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Psyche’s most popular articles and videos

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How to make someone feel seen and heard

Validation skills are not only useful for therapists. Learn them and you’ll improve your personal and work relationships

by Caroline Fleck

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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

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How to sleep when you’re a perfectionist

As a high achiever, your problem-solving skills can backfire at night. You need a different way to beat insomnia

by Nick Wignall

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Trapped with no escape: the hidden problem of sibling bullying

When brothers and sisters victimise each other, the harms can be serious. But it’s never too late to heal old wounds

by Kristen Cvancara

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For a happier life, we must balance two old psychological needs

Personal autonomy is abundant in the modern world. As a result, many of us get what we want but not what we need

by William von Hippel

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Why teenagers are deliberately seeking brain rot on TikTok

Talking to teens reveals a hidden sophistication to their media use. Rather than policing it, maybe we could learn from it

by Emilie Owens

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GRIEF

Grief is not a process with five stages. It is shattered glass

The five stages describe a grief that’s knowable and controlled. An accident in my kitchen helped me find a truer metaphor

by Joshua Thomas

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How to see the humanity in anyone

Practising a form of ‘deep curiosity’ can help you connect with yourself and others, even if they’re on the ‘other side’

by Scott Shigeoka

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If you think you are ‘just not a math person’ then think again

Understanding how mathematics anxiety takes root points to ways to overcome it, opening up new opportunities and pastimes

by Nathan T T Lau & H Moriah Sokolowski

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Why small annoyances can harm us more than big disruptions

A largely forgotten psychological concept helps explain the insidiousness of minor problems – and what to do about it

by Shayla Love

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How the buildings you occupy might be affecting your brain

Cutting-edge research in the field of neuroarchitecture is revealing the public health implications of building design

by Cleo Valentine & Heather Mitcheltree

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What makes some of us crave self-insight more than others?

Some people have a powerful desire to understand themselves, but their path to self-knowledge is rarely straightforward

by Christoph Heine

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How to maintain a healthy gut

With a few lifestyle and dietary changes, you can protect your gut microbiome, boost your immunity and improve your mood

by Vincent Ho

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What if your worry problem is really a planning problem?

Clinicians have long recognised the link between worry and planning. New research asks what this means for managing anxiety

by Paul B Sharp

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Schadenfreude: why do we find joy in the pain felt by others?

A brief history of schadenfreude – taking pleasure in the misfortune of another – from ancient China to Charlie Chaplin

by David P Barash

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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