Innholdsfortegnelse for Summer 2024 i Psychologies

...to our first ‘summer’ issue! Don’t worry, we’re not going quarterly – you can still enjoy your favourite magazine every four weeks as usual – but we decided to celebrate this wonderful time of year with a special issue. After all, there’s nothing like these long lazy days for really kicking back and getting some serious me-time, whatever that means to you. So whether you’re itching to jet off after feeling cooped up at home for the past year or three, or you’re feeling antsy at the thought of even setting foot in an airport, we can help you make this a summer to remember for all the right reasons. If you’re one of the millions heading off on your travels in the next few weeks, you might want to…

The gender agenda Your magazine came up as a suggestion in Apple News+ and I enjoyed browsing through the current issue. However, I got the impression that it is very much aimed at women. Why it that? Most of the advice is just as relevant to men. It’s ironic that this issue has an interview with Caitlin Moran who, surely, would agree with my sentiments. Also, you’re missing out on half your potential readership! Philip Raby Editor’s comment: ‘Since launching here in the UK almost 20 years ago, Psychologies has always been aimed at women, who make up more than 95 per cent of our readership. But just because that’s the way it’s always been, doesn’t mean it has to be! Men are following in women’s footsteps by becoming more…

Ah, summer! The season of sun-soaked beaches, breathtaking landscapes, and romantic getaways. If you’re coupled up, there’s a good chance you’re eagerly planning a much-anticipated holiday right now. But while a break with your other half can be a wonderful way to strengthen your bond and create lasting memories, it’s often not without its challenges… First up, it’s balancing expectations, and communicating clearly and fairly about what you both want from a holiday. Many couples fall foul of properly talking about what their holiday aspirations are, and when it comes to scrolling the internet for that dream break, if there hasn’t been a clear direction decided upon, conflict can occur. You might envision lazy days by the pool, while your partner is keen on exploring every historical site. Differing expectations…

It’s become part of the national conscience to eat ‘five-a-day’, but recent research is suggesting a different approach: to eat 30 different plants a week. ‘Five-a-day hasn’t transformed the health of the nation,’ says TV chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. And people who do eat five fruits and vegetables a day are ‘often eating the same ones over and over again’. But it’s become clear how important diversity is in our diets. Dr Tim Spector, professor of genetic epidemiology at King’s College London, has led the recommendation, after conducting research for the American and British Gut Projects of 11,000 people’s eating habits. It showed those who ate 30 or more different plants per week had more diverse gut microbiomes than those who ate ten or less. ‘It’s a fantastic way of nurturing…

DR ANDY COPE ‘Hope enables us to endure through tough times,’ says happiness expert Dr Andy Cope. ‘And if you have hope, it colours your future.’ But the really great thing about hope? It’s a learned skill, and anyone can improve their hopeful thinking by using the right goal-setting, planning and motivational approaches. Discover how, on page 22. SMRITI JOSHI ‘Dopamine is responsible for feelings of pleasure, reward, and motivation,’ says psychologist Smriti Joshi. But the problem with dopamine-inducing activities is that they can leave us craving more. Learn how a dopamine detox might help you break the cycle, for more focus, better mood, and a renewed sense of appreciation, on page 32. ANNA FERGUSON Stimulating the vagus nerve’s soothing effects can help regulate your body’s stress response, says therapist…

If you have never come across Louise Pentland’s social media accounts, YouTube channel, or website, you’re probably in the minority. She’s been blogging since 2009, and has millions of followers for one reason: her content is full of joy. But while she was busy sprinkling happiness out into the world at the beginning of this year, she didn’t feel she was experiencing much joy in her own life. That’s not to say she didn’t enjoy her life – according to Pentland, she liked the things she was doing: ‘I enjoy being a mum, I enjoy my job, and I enjoy looking after my house,’ she says, ‘but if someone had asked what I did for fun, I wouldn’t have known what to say. That’s when I decided that I was…

Session two Harriet was distressed about the growing conflict between her adult children and her new partner. At the end of our last session, she had resolved to let them know how unhappy she was about the situation. She had planned to sit down with each of them separately, to understand more about their feelings and find ways together to resolve the conflict. She thought that her son and daughter would be responsive to her approach, but had not been so sure about her partner, Steve*. I could see from the moment Harriet arrived that she was unhappy. She sat silently with her eyes closed for a few minutes, and then took a deep breath. ‘I didn’t talk to Steve or my kids about the situation. I felt strong and…

On a recent morning walk, I stopped in my tracks at the sight of a front garden with a flurry of purple, red and lilac poppies. I observed the stalks bending in the wind, the flower heads dancing around like puppets on string. What is it about these tissue-papered blooms that always connects me to my joy? This moment happened in the middle of mourning the end of a new romantic relationship. At the time, I was sadder than I cared to admit. Thank goodness the pages of my journal felt the full weight of my grief. Loss had arrived, and with it, other past losses were triggered. But I am constantly reminded that journalling and expressive writing are skills-based practices, and knew I could use the tools of journalling…

