Menu
Psyche
DonateNewsletter
SIGN IN

Christian Jarrett

Editor, Psyche

A cognitive neuroscientist by training, Christian was the founding editor of the British Psychological Society’s Research Digest and an award-winning journalist on The Psychologist magazine. His books include The Rough Guide to Psychology, 30-Second Psychology and Great Myths of the Brain. His latest is Be Who You Want: Unlocking the Science of Personality Change, published in 2021. Christian will never forget holding a human brain in his hands as part of a neuroanatomy class, the grey mass so heavy as if filled still with memories and dreams. Find him on Twitter @Psych_Writer.

Written by Christian Jarrett

Three older men in cheerful mood are inside a bar or pub with painted red walls

Friendship

idea

Is it better to have friends who are like you or different from you?

Studies of longterm friends offer surprising insights as to whether friends who are more or less alike tend to endure

by Christian Jarrett

Two women dressed in pink and white rabbit outifts drink a beer outside a subway station entrance. One of them looks glum

Personality

idea

To improve your life, consider changing your personality

New research supports the idea that intentionally developing certain traits is not only possible, but comes with benefits

by Christian Jarrett

Sleep and dreams

idea

Five ways to take control of your dreams

Lucid dreaming lets you shape your dreamscape, whether your aims are practical or fantastical. These tips can get you started

by Christian Jarrett

Sports and games

guide

How to enjoy running

Going for a jog doesn’t have to be a chore – these mental techniques will make it something you actually look forward to

by Christian Jarrett

Personality

guide

How to come out of your shell

You don’t have to be outgoing. But if being introverted is holding you back from the life you want, dive in for a way out

by Christian Jarrett

Goals and motivation

guide

How to let go of a lifelong dream

Adaptability is as much of a virtue as grit. Overcome any feelings of loss or failure by pivoting toward a new passion

by Christian Jarrett

Habits and routines

guide

How to read more books

Modern life can feel too frantic for books. Use these habit-building strategies to carve out time for the joy of reading

by Christian Jarrett

Anxiety

guide

How to cope with a panic attack

A panic attack is a dramatic false alarm clanging in body and mind. Recognising this is the first step to dialling it down

by Christian Jarrett

Drugs and psychedelics

guide

How to have a safe psychedelic trip

A psychedelic experience can be deeply rewarding, but also carries real risks. Here’s how to avoid a bad trip

by Christian Jarrett

Thinking and intelligence

guide

How to foster ‘shoshin’

It’s easy for the mind to become closed to new ideas. Cultivating a beginner’s mind helps us rediscover the joy of learning

by Christian Jarrett

Edited by Christian Jarrett

The African American singer and pianist Nina Simone is pictured alone, singing against a spotlight that resembles a moon in the darkness. She has her eyes closed.

Emerging therapies

idea

Could that tingle down the spine be a way to rediscover joy?

In new research, scientists have looked into the potential benefits of giving people with depression the aesthetic chills

by Shayla Love

A close-up of a man using an online betting platform on his smartphone. The phone screen lights up a darkened room

Addiction

guide

How to control your gambling

What’s fun at first can all too easily get out of hand. Learn the warning signs and use these tips to rein things in

by Luke Clark

Difficult emotions

guide

How to enjoy your problems

Accepting your problems is one thing. To enjoy them? Well, that’s pretty much enlightenment. Here’s how to get there

by Chelsea Harvey Garner

Emotion regulation

idea

The psychology of impatience could make waiting more tolerable

New studies on the experience of impatience suggest there’s more to it than simply how long you’ve been left hanging

by Matt Huston

Dissociation and detachment

idea

The therapeutic potential, and addictive lure, of losing yourself

In ketamine therapy and other contexts, dissociation is seen as an unwanted side-effect. But what if there’s more to it?

by Shayla Love

Laughter and comedy

idea

Absurdist comedy is uniquely brilliant at conveying human pain

On stage as Mr Fruit Salad, I’ve seen how the bizarre and ridiculous can convey deep meaning in a way that resonates

by Joz Norris

Psychosis and schizophrenia

idea

Rubber hand illusions shed new light on our bodily sense of self

Testing the illusions on those who have entered altered states offers clues about the experience of being in control

by Shayla Love

Two people are on top of a craggy hill in lakeland scenery in winter. They look small against a big sky

Nature and the environment

guide

How to rewild yourself

You didn’t evolve to live in this techno-industrialised world. Find health and happiness by embracing your wild nature

by Jessica Carew Kraft

A kindergarten-age child plays with a padlock and key at a white table

Thinking and intelligence

idea

Innovative three-year-olds expose the limits of AI chatbots

New experiments show that very young children are better at solving creative puzzles than ChatGPT and other AI models

by Shayla Love

A man and a woman laughing together in a restaurant

Communication and language

idea

Why it takes humour to sustain a long-term relationship

Maintaining a long and happy relationship requires a specific skillset. Learning to laugh at yourself and together is key

by Enrico Gnaulati

Emerging therapies

idea

The reason little noises drive you mad is about more than sounds

Fascinating research into ‘misophonia’ – an intolerance to specific sounds – is revealing an important role for context

by Nathaniel Scharping

A family are drawn on the left hand page of an open copy of Freud’s book the Interpretation of dreams. On the right hand page is a drawing of ananaconda

Sleep and dreams

idea

The reason we dream might be to bring us closer together

Research has tended to focus on what dreams do for us when we’re sleeping – but what if the benefits play out the next day?

by Mark Blagrove