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Well, actually

Living a good life in a complex world

Well Actually

  • An illustration where three figures are discernible - a man and two women, one of whom is wearing a green hat

    Can’t stop thinking about your partner’s ex? You’re not alone

  • red dots behind woman wearing black blazer

    I’m a hopeless people pleaser. I tried saying ‘no’ for a week

    ‘Defiance isn’t a one-size-fits-all prescription,’ says psychologist Sunita Sah – here’s what happened when I gave it a whirl
  • illustration of everyday items and arrows to an iphone

    Reclaim your brain
    You don’t need a smartphone: a practical, personal guide to downgrading your device

    Want to switch to a dumbphone but worry about things like two-factor authentication or map apps? These are my best tips and workarounds
  • A hand escaping a phone screen on a green background

    Reclaim your brain
    ‘I read 35 books this year!’: the Guardian readers who cut their phone use in 2024

  • white rectangular machine, with potted plant behind it, next to a crib

    Who should get an air purifier and can it help with wildfire smoke?

  • wildfire smoke looms over a street

    How Los Angeles wildfire smoke affects mental health

  • illustration of a woman exercising with different emojis around her

    How to start
    Lift, rest, recover: how to start weightlifting

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Reclaim your brain

The toolkit

  • A sunscreen’s SPF, or sun protection factor, indicates how much protection a product offers.

    Sun season
    What is SPF and how much sunscreen do you really need? Experts answer

  • a person smokes cannabis

    California sober
    What does it mean and is it good for you?

  • Colourful flat lay view of different types of sliced fruits and vegetables on a pink background.

    The 30-plant challenge
    Experts say we need to eat 30 plants a week. This is how I fared

  • Black cup of coffee on the black and brown table among spilled roasted coffee beans.

    Coffee
    How much coffee is OK for me to drink in a day? I asked the experts

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Columns

  • illustration of a person sitting by their two children, holding a white envelope

    Halfway there: a column about midlife
    Writing my will sent me into an existential spiral

  • An illustration of someone taking a photo of a woman on a cellphone

    Ask Ugly
    Photos of myself make me shudder in horror. Does that mean I’m hideous?

  • An illustration of a girl reading a book titled 'Being That Girl'

    Ask Ugly
    I want to ignore beauty culture. But I’ll never get anywhere if I don’t look a certain way

  • An illustration of a person sitting and holding a rolled up piece of paper while wearing colorful patterned baggy clothes

    Halfway there: a column about midlife
    Forget ‘flattering’: comfortable clothes make me feel most like myself

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Health & wellbeing

  • People in the gym

    ‘Resolutionaries’ v gym rats: why fitness fanatics hate the crowded gyms of January

  • Composite image of a person using building blocks.

    Do you feel hopeless about humanity? Look for the good things – and build a bridge towards them

    • A heap of flaxseeds beside a dish of flaxseed oil

      Robert F Kennedy Jr claims seed oils are ‘poisoning’ us. Here’s why he’s wrong

    • Leena Norms

      How to be a half-arse human: ‘You probably aren’t going to have clean knickers all the time’

    • A young woman exercising with a barbell at the gym.

      ‘75 hard’: the viral fitness challenge is back – but is it really the best way to spend January?

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Relationships

  • Rachel Thompson

    ‘I am a ripe and juicy peach!’ 15 things I’ve learned about love in 15 years of being single

  • An elderly couple hugging

    Nonagenarians and the joy of senior sex

  • Back view of a female athlete jogging on the road in nature.<br>Rear view of athletic woman running on the road during autumn day in the forest. Copy space.

    My partner blames a ‘lack of attraction’ for not wanting sex

  • Clif and Pilar in 2019

    The moment I knew: I’d never felt a palm so sweaty. I was smitten

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Food

  • Felicity Cloake's smashed cucumbers 04a

    How to make the perfect smacked cucumbers – recipe

  • Ravinder Bhogal's lentil fritters with quick coconut chutney.

    Ravinder Bhogal’s recipes for cooking with lentils

  • Nena Foster's kids' packed lunches.

    Vegetarian lunch box ideas for fussy eaters

  • OM Nigel Papaya Persimon Salad

    Nigel Slater’s recipe for papaya, persimmon and passion fruit

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Puzzles

  • Playing cards

    Crossword blog
    Why do so many cryptic crossword clues mention Donald Trump?

  • Cryptic crosswords
    Cryptic crossword No 29,592

    • Quick crosswords
      Quick crossword No 17,065

    • Sudoku
      Sudoku 6,759 medium

    • Prize crosswords
      Prize crossword No 29,589

    • Killer sudoku
      Observer killer sudoku

    • Thomas Eaton
      What links Selena Gomez, James Bolam and David Jason? The Saturday quiz

    • Alex Bellos's Monday puzzle
      Did you solve it? Interview questions for aspiring billionaires

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