Mental Health

From answering ‘awkward’ questions to encouraging curiosity and kindness, we explore how to approach conversations with children There are 14 million disabled people in the UK, yet talking about disability is still seen as a taboo topic. It can feel awkward for everyone involved, but it doesn’t have to be that way. As a disabled

Figures from The Body Shop’s Global Self Love Index reveals 40% of LGBTQ+ people are facing a self-love crisis Self-love is no easy thing. Many of us struggle with the concept and it’s been revealed that LGBTQ+ people may be struggling more than others. According to results from The Body Shop’s Global Self Love Index,

Award-winning nutritionist, author, speaker and founder of Happy Hormones for Life Nicki Williams shares her thoughts on our ‘Feisty Four’ hormones Nicki Williams has significant professional experience as a nutritionist but it was her personal experiences around 10 years ago that lay the foundations for her business Happy Hormones for Life. Like so many women

Breathe life back into your closet and express yourself in new ways, without needing to hit the shops Understandably, many of us have got ourselves into a bit of a fashion rut over the past year. And who can blame us? With not much to do and no place to go, a ‘whatever’s clean’ approach

A new project seeks to combine Minecraft play with counselling to support children’s mental health Tech for Good, an initiative launched by mental health charity North East Children, sees children and young people play video games, specifically Minecraft, as part of traditional counselling sessions. The sessions, facilitated by trained counsellors, run alongside talking therapy and

From appreciating each other and recognising the power of hope, to learning about our planet, we share 10 things to do this July 1. Page-turners The Comfort Book by Matt Haig For most of us, hope is a comforting emotion we rely on during periods of mental ill-health. Matt Haig’s latest book delves into the

Poppy Jamie has lived experience of the damage that striving for perfection can do to our wellbeing. Now, she’s taking that knowledge, as well as a mountain of professional know-how on self-acceptance, and sharing it so we can all embrace our wildest, most imperfect selves There are more than a few words I’d love to

Anxiety and loneliness left Ian close to breaking. Then redundancy gave him the opportunity to head in a new direction – becoming a passionate champion for mental health first aid training It was 2017 and I was on the plane home, heading back to my wife and two kids following a client meeting. It wasn’t

With rigid thresholds for receiving specialist mental health care in place, children and young people are falling through the gaps When it comes to supporting those with mental health problems, early intervention is key to preventing escalation, and yet new findings from charities Young Minds and The Children’s Society have revealed that more than a

These two terms have increased in popularity over the past decade, but what’s the difference? These days, we’re speaking about mental health and wellbeing more than we ever have before, and it’s making a real difference. One in four people will experience a mental health problem in their lifetime, and so the more that we

Make your voice heard, and stand up for what you believe in, with these tips for creating positive change Most of us have a cause that we believe in – be that environmentalism, anti-racism, feminism, LGBTQ+ rights, political activism, or, of course, standing up to mental health stigma – and in 2021 there are so

Dr Lee Valls, Clinical Director of The London Practice returns to I am. I have – How it Helps, to discuss EMDR, who and how it can help Dr Lee Valls, Counselling Psychologist and friend of Happiful, is back to share information and supportive advice, this time around the subject of EMDR. Eye Movement Desensitisation

A quarter of the UK population screens positive for a potential injection phobia, raising concerns over COVID-19 vaccine uptake, study reveals In a new large scale study that surveyed just over 15,000 UK adults, a quarter of them presented as likely to experience injection phobia. The same group was twice as likely to report COVID-19

Tune-in to the world around you, and discover a new sense of wellbeing Our senses play a huge part in our everyday life, yet we often take them for granted. It’s only when we’re unwell and one of our senses is temporarily cut off (for instance, if we have a blocked nose), that we finally

Stephen Manderson, AKA Professor Green, marks Men’s Health Week and Nutrition and Hydration Week by sharing his thoughts on getting help, having a healthy dose of chaos in life and considering gut health daily In late 2020, Stephen Manderson spoke to Happiful’s podcast about life in lockdown, his future hopes, his absolute passion for his

The fifth Loneliness Awareness Week kicks off today and this year we’re being encouraged to accept loneliness as a natural part of being human Many of us know how it feels to be lonely and, in the last year, more of us than ever have felt its effects. With a mission to bring the conversation

Stretching across both physical and mental benefits, yoga has a lot to offer us – so it’s time to break down barriers and invite everyone on to the mat Generally speaking, if something has been around for a long time without losing its spark, it’s safe to say there’s something special about it – and

Start them young, and stand by as their self-love and confidence blossoms Parents almost always teach their kids to be kind. They encourage them to say please and thank you, share their toys, and be a good friend. But self-kindness is often left unsaid, and in my role as a children’s therapist I’ve heard many

Forget ‘powering through’, new research suggests that regular short breaks can help us learn We’ve all been there. Deadlines are looming and there’s a million and one things on our to-do list, so we push through fatigue and brain fog until the job is done. But is ‘powering through’ really the best course of action

Get to know yourself, and begin living a more authentic life What does it mean to live an authentic life? And how do you know if you’re being authentically you? We all deal with certain pressures, to conform and compromise, from the people around us – our peers, partners, family, friends, employers, and society as

Paralympic swimming gold medallist Liz Johnson has swapped the pool for the boardroom in a bid to close the disability employment gap for good My career was re-routed in a single moment in 2017. I was watching a report about the disability employment gap, and heard a statistic that left me shocked and appalled: the

The Sunday Times’ Life Lessons Festival returns as an open-air event with a great line-up and plenty of (brain) food for thought… Life Lessons, London’s thought-led festival, will take place once again between 16-18 July. This time the festival will unfold in the beautiful surroundings of Chiswick House and Gardens in London, with an amazing