Innholdsfortegnelse for August 2021 i Psychologies

AUTHOR MATT HAIG “A single line or paragraph of some piece of ancient wisdom can actually make a difference to your life and reframe your perspective. I am a true believer in the power of words.” Find out how words can heal and offer comfort on page 48 PSYCHOTHERAPIST GOSIA BOWLING “Can’t get to sleep? Stop watching the clock. Counting the minutes will only heighten your anxiety about being awake. Instead, try the ‘sleep paradox’ – try to keep your eyes open!” Uncover more helpful sleep advice on page 86 TECH EXPERT JOANNE ORLANDO “Historically, women have held the mental load of family life, and technology has overwhelmed this sense of duty with the expectation that we must be available – by phone, messaging, social media and email – any…

‘There’s an inner adventurer in all of us – sitting behind our desk or snuggling up on our sofa – who might be yearning to get out and prove what we can do and who we are!’ declares adventurer Belinda Kirk on page 32. It might not have felt quite like that over the past year, but now that our lives are (hopefully) opening up again, discover why taking a few simple steps to free the bold spirit within may be just what you need to help you feel more confident and hopeful in the days and months ahead. Trying to kick some of your less-favourite habits is another way you can give yourself a powerful boost this month. Many of us have found the siren call of a second…

I’d like to thank… My fantastic friend, We’ve been friends for years and you’ve always been there for me. Now I want to be there for you – to thank you, support you and tell you how great you are. I appreciate our friendship and I want you to know that we will see each other soon and enjoy our usual meetups and city breaks. The challenges you face – those feelings will pass. Don’t let the worries take over, please believe in yourself and stay strong. Get your self-care box and allow it to support you – it’s so important right now. Don’t change. Continue to be who you are because you are a kind, fair and thoughtful person. You have a heart of gold. Let it shine and…

Say three cheers for yourself and don’t give up, says happiness expert and coach Kia Cannons Doing what you love in life brings happiness and fulfilment, but it still takes effort and work. Finding the motivation to keep going on your path to joy is about focusing on what could go well for you instead of where and why you might fail. Use these journal prompts to empower you: • How will following my passion benefit me? • If everything worked out, I could potentially… • I deserve to be happy because... Be your own cheerleader, reminding yourself of the positive things at your fingertips and that your contentment is at stake, which will create the drive you need to build a life that you love, even when it feels…

W›orking with your other half could be a dream – or a nightmare – but Lisa Faulkner takes it in her stride. The food writer married chef John Torode in 2019, and they host their popular cookery show, ‘John And Lisa’s Weekend Kitchen’, on ITV. Before her reincarnation as a cook, the actor appeared in soaps ‘Brookside’ and ‘EastEnders’, and spy drama ‘Spooks’. But her life took a different path when she won Celebrity MasterChef in 2010 – and she decided to pursue her lifelong love of food. The mother of one enjoys spending time with her daughter, Billie, 14, and cooking with her family. ‘Cooking is a pleasure and I love that it keeps me close to home. Billie says I show love through food and she’s right –…

Not everything that is faced can be changed. But nothing can be “ changed until it is facedJAMES BALDWIN In a twist on the old classic ‘which six guests, alive or dead, would you invite to a dinner party?’, I ask you to think about who you would call on if you needed guidance. Thelma,* a coaching client, was in the right place to try this exercise. She had relocated across the country with her family, started a new job and, amid lockdown, found that she was unsupported at work. To make matters worse, she had not had the benefit of speaking to close friends and family while she juggled the many changes in her life. Thelma was at a loss over how to improve her worklife. I suggested that…

Three top coaches share why they decided to train: Amy Sinacola I previously worked as a cancer nurse specialist. When I returned from maternity leave, I had a new team to manage and I wanted to understand how to get the best out of people in a supportive way. I read about coaching and took a free taster session to find out more. I was soon hooked and went on to train to become an accredited coach. I left nursing but never wanted to stop helping others – which is what I do now in my coaching business. Karin Weiser An NLP (neurolinguistic programming) course opened the door to personal development and coaching for me. While working in learning and development, guiding others gave me such a buzz. An interest…

Listen to the following ‘The Poetry Pharmacy’ podcast episode by William Sieghart, which explains the inspiration behind his anthology, The Poetry Pharmacy: Tried-And-True Prescriptions For The Heart, Mind And Soul (Penguin, £14.99): soundcloud.com/5x15/william-seighart-1 Read ‘The Rumi Prescription: How An Ancient Mystic Poet Changed My Modern Manic Life’ by Melody Moezzi (Penguin, £24). penguinrandomhouse.com Consider joining The Reader, a charity with 700 groups around the UK that supports people who are struggling by bringing them together to read poems and stories out loud. thereader.org.uk…

