I’ve never had a more negative reaction to an article I’ve written than I did to my last one: ‘Before you take antidepressants, read this.’… — I’ve never had a more negative reaction to an article I’ve written than I did to my last one: ‘Before you take antidepressants, read this.’ One of the big statements in the article was that there has never been a scientific study that shows that antidepressants have a clinically significant…

Imagine you find someone you really fancy on a dating app. You get a match — ping! A rush of excitement. They send you a message — ping… — Imagine you find someone you really fancy on a dating app. You get a match — ping! A rush of excitement. They send you a message — ping! Woo hoo! They’re interested in ME! Little old me! There’s some back and forth, joking and chatting, until… silence. Hours become a…

The 26th Conference of the Parties (COP26) Climate Conference finished last month. — The 26th Conference of the Parties (COP26) Climate Conference finished last month. The optimistic take seems to be that it’s building towards an effective agreement, even if the commitments aren’t yet strong enough. The pessimistic take is summed up by Greta Thunberg, ‘Blah, blah, blah… words that sound great but…

The idea that we could create a society that is fair, equal and non-hierarchical, in which most people are deeply materially satisfied and… — The idea that we could create a society that is fair, equal and non-hierarchical, in which most people are deeply materially satisfied and live in a way that is environmentally sustainable, seems a million miles away. …

The main way that I consume news is through The Week magazine. I decided to subscribe — The main way that I consume news is through The Week magazine. I decided to subscribe so that I wouldn’t feel like I needed to read the news every day to keep up, and so that I could read more global news and get different perspectives from a range of…

I’m currently doing a course with Charles Eisenstein called Living in the Gift, and this week he is challenging our assumptions about… — I’m currently doing a course with Charles Eisenstein called Living in the Gift, and this week he is challenging our assumptions about greed. As humans, we have a tendency to complain about the way the world is and blame it on other people. One type of person things are often…

As you come back to work after lockdown, it’s normal to feel anxious, stressed or overwhelmed. — As you come back to work after lockdown, it’s normal to feel anxious, stressed or overwhelmed. As humans, we often find change uncomfortable. You might be anxious about doing your job again after a break. You might be worried about being more at risk of catching COVID by coming into…

In a previous post, I wrote about how I think being an activist can do more harm than good. — In a previous post, I wrote about how I think being an activist can do more harm than good. One of the main things that drove me to want to be an activist was a desire for meaning. Growing up, it seemed there were so many things that other people…

One of the world’s leading experts on self-compassion, Dr Kirstin Neff, has found in her research that one of the biggest blocks to being… — One of the world’s leading experts on self-compassion, Dr Kirstin Neff, has found in her research that one of the biggest blocks to being kinder to yourself is fearing that it will make you complacent, lazy, and about as motivated as Homer Simpson on a treadmill.