Body & Mind

From comedy for elderly people to a reading group to help combat social isolation, our pick of five projects that use the arts to improve mental health

A self-defence model focused on rediscovering strength rather than putting up your guard is helping Native American women heal from sexual assault

A project in Germany allows refugees who know the mother tongue of asylum seekers and have experienced their situation first-hand, to offer much-needed psychological support

Many of us are glued to our devices around the clock, and it's transforming the way we relate to one another. But there are ways to help maintain a balance, writes Anastasia Dedyukhina

‘Tawai ’ is the word the indigenous hunter-gatherers of Borneo use to describe their connection with nature. It’s also a new film about human potential by explorer Bruce Parry. He talks about [...]

People have sex because it feels good. But, whether at school or as adults, sex education often centres on fear or even shame. What if we put pleasure first, instead?

After suffering debilitating bouts of depression, journalist and author Rachel Kelly began to investigate the links between nutrition and mental health

We often feel bad about cheating the system or good about giving to charity, but how fundamental is altruism? George Constable and Tim Rogers explain how altruism brings good luck (in [...]

From downtown New York to remote corners of India, sport is being used to break social barriers and address issues from homelessness to addiction

Experimental psychologist at the University of Oxford, Elaine Fox, tells Lauren Razavi about her surprising research into the links between genes and happiness

Research reveals that England’s children have less positive attitudes to reading than other countries, while a third of adults don’t read for pleasure – and this could be affecting wellbeing. [...]

Despite all our material gains, unhappiness is one of humanity’s biggest challenges. The Happier World Conference, taking place in London this weekend, will explore how to bring more happiness, [...]

How baking is helping torture survivors start a new life

The sea has long enchanted human kind – perhaps through its unexplored mystery, awesome power and continual ability to provide useful resources. But Naomi Tolley meets one man who believes our [...]

Have you been told that you sleep too much? As well as giving the mind and body precious down-time, sleeping can also help us solve problems, according to new research

Fed up with the depressing imagery surrounding aging, photographer Alex Rotas decided to document an altogether different side to growing old

A new study finds that cultivating a diversity of emotions – positive or negative – can make us happier and healthier

‘Doing’ without ‘being’ has led humankind down a troublesome path, says Giles Hutchins. Now is the time to transform the way we exist in the world

UK politicians have been urged to decriminalise the use and possession of most drugs after addiction rates in Portugal were cut by half following decriminalisation in the country almost 15 years ago

Compassion and creativity can triumph over hatred and injustice when people listen intimately to their instincts, says Sonya Likhtman