Viewing all items in Resource Category: Looking at You

21st June is Father’s Day, and last year four in ten fathers failed to see their children on Father’s Day. Now there may be perfectly good reasons for this – Father’s Day is not as ‘big’ as Mother’s Day, and fathers may well be seeing their children just fine on other days. But a survey...

Having a religious faith may well make you feel better about your health, according to recent government figures. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has published data linking religious belief and health in an effort to “understand the circumstances of people of different religious identities.” It found that 66 per cent of Muslims, 68 per...

These are stressful days.  The towering storm clouds of coronavirus and financial trouble are casting a long shadow over all of us. Many of us deal with our stress by expressing it. Loudly! We lose our temper, swear, shout and even throw things at our loved ones. We over-react to various personal setbacks because we...

From large pink hamsters that smile and wave at you, to cars that can’t get off roundabouts, a lot of us are reporting weird, vivid, and intense dreams just now. Experts say that financial worries, cabin fever and boredom may all be factors.  But – on the plus side, there is also the fact that...

A recent survey carried out by YouGov, on behalf of the Mental Health Foundation, found that more than one in five adults in the UK had felt panicked by the coronavirus, three in 10 had felt afraid, and more than six in 10 had felt anxious.  And that was even before lockdown. One therapist suggests...

Domestic abuse is soaring just now. Even as far back as early April, it was up by 30 per cent. No wonder, then, that charities are urging us to keep an eye out for anyone in danger.  The warning signs include bruising, repeated shouting and all types of controlling behaviour. If someone is in immediate...

According to handicraft expert Kirstie Allsopp, a missing button was the number one reason why 350,000 tonnes of wearable clothing may end up in UK landfill this year. But that was before lockdown.  Now you have time to make do – and mend!  Rescue and reuse your clothes.  After all, it saves money and the...

Terry Waite spent four years in solitary confinement in Beirut. He says: “In isolation, it is easy to become introspective and depressed. All of us, when we are honest and examine ourselves critically, will discover things about ourselves of which we are not especially proud. I had to learn how to grow a greater acceptance...

During this period of staying so much at home, how much exercise is good? According to immunologists, regular bouts of moderate-intensity exercise can help build our resistance to infection. “Regular moderate exercise ensures that our lymph, which is the circulatory system of our immune cells, keeps flowing,” says Dr Jenna Macciochi, of the University of...

There are four crimes on the rise during lockdown: domestic abuse, the online grooming of children, commercial property theft and coronavirus-related frauds. Nearly all other offences have declined, including murders, robberies, domestic burglaries and assaults.

The British are good at keeping calm in a crisis. But for those of us who suffer from a mental health condition such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), the coronavirus pandemic can be a nightmare. Around 50 percent of OCD sufferers have a fear of contamination from dirt, and so the constant advice to wash your...

Life in quarantine Loneliness at the Virtual Chelsea Flower Show, 19th – 23rd May Leave your dandelions alone What is the best way to talk about death?  Grow your lawns Take exercise for even half an hour a day – and lower depression! Dieting at home When texting can be dangerous Bless you? Plan for...