Is being offline a privilege?
Plenty of us want to check out from the algorithm. But is this a luxury few can afford? I told myself this would be the year I get rid of social media for good. It started with a phone detox – my addiction had reached its peak when I found it...
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Is your perception of sleep quality why you’re really tired?
A UCLA study has built on research suggesting that our belief of how well we sleep has a greater impact on cognitive performance, tiredness, and general mood than how many hours we actually get. If there’s one thing this generation loves martyring itself over, it’s how ‘exhausted’ we are and...
Wellness culture has us training for pregnancy
Overzealous women are preparing for motherhood like it’s a marathon. The wellness girlies have become wellness mothers. Our societal love-affair with anything self-optimising, be it an overpriced supplement or a cyborg-adjacent beauty tool, has infiltrated the minefield of motherhood – particularly for first-time parents. Social media is window dressing for the global...
A definitive guide to surviving January
Spoiler alert: it doesn’t involve resolutions. It’s that time of year again: the start of a new one. A fresh twelve months lie before us, promising nothing except the unexpected. If there’s one thing I’ve learned after twenty-nine Januarys, it’s that you can make plans all you like. The universe...
Opinion – the rise of carnivorous women says plenty about diet culture
Women joining the carnivore trend might look like a rebellion against diet culture, but the motivations, the messaging, and the results people chase still fall along familiar gender lines. In his New York Times piece about ‘the Men Who Eat Meat’, Steven Kurutz prefaces his exploration into the carnivorous...
Should ‘work-life harmony’ replace ‘work-life balance’ as a lifestyle goal?
A modern twist on work-life balance encourages a more ‘realistic’ and fluid approach to juggling our daily commitments. From the moment we start working, the question of balancing that work with our personal commitments becomes a lifelong fixation. And as modern capitalism demands more labour, time, and skills for comparatively...
Feeling low? Here’s how to tackle the winter blues
From getting outside to tweaking your routine, these small changes make a big difference. Every year, winter rolls around and smacks me in the face. I know it’s coming – and yet I remain naive to its impact on my mental state. I’ll be half way through December before I realise the nagging sense of doom I’m feeling isn’t just ‘me’. My body’s been contending with dwindling sunlight, freezing temperatures, and a...
Venting may not actually be good for reducing anger
A study involving 10,189 participants of a variety of ages, genders, cultures, and ethnicities showed that the key to curbing anger is reducing physiological arousal – not indulging in it by venting. From time to time, we all feel the urge to vent about a problem that’s been weighing heavy on our minds. My dearest colleagues could tell you about the numerous times I’ve asked: ‘can I just say something?’ paused...
Why Gen Z is leaving luxury fashion on the shelf
High-end brands are failing to resonate with younger customers. What does this mean for the future of fashion? For luxury fashion brands, Gen Z are a confusing bunch. They have money to spend (with many of their cohort approaching the latter end of their twenties, and a healthy bunch splurging on frivolities like bespoke tinned fish and £25 smoothies), exposure to brand mythologies, and a desire to express themselves through...
What is a ‘swag gap?’
TikTok’s latest colloquial term ‘swag gap’ refers to couples or partners who have an obvious difference in aesthetic and style choices. Could you be part of a ‘swag gap’ couple? TikTok has graced us with another new slang term, this time focusing on couples and their outfit choices. Yes, really. A ‘swag gap’ relationship refers to a partnership in which one person makes significantly more effort to look good than...
