As a mid-life mum of three, it’s safe to say that my nervous system kicks in the millisecond my alarm goes off every day. I’m instantly launched into fight or flight, cortisol raging and heart racing.

I know I’m not alone: studies (such as this one) show that working mothers experience significantly higher morning cortisol levels (tell us something we don't know!) But that’s not the whole story. Research also shows that mood actually peaks in the morning, ironically, before dipping around lunchtime—meaning that morning mindset sets the tone for your whole day. Gives new importance to the phrase ‘start as you mean to go on’, doesn’t it?

So I made it my mission to calm those cortisol spikes in the simplest, most time-efficient way possible (because my morning does not need another chore on its to-do list). The method? Two-minute morning mood boosters for an all-day win. Could just a couple of moments in the am really lift my spirits and improve my focus? Only one way to find out.

Of course, I’ve captured all the details for you below, but for more inspiration, read our brilliant guides on how to find joy, the best five-minute meditations, why we should be using joy as a wellness metric and our favourite low-effort wellness habits here.

I Tried Starting Every Morning With These Two-Minute Mood Boosters—Here’s Why I Think You Should Too

What are two-minute morning mood boosters?

As wellness hacks go, the two-minute morning mood booster is one of the simplest. The idea is to spend just two minutes of your morning (ideally first thing, but the point is not to be too prescriptive here) doing something that brings you joy, lifts your mood and promotes calm.

“A morning mood booster is a small, intentional ritual that shapes how you feel before the day begins,” explains meditation and yoga teacher and the founder of MOOD, Lauren Parmar. “Often we wake up and reach for our phones when we’ve barely even opened our eyes. Before we know it, we’re already feeling anxious and dysregulated, triggered by our inbox or another news story.

“Starting your day with a two-minute ritual is a beautiful way to take your power back and transform your mood before the day begins. Our mornings often set the tone for the day that follows, so I like to think of this as a little practice to select the state and energy you want to occupy before life takes over.”

We're talking small practices such as breathwork, movement, stepping outside and affirmations—but you can improvise. It’s about what works for you.

What are the benefits of two-minute morning mood boosters?

Wondering if it’s worth setting aside a little of your time for these mood boosters? There are some legitimate wellbeing benefits to spending two minutes on yourself first thing.

1. They encourage intention

“Our mornings can often begin in a state of reaction,” says Carliann Langley, yin yoga therapist and wellbeing expert. “We reach for our phones, look at our emails and immediately start thinking about everything we need to do.”

“Mood boosters give us an opportunity to interrupt that automatic pattern. They encourage us to be more intentional about how we start the day, reconnect with our bodies and create moments of pleasure, calm or connection before the demands of everyday life take over.”

2. They signal safety

Constantly anxious and stuck in fight-or-flight? Two-minute mood boosters might be the circuit breaker your nervous system is craving.

“A few slow breaths or a moment of stillness sends a signal to your nervous system that it’s safe,” explains Parmar. “When we train ourselves to recognise and move out of fight or flight, into rest and digest, it can help to restore mental clarity and focus, and help us to cultivate a feeling of inner safety.”

3. They improve mood and mindset

“When we get intentional about how we want to feel and what we want for our day, we are much more likely to notice it,” explains certified business psychologist and founder Dr Lynda Holt. “This is because your brain is actively looking for the things you focus on, so we can literally set ourselves up for a good day (or a bad day) depending on what we are thinking about. Most of us leave this entirely to chance, but morning mood boosters help you to stay focused on what you want rather than what’s wrong.”

4. They boost self worth

“The deeper benefit of two-minute mood boosters is about identity,” says Parmar. She suggests thinking of it like this: “Every small ritual is a vote for who you’re becoming. Prioritising even small moments of joy and pleasure in the morning is an amazing way to build high levels of self-trust and self-worth.”

5. They enhance energy

Many of us try to feel good from the outside in—the right outfit, makeup and skincare routine—according to Parmar. “While those things can be great, real radiance comes from the inside out,” she explains. “When you start the day with loving thoughts, gratitude and a sense of connection to your body, it shows on the outside, and people can feel it in your energy.”

How can we incorporate two-minute morning mood boosters into our routines?

While you can adapt this practice to suit you, the experts are clear that it shouldn’t become another stick to beat yourself with. Once it starts feeling like something you have to do, it loses its power entirely.

“A mantra I love to live by is devotion over discipline,” says Parmar. “I like to think of these rituals as an act of devotion to the person I want to be. When we try to force ourselves into a routine, it starts to feel like a chore, and when we miss a day, we end up feeling guilty about it. Devotion is gentler and far more powerful. You’re not ticking a box for the sake of it; you’re giving yourself a moment of joy and pleasure that you can actually look forward to.”

“The easiest way to begin is to find what makes you feel good and see it as a little gift to yourself. Decide the night before what you will do the next day, so there’s nothing to think about in the morning, because you already know which mood booster you’ve chosen.”

My honest thoughts on using two-minute mood boosters

Even though I spend my days writing about wellness and self-care, I’m notoriously poor at prioritising my own mental health (the irony is not lost on me). But I’m confident that I can find two minutes in my morning to test out a few mood boosters.

First things first, deciding which ones to try. I’m going with a gratitude jar, intentional breathing, mirror affirmations and stepping into daylight, figuring that I can try each one a few times before deciding whether they’ve actually helped. It feels achievable, which is a huge factor for me, given that it’s touch-and-go whether my kids have clean clothes each morning.

The gratitude jar

The idea is simple: you write something you’re grateful for on a small piece of paper, pop it in a glass jar and pull one out at random whenever you need a little boost.

“One of my personal favourites is finding one simple thing to be grateful for each morning,” says wellbeing expert Deborah Bulcock. “It might be something incredibly ordinary, but taking a moment to acknowledge it can help shift our attention towards the positives rather than immediately focusing on our to-do list or what might be worrying us.”

