When you catch yourself scrolling, have you ever stopped to wonder what it is that you’re drawn to? Perhaps there are flashing notifications demanding your attention. Bright colours, badges, videos and games, all calling to you in high definition from the palm of your hand. But what would happen if you couldn’t see the pink …
Have you ever tried to kick a habit you know isn’t good for you – only to run out of steam and go back to your same old routine a few days later? So many people begin plans with optimism, only to find sticking to them trickier than they thought. But why are old habits …
This exercise is probably most enjoyable when done lying in the sun-soaked grass of a wildflower meadow, but the great thing about cloud-gazing is that you can do it pretty much anywhere, anytime. The beach, the park and the bus to school provide equal opportunities for mindful contemplation of the sky.
‘Work hard and you’ll succeed’ – sound familiar? At times of high pressure, like exams, it can feel like your family are continually getting on at you and stating the obvious. When they remind you to study instead of playing around online, they’re trying to motivate you, but when does reasonable pressure turn into unreasonable …
Do you keep putting things off until you have to do them at the last minute? Does a task seem overwhelming? Do you have chores that you can’t bring yourself to start? Whether it’s exam revision, tidying your room, cleaning the kitchen or starting your homework, sometimes a job can seem too big to begin. …
Synaesthesia is a phenomenon that causes sensory crossover or merging. It’s not a medical condition and researchers think it may be caused by extra connections between certain regions of the brain. The result is that the stimulation of one sense triggers an experience relating to another. The word comes from the Greek syn, meaning ‘join’, …
When you’re writing stories, do you ever feel like your characters are coming to life on the page? Do they seem like real people, making decisions you weren’t expecting? Or do you prefer to focus on the things that happen and the challenges they face? The majority of stories have characters – be they human, …
There are many times when telling a little lie seems like the easiest thing to do to keep the peace. Such as saying to a parent you’re doing your homework when actually you’re watching TV, or blaming a sibling for starting an argument when you had some responsibility. Then there are the lies people tell …
It’s Monday morning at school and your friends are all chatting about a great sleepover they had at the weekend. Normally, you’d be part of the conversation, laughing and joking with them. But this time, you hadn’t been invited. It can be hard to cope when you’re feeling left out – whether it’s a weekend …
Have you ever thought ‘I’m unlucky’ or ‘Bad things always happen to me’? Maybe your sports team lost a match, you misunderstood your homework or a parent vetoed your plans with friends. Everyone has bad days and life won’t always go your way. But if you find yourself complaining a lot, or blaming other people …