• The UK Council for Psychotherapy(UKCP) is the leading research, innovation, educational and  regulatory body working to advance psychotherapy for the benefit of all. We have a register of more than 8,000 members, who offer a range of therapy approaches for couples, individuals, families and groups. We also have more than 70 training and accrediting organisations for those who wish to become psychotherapists. • To find the right therapist for you or learn how to become a therapist, visit psychotherapy.org.uk…

THE ELECTORAL ROLL will reflect that I live alone on a farm in Devon but nothing could be further from the truth. The reality is that I share my land with 46 Southdown sheep, 25 chickens, two turkeys, two dogs, two cats and, until very recently, a pig named Cassandra, may she rest in peace. I am known as ‘the intrepid wool grower’ or ‘the duvet lady’. With all these creatures living free-range, how could I ever be lonely and what could possibly go wrong? I am not quite sure how I do it, but I manage to convince my animals of three rules by which we live together harmoniously every day: • Love is unconditional • Respect is mutual • We don’t eat family members Spend an afternoon with…

Better together In a period when we have gone through so much together, yet spent so much time apart, Belonging: The Ancient Code Of Togetherness by Owen Eastwood (Quercus, £20) is a relevant read about unity and establishing a shared purpose, rather than focusing on what divides us. It also takes a fascinating look at our ancestral wisdom, the history of our evolution as human beings and our primal need for social togetherness.…

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“All walking is discovery. On foot, we take the time to see things whole” Hal Borland Mind your step It’s one of the first things we learn to do, and it literally carries us through life. The benefits of walking have become apparent to many of us over the past year, with 63 per cent of people saying that a daily stroll helps them manage their mental health.* Author Libby DeLana can certainly extol the virtues – in 2011, the Californian stepped outside for a walk… She did the same the following day, and the following. It became a daily ritual that resulted in her walking more than 25,000 miles – the equivalent of the circumference of the earth. In her book Do Walk: Navigate Earth, Mind and Body. Step…

“I see people as kintsugi, the art form where broken objects are put back together with gold as the glue” In the West, we’re the first to own up to the fact that we’re unhealthily obsessed with the physical and hold up ridiculous standards of beauty. But it seems the problem might be more global than we realised. With his series of intimate and revealing portraits, Rock Your Ugly, photographer Waleed Shah has kickstarted a body positivity movement in the Middle East. Shah asked each subject to showcase their biggest insecurity and share the story behind it. He says: ‘Many of us carry deep emotional scars that we do everything we can to hide behind our clothes, careers and Instagram filters. ‘The sessions were like therapy for me and the…

We hear so much about green energy, but what that actually means can vary greatly. Outdoor clothing company Patagonia has launched a brilliant campaign, We The Power, highlighting how community energy could provide a solution that is both fair and clean. This activism exists at grassroots level, with communities investing in and producing renewable power – a win-win because the social and economic benefits are shared through local projects. Emma Bridge of Community Energy England explains: ‘It empowers people and communities to play an active role in helping change the energy system and tackle the climate crisis.’ To find more about Community energy could put the power in our hands, says sustainability writer Ellen Tout the community energy movement, how to switch and support action, see eu.patagonia.com/wethepower Reader offer! Ellen’s…

The pandemic has presented many hurdles and it’s been a truly difficult time. We just had to square our shoulders and get on with it – without respite. When we have little choice, it’s common for things that usually wouldn’t faze us to irritate us or get us down. I’ve learned that when my patience is low, I need to find space for myself so I can reflect and realign. Mental clarity about where I am through exploring the specific reasons that I’m being set off help ameliorate tension going forward. Finding the opportunity to be alone is difficult, but it is important to give yourself solitude to process challenging emotions and events. When I manage to find an hour for myself, this is my method for recapturing tolerance and…

“I fear that an ADHD diagnosis will limit‘‘ my child’s future” MARY FENWICK is a writer, speaker and executive coach; she’s also a mother, divorcee and widow. GOT A QUESTION FOR MARY? Email mary@psychologies.co.uk, with ‘MARY’ in the subject line. FOR MORE about Mary’s work in leadership and team coaching, her ‘Writing Back to Happiness’ programme and free resources, go to maryfenwick.com Q My daughter has self-diagnosed with ADHD. She believes it would explain a lot about her behaviour and struggles, which have been put down to anxiety. She is asking for my support in seeking a formal diagnosis, which means seeing a psychiatrist. I’m worried that having this label might have a negative impact on her life. What do you think? Helen, 54 A If we hear anything about…

