Painting myself back to life
I’d dealt with many illnesses. But when lupus left scars on my face, my suffering was suddenly visible
by Krystal Sital
Understand
The inner workings of the mind: emotions, memory, decision-making and more
Want things to go well? Plan like a defensive pessimist
So often we underestimate the time and effort required to reach our goals. You can avoid that trap with realistic planning
by Julie K Norem
How cultural outsiders cope with the pain of feeling different
In therapy with people from immigrant families, I’ve seen the side effects of adaptation – and what it takes to break free
by Dennis Portnoy
No, willpower isn’t a muscle – here’s a better way to think of it
The muscle metaphor based on ego-depletion theory hasn’t survived scrutiny. But there’s an alternative that holds promise
by Alberto De Luca
The mudlark
After a lifetime of collecting artefacts from strangers’ lives, I’m finally ready to face my own past
by Marie-Louise Plum
Guides
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How to cope with disruptive change
You can’t stop life from throwing changes your way, big and small. But you can get a lot better at dealing with them
by David A Clark
How to think differently about procrastination
Avoid the trap of thinking you’re either working or not. A different mindset promises less self-judgment and more progress
by Rebecca Roache
Popular
The existential balm of seeing yourself as a verb, not a noun
In the therapy room, I’ve seen how rethinking what we are – and what it means to ‘be dead’ – can lighten our fears
by Eric Jannazzo
How to be the archivist of your own family
By curating your family’s stories, rituals and relics, you’ll feel anchored – and create a bridge between the generations
by Samantha Ellis
How to use AI chatbots to make you smarter, not dumber
Use AI thoughtlessly and it dulls your mind. But with a strategic approach and the right prompts, it can be a powerful tool
by Nick Kabrel
How to think differently about procrastination
Avoid the trap of thinking you’re either working or not. A different mindset promises less self-judgment and more progress
by Rebecca Roache
Why are we curious about some things and indifferent to others?
Many of us crave trivial details while ignoring much of the world around us. Research helps explain this selective curiosity
by Tommy Blanchard
Stronger
When grief and distraction spun my mind out of control, only the strain of my muscles could keep it intact
by Nancy Uddin
Can an entire society be mentally ill? A perspective from 1960
Video by The Search for America
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
Popular
View allThe existential balm of seeing yourself as a verb, not a noun
In the therapy room, I’ve seen how rethinking what we are – and what it means to ‘be dead’ – can lighten our fears
by Eric Jannazzo
How to be the archivist of your own family
By curating your family’s stories, rituals and relics, you’ll feel anchored – and create a bridge between the generations
by Samantha Ellis
How to use AI chatbots to make you smarter, not dumber
Use AI thoughtlessly and it dulls your mind. But with a strategic approach and the right prompts, it can be a powerful tool
by Nick Kabrel
How to think differently about procrastination
Avoid the trap of thinking you’re either working or not. A different mindset promises less self-judgment and more progress
by Rebecca Roache
Notes to self
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Videos
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A no-nonsense New York driving instructor’s rules of the road
Perception is a process of inference, not an account of ‘reality’
How meditation can boost your brain’s capacity to adapt
An animator’s bittersweet ode to her ‘third culture’ childhood
The idea of a ‘learning style’ is intuitive. It’s also wrong
Time stands still for twin brothers on the verge of adolescence
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
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
Heidegger knew that we are always outside, weathering the storms
We aren’t safe inside separate minds. Being-in-the-world means we’re entangled and vulnerable – and that’s how we flourish
by Katherine Withy
What your mind’s blank moments reveal about consciousness
Scientists are uncovering the nature of an elusive mental experience that challenges what it means to be conscious
by Thomas Andrillon
Learning to inhale
I brought my newborn to visit a hospice patient. It took me far from what I’d thought medicine was
by Lynn Hallarman
The Teds
Like characters outgrowing their creator, our teddy bears developed lives of their own
by Sam Firman
Why are we curious about some things and indifferent to others?
Many of us crave trivial details while ignoring much of the world around us. Research helps explain this selective curiosity
by Tommy Blanchard
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
The art of hiking
The desert acted as a mirror that seemed to say: you are like me – harsh, inventive, and full of life
by Skye Anicca
The existential balm of seeing yourself as a verb, not a noun
In the therapy room, I’ve seen how rethinking what we are – and what it means to ‘be dead’ – can lighten our fears
by Eric Jannazzo
For maximisers, bad choices really sting
We all make wrong decisions, but if you’re a ‘maximiser’ rather than a ‘satisficer’, the regret hurts all the more
by Richard Fisher
How to be the archivist of your own family
By curating your family’s stories, rituals and relics, you’ll feel anchored – and create a bridge between the generations
by Samantha Ellis
A psalm for lost spaces
You have to sit down somewhere, unhurried and unbothered, to really hear yourself. But where?
by Atar Hadari
From sports to business, mental imagery can boost outcomes
Video by BBC Ideas
The Ozempic era should change how we think about self-control
Struggling to manage weight can seem like a failure of raw willpower. GLP-1 drugs highlight how misguided that view is
by Matthew C Haug