What rituals from the past teach us about panic and anxiety
In the sensory and communal modes of healing that people have used throughout history, there is guidance for today
by Mariem El-Kady
Fight like a mother
Doctors said my son would die. I wouldn’t believe them, raised millions of dollars and travelled the world for a cure
Amber Freed, as told to Lina Zeldovich
The Ozempic era should change how we think about self-control
Struggling to manage weight can seem like a failure of raw willpower. GLP-1 drugs highlight how misguided that view is
by Matthew C Haug
Ideas
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Guides
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How to deal with doubts about your therapist
It’s not wrong to wonder whether your therapist is helping – it could be a useful signal. Here’s what to do next
by Alice Rizzi
How to use chatbots to make you smarter, not dumber
Use AI thoughtlessly and it dulls your mind. But with a strategic approach and the right prompts, it can be a powerful tool
by Nick Kabrel
Life stories
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Editor’s picks
How to appreciate buildings
It’s easy to become blasé about the built world. Tune in more deeply and architectural adventures await around each corner
by Colin Ellard
Being alone with your thoughts is a skill you can practise
People go to extreme lengths to avoid time with their own thoughts. We’ve found some ways to make it more pleasurable
by Rémy Furrer
Latest videos
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From sports to business, mental imagery can boost outcomes
Video by BBC Ideas
The joyful groove never stops at a legendary Chicago roller rink
What can we learn by taking transcendent UFO stories seriously?
Can an entire society be mentally ill? A perspective from 1960
The interplay between breath and emotion – and how to access it
From prison, a bank robber and acclaimed author reflects on time
When dreams touch reality – the liminal world of sleep paralysis
Notes to self
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Popular
How to tolerate annoying things
Hassles are part of life, but the way we react often makes them worse. ACT skills can help you handle them with greater ease
by Patricia E Zurita Ona
How to build a memory palace
Upgrade your ability to recall dates, names or other details with an ancient trick of the memory trade: the ‘method of loci’
by Lynne Kelly
Guilty pleasures are more than just giving in to temptation
Psychologists are discovering what’s going on when you do something you enjoy, but also feel weird or embarrassed about
by LaCount ‘JJ’ Togans
Stronger
When grief and distraction spun my mind out of control, only the strain of my muscles could keep it intact
by Nancy Uddin
How to use chatbots to make you smarter, not dumber
Use AI thoughtlessly and it dulls your mind. But with a strategic approach and the right prompts, it can be a powerful tool
by Nick Kabrel
How to overcome a fear of fear
When you become afraid of your own reaction to perceived threats, it creates a vicious cycle. Here’s how to break free
by Nick Wignall
Can an entire society be mentally ill? A perspective from 1960
Video by The Search for America
Why AI’s hallucinations are like the illusions of narcissism
Unable to handle uncertainty, AI mimics the narcissistic compulsion to fill voids with plausible but false narratives
by Jennine Gates