1 Do you look at your phone constantly when with loved ones? Are you shopping online while your child is telling you about their day? Or chatting to internet buddies while having dinner with friends? ‘Set parameters, such as keeping your phone out of reach and setting times to engage with social media,’ says therapist Nedra Glover Tawwab. 2 Is checking your phone the first thing you do when you wake up? If so, you may be starting the day on a negative note with news, work or wondering why your post didn’t get many likes. Spend the first moments of the day doing joyful things, such as stretching or journalling. 3 Do you use your phone in queues or when waiting for someone? Our phones have become our go-to…

IMPORTANT THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT GRIEF: • Grief is an emotional response to any kind of loss and is a complex mix of emotions – not just sadness. • Grief is not only associated with the death of a loved one. Feelings of grief can be triggered by all sorts of changes: divorce, financial adjustments, job loss or redundancy, empty nest syndrome, moving house and loss of health or mobility. • Grief is also about broken dreams – the things we expected would be in our future and expectations that will not be fulfilled. • If you are grieving the loss of something, it is important that you don’t minimise it or compare it with other types of grief. It has meaning for you, so acknowledge your feelings and your…

FIND Psychologies’ partnership with Barefoot Coaching gives you the tools to find a coach who meets your needs. Barefoot Coaching has been at the forefront of coaching and coach training for 25 years. It has a proven track record as a provider of high-level coaching and coach training to organisations and senior executives, nationally and internationally. TRAIN Train as a coach: The Barefoot Coaching ICF ACTPaccredited PG Certificate in Business and Personal Coaching is one of the most well-established coach training courses in the UK. Barefoot runs regular, free introductions to coach training throughout the year. BOOK NOW! VISIT Barefootcoaching.co.uk/ taster-mornings…

, a copywriter from Berkshire says: ‘My , parents were going through a truly ugly divorce while I was studying at university. One of my professors showed me the work of poet Louise Glück, who wrote a lot about trauma. Glück’s poem, The Wild Iris, has helped me so much over the years. I always come back to it when I am struggling. It reminds me that our suffering is temporary and empowers me to keep going and find the beauty in adversity. My favourite line is “whatever returns from oblivion returns to find a voice”. I carry her words in my heart.’…

I started training as a therapist while working as a producer in the video game and television industry. Music and clubbing were a big part of my life and, although I had amazing times, the impact of this pursuit of hedonism, coupled with working in the entertainment industry, was a cocktail that led to depression, and emotional and physical depletion. I realised that I had to change my lifestyle and look after my health. Yoga played a huge part in helping me heal and I trained to become a yoga teacher. I always wanted to understand the science behind why yoga worked, and this has now become central to my work as a psychotherapist. I am passionate about explaining the science of how breath and movement can be used as…

‘These duvets are top of the line but you also get an eco-friendly product. It’s good to know that I’m sleeping under the wool from contented sheep’, says satisfied customer Mark. ‘Southdown Duvets also provides attention to detail in the preparation of the wool and final product, great customer service and a generous returns policy – but you won’t want to return it!’ Owner Jessica says: ‘All credit goes to the Southdown sheep who provide this miracle fibre in the first place. I just do right by them and my customers.’  southdownduvets.com 01404 861 117…

1 Which of these qualities could you do with more of right now? ♥ Resilience • Optimism ◆ Focus ■ Confidence 2 You find it hard to admit how often you feel: ■ Needy ♥ Irritated ◆ Frustrated • Detached 3 You’d feel more in control of what you eat if you had more: ♥ Time ◆ Purpose • Energy ■ Support 4 You’re at your most vulnerable to emotional eating when you feel: ■ Isolated • Low ◆ Stuck ♥ Under pressure 5 You’ll get your eating back on track when: ♥ You’ve got through this challenging time ◆ You’ve got your motivation back • You feel like yourself again ■ You have the right people in your life 6 You’d most benefit right now from feeling more: ■…

In the pink Want an exercise boost? Reach for the pink lemonade! It sounds nonsensical, but researchers found that the colour of the drink you sip while running can cause you to go further and faster – and even help you enjoy your exercise more. A study* at the University of Westminster found that a pink drink increased performance by almost five per cent over a clear drink – with runners managing to achieve an extra 212 metres on average over a 30-minute period. Athletes were given the same drink – but food dye was added to change the colour for some participants. The researchers selected pink because the colour is associated with sweetness and therefore increases expectations of sugar and carbohydrate intake. Gives new meaning to ‘rose’ to the…

