In the decade since my sons left home, walking has brought us together

The exodus of grown children mostly happens without fanfare. For Lisa Walker, hiking the Camino turned into both a goodbye and a glimpse at the future

‘The children are not safe here’: the Nigerian couple fighting infanticide

The long read: In a few isolated communities in central Nigeria, some babies are believed to be bad omens. Olusola and Chinwe Stevens run a thriving home for babies at risk. But what happens when the families want them back?

‘The best movement is the next movement’: how to really look after your lower back

An estimated 80% of the population will suffer from lower back pain at some point. The good news is that preventing it is a lot easier than treating it

Embrace the imperfect and don’t try to keep everyone happy: readers share their tips on doing less in 2026

From sending fewer text messages to being selective with your gardening, this is how Guardian Australia readers are making life a little easier

Taliban birth control ban: women ‘broken’ by lethal pregnancies and untreated miscarriages

Women across Afghanistan describe the traumatic impact of disappearing clinics and contraception

Experience: my daughters were born conjoined at the head

Seeing them separated for the first time felt like a miracle

I had an abortion due to climate anxiety. How can I come to terms with it?

Counselling should help, but it sounds as if you need to slow down and give yourself time to grieve

My daughter showed me the joy in jigsaw puzzles – now it’s the only way I know how to relax

The simplicity of doing something that existed only to complete was like a meditation. I felt calmer than I had for months

The perfect way to beat the slump: how to tackle mid-afternoon energy dips

In the dead of winter, it can be hard to keep your alertness up when it gets darker. Here are a few good habits that will help you stay productive

The perfect day for parents: how to keep kids healthy and happy – without neglecting yourself

Having a routine but not overplanning, getting them involved with chores and making sure you have time just for you can all help you stop being overwhelmed

Don’t stress, do less: 52 ways to make your life easier in 2026

We asked experts in fields from homes to health to horticulture for advice on tasks we can simply stop doing and problems to take off our worry plates

‘I’m going to scream!’: how to survive (and maybe even enjoy) your family Christmas

From preparing safe topics to taking silly games, we ask the experts how to avoid falling out with your nearest and dearest – before, during and after the big day

I threw a potato. Mum brandished a knife … would whole-family therapy save our Christmas?

Eight years ago, after yet another disastrous festive get-together, my mother decided we needed professional help. Which is how a new festive tradition began

‘She was like a deer in headlights’: how unskilled radical birthkeepers took hold in Canada

In holistic communities and midwifery deserts, women are turning to the Free Birth Society for information and unlicensed providers

Sport, music, Scouts … it’s time to end the relentless treadmill of kids’ extracurricular activities and re-embrace civilisation

There are no uniforms to remember, no bags to pack, no mad dashes across suburbs at this time of year. Even dinner can be eaten while seated