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

Photo of people in a sunny square with bikes and scooters, near Les Tontons and a large building advertisement in Bordeaux.

STORIES AND LITERATURE

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

SLEEP PROBLEMS

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

Photo of two boys playfully confronting each other on a leaf-covered path beside a fence in autumn.

PARENTING AND FAMILIES

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

A cheerful picnic by a river with adults and children relaxing on blankets under a blue sky with scattered clouds.

HUMAN NATURE

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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TECHNOLOGY AND MEDIA

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

Photo of a glass shattering on a grey surface with shards scattered mid-air and on the ground.

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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COMPASSION AND EMPATHY

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

Photo of a beachside blackboard offering a humorous deal near a weathered pier, stating “£100 receipt given for every £10 spent.”

ANXIETY

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

Photo of a rainy motorway with heavy traffic and a sign warning of a stranded vehicle, speed limit 40 mph.

DECISION-MAKING

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

Futuristic architectural rendering with wooden structures elevated above a tree-filled courtyard space.

ARCHITECTURE

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

Photo of a bookstore entrance at night with people walking by and a person reading among book trolleys on the pavement.

THE SELF

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

Coloured microscopic image of pollen grains and plant fibres in close-up, showing vibrant round and elongated structures.

FOOD AND DRINK

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

A woman on a laptop in a modern café with wall art, a large cactus and pendant lights above.

WORRY AND RUMINATION

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

Photo of a person falling near running bulls on a cobblestone street during a bull run event, with legs and hooves in motion.

HISTORY OF EMOTIONS

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

A child sitting at a desk with a cat, sunlight casting patterns through a window.

PSYCHOANALYSIS AND THE UNCONSCIOUS

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