Mental Health

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

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

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

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

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

It’s time we took a fresh look at the relationship between our internal and external selves It’s made up of more than three million cells, renews itself every 28 days, and provides us with the sense of touch that keeps us safe and brings us pleasure, and yet we often give our skin a hard

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

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

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

Does the thought of heading back to the gym bring you out in a sweat? We share five tips to exercise your confidence and avoid ‘gymtimidation’ At the best of times the gym can feel intimidating, let alone hitting the machines after months of living room workouts. But given the positive benefits of exercise –

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

A new study has found that addressing a common cognitive deficit could help with depressive symptoms If you live with depression, you’ll likely know many of the treatment options available. Some people find medication helpful, some benefit from talking therapy and others utilise a blended approach. Physical health is often highlighted by experts too, with

Poppy Jamie, Founder of Happy Not Perfect and host of the Not Perfect podcast joins Happiful to talk about self-acceptance and how breathwork changed everything for her In the month that she releases her fantastic new and first book Happy Not Perfect: Upgrade Your Mind, Challenge Your Thoughts and Free Yourself From Anxiety, Poppy Jamie

The pandemic has added extra stress to all our lives, and for those with anxiety disorders the last year has been particularly gruelling. Here, we suggest some effective measures to help you navigate these difficult days Brain fog, restlessness, feeling constantly on edge, and that pit of dread in your stomach – with one in

In celebration of Carers Week (7 – 13 June), Scottish-based charity Connecting Carers has launched the annual Walk500 to raise awareness of the essential lifelines carers provide Calling on all carers to take a little time for themselves this week, Walk500 sees carers, charity staff, family and supporters pledge to raise awareness of unpaid carers

Feeling rejected is never fun, but what if there were ways we could turn the experience from a self-worth saboteur into an opportunity for growth? For some of us, it’s accompanied by confusion, for others by sadness or anger, but regardless of which emotion you most relate to, this is a feeling all of us

Whether you suspect a loved one is self-harming or they’ve opened up to you about it, knowing what to do next can feel tricky. Here, we explore some essential ideas on how you can be there for them The act of self-harm, when someone intentionally hurts themselves, is often shrouded in shame and stigma. A

From the physical to the emotional, a new study reveals that the majority of women did not feel prepared for postpartum health and recovery It goes without saying that new parenthood is a time of complete emotional and physical upheaval, particularly for mothers. And now, a new study from digital pregnancy and postpartum programme MUTU

We’re all individuals, with unique interests, passions, likes, and dislikes. And yet, when it comes to Father’s Day gifts, a lot of the offerings fall back on tired stereotypes. Now, we’re not saying that tools aren’t handy, or that scented shaving products aren’t a treat – but for dads who like something a little different,

In the heat of the moment, it can be easy to let our emotions get the better of us. But by tuning-in to yourself, you can take back control and channel your anger in productive and healthy ways As the emotion often underlying societal issues such as violence, crime, internet trolling, and even terrorism, anger