One night I’m a murderer, the next my husband’s having an affair. Why do we have the dreams that we do?

We’ve stopped believing they’re messages from the gods. So what are dreams – and what purpose do they serve? Here’s what the science says

‘We’ve talked for hundreds of hours’: the joy of volunteering as a telephone friend

We’re 50 years apart and have never met, but my connection with Pauline is deeper than I could have imagined

Stress bragging: why workload boasts are bad for you – and your colleagues

Are you in the habit of telling everyone how overstretched you are? A new study has found that it might make you less likable and less competent, while undermining your co-workers

How learning about the science of shyness helped me

I’ve managed to conquer my fears and build great friendships, says David Robson

Should we follow Lily Allen – and let our partner control our smartphone?

Allen’s husband decides the apps she is allowed to use and she decides his. It’s one of many approaches people are taking to try to ditch social media and unbreak their brains, writes Arwa Mahdawi

The problem with the nudge effect: it can make you buy more carrots – but it can’t make you eat them

It has long been thought that psychological tactics can persuade consumers to adopt much healthier habits. But it turns out there is a hitch …

Music helps you get fit – but the right mix will keep you coming back…

Finding tunes with a tempo and rhythm to match your heart rate can help you keep the pace when you exercise – and make it more enjoyable

‘I was 49 when I had my last drink’: Harriet Tyce

After drinking and making a fool of herself for 35 years, the writer realised that’s not how she wanted to be remembered

If you live to 100, you might as well be happy: what poverty, jail and war have taught author Rhee Kun Hoo

Joy is all around us, according to the bestselling South Korean author. Here’s what he has learned from a long and often hard life

Being diagnosed with dyslexia has made me happier

Throughout her life, Danyah Miller developed coping mechanisms to help deal with certain challenges. Would she have thrived if she had known about dyslexia, or would a label have limited her?

That yearning feeling: why we need nostalgia

Often misused by politicians, nostalgia is a positive emotion that could do with a makeover

Is writing down my rage the secret to resolving it?

New research reveals that listing your grievances on a piece of paper, then throwing them away may make you less angry. So I gave it a try, writes Emma Beddington

Do you want to receive more love? First get to know your superego

It’s the internal voice whose strict, unbending standards can make us miserable. But tuning in to it can change everything

I was abused as a child, but now my mother needs care

Manage your mum’s care from a distance, says Philippa Perry. Don’t get sucked into her orbit

‘Smell is really important for social communication’: how technology is ruining our senses

Scientists say an overreliance on sight and sound is having a detrimental effect on people’s wellbeing and that our devices should deliver a multisensory experience