Are you having a laugh? Why NHS doctors will soon be prescribing a dose of comedy
They say laughter is the best medicine – and trauma patients in Bristol are about to put the theory to the test
Five great reads: medical mysteries, stolen attention and easy-to-keep resolutions
Guardian Australia’s summertime round-up of written interest and joy selected by Alyx Gorman
When grit isn’t great: letting go rather than pushing through can help our wellbeing
People with high levels of perseverance often persist with difficult tasks to their own detriment. There is value in knowing when to quit
We often fail to keep resolutions – but writing in a notebook brings great rewards
Scribbling down our thoughts is a great way to make sense of things, says Cathy Rentzenbrink
New year, same old you! The secret to self-improvement is embracing your messy, imperfect life
It’s only when you learn to accept who you are, flaws and all, that you can make real, worthwhile change
Top 10 books about self-improvement
In time for new year resolutions, a cultural historian chooses some of the best guides to making a better life, dating back to some of our earliest literature
Healing myself the Pagan way: how witchcraft cast a spell on me
Witchcraft and its deep connection with nature restored my mental health
I’m heartbroken to miss Christmas with my family – but want to inspire girls with this huge challenge
While my husband and two children celebrate Christmas without me, I will be rowing 3,000 miles across the Atlantic
I’m a long-distance dad so Covid was terrible – but it helped me let go of my guilt
I worried so much about not seeing my son, who lives in Canada, during Covid, but then I realised that he was fine – and being very well looked after
The inner lives of dogs: what our canine friends really think about love, lust and laughter
They make brilliant companions, but do dogs really feel empathy for humans - and what is going through their minds when they play, panic or attack?
Get lost? Chance would be a fine thing
In an era of mobile phones, we rarely lose our way - which means we miss out on the joy and relief of finding it again
Most people flee the suburbs, but nowhere land is the perfect backdrop for my novels
Suburbia is neither glamorous nor picturesque. But this is precisely what makes it rich terrain for my books
Sweet dreams are made of this: why dream analysis is flourishing
Are dreams a message from the soul or a meaningless ‘brain fart’? Groups dedicated to interpretation are thriving
Introvert, extrovert or other? Welcome to the age of the ambivert
We are not just tick boxes on a personality test. In these tediously unprecedented times we need a more nuanced understanding of ourselves and others, writes Emma Beddington
Every good dog deserves a musical tribute
Hector, dog of dogs, is the most glorious companion. Simon Tiffin reveals how he came to commission a piece of music that would evoke his spirit