We know that practising gratitude can be powerful for mental health, with studies showing it can boost self-esteem, improve sleep and reduce anxiety and depression.

After a few days of trialling this, I can safely say that I’m fully on board. Rather than immediately jumping into my mental to-do list first thing, I’m stopping and pausing, and I can honestly feel my mood lift. The glimmers really are there, if you look for them.

Intentional breathing

I’ll be honest, breathwork and I have a complicated relationship, but recently I’ve been working on the habit—and I can confirm it gets easier.

Being a woman of a certain age, I can be prone to waking up with a start at 4am, heart racing and palms sweating, nervous system primed for attack. I’m not exaggerating when I say that practising breathwork in these moments has proved transformational for me, so I’m confident that spending two minutes activating my parasympathetic nervous system each morning will help boost calm.

In fact, all it takes is a few slow inhales (a count of four), a hold and a slow exhale (a count of six) to settle my heart rate and make me feel more in control. Another quick win.

Mirror affirmations

This is something that was recommended to me by facialist and life coach Anna Miller. The premise is simple: challenge your inner critic, one morning affirmation at a time.

“As women, the way we speak to ourselves can be incredibly negative,” explains Miller. “But it is possible to change the narrative. Every morning, I spend two minutes at the mirror before the day takes over. I start by noticing how I’m feeling in my skin, then pay attention to the little voice that’s already niggling away. I don’t argue with it, I simply notice it.”

“Then, I say an affirmation (ideally one I don’t fully believe yet) and seal it with a high five in the mirror. It can feel a bit silly sometimes, but it really works to challenge that inner critic.”

Miller is right: I do feel a little silly to begin with, but she’s also spot on about how powerful it can be to speak to ourselves nicely. My mood is brighter, I feel more confident, and I leave my bathroom with a spring in my step.

Stepping into daylight

For the past 13 years, give or take, I’ve been walking at least one of my children to school each morning. But since my youngest is now walking with friends, I’ve found myself slipping into a dangerous little habit of opening up my laptop while still in my PJs, sometimes not seeing the light of day until way past lunchtime.

It’s well documented that exposure to morning light is a simple wellness win, helping to regulate circadian rhythm and wake the body up naturally. For all its benefits, I know that committing to a morning walk every day might just tip my mental capacity over the edge, so I settle for throwing open my bedroom window the second I get out of bed, leaning out and taking in a deep gulp of fresh air.

I’ll be honest: on the days when I don’t have a stupidly early alarm call, this is heaven, but at 6am when it’s pitch dark and freezing, I’m struggling to remember why I’m doing it. So, I compromise and wait until it’s approaching daylight before stepping into the garden for a couple of minutes, and it’s true what the early birds have always told me: dawn really is beautiful.

Does it boost my mood? Yes. Will I continue? Also yes.

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The irony is that I’ve always considered myself a walking person. Living in London, clocking up 10,000 steps a day is often the norm, and between walking my dog, commuting and generally getting around the city, I spend a fair amount of time on my feet. But despite all those steps, I’ve had to admit something rather embarrassing: I’m barely taking any of my surroundings in. There have been occasions when I’ve arrived at my destination without any real recollection of the journey there, having spent the entire time flicking between Instagram, TikTok, emails and whatever else the algorithm has decided I simply must see.

As a Health Writer, the irony isn’t lost on me. I take my morning routine seriously and kicked the habit of scrolling first thing years ago. But when it comes to commuting? I’m like a kid in a sweet shop. A 20-minute train journey is an opportunity to consume an entire week's worth of social media content.

And I have reason to be concerned. According to Ofcom’s 2025 Online Nation report, UK adults spend an average of four and a half hours online every day, rising to four hours and 43 minutes for women. Research suggests that mindless scrolling can also have consequences for our psychological wellbeing.

So, in a rather ironic attempt to spend less time staring at my phone, I downloaded another app. Go Jauntly promises to help users discover new walking routes and reconnect with the nature around them. I wanted to see whether it could help me stop treating every spare minute as an invitation to scroll, and start appreciating the thousands of steps I was already taking.

I Have a Terrible Habit of Mindless Scrolling, So I Trialled a Walking App to Break the Cycle

What Are The Benefits of Walking?

Walking is one of the simplest ways to support both our physical and mental health, with benefits ranging from improved cardiovascular fitness to better mood and stress management. Encouragingly, you don’t need to walk for miles to experience them.

Scientific research has found that higher daily step counts are associated with fewer depressive symptoms. People walking at least 7,000 steps daily had a 31% lower risk of depression than those walking fewer, while just 11 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise a day, such as brisk walking, could help reduce your risk of premature death, according to research from the University of Cambridge. The study also found that even relatively small amounts of physical activity were associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and certain cancers.

“The mental benefits of mixing up your walks should not be underestimated,” PT Sarah Campus previously told Marie Claire. “Stimulating our minds with new sights and experiences is so good for us.”

What Does The Science Say About Mindless Scrolling and our Health?

Unlike doomscrolling, which involves repeatedly consuming negative or distressing online content, mindless scrolling is less about what we're looking at and more about the habit itself. It’s opening Instagram without knowing why, flicking through videos without particularly enjoying them, or losing half an hour to content you can barely remember afterwards. Sound familiar?

And while it’s easy to dismiss as harmless, there’s often more behind our instinct to reach for our phones than simply wanting to be entertained. Psychologists have highlighted how scrolling can become an automatic response to uncomfortable feelings or moments of uncertainty. As psychologist Dr Susan Albers explains for the Cleveland Clinic, checking our phones can become so habitual that we barely register doing it, particularly when we find ourselves with a spare moment. Reaching for a phone is often a micro-escape from boredom, stress, loneliness, or anxiety—acting as a fast-acting, temporary way to soothe an uncomfortable nervous system.

