Relationships, work and leisure
![People dining at long tables adorned with blue tablecloths in a narrow, lantern-lit street lined with old buildings and blue-and-white flags.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/c66d7bed-5e64-4603-b4ce-93c9e6f7c193/rt-rtx119pd.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Community
idea
Take a seat: the long table is an antidote to loneliness
While some consider the long, shared dining table outdated or inconvenient, it is actually a powerful social tool
by Antone Martinho-Truswell
![Two people sit on a wooden park bench, one with an arm around the other, with fallen leaves scattered on the ground in front of them.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/9a401830-e7b0-4e2d-8643-5bdc79825959/rt-rtxb2erf.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Communication and language
idea
Why that hard conversation will probably go better than you think
If you’ve delayed raising a touchy issue, fearing it will backfire, new research could give you the confidence you need
by Matt Huston
![A person hugs two young children near a brick wall in a garden, with plants and greenery around them.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/b40a62bc-8b38-41f9-85d3-c6885ebecff0/sq-final-nn11620511.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Caregiving
guide
How to get the most out of caregiving
Giving care is hard, but it’s one of the most meaningful things you can do. Here’s how to change up your perspective
by Elissa Strauss
![A large flock of birds fills the sky at dusk over a car park, where people with binoculars observe them from beside their vehicles.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/71bda118-3d89-40ba-8542-709add946b2e/exit-238.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Place
film
A makeshift community of people and migratory birds converge on a strip mall
Directed by Henry Davis
![People at a rally holding flags and banners with various languages, advocating for voting rights and unity, standing behind a barrier on a city street.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/c56f5ca0-e638-40ff-91d8-c12adf15d5be/rt-nyc56683.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Community
idea
Does embracing local customs help immigrants feel at home?
Moving from Belgrade to Toronto, learning the social ‘rules’ fostered my sense of belonging. But there’s an important caveat
by Ljiljana Radenović
![A person cooks mushrooms in a pan on a stove with pasta in a colander and various ingredients spread on the kitchen counter.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/7060bca0-3ba1-4e46-a03a-6adc2386d8e3/rt-gettyimages-1345342998.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Eating disorders
idea
Learning to cook taught me that self-care isn’t selfish
In healing my relationship with food and cooking, I saw how caring for myself was the first step toward caring for others
by Céline Leboeuf
![A steep road with a 1:4 gradient warning sign, flanked by greenery and hills under a clear blue sky.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/1493ce03-6048-488e-99e3-fa446ff30d78/sq-final-lon48605.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Emotion regulation
guide
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
![Abstract drawing of a woman holding a baby, featuring exaggerated body proportions and yellow accents on a white background.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/c96de3b3-ffb2-4a22-bc44-4c1dc2178d20/postpartum-landscape-4-v2.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Parenting and families
film
‘Suddenly you are here’ – a breathless, hilarious ode to new motherhood
Directed by Henriette Rietz
![A painting of an older man with a beard smiling at a young woman with braided hair in a red dress, their heads close together.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/fd45cb13-28a9-49f8-b79d-292070e3c819/rt-lucas_cranach_the_elder_the_ill-matched_couple_c_1530_25107898984.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Money and economics
idea
How your attitudes to money could be affecting your relationship
Do you see money as a way to gain freedom or status? If your partner takes a different view, there could be consequences
by Johanna Peetz
![Two people sit at a table with coffee cups, near a window overlooking a rainy scene with parked cars and trees in the background.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/c2f2dfea-5afd-43b4-98ed-abc26aaf3280/rt-gettyimages-1415182904.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Worry and rumination
idea
Rehashing your problems with friends can turn into a bad habit
Although ‘co-rumination’ bolsters relationships in some ways, it also distracts from other, better coping methods
by Shayla Love
![A person stirring food in a steaming pot on a stove in a kitchen. Several other stainless steel pots are also on the stove. The foreground shows a blurred image of bread rolls, and a jar with cherry tomatoes can be seen on the right.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/8a20e692-e6c8-4b87-9a5f-37427137e162/sq-final-gettyimages-935951790.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Emerging therapies
guide
How to use cooking as a form of therapy
No matter your culinary skills, spend some reflective time in the kitchen to nourish and renew your sense of self
by Charlotte Hastings
![Puppets with monkey faces in office attire, performing a synchronised dance in a cubicle-filled office setting, with computers and office supplies visible.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/cb8357ac-cc20-4c6c-a262-94653c69cf15/the-burden-landscape-6.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Happiness
film
Humanoid animals sing through their existential angst in this madcap short
Directed by Niki Lindroth Von Bahr