What’s the deal with... SPFs? There are two types of sunscreen available to protect our skin from harmful rays – mineral and chemical. Mineral sunscreens use two active ingredients – natural minerals, zinc oxide and titanium dioxide – which sit on the skin and shield it, reflecting away UV rays. Chemical sunscreens use chemicals such as octinoxate, oxybenzone, octocrylene and padimate O (which research has found can be potentially harmful). These sink into the skin and absorb the UV rays through a chemical reaction. Want to make your sunscreen work harder? Try adding a non-photosensitising vitamin C. ‘SPF blocks UV rays but not perfectly, and free radicals (the little guys who prematurely age us) are inevitably created,’ says Tule Park, founder of Skin Diligent. ‘Some studies show sunscreens lower free…

This month, I am exploring quotes from two of my favourite poets, which offer fascinating insights into singing and the human condition… Lose your inhibitions ‘I want to sing like the birds sing, not worrying about who hears or what they think,’ wrote the 13th-century Sufi poet Rumi (1207–1273). It may come as a surprise to you that these words were written more than 700 years ago, for his words represent what feels like a very contemporary concern that many people hold about singing – which is around the fear of judgment, and the fear of our voices being ‘heard’. As Rumi indicates, many of us want to sing freely and without inhibition but are all too often concerned by what others might think. Because of this, we may have…

“I recently saw a social media post that claimed that ‘true happiness at work often comes from exceeding expectations and practising gratitude for the opportunities you have’. It gave me the ick and, for a while, I couldn’t understand why. After all, in our strange economy, being thankful for a job feels like a good decision. And there is something wonderful about the feeling that comes with exceeding expectations. But I soon realised what it was that had bothered me about this post: it made gratitude an external value rather than an internal one, and that’s never a good thing. Let me explain… Exceeding expectations can be a great thing – when those expectations are our own. And when we’re looking to other people to tell us what we’re capable…

Sitting on a grounded plane recently, I noticed almost everyone around me was doing the same thing: scrolling through photos on their phones, as if voyeuristically glancing through windows into other people’s not-so-private worlds. There was something unnerving about the scene. I imagined all the beautiful enormity of the stories behind those images: the candid wedding photo, the needs-no-words snap of a 12-week scan, the close-up of a celebratory meal; all these personal milestones, reduced to morsels that someone flicks away with a single finger as if looking, hungrily, for something more satisfying to feast upon. A young man paused at a selfie of a couple on a date, deftly zooming in to secretly scrutinise… what? His physique, her face? What are we doing, I wondered, consuming each other’s private…

psychologies DOSSIER With you in mind As the temperature rises and the sun beckons, there’s an unspoken desire to break free from the shackles of routine and try new experiences at this time of year. The season of adventure is upon us, offering myriad opportunities to reconnect with our inner wanderer and rediscover the joy of spontaneity. From invigorating dips in natural waters to leisurely afternoons lost in the pages of a book, it’s time to release ourselves from the grip of relentless responsibilities, and dive headfirst into the thrill of exploration. But, what does travel look like in 2024? I’ll admit that, for me, far-off destinations and long, lazy beach breaks are something I often daydream about, but aside from visiting my sister in Amsterdam last year,…

Tick the answers that most closely apply to you, then add up the symbols. Read the section, or sections, you ticked most, to find your perfect travel experience 1 For you, travel should make you feel like you’ve ♥ Moved on ......................................... ■◆ Slowed down................................... ■● Buoyed up ....................................... ■■ Woken up......................................... ■ 2 You know you need to get away when you feel ♥ Like life is a treadmill ...................... ■◆ Frazzled and fragmented .............. ■● Okay, but a bit weary...................... ■■ A bit directionless .......................... ■ 3 If your travel budget was unlimited, you would ◆ Finally take time to treat yourself .................................. ■■ Look for life-changing experiences..................................... ■♥ Work through your bucket list ........................................ ■● Not really know where to start ............................................. ■ 4 The mindset shift you most need, is…

What really makes a good relationship? Q I struggle to understand what a good partner is a lot of the time. Maybe I am overthinking it, but I see many of my friends are unhappy in their long-term relationships and, I wonder, is it worth it? I wish there were examples of what ‘good relationships’ look like, because I struggle to see them, and this makes finding a partner hard. I heard somewhere once that ‘a healthy relationship can only be as healthy as its unhealthiest member’, and it really made me stop and think. What this phrase brings up for me is that you can only control your actions, so making sure you are the ‘healthiest’ you in terms of your emotional wellbeing, the boundaries you set, and the…