Loss of confidence at work can be debilitating but it doesn’t have to be a life sentence

Switching off at home, mastering hobbies and greater control over workload can all help improve self-doubt at work

How We Break by Vincent Deary review – look after yourself

A psychologist offers practical advice for dealing with life’s ups and downs

Elmo’s big question: how an adorable puppet asked how everyone was doing – and opened the gates of hell

The Sesame Street monster was just being friendly on X. Now, he’s drowning in election anxiety, relationship troubles and existential dread

A moment that changed me: my husband and I split up – and I started walking 15,000 steps a day

My father used to tell me that everything is resolved by walking. He was right. A daily walk became my therapy, and I haven’t stopped yet

The big idea: is couples therapy a waste of time?

Should we all be taking a leaf out of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s book?

How We Break: Navigating the Wear and Tear of Living by Vincent Deary review – the ways in which we’re undone

The psychologist and researcher’s persuasive inquiry into how life’s struggles take their toll is full of hard-won wisdom

‘An experiment in ritual humiliation’: would a month of rejection therapy make me fearless?

In theory, approaching strangers with bizarre requests, destined to be refused, makes you a better person. But can soul-crushing embarrassment really strengthen your character?

Children living near green spaces ‘have stronger bones’

Bone strength is set in childhood so better park access could prevent fractures in older people, study finds

The Guardian view on switching off: in an always-on culture, we need time to think

Editorial: Midwinter is for hibernation, and a chance to make different kinds of connections

The big idea: is being ‘good enough’ better than perfection?

Before making another new year resolution it’s worth asking if change is what you need

‘Afterwards I would feel blissful’: how exercise convinced a psychotherapist to become a personal trainer

Therapists and gyms are working both brain and body as the full benefits of fitness are increasingly recognised

Don’t overdo alcohol – or arguments: nine ways to stay healthy and happy this Christmas

Between family feuds, open flames and warmed-up leftovers, the yuletide period can be perilous. Here’s how to keep yourself in one piece

The big idea: should we go to more parties?

Talking to strangers can be intimidating, but the social whirl has science on its side

‘A pile of dirt makes me drool’: why some people crave and eat inedible things

From chalk to rubbers and clay, there are a variety of reasons why those with pica syndrome yearn to eat non-foodstuffs. But is this dangerous?

My youth has all but faded. But my three-quarter-life crisis is filled with fascinating revelations and boundless joys

As someone fortunate to be on the cusp of a seventh decade, it’s not often I sense the icy spectre of mortality. But posterity, familial and cultural, really matters now