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Wellbeing

September

Why do I have to pay more for others’ free childcare?

Readers’ letters on who bears the cost of childcare subsidies; bitcoin going mainstream; the BCA and populism; the cost of nuclear energy; CFMEU members’ fears; and the benefits of hip replacement.

The Pixel Watch 3 is mostly about fitness, but it does have other things going for it, too.

This new fitness watch is fine for the unfit

Google’s Pixel Watch 3 has plenty of new features for runners. But a battery that means you may as well stay lazy.

  • John Davidson
Pablo, Charlotte and Jessica Miller cut their tech use as a family - card games together have really increased since.

Four steps to cut your technology addiction (and your kids’ as well)

The government is planning to impose age limits on social media for children. But how are adults’ screen addictions driving the next generation’s scrolling?

  • Hannah Wootton
Fruits, vegetables, whole grains and other plant foods, like nuts and legumes, are rich in polyphenol.

How to eat for a long and healthy life

The length and quality of your life will be determined in part by your genetics. But how you live your life is important, too.

  • Alice Callahan

August

Alec Rawling, a carpenter and builder from North Epping.

How Alec’s life turned from hopeless to full of hope

Pervasive feelings of isolation and sadness are drowning the hopes of young adults, but one program has been shown to turn that around.

  • Julie Hare
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There’s a reason you’re so happy on holiday, but it may not be what you think.

What happens to your brain on holiday (and how to replicate it at home)

Psychologists say you can get most of the benefits of a big trip without leaving home. Here’s how.

  • Lucy Dean

July

At Viavi clients are given a comprehensive health check that includes an electroencephalogram.

This two-day, $42k medical appointment is for people who aren’t sick

Companies are tapping into a desire for a long and healthy life with packages that include sophisticated diagnostic options.

  • Mark Ellwood
Sarah Wilson moved to Paris.

‘Paris is the perfect place for older women’

Sarah Wilson is living her dream life in a city she says treasures lively arguments and genuine curiosity over wealth and property. This is how she spends her weekends.

  • Hans van Leeuwen
Some students say they want to protect their mental health by avoiding the stress of exams.

Stressed teens would rather finish school with no ATAR than sit exams

Students at co-educational schools reported the highest scores on emotional and mental wellbeing, and girls-only school students the lowest.

  • Julie Hare
Enjoying every day

Why you probably need to rethink your bucket list

Rather than grand plans, small actions every day are the key to achieving happiness and a sense of worth.

  • Lucy Dean
In French culture, people traditionally greet and farewell each other with “la bise”, a series of light kisses usually on the cheek.

Study reveals the power of a kiss on the cheek

Why your cheeks are a highly sensitive interface with the world.

  • Jill Margo
Marc Pasques, Grant Ellison and Kendrick Louis, founders of UAre.

Extending life expectancy big business for Manly app founders

The three surf club members started comparing workouts in 2020. Now their platform, which aggregates wearable technology data, is worth about $9 million.

  • Zoe Samios

May

Think your hard workout is a fast-track to getting rid of a hangover? Think again.

Doctors say this popular hangover cure is bunkum

Some people swear that vigorous exercise is the best way to beat a hangover, but is there any science to prove it?

  • Lucy Dean
Super-agers had more volume in areas of the brain important for memory, most notably the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex.

What an even closer peek inside the brains of ‘super-agers’ reveals

Scientists have become enthralled by a subset of the population aged 80 and older who with the memory of a person 20 to 30 years younger.

  • Dana G. Smith

March

St. Martins Spa & Lodge in Frauenkirchen, Austria

Heading to a European spa this summer? Here’s how to bare all

For many, the tradition of stripping off to sit naked with strangers in a sauna is awkward. But don’t sweat it.

  • Valeriya Safronova
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March

Bolivians in La Paz show off their happiness vibe during a competition to elect three main carnival characters, who must be adept at spreading happiness and never tire of dancing.

The nine lessons for happiness everyone should know

Just like maintaining physical fitness, you have to keep working on your mental health if you want to keep feeling the benefits, research shows.

  • Gwyneth Rees
The human brain is forced to deal with a lot.

Why forgetting things is OK – and shows your brain is working properly

It isn’t a failure of memory – it’s a consequence of processes that allow us to prioritise information.

  • Jenny Tucker

Why WFH is likely to be bad for your health

Instead of offering a holy grail of flexibility and work-life balance, what if WFH might lead us to an early grave by actually increasing stress and decreasing our fitness?

  • Nick Coatsworth

February

That empty feeling: plenty of people who can afford to retire still choose not to.

Why you should never retire

Pleasure cruises, golf and tracing the family tree are not that fulfilling.

  • The Economist
Trauma sits at the base of most human pain and dysfunction.

Feeling stuck? Five ways to jump-start your life

Mental health experts suggest exercises to knock down the internal roadblocks that are causing burnout and holding you back.

  • Christina Caron

Original URL: https://www.afr.com/topic/wellbeing-63y