41 h. ago A moment that changed me: I resolved to reduce my screen time – and it was a big mistake

I was looking for liberation from the apps, but quitting them only made my life harder and turned me into a man obsessedI unlocked my iPhone screen at the precise moment that my weekly screen time notification appeared – accidentally dismissing it before I could take a screenshot – and promptly erupted into a rage. I had spent an excruciating week resolutely not looking at my phone, part of a month-long effort to whittle my daily screen time down from more than four hours a day to less than an hour, with the hope of improving my mental wellbeing (and possibly carving out a career as an inspirational speaker). But my efforts felt futile without being able to post evidence online about how offline I had become. I frantically Googled how to retrieve notifications (you cannot) and – briefly – considered re-creating my screen time report in Photoshop.Over the past decade or two, my efforts at self-improvement have taken various forms: the year where I read 105 books; the period during wh...

Politics

44 h. ago Stop drinking at this age to protect brain and memory, says dementia expert

The dementia expert has studied how lifestyle choices affect a person’s risk of developing the neurodegenerative condition

Politics

5 d. ago 'I stopped drinking Pepsi Max every day and can't get over how fast I saw results'

Social News reporter Jess Flaherty was getting through at least 2L of Pepsi Max every day but in a bid to improve her skin and health, she decided to cut it out of her diet - but didn't imagine the results she'd get

Politics

6 d. ago Chris Hughes reveals moment he knew 'feelings had changed' towards JoJo Siwa

Viewers of Celebrity Big Brother were shocked to see the pair form an unlikely friendship

Events

8 d. ago A moment that changed me: on the day of my first book deal, a mysterious hum overcame me

When the noise started, I entered a state of perpetual panic and despair. It was unstoppable. Then, in the snows of Transylvania, I suddenly came to terms with the sound I developed tinnitus the same night I was offered my first book deal at the end of 2014. I’d received the news late-afternoon, then went out for cocktails with two friends to celebrate. I remember the evening well: we’d gone somewhere loud but not too loud; I ordered a fluorescent orange drink that I didn’t enjoy. Before I went to bed, I spoke to my boyfriend on the phone. “This could really change your life,” he said.Sometime in the early hours of the following morning, I woke up with a ringing in my ears that has not gone away since. Continue reading...

Economics

1 week ago Store potatoes properly to stop them from sprouting by using one fruit

A lifestyle guru called @lifetips669 took to TikTok to share a series of fruit and veg hacks, with one in particular getting people talking for all the right reasons

Politics

2 w. ago You be the judge: should my boyfriend stop drinking from a water bladder during sex?

Leanne has banned Wes’s hands-free hydrator because it’s a ‘turnoff’. You decide whose argument holds waterFind out how to get a disagreement settled or become a jurorIt looks like a drip and reminds me of a hospital. If he needs a drink, a cup is more appropriateI get that it was maybe insensitive to do it during sex, but I didn’t expect her to be so bothered Continue reading...

Events

3 w. ago Prix Pictet 2025 shortlist for the theme ‘storm’ – in pictures

This year’s theme for the Prix Pictet, the photography award that focuses on sustainability, is ‘storm’. The shortlisted images were announced at the international photography festival Les Rencontres d’Arles. The winner will be selected at the Victoria and Albert Museum in September.“In many ways our planet is a more dangerous place to live than ever before. The impacts of the climate catastrophe abound. Fires, floods, heat and drought are killing and injuring people and destroying both infrastructure and precious ecosystems. Already, parts of our planet are unliveable, and all the indications are that more will follow. The economic, social and political impacts of these changes are immense. There could not have been a more timely moment for the Prix Pictet to invite nominations on the theme of ‘storm’.” Sir David King, Prix Pictet jury chair Continue reading...

Sport

3 w. ago 'I became addicted to food after stopping drinking but shed 2.5st by doing one thing'

EXCLUSIVE: The Loose Women star says giving up alcohol is her proudest achievement, but it left her dealing with another issue which almost became an addiction in itself

Politics

3 w. ago Time you MUST stop drinking to avoid being over limit in morning

More than a fifth of drivers have admitted breaking the rule

Politics

4 w. ago Why summer’s a time to pass the port | Hannah Crosbie on drinks

When the sun’s out, try using port as a mixer and surprise yourself with a port tonic or any number of citrus punchesSome drinks are so inexorably tied up with specific seasons and circumstances that it’s hard to imagine them anywhere else. Like bumping into a teacher outside school or witnessing someone take off their shoes during a flight. It’s legal, sure, but there’s always a moment of deep discomfort and confusion before acceptance. And that’s pretty much how I imagine many people feel about drinking port in summer. Or, indeed, at any time of the day that isn’t evening, or served alongside anything that isn’t an intriguing, veiny cheese.Consider Porto, the city responsible for bringing the drink to the rest of the world – do you think that, when the temperatures creep up, everyone there stops drinking the stuff? No, they find new ways to enjoy it. Improvise, adapt, overcome. Continue reading...

Politics

4 w. ago Is it safe to use magic mushrooms while pregnant? One woman’s quest raises questions

Inspired by Indigenous practices, Mikaela de la Myco has collected stories of mothers who say psilocybin helped them during pregnancy. US scientists are skepticalWhen Mikaela found out she was pregnant six years ago, she knew she needed to stop drinking. What she wasn’t sure about was how she would manage the cravings.As a teenager, she had discovered that alcohol and opiates could dull traumatic memories, including recurrent sexual assaults that played in her mind nonstop and led to suicidal thoughts. But as she entered her 20s, eager to address her mental health, she realized what helped most was psilocybin. Continue reading...

Politics

4 w. ago A moment that changed me: I stopped drinking – and realised what friendship really meant

I always thought hitting the bottle made me the life and soul of the party, but sobriety helped me to be honest with myself – and make genuine connections with other peopleThe conversation began with an apology. I’d rehearsed it many times, trying not to sound too defensive or pitiful. I’d walked through every potential rejection that might come as a result of letting my friend Gillian into a side of my life I’d tried hard to keep hidden. But she had just told me that she wanted to come to visit me in New Haven, so I was cornered. “I’m sorry,” I said. “I’m sober now.” I felt embarrassed. “I have stopped drinking,” I added, to clarify. “If you visit, I can’t drink with you.”In the pause that followed, I imagined her politely trying to work her way out of coming to see me, now that our favourite thing to do together wasn’t an option. Continue reading...

Politics

last month Dignity in Dying campaigner Emma Bray dies after vowing to starve herself to death 'to protect her children'

Dignity in Dying campaigner Emma Bray spent her final days in a hospice this summer after voluntarily deciding to stop eating and drinking.

Events