I threw a potato. Mum brandished a knife … would whole-family therapy save our Christmas?

Eight years ago, after yet another disastrous festive get-together, my mother decided we needed professional help. Which is how a new festive tradition began

Worried about winter? 10 ways to thrive – from socialising to Sad lamps to celebrating the new year in April

The temptation is to sit at home and hibernate, but beating the winter blues can be done. Here’s how to embrace the coldest and arguably most beautiful season

Endings are hard, but facing them helps us to heal

I understand the temptation to run away – I have felt it too. Try to stay in the room, and in the moment. You’ll be glad you did

Rage rooms: demand is surging – and 90% of customers are women

Venues designed for people to smash things up safely are seeing an enormous rise in bookings. But why? And what explains the pronounced gender gap?

Being labelled a Highly Sensitive Person was validating and empowering – until it wasn’t

An online personality quiz made me feel understood, but it also created a mental cage

Hold an ice cube – and shake like a dog: therapists on 16 simple, surprising ways to beat stress

It can cause physiological and emotional problems, but none of us can avoid it entirely. Here are some of the best ways to react when stress hormones start coursing through your body ...

Is there a dark side to gratitude?

Feeling thankful is increasingly touted as a cure-all, but sometimes there are reasons not to be grateful

After I burned out, physics helped me understand what had happened to me – and to move on

I thought hard work equalled success. I had to realise that’s not always how it works, in science or in life, says Google employee Zahaan Bharmal

The one change that worked: I was burned out and stressed – then I found a steamy solution

After a bereavement and world events left me struggling to cope, I tried meditation, yoga and therapy. But it was my local sauna that helped me find peace and purpose

She left her desk job and walked 3,541 miles from Mexico to Canada: ‘Give yourself permission’

Jessica Guo hiked 30 miles a day, becoming the first woman to continuously hike two historic trails in a single season