My lockdown meltdown drove me to try therapy – did it help?

When my Spice Girls-related coping mechanism stopped working, a friend suggested cognitive behavioural therapy

‘Listen as well as talk – and try not to interrupt’: how to be a better friend

For many, keeping in touch with people we love has been harder this past year. But it’s not too late to rekindle friendships, or find new ones

I teach a course on happiness at Yale: this is how to make the most of your resolutions

Forget tough love. Adopting a positive mindset and being kind to yourself is a more effective way to make a change

Amid the gloom of lockdown, I have taken solace in nature

If you’re feeling cooped up, defy the cold, head for your local park and marvel at the antics of gulls, starlings and fieldfares, says urban birder David Lindo

Silence your inner critic: a guide to self-compassion in the toughest times

Is your internal monologue friendly, calm and encouraging – or critical and bullying? Here is how to change it for the better

Musician, heal thyself: how ambient music brought solace in 2020

With no clubs or gigs to go to and pandemic anxiety to quell, ambient music chimed more strongly in a year when artists reconsidered their sense of purpose

2020: the year relaxation became impossible

Since March I’ve felt like a tensed cat ready to pounce. It’s a side-effect of Covid - and this government, says Joel Golby

Giving birth seemed to spell disaster for my mental health. Were my anxieties unfounded?

I feared isolation, sleep deprivation and an end to the activities that had been keeping me well. I never expected to be filled with such love and wonder

‘Cook, bake, puzzles’: readers’ tips for coping with Covid Christmas blues

With many festive plans axed, Guardian readers share how they stay positive during trying times

The Christmas I learned that prosecco is not a personality

I thought my friends bought me fizz because I was fun. In fact, it was because they barely knew me any more

Angry about friends breaking the Covid rules? Take a deep breath

The coronavirus pandemic has left us nervous, lonely – and critical of others. But are our concerns about our nearest and dearest always justified? And how should we tackle them if they are?

More than half of students polled report mental health slump

Loneliness, depression and anxiety in England during pandemic revealed by ONS and NUS surveys

Distressed mother separated from breastfed baby for days during hospital stay

Hospital admits breaking own Covid policy as mothers like Charlotte Jones are being needlessly kept apart from their babies

I’m a survivor! How resilience became the quality we all crave

During the pandemic it has become a buzzword for successfully steering through adversity. But what exactly is resilience - and can you cultivate more of it?

It’s official: allotments are good for you – and for your mental health

Tending your own patch boosts wellbeing and connects you with others, study finds