WELCOME

Stretching as far back as the ancient Romans

Take a seat

From classic garden styles to modern constructions, a bench is so much more than a place to rest

SITTING PRETTY

Try these ideas to make the most of your next bench break

Your kind of rest

Tailoring time out to the type of tiredness you’re feeling is a great way to recuperate

FIVE ROUTES TO REVITALISATION

Choose the type of rest that best suits your needs

Winning smiles

What’s in a smile? It’s a way to

Slow but sure

How setting boundaries in digital communications can alleviate the need for immediate responses, reduce the chances of hitting the wrong note and make for more meaningful interactions

Move outdoors

Yoga is well known for its many benefits to body and mind – and taking the practice outside can prove even better for wellbeing

Play it safe

Taking steps to protect your passwords is a vital line of digital self-defence

A letter to… me

The next time you want to set intentions or write down your thoughts, why not seal your words inside a stamped, self-addressed envelope and head to the postbox?

Drink me!

Capture summer’s fragrant flavours with some easy-to-make botanical syrups

Summer of sharing

When the days are long and hazy, treat friends and family to these deliciously fragrant drinks

Wheels of change

Whether you’re the incumbent or successor-in-waiting, job handovers can be challenging. Here’s how to make the transition easier for everyone

Bright lights, big harvest

The rising popularity of urban foraging is bringing the joy of wild food to the inner city

Permission to fly

If you’ve ever had an underlying desire to break free or if you struggle with aspects of everyday life that others appear to breeze through, it could be you need to allow yourself to unfurl your wings

Balancing the difference

Ever compared yourself favourably to someone who was short on luck or going through a bad patch? You’re not alone. We look at what’s behind this tendency towards downward comparison

Lines of thought

Reflections on trauma recovery and the personal growth that can come from it

Out of the rough

Learning to acknowledge the negative aspects of life can help make positive ambitions a reality

Many ways to say goodbye

As increasingly more people seek alternatives to formal funerals, there’s much to be learned from around the world about how to honour the dead

Through a child ’s eyes

Writers and directors have long portrayed real events from a child’s perspective, often sharing the stories of their own younger years, but what is the enduring appeal of framing lived experiences through this lens?

Swept away

Why coastal-set stories have the power to stir the imagination

Untold story

How Walt Disney creatives drew inspiration from art destined for Europe’s elite and delivered it to a more mainstream audience

Message in a novel

The power of certain books to change the reader’s world view – and how to go about writing one

Mythic legacy

Speech is enhanced by idioms. We talk of Midas’s touch, Pandora’s box and Achilles’ heel, but do we know anything about the origins of these sayings or what they mean? Who were those ancient Greek mythological characters and what can we learn from their stories?

Go wild in the country

Wildlife experiences draw us closer to the natural world, help us to embrace the present and inspire hope for the future. Here’s a guide to two special destinations where animal encounters abound

Radio romance

Escape into the realm of sound, as Breathe takes a quick spin through broadcasting history

Different worlds

Highlights from this year’s Sony World Photography Awards, celebrating the best contemporary photography from across the globe

Sacrifice your sacrifice

Is it always necessary to suffer to be a better person?