The self

Self-knowledge and personal growth Relationships, work and leisure Values and ethical living

People sitting and walking through a city square on a sunny day, with a red brick building and large advertising posters covering other buildings.

Stories and literature

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Your life is not a story: why narrative thinking holds you back

Our stories help us make sense of a chaotic world, but they can be harmful and restrictive. There’s a liberating alternative

by Karen Simecek

Photo of a street with a person entering a doorway to the left and a bookshop named Armchair Books displaying books in its windows.

Place

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‘Place authenticity’ is an important, overlooked part of life

From indie bookshops to artisan cafes, spending time in unique, characterful places can enrich your own sense of self

by Ashley Krause

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.

Emerging therapies

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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

Silhouette of a person climbing a steep, diagonal staircase against a gradient sky in grayscale.

Dance

film

A darkly playful dance of shadows, surreal visions and transformation

Directed by Douglas Bernardt

Photo of a yellow shirt on a hanger in soft sunlight with shadows on a dark cupboard door and a radiator in the background behind a sheer curtain. A person is holding the cupboard door open; their left arm is shown along with the sleeve of their striped t-shirt.

Work and vocation

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Six ways to use clothes to boost your confidence at work

Regardless of your budget or fashion sense, dressing with more intention can benefit your mindset and performance

by Dahlia Stroud

Black and white drawing of swirling smoke and flames rising from the ground, bordered by a rough square outline.

The self

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Why bad doodles can reveal more about you than good drawings

For Marion Milner, ‘not being able’ is a valuable state – one that allows for new and unexpected forms of learning

by David Russell

Man in white shirt leaning out, speaking into a large megaphone overlooking a sea filled with distant ships and smoke on the horizon.

Communication and language

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How to find your voice

Do you sometimes feel silenced or afraid to speak up? Learn to use your natural voice and be heard for who you really are

by Sophie Scott

A dark room with a table, chair, bookshelves, and numerous faint, ghostly figures sketched on furniture, walls, and floor.

The nature of reality

film

An animated figure’s world grows enigmatic when he begins to doubt reality

Directed by Jeong Dahee

A child in a red shirt sits at a desk with a black and white cat. Sunlight and shadows create an intricate pattern through the window.

Psychoanalysis and the unconscious

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Three ways to get in touch with your Shadow self

Jung believed we all have a Shadow self. Facing up to it could help you live more fully and be more forgiving of others

by Ruth Williams

A double exposure image of a person using a smartphone overlaid with a bustling city street scene with cars and tall buildings.

Technology and media

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What I learned from sharing my private self with an AI journal

‘Quantified self’ apps analyse our physical and behavioural data. Now, AI journals want to access our emotional lives too

by Angela Chen

Two women sitting indoors, one in the foreground wearing a headscarf and the other in the background with short blond hair, both looking to the side.

The self

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How to connect with your future self

Does the future ‘you’ seem like a stranger? Getting to know them better will help you to make healthier, wiser decisions

by Shayla Love

Black-and-white photo of a man in a suit who is Giacometti sculpting a thin figure, surrounded by small sculpted busts, in a studio with textured walls.

Painting and sculpture

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Stretched between dignity and despair, Giacometti’s fragile human figures

Directed by Michael Gill