Janice Tracey, a nutritional therapist, found that breathing exercises helped her cope with sleeplessness. ‘Early waking devastated me when I was working and raising a family. I was exhausted! It helped to do breathing exercises the moment I woke: Two short, fast breaths in and a longer breath out, repeatedly. I’d get back to sleep about 70 per cent of the time but, even if I didn’t, the breathing helped me relax and feel rested, rather than anxious about the fact that I was not sleeping.’ janicetraceynutrition.com…

Make it a trip to remember Why not try something completely different this year? There are so many hidden gems in the UK and a range of quirky staycation options to explore – from treehouses, castles and yurts to alpaca farms. Go big! Can’t wait to spend time with family members you haven’t seen for ages? If you are splitting the cost for accommodation, booking a spacious holiday home that sleeps the whole clan on a reunion could be more cost-effective than renting separate properties. What if? With so much uncertainty around travel, booking your next holiday can feel daunting. Choose a trip with relaxed cancellation policies that offers free cancellation close to the check-in date – just in case. Advice from vrbo.com…

ONE-PAN COURGETTE AND ROASTED PEPPER LASAGNE Preparation: 10 minutes; cooking: 25 minutes; serves four • 3 tbsp olive oil • Two small onions, finely chopped • One celery stick, finely chopped • One small carrot, grated • Three courgettes, cut into 2cm cubes • Two cloves garlic, crushed • 400g tin chopped tomatoes • 1 tsp mixed dried herbs • 400g jar roasted peppers in brine, drained and thinly sliced • Salt and pepper • 350g fresh lasagne sheets, each cut into four smaller squares • 2x125g balls mozzarella, one ball sliced and one ball cubed • 30g bunch basil, leaves roughly chopped, reserving a few to garnish • 250g ricotta cheese • 60g Parmesan, grated 1 Heat the oil in a shallow casserole dish or frying pan over a…

OUR TEAM Editor Sally Saunders Art Editor Jennifer Ratcliff Chief Sub-Editor and Production Editor Vee Sey Features Editor Heidi Scrimgeour Associate Editor Anita Chaudhuri Digital Editor and Wellness Director Ali Roff Farrar The Fix Editor Ellen Tout Contributing Editors Gut Eve Kalinik Retreats Caroline Sylger Jones Digital Anne Thorn ADVERTISING & PRODUCTION Tandem Media, Account Manager Nichola Hollands (07548 306670) nichola@tandemmedia.co.uk Production and Design Manager Andy Welch (01233 220245) andy@tandemmedia.co.uk MANAGEMENT Chief Operating Officer Phil Weeden Chief Executive Steve Wright Managing Director (Lifestyle Brands & Circulation) Kevin McCormick Retail Director Steve Brown Subscription Marketing Director Gill Lambert Subscription Marketing Manager Nick McIntosh Events Manager Kat Chappell Print Production Manager Georgina Harris Print Production Controller Hayley Brown…

Share your photographs and comments with us on Instagram @psychologiesmagazine, or tweet us @PsychologiesMag, both using #PsychologiesMagazine @NickiHBC: Hugely excited to be reading @PsychologiesMag and spotting us as the reader podcast of the month with @Influentialpod. Hear stories from uplifting women to lighten your day. Thanks all. Great magazine for positivity and finding your mojo. @Gillgrowsucceed: Having a very early Sunday chill in great company with@PsychologiesMag. @LivvyChrissie: It’s out today… a two-page spread in @PsychologiesMag. Thank you for making me a contributor and to @SarahN1block of @UKCP_Updates. For more in-depth info, listen to the Talking Therapies podcast! ABOVE @emta_ psychologist: I love this quote (May). Let’s celebrate the warmth of summer! RIGHT @carlyscardcrafts: I repurposed my favourite magazine, Psychologies, into a decoupage box to store notecards. I have been…

It is known that sadness washes the colour out of life, metaphorically speaking. Scientifically, negative emotions affect the processing of colours in the brain, causing them to appear less vibrant. Negative emotions cause us to experience many things more negatively, yet little is known about the impact of positive emotions. New research** shines a light on the impact of kindness on perception, suggesting that it helps us perceive positive things more positively. Psychologists at the University of Wuppertal in Germany asked volunteers to perform sessions of the loving kindness meditation, where the practitioner focuses on kind and compassionate thoughts about themselves and others. Before and after a seven-week meditation course, participants in the study were asked to rate the emotional valence of words. After the programme, the volunteers rated positive…

