How to be hopeful: Lisa Taddeo on the thumb injury that cheered her up

After losing eight people she loved deeply in a decade, the author of Three Women was feeling hopeless. But there came a surprising respite from her hypochondria

How to be hopeful: Jung Chang on the moment she knew Mao’s China would become less brutal

The author reflects on an inspiring photograph taken soon after her parents were released from Mao Zedong’s labour camps

How to be hopeful: Nina Stibbe on why optimism is a gift – even if all your plans fall through

The novelist and diarist refused to hope, until she saw how much her sister gained from it, regardless of the outcome

Hate baby showers and dinner parties? Sarah Knight wants you to say no

The sweary self-help guru behind a string of bestsellers explains her evangelical faith in turning down everything from lunch to love

Twas the Nightshift Before Christmas by Adam Kay review – more matchless stories from A&E

From the author of This Is Going to Hurt, funny, disgusting and moving tales with a festive twist – and a show of support for overworked NHS staff

Eat rats and throw poo at the horizon: can Bear Grylls help me survive any disaster?

What could you kill and eat in Hyde Park? How do you fight off an angry dog? And how do you put a nosy journalist in his place? The SAS man turned TV star shows off his survival skills

The Art of Rest by Claudia Hammond review – too stimulating by far…

Nature, mindfulness and walking the dog can all aid relaxation, but how did we get so restless to start with?

Do you take hours to make a simple decision? You may have Fobo

Fear of missing out has a more anxious sibling, and could stop you going to social events – or buying your Christmas turkey. Here’s what is behind fear of better options

How to save the NHS… by five bestselling medical memoirists

With medical memoirs now the hottest ticket in publishing, we asked five acclaimed authors for their views on the crisis in the NHS

Oncologist Azra Raza: ‘Don’t give up hope. Don’t give in to despair’

The Columbia professor on taking healthcare out of the stone age, her ideas for cancer prevention – and why getting too close to patients is an occupational hazard