The Big Idea: looking for a better life? Follow your nose

Smell has an outsize effect on our thoughts and moods, so it’s worth paying more attention to it

Music As Medicine by Daniel Levitin review – musician, heal thyself

In this fascinating book, the neuroscientist makes a strong case for the therapeutic force of music, describing ways in which it can be a beneficial part of recovery for patients

A Second Act by Dr Matt Morgan review – what nearly dying can teach us about living

In this sequel to his bestseller, Critical, the intensive care doctor draws lessons on the joys of a ‘second life’ from the experiences of patients who have flatlined and been revived

The anxiety secret: how the world’s leading life coach stopped living in fear

Famous for her work with Oprah Winfrey, Martha Beck is a bestselling author and self-help superstar. But for 60 years she was anxious and terrified - until she found a simple, uplifting answer

I tried ‘intermittent sobriety’. Here’s what I learned jumping on and off the wagon

While this is by no means health advice, these are a few things I’ve found helpful in case you’re also feeling sober curious

‘At 98, I wouldn’t be so sharp without puzzles’: do crosswords and quizzes really boost your brain power?

We’re told that they give us a mental workout, but the evidence suggests it’s a bit more complicated …

Consuming arts and culture is good for health and wellbeing, research finds

Engaging with arts improves quality of life, increases productivity and creates financial ‘dividend’

In brief: Eurotrash; Overcoming: A Workbook; What Writers Read – review

An unsettling semi-autobiographical road trip; practical life advice from Michelle Obama; and essays by leading writers on the books they love

An Improbable Psychiatrist by Rebecca Lawrence review – doctor turned patient

A brave memoir from a psychiatrist with severe mental illness that describes a failing system from within

Not quite religion, not quite self-help: welcome to the Jordan Peterson age of nonsense

Unintelligible as it is, new book is part of a ‘manifesting’ trend offering the young and spiritually lost an illusion of control