Mood swings turning your day into a rollercoaster ride? There’s lack of sunshine and depression, but some reasons you’re sadder than usual aren’t as obvious Your fizzy drink habit They’re a low or no calorie hit so what’s not to love? One study found people who drank four cans of soft drink a day were 30 per cent more likely to suffer with depression. The higher risk was among people who preferred diet drinks. Just because it is labelled as diet does not make it healthy ‘The link is not yet conclusive but it’s believed artificial sweeteners such as aspartame upset the balance of neurotransmitters in the brain and could cause…

Need to stay calm in a crisis?  Mindfulness expert and meditation teacher Neil Seligman has a five minute meditation that will help you get through We all know that sick feeling of being hit with bad news or utterly overwhelmed by the events or demands we’re facing. This 5 minute mediation flow by Neil Seligman, founder of The Conscious Professional will change that by bringing you focus and awareness fast, instantly calming you down.   In fact, practiced regularly, mindfulness meditation can help train your brain to feel more in control and become calmer in situations that used to scare you. A study published the Biological Psychiatry journal revealed how participants in an eight-week…

Talking about sex seriously can be embarassing, so many of us avoid it – but it can help get more intimacy back into your relationship, says Cate Campbell, author of the Relate Guide to Sex and Intimacy  1. Make an ‘I want- I will’ book If you’re a couple that finds it impossible to talk about sex, or to talk about feelings full stop, then this may be the best option for you. Get an exercise book and on one page write requests to your partner, while the opposite page is dedicated to responses to the requests. The most important thing is that the response begin with the words ‘I will’…

Want to make your relationship stronger? Dr Meg John Barker and Prof. Jacqui Gabb, co-authors of The Secrets of Enduring Love bring you five things you can do today to make your relationship stronger Everyone wants a relationship made of steel, yet sometimes it can seem an unreachable goal. Dr Meg John Barker, psychotherapist at The Open University, and Prof. Jacqui Gabb, professor of sociology and intimacy, at The Open University, highlight in their book The Secrets of Enduring Love the science to making a relationship last. Here are five of their simple hacks you can try today: 1. Make them a cup of tea Dr Barker and Prof. Gabb carried out a research study…

Work, money, kids – there could be many reasons you feel more anxious than usual. But it turns out, reducing your anxiety could be as simple as increasing your magnesium intake. Olivia Hartland-Robbins reports Whether it’s a mild nervous feeling, a sense of increasing worry or all out panic attacks, feeling anxious is not a pleasant feeling. And, if it happens to you, one thing is certain, you’re not alone. In fact, anxiety is among the most common mental health problems in the UK – with more than one in ten people experiencing disabling anxiety at some point in their lives, according to Anxiety UK. There are many known reasons…