10 of the best cycling trail holidays in the UK

Popular bike trails for all, taking in canals, forests and seaside as well as cyclist-friendly places to stay

Stretching for 51km around the Isle of Thanet, the Viking Trail can be split into shorter, family-friendly day rides, while the entire route makes a great two-day trip, combining long stretches of coast and vibrant seaside towns including Margate and Ramsgate with quiet inland villages, 7th-century Minster Abbey and the spectacular chalk stacks at Botany Bay, this is a varied ride. Start in Margate and stop for a dip in Minnis Bay, before turning inland and spending the night at the Corner House in Minster. On day two, the Kent coast rolls out from Ramsgate around the easternmost tip, until you arrive back in Margate.
Doubles from £110 B&B; cornerhouserestaurants.co.uk;explorekent.org Continue reading…
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Focus on coping, not curing: how to help an anxious child

Growing up in the age of anxiety is challenging for children and parents alike but there are plenty of ways to help young people to face their fears

Julia Harris was busy tidying her daughter’s bedroom when she found a diary she suspects was deliberately left out for her to see.

Inside, 10-year-old Rosie had written that she often thought about suicide, although she didn’t think she would actually do it. Harris, a university lecturer from Yorkshire, knew her daughter had become increasingly anxious, both about friendships and school, sometimes refusing to eat in the mornings. But she hadn’t realised quite how bad things had got. Continue reading…
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My ‘lost love’ has contacted me, but my wife is dismayed

If I was your wife, I would not be reassured by you referring to your friend from the past as your ‘lost love’, says Philippa Perry

The dilemma Forty years ago, as I was leaving school and starting university, I had an all-consuming relationship with a young woman. She ended it in a long, drawn-out way, which left me a wreck. I had a breakdown, which went pretty much unacknowledged by everyone.

I staggered through my studies and then life carried on, although the trauma of losing her never left me. I lost what promised to be a good academic career and have always been haunted by “what might have been”. Ironically, she went on to be a very successful academic. Continue reading…
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How to recognise the symptoms of anxiety and get help

From OCD to agoraphobia and PTSD, there are almost as many types of anxiety disorder as things to worry about. Here’s how to spot the signs and find the relevant support

Many people will be familiar with the dry mouth, intrusive thoughts, and fluttering heart and stomach that are the hallmarks of anxiety. Often a temporary, and completely natural reaction to threat, these responses can be helpful in certain situations, sharpening the mind and sending blood to where it is needed faster.

But whereas stress usually resolves once a concern has passed, anxiety persists and is often disproportionate to the challenge faced. If it continues for months, and starts to interfere with everyday activities, an anxiety disorder may be diagnosed. Continue reading…
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What I wish I’d known about living with an anxiety disorder

When Daisy Buchanan was diagnosed with anxiety in her 20s she finally had a name for what she was feeling, but not the tools to cope. Here’s how she has learned to live with it

To some extent, anxiety is an entirely logical response to being alive, and being a human among other humans.

When I was diagnosed with generalised anxiety disorder in my 20s, this thought would have been helpful. To know that the way I responded to some ideas and possibilities was extreme, but it wasn’t unusual or illogical. However, that was not how I saw things. I decided that I was a dog, my anxiety was fireworks, and every night was Bonfire Night. Continue reading…
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Monkeypox Spreads in West, Baffling African Scientists

Britain, Spain, Portugal, Italy, U.S., Sweden and Canada all reported infections, mostly in young men who hadn’t traveled to Africa.
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Space to grow: wilderness therapy could help abuse survivors

University of Essex pilot study suggests being outdoors can help self-esteem and wellbeing

Wilderness therapy and access to green space may help domestic abuse survivors heal while improving therapy outcomes, a study has found.

Scientists from the University of Essex worked with the Wilderness Foundation, a charity that offers outdoor therapy programmes, to see if treatment in the natural world could work better, or alongside, traditional methods. Continue reading…
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Insomniacs in England to be offered app treatment instead of sleeping pills

Sleepio was shown to be more effective at reducing insomnia than sleep hygiene and pills in data shown to Nice

Hundreds of thousands of people struggling to sleep are to be offered treatment via an app instead of sleeping pills in the biggest shake-up of guidelines for insomnia in decades.

Until now, people with insomnia have typically been given advice about sleep hygiene or prescribed sleeping pills. Now they could be offered a £45 app-based treatment programme on the NHS instead of pills, under new guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice). Continue reading…
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Residents Already Need to Travel for Abortion Training. Experts Fear Roe’s End Will Make It Even Harder

Abortion training for medical residents is already a logistical nightmare in the U.S.
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Alcohol-Related Deaths Have Soared During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Stress, isolation, and the closing of essential services all played a role
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