Hana Sutch, co-founder and CEO of Go Jauntly, knows the frustration well. “It's really easy to get into a habit of mindless scrolling. I do it myself, and when I catch myself, it really frustrates me because I just think about how I just lost 30 minutes or 40 minutes of my life when I could’ve been doing something else more rewarding, like going for a walk or reading a book.”

Her advice? Pay attention to how you feel afterwards. Sometimes, recognising that scrolling hasn’t actually made you feel better is motivation enough to try something different.

How Does The Go Jauntly App Work?

Go Jauntly offers pre-planned walking trails, complete with photographs, directions and recommendations from other walkers. You can choose circular routes or use its Green Routes feature to find leafier, greener ways of getting from A to B, with information about distance and terrain helping you decide which walk suits you.

The free version includes a selection of walking routes and basic features, while Premium (£4.99 a month or £20.99 for the first year) unlocks extras including longer Green Routes, offline access and Amble Anywhere, an AI-powered tool that generates circular walking routes.

You can also filter for dog-friendly, child-friendly, car-free and wheel-friendly walks, alongside challenges for those who appreciate a little extra motivation.

I Tried Go Jauntly for Seven Days—Here Are My Unfiltered Thoughts

Days one to three

On the first day, I opened Go Jauntly with relatively modest expectations. I’ve lived in my local area for five years, walked my dog along practically every nearby pavement, and generally assumed I’d exhausted its walking potential. How wrong I was.

Within minutes, I’d discovered a puppy-friendly circular route close to home, taking me in an entirely different direction from the walk I’ve been repeating almost daily for the last two years. It was an absolute delight.

The app was refreshingly easy to navigate, but what I appreciated most was how it changed my attention. Normally, dog walks are an opportunity to catch up on messages, squeeze in a podcast or mentally run through my to-do list. Following an unfamiliar route meant actually looking around, checking street names and noticing little pockets of greenery I’d otherwise overlooked. My dog was thrilled, naturally, although I suspect she was more interested in the fresh smells than my newfound commitment to mindfulness.

Sutch says this is a common experience. “People say to us that they’ve walked past things a million times and didn’t realise what they were about, why they were there.” By day three, I was beginning to understand what she meant. I wasn’t necessarily walking any further, but the walks themselves felt far more rewarding.

Days four to seven

I’ll admit that by the middle of the week, my enthusiasm was tested. London had settled into that particularly grey, cold stretch of autumn where leaving a warm flat feels about as appealing as a 5 am alarm. One afternoon, with a rare window of free time, I found myself debating whether to head outside or curl up on the sofa with my phone. The latter was enormously tempting, but I went anyway, and was glad I did.

The photo-led directions made exploring unfamiliar streets surprisingly straightforward, while recommendations from other walkers encouraged me to look out for everything from medieval ruins to riverside views. I even stumbled across a coffee shop I hadn’t discovered in the five years I've lived here. Five years!

It made me realise how often I’d been treating walking as something purely functional. As Sutch explains, everyday journeys can become so familiar that we’re focused entirely on getting to our destination, rather than enjoying the experience. Having little landmarks to look out for gave my attention somewhere to go other than my phone.

Towards the end of the week, I also noticed something interesting about my sleep. My Oura Ring recorded a sleep latency of just fourteen minutes, compared with my usual 32 minutes. That’s the time it takes to fall asleep, and my longer readings are something the ring regularly flags for improvement. I can’t attribute one encouraging result to a walking app, of course, but I couldn’t help wondering whether spending less time scrolling and more time outdoors had played a part.

Will I keep using Go Jauntly?

Seven days isn’t long enough to undo years of compulsively reaching for my phone, and I’d be lying if I said I hadn't slipped back into old habits. But what surprised me wasn't how much more I walked; it was how differently I experienced walking when I actually paid attention.

I don’t need every dog walk to become an expedition, nor am I pretending that discovering one lovely coffee shop has cured my scrolling habit. But I’m making more of an effort to take the unfamiliar route home, put my phone away and look at the city I’m so lucky to live in. Because I’ve spent years looking for things worth watching on my phone, while walking straight past plenty of them in real life.

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To give some context: winter in Scandinavia means near-constant darkness (depending on region), with some areas experiencing between 18 and 24 hours of darkness each day.

Cosy as this may be, we know that living without adequate exposure to sunlight takes its toll on us, both physically and emotionally. Studies such as this one, published in the journal General Psychiatry, show that a higher daytime exposure to sunlight is linked to a reduction in risk of developing dementia, while further research highlights the correlation between daylight, mood and sleep (check out this study from the Journal of Affective Disorders. Meanwhile, it's well established that inadequate vitamin D intake contributes to a range of health outcomes, from cancer and cardiovascular disease to autoimmune disorders and more.

All this aside, though, we can all attest to the fact that when it's dark and cold outside, even the most optimistic of us can struggle with mood, motivation and more. So, what can we learn from our neighbours in the North? For your winter delight, we've rounded up our favourites of these gorgeous habits to set you up for your best season yet.

You can thank us in March, but until then, feast your eyes on our wonderful winter wellbeing content, from the morning sunlight snack you have to try, the impact of the clock change on mental health and a review of the humming nervous system reset trick, to what happened when I tried every beat the winter blues hack for a month, here.

7 Scandi Winter Rituals We Love To Help Us Lean Into the Darker Months

What are Scandinavian winter rituals?

So, what exactly do we mean when we talk about Scandi winter rituals? Listen up: we're pretty sure you're going to love them.

“Winter can leave us feeling tired, sluggish, and a little less motivated, but Scandinavian wellness traditions offer some lovely ways to make the colder months more enjoyable,” shares nutritional therapist and women's wellbeing expert, Alison Bladh. “From spending time outdoors to embracing warmth, nourishing food and moments of calm, these simple rituals can support our physical and mental wellbeing without complicated routines.”

Essentially, they are habits and rituals that help us to look inwards and lean into what supports us emotionally and spiritually, as well as physically. And the best bit? They're simple and (for the most part) free.

