How tech is helping people with ‘normative discontent’
New research shows that unreliable body image perception is far more pervasive than initially assumed. Fortunately, state of the art digital therapy to tackle this is in the works. If you criticise your appearance every time you see your reflection – even in the smallest way – or feel...
Current in Wellness
How ‘Period TikTok’ is normalising menstruation
More and more young people are claiming TikTok – which is rife with tips, tricks, product recommendations, and relatable content about that time of the month – provides better period education than schools. Though the average woman menstruates for 2,535 days of her life (that’s seven years total of pads,...
Are VR ‘trips’ a sober alternative to psychedelic therapy?
Despite the evermore ubiquitous recognition of hallucinogenic drugs’ promising medical potential, they aren’t for everyone. With this in mind, researchers have begun investigating other methods of treating mental illness through altered states of consciousness, with technology at the helm. As I’m sure you’re likely aware, hallucinogenic drugs have been steadily...
Spain to allow menstrual leave in European first
A sweeping reform bill is updating the country’s policies on reproductive health. If passed, it would grant women struggling with their periods paid time off every single month. For those of us who menstruate, it’s not uncommon that we often feel conditioned to accept that debilitating pain is normal,...
How can sleep make us happier?
Our generation has heaps of responsibility on its shoulders – so much so that we might often forget the most important tool to get through the day is high-quality sleep. With the first day of spring, the Hindu festival of colours, Holi, pancake day, and international happiness day, March is...
The rise of anti-hustle culture
Many of us have emerged from the pandemic questioning why we so eagerly continue to worship at the altar of busyness. Exhausted, overwhelmed, and on the brink of total collapse, the concept of slow living has never seemed more appealing. Is it me or does it feel like there’s...
Loneliness is more pervasive than ever among Gen Z
According to the Prince’s Trust, young people’s overall happiness has reached an all-time low, with 30% reporting they do not know how to make friends and that they’ve never felt more alone. Call me biased, but Gen Z is impressive in every respect. They’re savvy consumers of information who are less prone to traffic in conspiracy theories, they’re on track to be the most well-educated...
Is music as beneficial for mental health as exercise?
New research has empirically confirmed something us melophiles already assumed: that playing, listening, or singing along to our favourite tunes can lead to the same improvements in wellbeing as working out. If you’ve struggled or are currently struggling with mental health issues then I’m sure that, at one point or another, you’ve been advised by family, friends, and medical professionals alike to leave the house and do some exercise. This is...
You decide – is it possible to get rid of anxiety?
With increasing social media pressure, global conflict, the climate crisis, low employment rates and rising energy costs, young people have a lot to be anxious about today. But must we live with anxiety, or can we train our bodies to expel it? If you’re reading this, chances are you’ve experienced anxiety at least once before. Anxiety is feeling uneasy; it’s having a mild – or severe – fear about something that...
Delay in UK gynaecology services reaches crisis point
Due to increasingly long lead times – which are up 384% since 2020 – more than 570,000 British women are now waiting for referral, diagnosis, and treatment, risking infertility as a result. In January, I wrote that the UK healthcare system was officially failing women, following a report which revealed the magnitude of the nation’s gender health gap, whereby people with wombs are taken less seriously by...
