Planning for death: four things you can do to ease your family’s emotional and financial stress: When someone dies, the people left behind face more than grief. They are often hit with a wave of decisions – emotional, logistical and financial – that must be made quickly and under pressure. You may not be able …
Young people took up smoking during the pandemic – how tobacco has been used for stress relief for more than a century: Lomb/Shutterstock In the UK and much of the west, smoking rates have consistently declined since the turn of the millennium. But during some of the most anxiety-ridden months of the COVID pandemic in …
Anxiety and stress really can be lowered through colouring – here’s what our research has found: Colouring works in a similar way as mindfulness by helping people stay focused on the present moment. Jacob Lund/ Shutterstock When we think of the best ways to reduce stress, we might picture activities such as exercise or meditation. …
Is US democracy on trial? Five ‘stress tests’ to watch as Trump battles Biden and the justice system: Are former US president Donald Trump’s indictments putting American democracy on trial? Many certainly seem to think so. Depending on who you ask, it doesn’t much matter what the verdict will be. Trump ending up behind bars, …
How new ‘consumer duty’ rules for financial products could reduce debt-related stress: Grusho Anna/Shutterstock New “consumer duty” rules introduced by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) aim to set clear standards for the protection of financial consumers. Banks, building societies, investment and insurance firms, as well as many other types of business, are being told to …
Three mindfulness and meditation techniques that could help you manage work stress: fizkes/Shutterstock It’s 10:45am on a Tuesday, and you are arriving late to work. You’ve just been to the dentist who berated you for grinding your teeth – she says this is what’s causing your sore jaw and neck. You’ve been waking up between …
Health workers cope with a huge amount of stress – how to build a resilient health system in South Africa: Brenton Geach/Gallo Images via Getty Images Popular and academic literature is replete with examples of how to cope with daily stresses. Mental health professions have also long researched and implemented strategies to deal with burnout …
Ofsted inspections cause teachers stress and aren’t backed up by strong evidence – things could be done differently: Tijana Simic/Shutterstock The school inspectorate in England, Ofsted, has faced criticism recently following the death of headteacher Ruth Perry. According to her family, Perry’s death was a “direct result” of the pressure resulting from the Ofsted inspection …
How running can help you cope with stress at work: oneinchpunch/Shutterstock If grabbing your trainers and heading out for a run is your way of coping with a stressful week at work, you’re not alone. According to England Athletics, more than six million adults in England ran at least once a week in 2021, and …
Managing stress at work: three things your employer could do for you: Shutterstock/fizkes Earning a living can be stressful. Whether it’s time constraints, difficult colleagues, a lack of autonomy, or an unreasonable workload, it’s hard to think of a job that doesn’t come with a certain amount of pressure. This can have a negative impact …
Heat stress is rising in southern Africa – climate experts show where and when it’s worst: Being too hot isn't just uncomfortable: it can be dangerous. Angel DiBilio/Shutterstock Most of us have felt either too hot or too cold at some point in our lives. Depending on where we live, we may feel too cold …
Fermented foods and fibre may lower stress levels – new study: Foods such as kimchi are great to include in a psychobiotic diet. Nungning20/ Shutterstock When it comes to dealing with stress, we’re often told the best things we can do are exercise, make time for our favourite activities or try meditation or mindfulness. But …
Dogs can smell people’s stress – new study: Matt Donnelly , Author provided Dogs have a long history alongside humans, giving them an amazing ability to read human cues. Dogs also possess an incredible sense of smell, which enables them to detect diseases, such as COVID and lung cancer, in humans from odour alone. Whether …
South Africa’s increasing water stress requires urgent informed actions: South Africa's water situation is a complex issue. Ab Rahman Awang / EyeEm / Getty Images Progress has been made since 2015 on a global scale in terms of increasing access to water of an acceptable quality and to sanitation services. But 2 billion people still …
How trauma survivors can harness spiritual contemplation to process stress – new research: WindNight/Shutterstock Trauma, such as surviving or witnessing road accidents, natural disasters and violence, can shake up our lives, challenging our core beliefs and views of the world. But this upheaval can also trigger what’s known as “post-traumatic growth” in different aspects of …
Exercise can reduce stress and improve sleep – particularly for women with breast cancer: Regulating cortisol levels simultaneously improves sleep quality. Rido/ Shutterstock When you’re suffering from stress, it can affect almost every aspect of your life – even down to how well you sleep at night. While it’s normal to experience stress over things …
Young Indian farmers are turning to an ancient crop to fight water stress and climate change: Thana Ram / shutterstock India is facing a water and food crisis, exacerbated by extreme climate cycles such as the current heatwave during which temperatures well above 40? have been commonplace. With 1.4 billion people to feed, and such …
Complex post-traumatic stress disorder explained: Stephanie Foo, an award-winning radio producer, suffers from complex post-traumatic stress disorder, a disorder that in her country (the US) “doesn’t officially exist”. In her new book, What My Bones Know, Foo writes movingly about what it’s like to live with complex PTSD and her long journey to getting a …