“Small rituals give you something to look forward to when the days are shorter, and you don’t need to spend lots of money or plan anything elaborate,” agrees Scandinavian wellness expert and head of brand at Froya Organics, Line Pevik. “It’s about being present, enjoying good company and making the everyday feel a little more special.”

What are the benefits of Scandinavian winter rituals?

Radical honesty here: we're not going to take much convincing to lean into the Scandi winter rituals trend, but just in case you're on the fence, hear this: a positive mindset around winter is scientifically proven to increase life satisfaction.

“One thing I keep coming back to is a Norwegian piece of research called the Winter Mindset Scale (Leibowitz & Vittersø, 2020), which found something counterintuitive,” reveals Pevik. “The further north people live in Norway, the more positive their mindset toward winter gets. And we are not talking about mild winters: these are communities inside the Arctic Circle, where midwinter means no sunrise at all, for weeks. The expectation would be that these people are the most worn down. In fact, they are the most positive about the season. Not more depressed. More positive!

“What those communities have in common is a mindset shift. They have stopped treating winter as an absence of summer and started treating it as its own season, with its own gifts: the stillness, the slower mornings, the long evenings.

“The practical takeaway for readers anywhere, not just the Arctic: the shift from “how do I push through this?” to “what is this season actually asking of me, and what is uniquely on offer right now, that I can lean into and enjoy while I have it?” is the one habit worth borrowing above all the others.”

We love this.

MC UK's favourite Scandi winter wellbeing rituals of all time

1. Sauna

Perhaps the most quintessential Scandi habit of all, the sauna is firmly at the top of our list of rituals to embrace this winter—because who are we to argue with warming our cockles in the pouring rain?

And the science stacks up here, too: research from the University of Bristol found that a single 30-minute sauna session can lower blood pressure and improve blood vessel flexibility, shares council member of the British Sauna Society and CEO of Finnmark Sauna, Jake Newport.

“Sauna bathing has become increasingly popular across the UK, with the number of public saunas growing from around 45 in 2023 to more than 950 today,” he tells MC UK. “It's great to see more people discovering sauna, particularly as there's some really promising research into its benefits for heart health and blood pressure. When you sit in a sauna, the heat causes your blood vessels to widen, improving circulation and helping to reduce blood pressure temporarily.

“There's also evidence that combining sauna with exercise could be particularly beneficial. A 2022 study found that people who spent 15 minutes in a sauna after exercising three times a week for eight weeks saw greater reductions in systolic blood pressure than those who exercised alone.

“If you're new to sauna, I'd recommend starting with five to ten minutes and gradually building up to around 15 minutes as you become comfortable with the heat. Make sure you're drinking plenty of water and take breaks whenever you need them.”

2. Koeslig

“Deriving from the Norwegian verb å kose seg, which translates as to enjoy oneself, to bask, or to cuddle, Koselig is a mind-shifting concept that can help soften some of the difficulties that come with winter,” says Dr Susanne Hackenmiller, chief medical advisor of All Trails. “It’s an idea that encourages us to lean into both the cosiness of connection with loved ones or nature, and the occasional discomfort of being outdoors in the cold. We know that a positive wintertime mindset is associated with a higher sense of well-being, including greater life satisfaction and more positive emotions.

“As we mirror autumn’s rhythm, it’s an ideal time to embrace Koeslig and move more slowly. Your body will naturally move slower in the cold, so make the most of it and channel mindfulness by noticing each footfall, your breath, and the sights and sounds of nature.

“Spending time outdoors at this time of year can also boost mood, counteract lower vitamin D levels, and help combat Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), a condition that affects around two million people in the UK.”

3. Útiseta

“Útiseta, which translates as ‘sitting out’, is an ancient Nordic practice that would involve sitting alone in nature from dusk till dawn, as a way to quiet the mind, connect to the landscape and develop mental clarity,” shares wellbeing expert and founder of Mood, Lauren Parmar. “Often performed in liminal locations such as burial sites, mountain tops or near the roots of ancient trees, it was said that this deeply introspective practice was a powerful way to receive cosmic insights, prophecy or hidden wisdom.

“Today we can recreate the essence of this practice by wrapping up warm and sitting outside in nature or by a window for 15 minutes without your phone. Notice the sounds of nature around you, the coolness of the air, the changing light, and see if you can surrender to the present moment without distraction or expectation.”

Prefer to stay inside in the warm? You can still reap the benefits of the practice through a nature-anchored visualisation meditation, Parmar continues. “Your nervous system has an amazing way of responding to whatever you imagine,” she advises. “A study published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology shows that simply picturing nature for five minutes slowed participants' heart rates and increased heart rate variability, which is a powerful marker of relaxation.

“So on dark winter evenings when you can't get to the forest, maybe instead, you can bring the forest to you.”

Sounds pretty good to us.

4. Fika

Fika might just be our favourite of all the rituals. Translating as ‘coffee break’, it's all about coffee, pastries, and catching up with friends.

“The Swedish tradition of fika is about taking a proper break, usually over coffee or tea, often with friends,” shares Blandh. “It's an opportunity to step away from work, put down your phone and enjoy a conversation. I love the simplicity of this ritual because it reminds us that taking a break isn't wasting time. The occasional cinnamon bun is also allowed!”

You had us at coffee.

5. Mys

Heard of hygge? Mys is the Swedish equivalent—and it's equally as delicious-sounding.

“Mys is the Swedish idea of creating a cosy, comforting atmosphere, similar to Danish hygge,” Blandh explains. “Think soft lighting, warm blankets, candles and a quiet evening with a good book. Creating a relaxing environment can help us switch off after a busy day. Try dimming the lights and putting your phone away an hour before bedtime.”

Oh, go on, then.

6. Lagom

Lagom might just be the antidote to optimisation culture that we all need. In a nutshell, it's all about finding your balance over chasing perfection.

