A winter of the mind: how to escape survival mode

For many of us, it has been a cold and traumatic year. But, as one reader found, difficult times can lead to new and revolutionary ways of thinking

Covid has not affected people’s happiness around world, study reveals

World Happiness Report finds higher levels of benevolence in all global regions than before the pandemic

Mind over matter: can meditation soothe my troubled insides?

Meditating Buddhist monks have been shown to have healthier gut microbiomes and more effective metabolisms than non-meditators. Could an app make mine happier?

NHS doctors offered up to £5,000 to recruit colleagues for private hospitals

Exclusive: HCA Healthcare is spending tens of thousands of pounds on ‘golden hello’ bonuses for staff from overstretched public service

At long last, some recognition of the pain after childbirth. Why is women’s suffering so ignored?

Research shows opioid painkillers are unlikely to harm breastfed babies – but history shows how often women have had to sacrifice their own health, says historian Agnes Arnold-Foster

‘I kept begging for pain relief’: the women forced to give birth without gas and air

Some hospitals are suspending supplies of gas and air, after it was found to pose health risks to midwives. What can be done to ensure pregnant women still get the help they need?

Weight Watchers wins when our diets fail – it won’t change society’s broken thinking around food

The diet industry benefits if you become a customer for life: its profits soar with our failures, says psychotherapist, psychoanalyst and social critic Susie Orbach

A moment that changed me: after a shattering rape, yoga helped put me back together

Following the attack, I sensed danger everywhere. Yoga taught me to trust again – and I started to rebuild my life

The battle to boost our deep sleep – and help stop dementia

The biological ‘brainwashing’ that happens while you are sleeping is crucial for filtering out toxins. Here’s how to optimise your overnight cycle

‘A huge loss’: readers on how UK leisure centre closures have affected them

From Nottingham to the Isle of Wight, people lament losing sense of community as well as facilities