Mental Health

Doing a little DIY TLC. Buttering your muffin. Having a ménage à moi. There’s hundreds of ways to say it, but could adding masturbation to your self-care routine give your sense of wellbeing a serious boost? Self-pleasure. It’s not really something we talk about, is it? Sure, it’s a completely normal and extremely common act

From a woman who has learnt the lessons herself, we share tips for finding confidence and power when working in male-dominated environments Being a woman working in male-dominated environments can be challenging, as Gemma Gratton knows all-to-well, having spent 17 years in the construction industry. Here, she shares her tips for how to thrive: 1.

The site endchildpoverty.org has two goals: to enable vulnerable families to access support over the Christmas break via an interactive map that lists local support facilities, and to encourage nationwide support, donations, and volunteers to fight food poverty. Many local authorities, businesses, food banks, NGOs, charities, and sporting organisations have pledged their support, offering food

Following the news that Christmas 2020 will be very different for households across the UK, Happiful’s head writer, Kathryn Wheeler, reflects on managing bad news and finding hope in hard times, and reaches out to mental health professionals for their advice It was midday Saturday 19 December when I first started picking up on whispers

When a loved one is struggling with the way they look, it can be difficult to know what to say. So, with this in mind, we share essential tips for supporting someone who’s experiencing body images concerns When we talk about self-image, we’re generally referring to how someone sees, and feels about, their appearance. This

When Elsa found out she was pregnant in autumn 2019, she never could have predicted the additional set of challenges she’d face thanks to Covid-19. Here she shares the highs and lows of pregnancy in a pandemic, and raising a newborn in lockdown. After getting married at the end of August 2019, I began my

One in five of us will experience irritable bowel syndrome during our lifetime, yet many of us think medication and lifestyle changes are our only options. But could hypnotherapy be the game-changer? At some point or another, we’ve all experienced an upset tummy. The discomfort, the inconvenience, the embarrassment – but at least it’s temporary.

New data from The Health Survey for England uncovered that 19% of women screened positive for a possible eating disorder when questioned about their relationship with food According to charity Beat, eating disorders are complex mental illnesses that can involve restricting or avoiding food, bulimia, binge eating, and anorexia. As with all experiences, eating disorders

It’s OK to not be OK – even at Christmas. Here are some places you can reach out to for support if you need it Christmas can be a wonderful time of year. A chance to see family and friends, create memories and exchange gifts. But, it’s not always the most wonderful time of year

An integral part of Swedish culture, fika reminds us to slow down and connect. But what exactly is it, and how can we bring more of it into our lives? As I write, I’m sipping on coffee and nibbling a blueberry flapjack. If I wasn’t also working, I’d be enjoying fika – translated as a

A study shows that owning an animal during the pandemic has helped the mental health of pet owners. It’s time to show our animal friends some appreciation If you’re a pet owner – no matter whether your animal friend is furry, feathered or scaly – I’m sure you’ll agree that they’ve helped you in some

Care home residents modelling as iconic stars go viral and make special edition charity calendar for Alzheimer’s Society Back in July, residents of Edgware care home Sydmar Lodge recreated classic album covers by posing in full get up as stars including David Bowie, Adele, Taylor Swift, Michael Jackson and the Clash. The photos have now

We’re delighted to share our weekly programme of free webinars with Happiful’s wellbeing experts in partnership with RED January Team Happiful is ready and raring to go after signing up to RED January 2021. We couldn’t be happier to be working together as we both believe that community, support and positive action is what we

Start this year as you mean to go on – by looking after you. Discover the power of mindfulness, create a spa experience in your home, and shift your focus on fitness 1. Page-turners No Such Thing As Normal One in four of us experience mental health issues every year, so why do we still

Christmas might be the most wonderful time of the year, but it’s a pretty wasteful time, too. Here are some simple ways to reduce your consumption Food waste It’s easy to get carried away at Christmas, treating ourselves with extra tasty goods or overbuying for fear of running out of food. But, the easiest way

Begrudgingly, desperately, softly, sincerely – however you go about it, we all have to make up for the things we’ve done every now and then. But how can we ensure that our apologies have real meaning? With help from psychotherapist Ruth Parchment, we explore what makes a real apology, and the tips you can use

Winter can be tough on all of us, and this year is certainly no exception. Julia Clements, Principal Educational Psychologist at Place2Be, shares six tips for supporting our own, and our children’s mental health during the colder months The winter months can sometimes be tough on our mental health. This year, children across the UK

New research has suggested that the COVID-19 pandemic has prompted many senior people to begin to open up about their mental health They may be the generation known for upholding the ‘stiff-upper-lip’, but new research from Amica has suggested that the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown has prompted many seniors to begin to have conversations about

A charity supporting homeless people in Cornwall is offering hypnotherapy to those wanting to develop their independence A big part of the work homeless charity Harbour Housing does, is helping residents become more independent and get back on their feet. Supporting them on this journey, in-house counsellor Simone Hills has been offering one-to-one counselling sessions

More than half of us are concerned about someone’s mental health this festive season. Here’s how to start the conversation and show kindness Christmas can be a wonderful time of year; it’s a chance to see loved ones, create memories and exchange gifts. But, it’s not always the most wonderful time of year for everyone.

Struggling to know how to respond to an awkward person in your life? Unspoken tension and passive aggressive behaviour can wear you down, but it doesn’t have to be this way. Our experts have coping strategies and top tips to help you tackle the situation… The chances are we’ve all experienced passive aggressive behaviour in

New questionnaire encourages the nation to think holistically when it comes to their mental health and wellbeing In a bid to get more Brits thinking holistically (a whole person approach) about their mental health and maintain positive mental health, Nuffield Health – in partnership with Mental Health Foundation, has launched a new digital questionnaire, Mental

Friend of Happiful and life coach Carly Ferguson shares her thoughts on how to begin to look forward to the future and set intentions for the year ahead Life, career and business coach Carly Ferguson joined Happiful’s podcast I am. I have to discuss how to reflect upon 2020, while setting intentions for the new

He made history by becoming the first trans man to front a period campaign and, since then, the only way is up for activist Kenny Ethan Jones as he tackles topics from body politics to mental health, all with his signature dose of candid authenticity. Here, we find out more about the journey that led

Whether it’s a face-to-face catch up or another Zoom call, if the thought of social gatherings over the festive period makes you uncomfortable, we’ve got six tips to help you manage social anxiety For anyone struggling with social anxiety, Christmas is often a time when the festive cheer is replaced with a heightened sense of

From unique homeware to the retro-inspired exercise class membership, we’re rounding up some of our favourite Christmas gifts from LGBTQ+ brands This Christmas, a lot of us are thinking about where we’re spending our money. After the year we’ve all had, it makes sense that we want to give back to local communities, small sellers,

New research released today reveals the true extent of isolation and loneliness experienced by people on the autistic spectrum and/or who have learning disabilities, due to COVID-19. From not-for-profit support provider, Dimensions, people on the autistic spectrum and/or those with learning disabilities responded to a recent survey which uncovered ‘a collective sense of exclusion’, stating

It’s not all doom and gloom – here we revisit some of the most uplifting stories and positive news to come out of 2020, to shine a light on the kindness, compassion, and empathy that have truly been the highlights of our year 1. More women than ever are directing films… A report in January