“Lagom is a Swedish concept meaning ‘just the right amount’,” explains Chantal Leverton, naturopathic health coach and founder of Bodyspace Health Coaching. “I think this is particularly relevant for women who often feel pressure to do everything, especially when it comes to health and fitness. Rather than embarking on an extreme exercise regime or completely overhauling your diet in January, lagom encourages a more balanced and sustainable approach.

“This might mean choosing movement that energises you rather than exhausts you, eating nourishing seasonal foods, prioritising sleep and recognising when your body needs rest. Small, consistent habits are far more sustainable than all-or-nothing approaches, particularly during the darker months.”

7. Friluftsliv

Inclement weather is no excuse for staying indoors in Scandinavia. Friluftsliv is a concept rooted in spending time in nature every day for mental and physical wellbeing.

“I particularly love the Scandinavian concept of friluftsliv, which translates to ‘open-air living’,” shares aesthetic doctor and founder of Clinicbe, Dr Barbara Kubicka. “It recognises the important connection between our environment, lifestyle and overall wellbeing. Spending time outdoors in natural daylight, even for a short winter walk, can help support our mood, regulate sleep patterns and provide a much-needed break from spending so much time indoors.”

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Which is why I’ve made it my mission to turn “you’re selfish” into one of the biggest compliments a woman can receive. It started, as many great ideas do, a bottle of wine deep, during a conversation with a friend. We got talking about how readily women apologise for having needs, how uncomfortable we feel saying no, and why putting ourselves first still carries so much stigma. By the end of it, we’d decided it was time to reclaim the word.

Call it wine-fuelled wisdom, but the statistics tell a similar story. A 2026 poll of 2,000 UK women found that more than nine in ten put others’ needs before their own, with nearly two-thirds doing so often. Almost half (48%) struggle to ask for what they want, while around two-thirds worry about seeming demanding or difficult. Clearly, we’ve become so afraid of being called selfish that we’ve forgotten what it means to put ourselves first.

But this is about more than learning to say no to dinner plans without a full-blown apology tour. It’s about what happens when you’ve been led to believe that being “selfish” is practically criminal behaviour, and the toll this can take on your health. With 44% of UK women saying their health has stopped them from doing everything they want to do, it’s worth asking what we’re sacrificing in the process.

So, let’s put selfish back into our vocabulary; not as an insult, but a compliment. Let’s make it one of the most seductive, compelling and respected words in the mental wellbeing conversation. Because being everything to everyone is exhausting - and perhaps a little more selfishness is exactly what the doctor ordered. Experts, take it away.

Why Putting Yourself First Could Be One of the Best Things You Do for Your Health

Why Are Women Still Expected to Put Everyone Else First?

A question that feels as old as time itself: why are women still expected to put everyone else first? And what’s particularly interesting is that, while we might like to think we’ve moved on from the traditional gender roles, the reality for many suggests otherwise. An Ipsos survey found that while just 14% of people believe women should take primary responsibility for childcare, 43% think society still expects them to. In other words, even if our personal attitudes have moved on, societal expectations haven't quite caught up. TDLR: we might believe in equality, but we’re still living with expectations that came before it.

The numbers bear that out, too. ONS data shows women spend an average of 3 hours and 37 minutes a day of unpaid work, compared with 2 hours and 43 minutes for men. That’s nearly an extra hour every day spent on the things that keep everyone else’s lives ticking along.

For Suzy Reading, chartered psychologist specialising in self-advocacy and self-worth, the roots of this run deep.“A good girl, good daughter, good wife, good mother is characterised by selflessness,” she says. “Women are conditioned to be “pliable, amenable, modest, agreeable, accommodating—essentially, to be everything everyone else needs them to be. And while we're told we can now have it all, I’m arguing that this has often translated into being expected to “do it all”.

She sees the consequences of that expectation in her consulting room every day. Women come to her wanting to be better mothers, wives, daughters, sisters, friends, and colleagues despite already giving everything they have.“Women who are already giving everything they have feel like they have to find it from somewhere to give more,” she says. “Rather than asking whether those demands are reasonable, fair or sustainable, I’m seeing many of my clients turn the pressure back on themselves.” Reading calls it a “pandemic of ‘not enoughness’”.

And it’s not just about societal expectations. It’s about what years of those expectations can make us believe about ourselves, our worth and our right to have needs of our own.

The Psychology Behind Our Need to Please

Before we can reclaim the word selfish, we need to understand why saying no can feel so damn difficult. According to health psychologist Sula Windgassen, the roots of people-pleasing can go much deeper than simply wanting to be liked. “It is generally much more threat-based,” she explains. “The intense need to ensure that people are pleased is often related to a fear of being rejected or negatively affected should others not be happy.”

​Psychologists have a name for this particular people-pleasing trap: self-silencing. Psychologist Dana Jack’s theory explores how gender expectations can teach women to suppress their own needs, thoughts and feelings to keep relationships harmonious. And the research is compelling: a 2021 meta-analysis of 42 studies, involving more than 10,000 people, found a moderate association between self-silencing and depression.

​The effects may not be purely psychological, either. Research has linked emotional suppression with heightened physiological responses to stress. In other words, constantly swallowing what you really think or feel may come at a cost.

Reading explains that people-pleasing can “rupture our relationship with self”, leaving us feeling “lost” and disconnected from our own needs and preferences. Her advice? Ask yourself: If I knew it would be completely acceptable to say no, would I still want to do it? It's a simple way to start separating genuine generosity from the fear of disappointing someone.

The Hidden Health Cost of Always Putting Others First – and the Signs You Shouldn't Ignore

We’re often told that looking after ourselves is a matter of making more time for self-care: get up earlier, book the appointment, whack on the sheet mask, find a moment to “switch off”. These are our “selfish moments”, and while I agree, I can’t help but wonder: what if the problem isn’t that we’re simply not making enough time for ourselves? What if it’s that we’re living in a way that leaves so little room for our needs in the first place?

