The body and physical health

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

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

A film by Case Jernigan

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

Photo of a pregnant woman in a pink vest and white skirt, holding a red bag, walking in an urban area.
PARENTING AND FAMILIES

Moving through the world pregnant, my body became everyone’s

And I knew that, once I became a mother, I would be only more visible, more public, more available for scrutiny

by Katie da Cunha Lewin

Woman seated at a cafeteria table reading a book, with her shoes kicked off.
THE BODY AND PHYSICAL HEALTH

In defence of slouching: the bad science behind good posture

The idea that we should all stand straight is widely accepted. But this modern obsession has dubious origins

by Beth Linker

Photo of a woman in a pink top sitting indoors with eyes closed. Sunlight and shadows on the wall, plant on the right.
DEATH AND DYING

It’s not foolish to foster hope in the face of illness and death

As a great loss loomed, I feared straying too far from the hard truth. But I learned to distinguish denial from hope

by Christiana Boules

A young man with a serious expression wearing a grey hoodie outdoors at dusk, with a blurred landscape and lights in the background.
DEPRESSION

Why Darius is testing mind and body to run 100 miles in the cold

Directed by Amar Chebib

Animated scene of a woman comforting a man at a kitchen table, with one hand resting of his back.
LOVE

Caregiving is the highest form of love in this powerful family portrait

Directed by William D Caballero

Illustration of a young woman with a bob haircut, red skin and two different coloured eyes. She holds her hands up to her cheeks.
MENTAL HEALTH

Fixating on her body, a woman grapples with strange distortions of the self

Directed by Chenghua Yang

Brightly coloured, psychedelic illustration of a boy in a field holding a prosthetic arm with a blue sky in the background.
ALTERED STATES

A boy’s universe becomes strange and wondrous in this enchanting short

Directed by Gabriel Gabriel Garble

A painting of a woman in 18th-century attire with a large hairstyle holding a letter, seated with a dark background.
THE BODY AND PHYSICAL HEALTH

Menopause was a French invention at a time of revolution

French doctors of the 1800s had a vested interest in pathologising women’s ageing, as do many commercial entities today

by Alison M Downham Moore

A still from the film Miss Congeniality showing the actress Sandra Bullock in a tight-fitting lilac dress walking towards the camera, surrounded by people in pink uniforms.
FILM

From drab to fab – a playful dissection of the Hollywood makeover

Directed by Sue Ding

Abstract drawing of a woman holding a baby, featuring exaggerated body proportions and yellow accents on a white background.
PARENTING AND FAMILIES

‘Suddenly you are here’ – a breathless, hilarious ode to new motherhood

Directed by Henriette Rietz

Three people in swimwear wearing felt hats sitting in a sauna. One holds branches, the atmosphere is warm and misty.
THE BODY AND PHYSICAL HEALTH

You are your body: here’s how to feel more at home in it

Just because you live in a body, doesn’t mean you feel at one with it. Embodiment psychology can help you reconnect

by Elna Schütz

Photo of a woman jogging along a riverside path in an urban area with tall buildings under a partly cloudy sky.
GOALS AND MOTIVATION

So-called ‘SMART goals’ are a case of style over substance

From fitness to finance, the SMART goal-setting method is ubiquitous, but often detrimental. There are better approaches

by Christian Swann

Photo of a person holding a plate with several chocolate chip cookies, set against a blurred background.
THE BODY AND PHYSICAL HEALTH

What I wish more people knew about deadly allergic reactions

Living with a deadly food allergy, I’ve discovered staying safe involves navigating other people’s doubts and expectations

by Hannah Waldfogel

Photo of yellow tulips and pink flowers in soft focus, showing petals in detail with a blurred background.
HISTORY OF IDEAS

I smell, therefore I am. On the philosophy of the olfactory

To truly grip us, philosophy must engage with the practical and animalistic. It’s time to stop turning its nose up at smell

by Simon Hajdini