Doom busters: why some things aren’t (quite) as bad as we think

We live in worrying times. From the climate crisis to the culture wars, there is always something to keep us fretting. But sometimes the facts tell a different story – a more hopeful one. Here, we speak to experts in search of some optimism and find 13 reasons to be a little more cheerful

Under the Knife by Dr Liz O’Riordan review – cancer from both sides

A breast surgeon is diagnosed with the cancer in which she specialises in this frank memoir of illness and recovery

The Country of the Blind review – a penetrating study of the loss of sight

Andrew Leland’s thoughtful, beautifully expressed memoir about losing his eyesight invites us to rethink ideas about identity and independence

Don’t fret, neurotics – there are advantages to worrying

Negative mental chatter and anxious fantasies may not be all bad – they could bring benefits such as greater creativity and better health

‘You’ll have more empathy, you’ll have more fun’: the man who wants to transform our relationship with sleep

From snoring to shift work, Russell Foster explains the myths and misconceptions that get in the way of a well-rested society

Top 10 books about awakenings

These moments of precious fresh awareness can be found in authors from Oliver Sacks to Ottessa Moshfegh and Franz Kafka

‘People want to shake it out’: dance away the tears at a ‘grief rave’ in a pink disco kiosk

London artist Annie Frost Nicholson is touring her Fandangoe Discoteca dancefloor to help people process bereavement

A moment that changed me: I lost my hair to cancer – and the trauma taught me an essential lesson

I found being bald truly distressing. But losing a vital part of my armour for that long year gave me a whole new perspective

‘I can still dance when I’m sober!’ My alcohol-free Glastonbury diary

On Saturday, I celebrated 365 days without booze. How would I cope, surrounded by thousands of well-lubricated strangers?

OurChemist

Our Chemist – Health