy came easy. In friendship, it fell apart. An autism diagnosis helped me understand why

by Zoë Read

Editor’s picks

Painting of two people sitting at a table with blurred green foliage in the background, one person resting their head.
FRIENDSHIP
6

How to support a struggling friend

Sometimes it’s hard to know what to say or do. Use these five strategies for providing effective emotional support

by Elise Kalokerinos

Black and white photo of a person with a backpack standing in front of a textured glass surface, appearing to look through it.
STIGMA AND TABOO

Let’s avoid talk of ‘chemical imbalance’: it’s people in distress

The ‘chemical imbalance’ trope is appealing but dehumanising, and has heightened stigma towards people with mental illness

by Joseph E Davis

Latest videos

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Photo of doughnuts with white icing and colourful sprinkles on a pink background.
FOOD AND DRINK

‘Sonic branding’ and other ways food marketing keeps you hooked

Video by the Institute of Art and Ideas

Notes to self

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Popular

Black and white photo of passengers seated and standing inside a crowded train carriage, some holding bags and flowers; a woman seated in the foreground has an annoyed look on her face.
EMOTION REGULATION

How to tolerate annoying things

Hassles are part of life, but the way we react often makes them worse. ACT skills can help you handle them with greater ease

by Patricia E Zurita Ona

A close-up view of a cheeseburger with multiple beef patties, melted cheese and crispy onion rings.
PLEASURES AND PASTIMES

Guilty pleasures are more than just giving in to temptation

Psychologists are discovering what’s going on when you do something you enjoy, but also feel weird or embarrassed about

by LaCount ‘JJ’ Togans

A woman wearing a black gown and veil, and gold and turquoise jewellery raises her harms with eyes closed; musicians wearing headdresses play drums in the background in a dimly lit setting.
ANXIETY

What rituals from the past teach us about panic and anxiety

In the sensory and communal modes of healing that people have used throughout history, there is guidance for today

by Mariem El-Kady

Photo of a hand holding a smartphone displaying a chat app interface asking “How can I help you this afternoon?”
THINKING AND INTELLIGENCE
6

How to use chatbots to make you smarter, not dumber

Use AI thoughtlessly and it dulls your mind. But with a strategic approach and the right prompts, it can be a powerful tool

by Nick Kabrel

Photo of a person’s toned torso in shadowy light hands on hips wearing a dark top and trousers showcasing abdominal muscles.
MIND-BODY INTERACTIONS

Stronger

When grief and distraction spun my mind out of control, only the strain of my muscles could keep it intact

by Nancy Uddin

Black and white photo of a man in glasses and a suit speaking, seated indoors with window blinds in the background.
THINKERS AND THEORIES

Can an entire society be mentally ill? A perspective from 1960

Video by The Search for America

Photo of an art installation featuring multiple monitors displaying black and white images in a dimly lit room.
TECHNOLOGY AND MEDIA
10

Why AI’s hallucinations are like the illusions of narcissism

Unable to handle uncertainty, AI mimics the narcissistic compulsion to fill voids with plausible but false narratives

by Jennine Gates

A bronze statue of a girl facing a large bull sculpture on a cobblestone street in an urban setting.
FEAR AND PHOBIA
3

True courage isn’t being fearless, it’s fearing well

Aristotle created the blueprint for the bravery we need to resist injustice and do the right thing, even at our own risk

by Andrew Culbreth

Explore: Poetry

Surreal painting of a celestial figure surrounded by angels and clouds, with vivid colours and dynamic movement.
THINKERS AND THEORIES

Embrace conflict, reject authority – William Blake’s radical vision of a meaningful life

Video by Great Books Explained

Painting of an elderly couple in 16th century attire, man in fur-lined coat and woman in white headdress on green background.
LOVE
10

There’s no good reason to love each other – and that’s a relief

by John Kaag

Illustration of a room with a plant on a table, soft coloured walls and a window with curtains.
POETRY

‘You are me; I am you’ – a trans poet’s evocative message to her former self

Video by On Being

Photo of a hand using a black marker to redact text on paper several words are boxed to be emphasised.
POETRY

Reignite your creative fire with blackout poetry – the art of framing what’s already there

Directed by Andrew Lavers

Painting of a woman in 18th-century attire holding flowers by a window with a small dog on a bench.
POETRY
1

How to write a love poem

by Dan Simpson

Photo of a person speaking into a microphone holding an electric string instrument with a choir in the background.
THEATRE AND PERFORMANCE
1

The barbarians are at the gates in this electric Laurie Anderson performance

Video by All Arts