The experts are clear: being selfless can come with physical costs. Being endlessly accommodating, absorbing other people’s stress and pushing through when you’re exhausted might be praised as selflessness, but the body doesn’t necessarily experience it that way. When the pressure becomes chronic, it can have very real consequences for our health.

Medical doctor and women’s health advocate Dr Faye Bate explains that prolonged stress can affect several systems in the body. “The immune system can be affected, meaning more infections and longer recovery times. Sleep can become disrupted, while the body's fight-or-flight response can divert blood away from the gut, affecting digestion.”

Hormones can be affected, too, with chronic stress potentially contributing to irregular, missed or heavier periods, lower libido and worsening PMS or perimenopause symptoms. More seriously, chronic stress has been linked to an increased risk of heart attacks. “The cumulative strain of repeated or prolonged stress is known as allostatic load—the wear and tear on the body that builds up over time,” explains Bate's.

And the signs aren’t always physical. From a mental health perspective, Reading points to anxiety, emotional numbing, irritability, loneliness, and relationship difficulties as possible consequences of repeatedly denying our own needs. She also suggests watching for guilt around saying no, struggling to identify what you actually want, neglecting basic health needs and relying on coffee, sugar, alcohol or screens to get through the day.

Consider this a reality check: selflessness might be celebrated, but it isn't harmless when it comes at the expense of our health. I'm sure many of us can relate: I, for one, have a habit of treating my time, energy and wellbeing as though they're endlessly expendable. But saying no, setting boundaries and putting our own needs back on the agenda isn't selfish—it's self-preservation. And it's about time we started treating it that way.

The Small Acts of Selfishness That Could Make a Big Difference to Your Wellbeing

Welcome. The doors to the selfish club are officially open, and absolutely no one needs to apologise for walking through them. House rules: leave the guilt outside. Your needs are not an inconvenience, and 'no' is a complete sentence. I asked Reading for five simple ways to get started; no permission required.

3 Simple Ways to Be a Little More Selfish Every Day

1. Check in with yourself before checking in on everyone else

Before you launch into another day of sorting everyone else's lives out, take a moment to check in with yourself. Reading suggests a simple hand-on-heart ritual: place a hand on your chest, take a mindful sip of your morning coffee or a glass of water, and ask yourself: What's happening for me right now? What do I need? The idea is to get into the habit of recognising your needs whilst they're still a whisper, rather than waiting until they're practically shouting - through exhaustion, overwhelm or even illness. A small pause can be a good reminder that you're on your own to-do list, too.

2. Repeat after me. Rest is NOT a reward

A firm favourite of mine. You wouldn't expect your phone to run indefinitely without charging, so why do we expect the same of ourselves? Reading is a fan of restorative yoga's 'legs up the wall' pose, or her rather brilliant 'human burrito.' The latter involves lying on your bed, placing a pillow under your head and another beneath your knees, then wrapping yourself up in your duvet and letting yourself properly flop. Even five minutes can be enough. And if rest keeps getting bumped down your priority list? Reading's advice is simple: “Make an appointment with you.”

3. Make your comfort a priority

Feeling safe and comfortable matters, both for your nervous system and your emotional wellbeing. Sometimes that can be as simple as wearing clothes that let you breathe (because nobody needs a tight bra making an already stressful day worse). Reading also recommends a little self-soothing ritual she calls the 'face hug': rub your hands together to warm them, then gently cradle your face. Take a moment to notice how reassuring it feels to be held. As she puts it: “It is ok to pause and find a pace that respects your humanity.” Her mantra? “I give myself permission to feel.”

Let's Get Loud About Being Selfish

If there’s one thing I hope the woman on the other side of this article takes away from this, it’s that putting yourself first shouldn’t feel like an act of rebellion—and it certainly shouldn't come with a side order of guilt. Our time, energy and health aren’t bottomless resources, and being a good daughter, partner, friend, colleague, or mother shouldn’t mean running ourselves into the ground.

I’m not suggesting we stop caring about other people. I’m suggesting we extend ourselves the same consideration we hand out so freely. Say no. Ask for what you need. Take a rest. Change your mind. Let someone else pick up the slack. And please, stop apologising for having perfectly reasonable needs.

So here’s to being a little less accommodating, a little more boundary-setting, and considerably less bothered about being labelled selfish. Because if looking after yourself is selfish, I’d suggest we’ve been using the word wrong all along.

MC's Selfish Edit

All of which is to say, I know just how hard it can be to break up with your phone. Research from Uswitch suggests that we spend an average of 4.8 hours a day looking at screens. And while more than a third of us want to cut back, our attempts to do so often fall flat, with boredom and fear of missing out among our biggest hurdles.

The reality is that our world is structured around screens. We rely on them to work, navigate, manage our money, keep up with the news and stay in touch with friends. From the latest Netflix series to the viral trend everyone’s talking about, being digitally connected is a form of social currency: something to discuss over dinner or on a first date.

That's why, this time around, I decided against attempting another full digital detox. My previous experiences had taught me that it simply isn’t sustainable. Instead, I focused on making small, manageable swaps to my usual habits, gradually reducing the amount of time I spent on my phone without compromising the moments where my phone genuinely enhances my life.

Four months in, I'm shocked by the difference it's made to my focus, attention span, energy levels and emotional resilience. Ahead, the five habits that have helped me curb my screen time, alongside expert insight into why they work.

For more wellbeing switches to take into 2027, have a read of the 7 high-stress habits to quit, the life admin that’s secretly draining you and how a 10-minute sunlight snack could be the thing to see you through the rest of the winter. Plus, this 60-second breathing trick to calm your nervous system is a must-add to a busy routine.

I Found Reducing My Screen Time Impossible—4 Months On, Here's What Worked

Why Is Reducing Our Screentime So Difficult?

