All posts tagged: feeling

Feeling off? Your secrets could be making you stressed | Well actually

Feeling off? Your secrets could be making you stressed | Well actually

Published by Sam Flores

Usually nothing makes me happier than receiving a message that starts with “don’t share this, but …”. Yet as I played the voice note on my phone, my gleeful anticipation turned to dismay. It was a juicy bit of gossip, but one I ultimately would have preferred not to know. Now I also had to conceal it from others. You’re probably familiar with the feeling. It’s no wonder we talk about “keeping” secrets, and the “burden” of secrecy: keeping something from others can be taxing, whether you’re desperate to conceal it or itching to share. I felt as if I was fighting to keep a beach ball underwater: as much as I tried to push the secret from mind, thoughts just kept popping up. That sense of being drained was not just a hunch: keeping secrets is psychologically costly, and associated with a host of negative consequences, says Valentina Bianchi, a clinical psychologist and postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Melbourne. She is one of just a few academics focused on secrets, and explores …

Prince Harry admits to feeling ‘lost, betrayed’ and ‘completely powerless’ during emotive speech

Prince Harry admits to feeling ‘lost, betrayed’ and ‘completely powerless’ during emotive speech

Published by Daniella Wilson

Prince Harry has delivered one of his most emotionally candid speeches to date, revealing he has felt “lost, betrayed, or completely powerless” at various points throughout his life. The Duke of Sussex made the powerful admission during a keynote address at the InterEdge Summit in Melbourne, where he spoke on leadership, psychosocial safety and human connection in the workplace, with Meghan Markle watching from the audience. Standing on stage at the Centrepiece conference venue, Harry struck a deeply personal tone as he reflected on the emotional toll of life lived under intense public scrutiny. © Getty ImagesPrince Harry gave an emotional speech in Melbourne “When I was invited to speak at this summit, I wasn’t sure whether I was expected to speak as someone who, despite everything, has their s*** together,” he told attendees. “Or as someone who, despite what it may look like, actually doesn’t have his s*** together.” He continued: “But I was struck by something quite simple, that while my experiences may be unusual, the feelings that come with them are not.” In a …

Texas QB Arch Manning Says He’s Feeling ‘100 Percent’ After Foot Surgery

Texas QB Arch Manning Says He’s Feeling ‘100 Percent’ After Foot Surgery

Published by Sam Flores

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas quarterback Arch Manning is doing light workouts so far in spring practice following offseason foot surgery. But he said Wednesday that his body is as strong as it’s been since he had what school officials said was a minor procedure in January. “I feel 100 percent right now. We’re kind of taking it slow, but if we had a game today I’d be playing,” Manning said. “Obviously when you’re not out there, you’re kind of antsy. It was hard the first few weeks just not being able to do anything. Now I get to do a little bit more.” Manning is coming off his first season as the Longhorns’ full-time starter. The nephew of Peyton and Eli Manning passed for 3,163 yards and 26 touchdowns and ran for 10 TDs in 2025. While he waits to do more on the field, he’s been focused on mental reps, footwork drills and getting to know some of his new teammates. “It’s been different, but it’s been good,” Manning said. “It’s honestly been …

Why Feeling Heard Can Make or Break a Relationship

Why Feeling Heard Can Make or Break a Relationship

Published by Jenni Sidey

A couple sits down to dinner at the end of a long day. One partner starts describing something upsetting that happened at work. Before the story is over, the other jumps in. “You’re overthinking it.” “You should have said something.” “Why do you let this bother you so much?” There is no shouting. No insult. Nothing obviously dramatic. Still, something important has already been lost. What was needed in that moment was not analysis, advice, or a fast solution. It was listening. In romantic relationships, people usually talk about love, trust, attraction, and commitment. All of these matter. But there is another part of relationship life that often gets less attention than it deserves: whether a person feels genuinely heard by their partner. Shaping a Relationship’s Emotional Climate That experience can shape the emotional climate of a relationship more than many couples realize. Feeling heard can calm people down. It can reduce defensiveness. It can make difficult conversations feel less threatening. Over time, it can become one of the clearest signs that a relationship is …

Feeling like you slept poorly might take a heavier toll on new parents than actual sleep loss

Feeling like you slept poorly might take a heavier toll on new parents than actual sleep loss

Published by José Betancourt

A new study published in Sleep Health: Journal of the National Sleep Foundation suggests that depression and anxiety may play a growing role in sleep problems among new parents, particularly as their baby gets older. Becoming a parent is often described as one of life’s most joyful experiences, but it can also be exhausting. Frequent night wakings, feeding schedules, and the stress of caring for a newborn can disrupt sleep for months. Previous research has long shown that poor sleep and mental health issues like depression and anxiety are linked, but most studies have focused solely on mothers and the early weeks after birth. Researchers wanted to better understand how sleep and mental health influence each other over time and whether the same patterns apply to fathers. Led by Avel Horwitz and Liat Tikotzky of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel, the research team followed 232 couples from late pregnancy through their baby’s first year. Participants reported on their sleep and mental health during pregnancy (the third trimester) and again when their baby was …