If you’ve gone back to the office after working from home, or not had a break from the daily commute, you won’t be surprised to hear that the journey into work can reduce productivity by draining precious mental energy – all before the nine-to-five has even begun! A study* found that traffic or delays deplete our resources and make it harder to focus and become absorbed in our tasks once we reach the workplace. Could flexible start times be the answer?…

THE HEIGHT OF SUMMER is known as the silly season in the media – when the sun is shining and you push your lunch break to the max to enjoy the long-forgotten heat. The term came about because parliament took a break and there was little serious news to write about. Papers were filled with stories about killer chipmunks or Jesus’s face miraculously appearing on toast – things so trivial they would have been dismissed at any other time. Today, silly season has no start or end. We are aware of events around the globe, no matter how sunny or rainy it is. Social media makes it possible for the most banal stories to grace the front pages at any time, if only enough people share it on Twitter. In…

In classic narratives, the wise and contented soul and the passionate lover are always disparate players, as if they could never coexist within the same satisfied being. The message is that to fulfil the romantic fantasy and experience true, burning love, you must endure suffering and disappointment – your final chapter marked by tragedy or bitter aloneness. Heathcliff and Cathy never skipped gaily across the moor to forever after and Romeo and Juliet were star-crossed into eternity, after all. Subconsciously, I swallowed this hook, line and sinker and found exactly what I manifested – passion, yes, but also turmoil, heartache and sad endings. After my divorce, deluded that I could play the female lothario with my untouchable, scabbed-over heart, I raced headlong and vulnerable into a love affair that could…

Watch Netflix docudrama ‘The Social Dilemma’. Technology entrepreneurs and executives explore addiction and the potentially dangerous impact of social networking. Read ‘Digital Minimalism’ and ‘A World Without Email’ by Cal Newport (Penguin, £9.99 and £14.99 respectively). The computer science professor from Georgetown University presents the evidence for reducing our time online, along with ways to use tech in a more meaningful way. calnewport.com Do something meaningful on your device every day. Whether it’s a Zoom wine-tasting evening or an hour learning a new creative app with your child, make use of the many varied opportunities that technology offers while keeping out of the rabbit holes that drain you and steal your time.…

READ ‘Roam Alone: Inspiring Tales By Reluctant Solo Travellers’ (Bradt, £10.99) A book of true stories from more than 40 ordinary people who have taken the plunge and travelled alone, from teenage trips to granny gap years. WATCH ‘Into The Wild’ on Netflix A beautiful portrayal of the real-life story of a young man who finished university, sold all his possessions and set out on a journey into the wilds of Alaska. PLAN an outdoor adventure. Try ‘nearly wild’ camping – a more secluded, quieter experience that’s almost untamed but not quite. Visit nearlywildcamping.org or check out the ‘Almost wild’ section of coolcamping.com BOOK a short course where you learn a new skill and ideally stay away from home for at least a night. Have a look at…

Fran* is the mother of three teenagers who works alongside her husband in a family business that takes a lot of time and energy. She hired Barefoot-trained coach Amy Sinacola so she could feel calmer, more confident and have the strength and motivation to look after herself more. I worked out what I wanted to do and I did it! I realised had spent 20 years looking after everyone else and had forgotten about myself. Amy helped me gure out what was important to me. I yearned to paint again but starting was daunting. Amy helped me believe in myself and I am now taking commissions for pet portraits! 2 I learned how to communicate my needs to my family. I am often the one who sorts out everything and…

In the book ‘Words Can Change Your Brain’ (Penguin, £9.99), neuroscientist Andrew Newberg and co-author Mark Robert Waldman explain: ‘A single word has the power to influence the expression of genes that regulate physical and emotional stress.’ They also found that reading positive words, such as ‘love’ and ‘peace’, alter the expression of genes, strengthen parts of our frontal lobes and promote cognitive functioning. This propels motivational pathways of the brain into action and even buildsresilience.…

Become aware. Being conscious of how anxiety presents in your body helps you understand when you have been triggered. Often, your body can tell you about your anxiety before your mind. Where do you experience anxiety physically? Has your breath or heart rate quickened? People often notice anxiety in their chest as the body pumps blood to the heart to prepare for fight or flight. Try this breathing exercise: Inhale for a count of four and exhale passively for a count of six. Taking time to breathe has an instant impact on our nervous system and brings us back to a state where we can be in the present and reflect on the cause of our anxiety. Get moving. Try swimming, dancing or yoga. When we move our…