I used to think that my failure to digitally detox was down to a lack of willpower. But as Hector Hughes, co-founder and CEO of Unplugged, reminds me, this is far from the case. “Social media apps have been designed by the best engineers and designers in the world to hold your attention and keep you scrolling,” he explains. “These apps tap into our brain’s reward centre by releasing dopamine—one of our ‘feel-good chemicals’ associated with pleasure, reward and motivation. Every swipe or click presents the potential for something new, and since our brains love novelty and unexpected rewards, this keeps us scrolling.”

Psychologist Dr Farideh Banafshei agrees. “Tackling screen time is a challenge for everyone, including therapists and psychologists,” she says. “It’s a systemic issue, not a personal failing.”

It’s reassuring to hear, but Dr Banafshei points out there’s a wider cultural issue beyond the addictiveness of the apps themselves. “Wellness and optimisation culture has convinced us that being well means feeling good all the time,” she explains. “Any uncomfortable feeling has become something to get rid of immediately, and the quickest exit we all carry in our pocket is our phone.”

What Are The Benefits of Reducing Screentime?

As Dr Banafshei alluded to, reducing screen time is one way of becoming more in touch with uncomfortable, yet important, emotions. In fact, one study found that just one week away from social media reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety by almost 25% and 16%, respectively. But that’s not the only benefit.

1. Improved sleep and energy

“When people reduce screen time, even slightly, they often notice a clearer head, better sleep and more stable energy levels,” says Hughes, who adds that it also gives you time back. “You might reach for your phone to check the weather but then get stuck in a scroll hole for 20 minutes without realising. Curbing screen time gives you more time within the day for things that really matter.”

2. Greater creativity

Then, of course, there are the benefits boredom has for creativity. “Boredom is good for us,” confirms Hughes. “It helps your brain rest properly and gives it the space it needs for original and creative thought.”

3. A revived attention span

We’re all familiar with the term brainrot, and it’s not just a buzzword. Research shows that our screens, and short-form content in particular, are having a real impact on our cognitive health. “The largest review to date found that heavier short-form video use is linked to poorer attention and weaker inhibitory control, which is our ability to pause and resist an impulse,” says Dr Banafshei.

The good news, though, is that our brains are neuroplastic and can be retrained. “One of the strongest studies to date found that blocking mobile internet for two weeks while keeping calls and texts improved sustained attention span by the equivalent of 10 years of age-related decline,” says Dr Banafshei, who adds that the participants' mental health improved too. “With the time they got back, people spent more time socialising face to face and being outdoors,” she explains.

The 5 Habits Which Finally Helped Me Curb My Screentime-And Made Doing So Feel Like a Treat Not a Chore

1. I took up photography

One of the main reasons my phone remains so glued to my side is my love of taking photos. Beyond being chronically compelled to post on Instagram, I genuinely love the creativity of photography: zooming in on tiny details, capturing my friends in candid laughter or catching the light at just the right moment. One of my favourite things to do on a flight is scroll back through my camera roll, revisiting the thousands of photos that hold memories of some of my favourite moments.

It's why, at the beginning of the summer, I decided to detach my love of photography from my phone and start treating it as a genuine hobby. I'd recently tried out a friend's Fujifilm X100VI and fallen in love with the film-style images it captured.

Using it over the last four months has been an absolute joy, largely because it's challenged me to learn a new skill. Despite being relatively point-and-shoot, it's required me to get to grips with the basics of digital photography, from mastering the exposure triangle to programming in the correct recipes. It's felt a little like going back to school, and watching my photographs improve over the last four months has been incredibly rewarding.

I also love the lack of immediacy. The camera's small screen means I can't always tell whether every shot I've taken is perfect, which stops me getting quite so caught up in my own perfectionism. I point, shoot and put the camera away, returning to the present in a matter of moments. Unlike my phone, which can trap me in a flurry of 'urgent' notifications every time I take a photo, my camera allows me to capture my favourite moments without detracting from the magic of actually living them.

2. I started clocking screentime miles

This is an idea I stole and adapted from my friend and fellow journalist, Evie Olsen, who was herself inspired by the concept of Air Miles. While Olsen has built her own reward system around 'running miles', I've applied mine to screen time.

It works like this: for every dedicated hour I spend away from my screen, I pay myself £1, which goes into a pot in my bank account labelled 'Screentime rewards'. I track my time using Brick, a screen time management device that blocks apps and tells me how long I've spent away from my screen. At the end of each day, I transfer my rewards into the pot. Over time, they build up into a little fund that I can spend on any analogue treat I fancy, whether that's a coffee from my favourite café or a new book I've been desperate to read.

Over the last four months, my rewards pot has grown to more than £200, funding plenty of little treats that have consistently brightened my weeks.

3. I created reading hours

Confession: I'm a bookworm. And while I know that's not true for everyone, I firmly believe there's a genre out there for everyone, whether you prefer crime fiction, a romcom or an autobiography. In spite of my love of books, however, my reading time has declined rapidly over the last few years, gradually replaced by hours of scrolling.

For me, it's largely come down to energy. At the end of a busy day, I often feel as though I haven't got the concentration left for a book, whereas mindless scrolling feels much more manageable. The irony, of course, is that while scrolling leaves me feeling more exhausted, reading actually gives me energy, particularly creative energy.

That's why I've started carving out dedicated reading hours in my diary. It removes any guilt that I should be doing something more productive and helps me stay consistent. I've found that once I'm immersed in a book, picking it up again becomes much easier, while having reading hours built into my routine ensures I always have something on the go.

For me, mornings and evenings work best, but I also squeeze in a 30-minute window after lunch. It's a great way to avoid the 3 pm work slump, re-energising me creatively for the final few hours of the day.

4. I took up silent walks

Before I start, I know this one might be divisive. When I tell friends that I walk without headphones, many look at me in amazement. But hear me out. While I love a podcast or a pumping playlist as much as the next person, I realised that the constant stimulation in my ears was contributing to the constant noise in my brain. I was so plugged in that not only was it becoming difficult to hear my own thoughts, but I also felt increasingly restless and unsettled in silence.

