As niche jobs go, don’t you think it could be compelling to be the researcher tasked with studying the gaze and brain activity of a group of readers as they embark on a novel? Would the data confirm that while some eyes dart and dance their way across the page, others linger and widen as …
In this issue: A mystical beginning – Quite contrary – Funny business – Clocking on – Finishing touches – Small gestures – Breaking bread – Through thick and thin – Helping hound – Feast on fibre There’s magic to be found in looking with fresh eyes at everyday places, objects and even ideas. Spring, with …
For a long while I saw journalling as a way to capture what had already happened – a place to record the past, to sift through thoughts and try to make sense of tangled feelings. Just as when I began junk journalling, I thought it was simply a way to use up scraps, a creative …
If you’ve ever taken a period of time away from your job, you may have experienced a dip in confidence or rise in anxiety, on your first day back at work. A break of any length can shake your faith in your own capabilities or leave you feeling ‘out of the loop’, research has shown. …
In this issue: Good morning, sunshine – Emotions on display – See the funny side – Peace of mind – To catch a whisper – Rooted in stillness – Happy by accident – No strings attached – Missed connection – Into the woods How do you spend the earliest hours of your day? It’s easy …
‘You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours.’ It’s a phrase you’ve probably heard plenty of times. Reciprocity, or the unspoken expectation of it, is ingrained in social interactions. Even just hearing a heartfelt ‘thank you’ or ‘I owe you one!’ can feel satisfying when you’ve done something nice for someone. And if you don’t receive …
In the late 1990s, the writer Sophie Dahl was a model celebrated for being plus-sized in an era when being skinny was the fashion industry’s norm. But it was her origin story that often hit the headlines: she’d had an argument with her mother, so the story goes, and was crying in the street outside …
On a woodland walk in spring, there are few moments able to match the magic of stumbling upon a grove of bluebells in full flower. With their vibrant namesake hue and their sweet, earthy scent, these herbaceous perennials, which bloom for only a few weeks of the year, are a rare, spirit-lifting treat to be …
For a sailor on a stormy sea, there can be few sights more comforting than the flare from a lighthouse sweeping the horizon. Despite modern satellite systems, mariners are taught to always use more than one form of navigation, meaning the lighthouses that dot coastlines around the world are as vital and potentially life-saving as …
Your outdoor space may seem pretty cold and lifeless at this time of year, but any garden, no matter how small, can be a vital resource and safe haven for wildlife all year round. And if you can work in community with your neighbours, your impact on nature has the potential to be even more …
