Byron Katie: ‘Just ask yourself, is that thought really true?’

Byron Katie was deeply depressed when a radical change left her joyful. She now uses her secret to help others – whether brutalised by war or merely stressed

‘Anyone can change any habit’: the science of keeping your 2018 resolutions

Living a healthier lifestyle isn’t always down to sheer willpower – it can be as simple as forming new habits. But how do we do that?

The experts’ guide to making – and keeping – your New Year resolutions

Psychologists offer their best tips for staying on track in 2018, from taking on your challenge in the morning to cutting yourself some slack

How to stop catastrophising – an expert’s guide

A clinical psychologist suggests a three-pronged plan for tackling anxiety and approaching each day logically and positively

Why Christmas is for everyone

An atheist’s Christmas celebrates hospitality and generosity – just like a Christian’s, says Julian Baggini

Creation history: brilliant ideas build on the past

Creativity doesn’t come out of the blue, it starts by remodelling the past, say David Eagleman and Anthony Brandt

How do you know if you’re a jerk?

I’m sure you don’t feel like a jerk. Nobody does. Few of us like to believe anything negative about ourselves

Struggling to express your feelings? Get an imaginary friend

Comedian and author David Walliams recently revealed he has clung on to the friends he invented as a child – something that can help even adults make sense of emotions, says psychotherapist Philippa Perry

Bring back conversation… by shutting up and listening

Face-to-face conversation reaps rich rewards, but it’s a dying art, says Celeste Headlee. Here’s how to revive it

Age old problem: how to stay clever for longer

There are ways to ward off dementia and the ill effects of brain ageing, say Alexis Willett and Jennifer Barnett