We all want other people to “get us” and appreciate us for who we really are. In striving to achieve such relationships, we typically assume that there is a “real me”. But how do we actually know who we are? It may seem simple – we are a product of our life experiences, which we can be easily accessed through our memories of the past.

Practising mindfulness meditation for ten minutes a day improves concentration and the ability to keep information active in one’s mind, a function known as “working memory”. The brain achieves this by becoming more efficient, literally requiring fewer brain resources to do these tasks.

Want to be happy? Then live like a Stoic for a week

The arts do not tend to be thought of in medical terms. But creative practices in the arts and humanities really can help people stay healthy or recover when illness strikes.

One in four young women aged 17-19 have a mental disorder, according to the latest figures from the NHS, and one in five have anxiety or depression, or both. For all children and young people aged five to 19, the new data shows that one in eight have a mental disorder.
In a class of 25, two to three children are likely to have a mental disorder. In a friendship group of ten young women, two are likely to have anxiety or depression, or both. That’s a tremendous burden to carry when starting out in adult life. It’s also a huge challenge for parents, teachers, doctors and society.