‘Grounding’ proponents say it helps us realign with the Earth’s electric charge – but the claims don’t land

Experts say the few scientific papers published about grounding – which can include walking barefoot outdoors or lying on the ground – lack scientific rigour

What I learned from a lovely woman on a packed ward in hospital

Healthy people are being forced to stay in hospital because of a lack of social care – and it’s an indictment of our current system, writes Zoe Williams

How I learned to love my alarm clock

This week: mornings made better; affordable jewellery; and the ultimate wild swimming kit list

Thrill-seeking made me feel alive – until the day I hurtled down a volcano on a mountain bike

My bungee-jumping and skydiving days are over because I can’t shake the visceral memory of learning that I’m not invincible, says freelance journalist and author Gary Nunn

What would I tell my younger self if I met her for coffee? Mostly that things do get better

The trend of meeting up with your younger self has already been adopted by gen Z on TikTok – because we all need a growth narrative to keep us slogging on

Why is it so hard to go to bed? Maybe science has the answer

I’m an intractable bedtime procrastinator. Why do the sensible thing when I can just lie on the couch, phone in hand, however exhausted I am?

The one change that worked: I set my phone to ‘do not disturb’ three years ago – and have never looked back

WhatsApp notifications in the middle of the night were the final straw. I switched those off – and every other alert – and it helped my wellbeing, sleep and parenting

It’s time to rethink boredom, procrastination and regret

That’s the way to fulfil your goals and have fun in life, writes Simon May

‘I couldn’t be left alone with the kids’: when parental exhaustion tips into burnout

Most people with small children are worn out – but for some, the pressure of striving to be perfect parents can drive them to the edge

Wallowing in a soup of despair? Try ‘lemonading’ to buck the gloom

Linda Geddes spends a week with a clown, a comic and some toddlers to test the science behind the uplifting power of play