THE DAY WENT downhill fast. The spiral started when I reached over to pop a jug of porridge into the microwave, an action that somehow knocked over a canister of teabags from a shelf. It landed upside down inside the jug. Breakfast and a mass of teabags ruined! That set the tone and it snowballed from there – missed trains, fraught deadlines and a vexing phone call with a friend. The only thing that kept me going was the prospect of a lovely glass of merlot and some cheese when I finally got home. “Since Covid, we’ve become the biggest comfort eaters in Europe, along with a 29 per cent rise in alcohol consumption” It’s likely that this scenario, possibly with different ingredients, is familiar to many, particularly since lockdown.…

IF YOU SCORED MAINLY ♥ Stress It’s probably not news to you that your emotional eating is about stress. But knowing you react this way is one thing and understanding why is another. Stress eating is complex and can serve different purposes at different times. Sometimes, it’s simply about giving yourself a break from uncomfortable feelings. Or maybe there’s a sense that, on top of everything else, you can’t cope with trying to control what you eat. Giving in to your cravings may even seem like a self-compassionate act when you’re under pressure, because you know giving yourself a hard time never helps. But if emotional eating adds a toxic layer of guilt or low mood to your stress, you’re not giving yourself the support and nurturing you need. And,…

EASY ART OF MINDFULNESS As lovely as it would be to sit on your meditation cushion for a blissed-out period every day, life is just too busy sometimes. But a full life isn’t a bad thing – see it as a chance to be mindful in even routine moments. In essence, that’s what mindfulness is, and meditation is the practice part. Mindful action in everyday moments can create real impact. Without even being aware of it, we have mindful moments throughout the day – every time we recycle, for example, is mindfulness in action. Where else are you already being mindful in your everyday tasks? FOLLOW US! #mindfulhealth@aliroff @psychologiesmagazine, psychologies.co.uk Turn skincare into skin love I love the Versed home dermaplaning tool, £15.99, which exfoliates the skin by removing the…

Pearl Howie, an author and fitness instructor, believes early morning waking is a significant opportunity to confront her worries. ‘The Dalai Lama wrote about waking at dawn and many traditions recognise that the time before sunrise is significant from a spiritual perspective,’ she says. ‘I think of it as precious. It’s why many retreats include early bedtimes and sunrise walks. When I wake up, I work on letting go of my fear, calming my mind and meditating to find peace. Now, I’m prepared for the 4am wake-up, and greet it like a warrior.’ pearlescapes.co.uk…

1 Call time on clock-watching Counting the minutes will only heighten your anxiety about being awake. Instead, try ‘the paradox’ – force yourself to stay awake. Work as hard as you can to keep your eyes open, using only the power of your mind to keep yourself awake. You can blink occasionally, but you’re not allowed to read, watch television or move. It’s surprisingly tiring! 2 ‘ Apply quarter the of an hour rule’ If you lie in bed unable to sleep for long periods, you start to associate your bed with wakefulness and possibly agitation. If you can’t sleep after 15 to 20 minutes, get out of bed and go to a different room. Do something that isn’t stimulating for 20 to 30 minutes, then return to bed. Repeat…

Read ‘Around The Coast In 80 Days: Your Guide To Britain’s Best Coastal Towns, Beaches, Cliffs And Headlands’ by Peter Naldrett (Bloomsbury, £16.99) to help you plan your seaside getaway. Take the sting out of staying at home with ‘Beach Too Sandy, Water Too Wet’ a comedy podcast , featuring dramatic readings of one-star travel reviews.podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beach-too-sandy-water-too-wet/id1446051252 For inspiring breaks of all types across Britain, take a look at UK Retreats on Instagram – instagram.com/ukretreats…

ANIMAL By Lisa Taddeo (Bloomsbury,£16.99) The debut novel from the bestselling author of non-fictional sensation Three Women is scorching, fuelled by female rage, as the lead character executes revenge for the wrongs done to her. The story begins with Joan witnessing the suicide of a spurned lover in a New York restaurant, while she’s having dinner with a married man. An expert at running away, she takes to the road and recalls how she got to be the way she is in adulthood. This is a heartbreaking story of damage experienced and inflicted – and it’s brilliantly written. Joan is a complicated character, whose traumatic childhood has indelibly marked her, making her both victim and perpetrator. Propulsive, powerful and poetic, this white-hot story is ablaze with anger. A fearless and…