Viewing all items in Resource Category: Looking at You

If you are already struggling to keep it, here is something that might help you. Psychologists advise that it is useless to say you are going to quit anything. Instead, make your resolution to change into something positive. For example, instead of “I will give up sweets,” say “I will eat fruit twice a day.”...

What have men and women been thinking about during the pandemic? According to recent data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), men have been preoccupied with takeaway food and pints, while women have been keeping in touch with their friends. In a study on the social impact of coronavirus, the ONS found that women...

Don’t let vulnerable members of your family accidentally poison themselves with hand sanitiser. It can kill them. Poisonings from swallowing alcohol-based hand sanitiser have more than doubled in the past year, to nearly 400. Doctors from the Centre for Evidence Based Medicine at the University of Oxford urge that more needs to be done to...

The pandemic is affecting our dreams. More people are reporting nightmares which relate to ‘contamination’ and ‘cleanness’. A recent study has found that the more anxious a person is in their waking life, the more vivid will be their dream images. The findings, published in the journal PLUS One, explain that “Pandemic dreams show a...

If you think you feel better after cuddling your dog or cat, there is a good reason: you really do feel better. After only three minutes of cuddling your pet, your levels of oxytocin, the ‘love’ hormone, increase, according to a recent study from Australia’s Monash University. And just five minutes of cuddling will also...

Our birds are short of nesting holes, and no wonder: gardens, parks and woodland are much neater than they used to be, and modern homes offer few crannies for nest building. National Nestbox Week, which is celebrated from 14th February each year, aims to encourage us to put up more nestboxes, and to consider planting...

The popularity of leggings soared last year. They became the must-have fashion garment to see out Covid-19. John Lewis reported sales of leggings and loungewear had increased by 1,303 per cent.  Sweaty Betty was selling a pair of Power Leggings (£75) every 90 seconds. Julia Straus, CEO of the brand, explained: “Good quality leggings transform...

It may help them do better at school. According to a recent study, teenagers should be allowed to sleep in longer in the mornings, as this could help them to be healthier and perform better. A study, published in Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain, suggested that some secondary pupils just have a...

Beware of people talking near you in a restaurant.  This is the recent advice from some South Korean researchers, who claim that people can be infected with Covid-19 while still more than 20 feet away. They also warn against all loud talking or shouting in public. The researchers have urged restaurants to consider installing dividing...

The natural environment can make a real impact on your mood. Mountains can leave you feeling more optimistic, while the ocean can help boost your inspiration. A recent study at Goldsmiths University of London found that water is most effective at increasing positive emotions, such as happiness and inspiration.  Woodlands can help you forget your...

Keep it in the family! Counting the cost of coronavirus Food, glorious food! Open that window Smokers stubbing out Plants in your front garden Doing housework can help you live longer Why parking your car is getting more difficult Who does the allotment in your family? ** Editor: David Pickup, a solicitor, considers what happens...

Happy New Year! It’s good to begin a new year with hope, but few of us have left 2020 unscathed by the pandemic. For example, nearly half of us, 48 per cent, put on weight during lockdown.  (According to a recent survey by King’s College London and Ipsos MORI). Millions of us turned to alcohol...