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 …
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 …
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 …
There’s plenty of happiness to be found in the present moment, but sometimes life necessitates change, and changes take planning. Whether it’s a new job, moving house or starting your own business, planning the future can take you away from joy in the here and now. One of the problems is that when you start …
Colours are often associated with emotions – people talk of being green with envy or feeling blue when they’re sad. When it comes to grief, you might experience the dark depths of loss or despair, or the bright red of anger. But grief and loss can encompass a wide range of different emotions and stages, …
As more people lead increasingly sedentary lifestyles, researchers have found that spending long periods of the day inactive can have wide-ranging effects on health. Some use the metaphor that ‘sitting is the new smoking’ to highlight the dangers of spending many hours a day sat at desks, in classrooms or in meetings, commuting on public …
In this issue: Path to recovery – A time for everything – The grand deception – Frame of mind – An artist? Who, me? – Now and then – Tricks of the mind – Don’t listen to your heart – Held to account – Colours of grief Tick, tock. Time is a constant presence, yet …
Deadline = a narrow field of time by which an objective must be accomplished. Deadlines. The very definition of the word is enough to bring you out in a sweat, with its ‘musts’ and ‘objectives’ and stifling constrictions. Yet the modern world is rife with them. At work and at home, the pressure is on …
Late afternoon sun streams through my teenage daughter’s window, spotlighting her as she curls cat-like on the bed, around scraps of paper, glue, a scattering of pencils and a tatty journal. In this tableau, her expression is serene and contemplative. The book is fat with scribbled notes, fragments of lyrics, a shopping list, a gig …