Feeling distracted? How hobbies can help you find ‘flow state’ and save your brain

Feeling distracted? How hobbies can help you find ‘flow state’ and save your brain

Published by Sam Flores

We live in what has been called the “distraction economy”: an environment full of triggers that are engineered to demand our attention at every turn. The result is often fragmented attention, loss of focus and sometimes even increased rumination and anxiety. Becoming fully absorbed in an activity is rare. Think of a time a film was so engrossing that you didn’t reach for your phone – the film-watching experience was no doubt the better for it. You can actively seek out this experience, which is known as “flow”. Hobbies are a great way to find a flow state and make outside distractions – work emails, unread messages, breaking news and chores – disappear. The concept of flow was developed by Hungarian-American psychologist Mihaly Csíkszentmihályi. In his seminal 1990 book on the topic, he describes flow as: “A state in which people are so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter; the experience is so enjoyable that people will continue to do it even at great cost, for the sheer sake of doing …

The best water flossers in the UK, tested for that dentist-clean feeling | Health & wellbeing

The best water flossers in the UK, tested for that dentist-clean feeling | Health & wellbeing

Published by Sam Flores

There isn’t much I miss from my pre-Invisalign “gappy teeth” days, but it was far more difficult for food and plaque to get stuck in the gaps – something I took for granted at the time. Using floss between my pre-braces teeth was easy, but ultimately pointless, like using a pipe cleaner to buff the Dartford Tunnel. The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. With all the gaps closed, that’s no longer the case, and my water flosser has become a welcome part of my dental routine. A water flosser fires an intense jet of water between the teeth to dislodge debris and leave your mouth feeling fresher. “Most people know they should be flossing, but in reality, it’s one of the most skipped steps in daily oral care,” says Dr Johannes Jacobs, the founder of Jacobs & Associates Dental Office. “Patients who struggle with traditional flossing routines often do far better with water flossers, and their gum health improves noticeably.” Most of …

Why Staying At One Job Too Long Can Leave You Feeling Stuck, Even If It Looks Perfect On Paper | Suzy Rosenstein, MA

Why Staying At One Job Too Long Can Leave You Feeling Stuck, Even If It Looks Perfect On Paper | Suzy Rosenstein, MA

Published by Jenni Sidey

I was happy to have landed my first professional job in 1989. I remember it well: fresh out of grad school and ready to move to the big city of Toronto to start my grown-up life, I packed up my 1980 Honda Prelude with all of my worldly possessions and my ornery orange tabby cat, Hundleby. The job I was going to was a one-year contract at a health unit as a tobacco use prevention health educator, and this was the first of four contract positions I would come to have. I never thought about a contract job being less than ideal until one of my employees at the third contract position started talking about how thankful she was that she finally landed a full-time, permanent job. Interesting. I guess because I was only in my mid-20s, I didn’t fully appreciate why a permanent position was so desirable. Two jobs later, I finally found my full-time (and permanent) position. It was then that I finally understood why permanent jobs were a big deal — I …

What to Do When You’re Feeling Stuck

What to Do When You’re Feeling Stuck

Published by Jenni Sidey

What does it mean to feel stuck? This could mean different things for various people, but it usually involves being faced with a major decision in a specific area of your life. Common examples are ending a relationship, changing careers, quitting your job, or moving long-distance. At each stage of our lives, we learn more about who we are through our experiences, and this helps to inform our path in life. The traditional life path has been about meeting people, having fun, exploring a career path in our younger years; settling into a long-term romantic relationship; having children (for some); advancing in our career; building financial freedom and stability in midlife; and then winding down our career, enjoying more of our free time with family and friends, and spending more time in our hobbies and travel. However, the traditional path is not right for many of us. Economic uncertainty can lead to job loss, personal growth, and evolution, which can usher in change that makes you realize your long-term relationship no longer serves you and …

If You’ve Been Feeling Off Lately, These 5 Signs May Mean It’s More Than Just Regular Sadness | Mitzi Bockmann

If You’ve Been Feeling Off Lately, These 5 Signs May Mean It’s More Than Just Regular Sadness | Mitzi Bockmann

Published by Jenni Sidey

When you’re feeling down about your life and yourself, do you wonder if you’re depressed or just plain, regular sad? Should you be worried about your mood shifting, or should you just ride it out? Sadness versus depression: there’s a fine line between the two emotions.  While there are many variations of depression, there are two fundamental forms. Chemical depression is caused by a chemical imbalance in your brain, one that’s often genetic or the result of trauma. Situational depression is usually a short-term sadness, often brought on by a life event. As clinical therapist Lynn Zakeri explains, sometimes sadness is just sadness, and other times it’s a sign of something more clinical. If you’ve been feeling off lately, these 5 signs may mean it’s more than just sadness: 1. Something specific triggered your sadness Kelly Sikkema / Unsplash One way to tell if you are depressed or just sad is to consider what is happening in your life right now. Has your dog died? Is a parent sick? Have you lost your job? Did …