Back on ya bike! How to keep your bicycle running smoothly and save amid the fuel crisis

Basic maintenance is one of the most satisfying ways of getting to know your bike – with most parts costing less than a tank of fuel

Socialising, work, exercise: what makes a good day and is there a ‘formula’ for making it better?

Researchers have figured out which activities, and in what volume, are linked to people reporting having a good day. We challenge three writers to follow the blueprint for improving their daily grind

The unlikely appeal of barefoot hiking: ‘It makes you feel quite primal’

From clay trails in Seoul to remote Australian coastlines, a small but growing number of hikers are hitting the trail unshod. But what happens when you feel the ground beneath your feet?

As a furniture removalist I learned all mattresses are stained, and that’s fine

You’ll never catch me owning a glass dining table now I’ve moved so many. But it was the people I worked alongside who made the job what it was

Self-test health kits promise quick results. But what do doctors think of them?

Australian pharmacies now offer rapid tests for perimenopause, iron, vitamin D levels and more. Experts weigh in on whether they’re worth using

Why did my GP just use Google? What I’ve learned about the health system, as a doctor and a patient

From the importance of looking up ailments to the comfort and cleanliness of hospitals, Roland Bull has experienced both sides of the bed as a patient-turned-doctor

My rookie era: after my panic attacks, woodworking became the one good thing I could count on

Limb-severing machinery and loud noises awaited my frayed nerves – yet the workshop became my safe space

My depression felt creatively expansive. Now I’ve overcome it, how do I keep the meaningful parts?

Darkness can present itself as truth, writes advice columnist Eleanor Gordon-Smith. But love, joy and awe are far richer experiences

My rookie era: in a period of heartbreak, learning to pole dance gave me structure

I disliked my first encounter with pole, but two years later my experience with the sport has made me appreciate my body and my self-determination

Canine carer: how guide dog school dropout Marcus came to comfort cancer patients for a living

Once assessed as ‘a sloth with a low drive to work’, the polite and affectionate black labrador enjoys a successful new career as a therapy dog