The body and physical health

Articles, Films and practical Guides on the body and physical health, part of Psyche’s coverage of self-knowledge and personal growth.
Painting of legs in blue socks and shoes overlaid on an open book page with text, laid on a wooden surface.
GENDER

What’s a girl to do about leg hair? A playful exploration

Directed by Andrea Dorfman

Vintage photo of four people posing indoors with a plant and brick wall background.
THE BODY AND PHYSICAL HEALTH

The family cancer

My brother and mother died of their disease way too young. I’ve been on standby for 45 years

Michele Jacob, as told to Larry Lindner

A woman selecting vegetables at an outdoor market stall with assorted greens and carrots available for sale.
THE BODY AND PHYSICAL HEALTH

Is choosing food and medicine based on naturalness a good idea?

Understanding the intuitive power of the word ‘natural’ could help inform choices about what to eat or what to do when ill

by Brian Meier

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

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

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

A young girl in a pink hoodie lit by a phone screen, lying on a bed in a dimly lit room at night.
TECHNOLOGY AND MEDIA

The kids forgotten by calls to ban phones

Campaigns calling for smartphone-free childhoods might be well meaning, but the choice is not so simple for all families

by Alice Gregory

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

Photo of a serene woman outdoors with closed eyes in a black top, blurred landscape in the background.
EMOTION REGULATION

The interplay between breath and emotion – and how to access it

Video by Dr Tracey Marks

A colourful plush owl toy with polka-dot wings hanging indoors against a polka-dotted wall background.
PARENTING AND FAMILIES

Again, again, again

I’m not infertile, but I experience recurrent miscarriages. I worry about how many more I can take

by Jami Nakamura Lin

Abstract painting with bold orange, yellow, blue and black curves and shapes overlapping dynamically.
SEX AND SEXUALITY

A kaleidoscope? A milestone? Beyond description? Women put orgasms into words

Directed by Bronwen Parker-Rhodes

Photo of a person walking on an empty city street at sunrise, casting a long shadow amidst tall buildings.
FREEDOM AND CHOICE

Jaywalking man

Even before I got hit, I’d come to find unexpected bliss in waiting at street corners

by Lawrence Everett Forbes

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

A group of people outdoors looking serious, with one woman wiping her eyes in the centre. Trees and buildings in background.
EMOTIONS

The hidden calculations that determine whether you will cry

We think of tears as an overflow of emotion, but an evolutionary lens shows they’re a rational form of social signalling

by Daniel Sznycer & Debra Lieberman

Illustration of a simple cartoon figure with a bob haircut wearing a green crop top and red skirt on a light background.
THE BODY AND PHYSICAL HEALTH

Growing pains, bras, size, sex – a group of women get candid about all things boobs

A film by Subarna Dash and Vidushi Gupta

Paper collage of a man and a woman lying on the floor petting a grey rabbit and a white cat with a small table in the background.
MIND AND BRAIN
4

After a life-altering diagnosis, Case crafts a loving message to his future self

A film by Case Jernigan