I used to be terrified of socialising, certain I would embarrass myself the moment I opened my mouth. And as for dates …As with a lot of teenagers, social confidence was not my strong suit. Throughout my time at school in the...
Read MoreAfter an agonising experience, I avoided checkups for four years. But a practice that assured a stress-free process for scared patients was transformativeI haven’t always been afraid of the dentist. If you had asked me a decade...
Read MoreAs she prepares to mark 70 with a birthday concert, the musician talks about her destructive mindset – and the steps she took to finally make sense of her life and music’s part in itIt was 2023. The holiday of a lifetime, in...
Read MoreAfter a period of burnout, I realised that nature knows what you need, and is always ready to offer it – you just have to be quiet enough to receive itIn 2022 I moved to Clevedon, near Bristol. As soon as I saw the oak tree...
Read MoreFrom an elevated heart rate to weakened immunity, experts explain the hidden physical costs of chronic stress – and why our bodies aren’t built to stay on high alertYou wake up later than planned, so it’s a rush to get...
Read MoreGemma Correll has suffered from anxiety and depression disorders since childhood, and at 16 she discovered a magical elixir that promised to make her feel better. In this extract from her new book, she shows how that promise was...
Read MoreIt is the most essential thing we do – yet many of us arguably breathe badly. The author of Breath explains how that can be changedIn the last stages of writing his book, Breath, James Nestor was stressed. “Which was...
Read MoreForget cortisol belly, cortisol face and cortisol-reducing cocktails. Without cortisol we wouldn’t even get out of bed in the morningOf all the hormones produced by the body, cortisol is the most misunderstood. It’s essential to...
Read MoreDriving through Manchester one Sunday, at the wheel of a Nissan Micra, Foot suddenly woke from decades of anxiety, anger and misery. He talks about the friends who tried to help him, and the forgiveness he struggled to findFor...
Read MoreBegging doctors for tests, I worried that I was missing something and heading for an early death. Would understanding the roots of my health anxiety lead me to a cure?Throughout my adolescence and into my mid-20s, I spent a lot...
Read MoreDreading the thought of giving a speech, or stressed about a big work event? Your GP may prescribe beta blockers to reduce the effects of adrenaline on your heart. Here’s what happened when I took themI first took beta blockers...
Read MoreWhen Mary Ann Kenny lost her husband, she hoped therapy or medication would help. But soon she was losing touch with reality – and panicking about what she might be doing to her two young sons Mary Ann Kenny first met her...
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