So, over the summer, I started going on silent walks. If you can, I'd recommend doing this somewhere away from busy roads. Forests and rivers are particularly lovely, as you get the soundtrack of the natural world instead.

These walks have become some of my favourite moments of the day. They're when I process the things I'm worried about, work through problems and often find myself becoming more creative. If I'm experiencing writer's block or trying to make a start on a new project, I know that a silent walk can help get things moving.

5. I introduced the morning papers

We all know that reaching for our phones as soon as we wake up isn't necessarily the best start to the day. But I really love the ritual of checking the news in the morning. It helps me feel informed and connected to the world around me, and it's a lovely accompaniment to my morning coffee—a habit I have absolutely no intention of giving up.

That's why I've gone old-school and started buying a physical newspaper or magazine to read first thing. Often, I'll combine this with my silent walking habit by strolling to my local newsagent to pick up a paper. If I'm really getting into the habit-stacking spirit, I'll pop my Bala Bangles around my ankles to add a little resistance into the mix.

Together, it's become a lovely morning ritual that combines sunlight, movement, a little strength training and some cognitive stimulation—all before I've even looked at my phone.

The verdict:

I'm not suggesting you need to copy every analogue habit I've mentioned here. These are simply the things that work for me and my schedule. But what I have learnt is that you don't need a week-long digital detox to reap the benefits of reducing your screen time.

I still have Instagram and TikTok, still work on my laptop for up to six hours a day and haven't given up my Spotify subscription. In other words, I've not had to compromise on any of the benefits of my digital life, yet I feel healthier, happier and more emotionally resilient.

I've found that being consciously online and consciously offline is what really makes the difference. When I'm scrolling, I'm doing so intentionally, and when I'm not, I'm not. That gives my brain the time it needs to rest and recharge, leaving me clearer-headed, better able to focus and problem-solve, and less likely to feel stressed or low as a result of what I see on social media.

Ultimately, it keeps me rooted in reality, and I'm a better person for it. I wholeheartedly recommend giving it a try.

Ready To Cut Down Your Screen Time? Shop MC UK’s Analogue Essentials

I exercise regularly, make time for friends, prioritise sleep and am fortunate enough to have a career that I genuinely love. On paper, I've struck a relatively healthy balance between work, socialising and self-care. A habit stacker, if you will. And yet, I cannot remember the last time I went an entire day without checking my emails.

Having lived in London for over a decade, I've become so accustomed to the relentless pace of city life that I've stopped questioning whether it's actually good for me. Even my downtime comes with a mental checklist of things I could, or should, be doing. It's a peculiar contradiction: I know an enormous amount about how to manage stress, but very little about how to stop feeling it.

So, when I travelled to South Korea for seven days, I was curious to discover whether a different cultural approach to wellbeing might offer some perspective. South Korea has one of the highest life expectancies in the developed world, at 83.5 years, yet its demanding work culture and considerable mental health challenges paint a more complicated picture.

I wanted to look beyond the global obsession with K-beauty and explore how Koreans approach everything from food and movement to rest and traditional healing. What I hadn't anticipated was finding a remarkable sense of calm in Seoul, a sprawling metropolis of more than nine million people, or that some of my most valuable discoveries would have surprisingly little to do with wellness treatments at all.

For my findings, keep reading. While you're here, check out our guides to low-effort wellness habits, the warning signs your wellness habits are making you financially sick and everything you need to know about the soft hermitting trend. Plus, read how I got on when I tried 'sunlight snacking' every morning for my mental health.

I Spent A Week In Seoul Investigating South Korea’s Approach To Wellbeing—This Is What I Found

What Does Stress Look Like In South Korea?

To better understand South Korea's relationship with stress, I spoke to Dr Christine Hall, a GP and aesthetic doctor at London's Taktouk Clinic, whose Korean heritage has given her an appreciation of both Eastern and Western approaches to health.

“South Koreans are often considered to be the ‘work hard, play hard’ nation,” she explains, describing a society where ambition, academic achievement and appearance carry enormous social significance. “Stress at work is almost the norm and can become so normalised that people don’t necessarily recognise it as a problem.”

It's an observation that sits alongside a sobering statistic: according to the OECD's 2025 health report, South Korea recorded 23 deaths by suicide per 100,000 people, compared with an OECD average of 11. Although suicide has complex causes, these figures challenge the assumption that a nation's longevity necessarily reflects its psychological wellbeing.

I was lucky enough to speak with Dr Hall's mother, Younga Hall, about her equally fascinating generational perspective of growing up in Korea. “Stress was a concept that wasn’t recognised when I was growing up,” she recalls. “Any admission of feeling overwhelmed was frowned upon and to reveal you were finding things difficult was seen as a sign of weakness.”

Hall describes how Korea's history of occupation, war and extraordinary economic transformation helped shape a culture of resilience and personal sacrifice, with family networks providing an important source of support.

Her reflections made me question something about my own relationship with stress: when does being resilient stop being admirable and start becoming an excuse to ignore how exhausted you are?

What I Noticed During My Week In Seoul

If I'd expected South Korea to offer a slower alternative to London, I'd spectacularly misunderstood the assignment. Seoul is an exhilarating collision of neon signs, densely packed neighbourhoods, towering skyscrapers and an underground transport system that makes London's Tube feel positively prehistoric. Yet, somehow, I found the city surprisingly calming.

Perhaps it was the accessibility of the surrounding mountains, the parks and riverside spaces, or the cafés where people appeared perfectly content to spend hours over a single cup. There was also the undeniable advantage of an eight-hour time difference: having an entire morning before the UK woke up, and my inbox inevitably started fizzing, felt like reclaiming a part of my day I hadn't realised I'd lost.

Of course, spending a week somewhere as a visitor is vastly different from navigating its everyday pressures as a resident. But I became fascinated by the small, seemingly ordinary habits that created opportunities for connection, movement and moments of respite, even within such a fast-paced environment.

What Does Wellbeing Actually Mean In Korean Culture?

One of the most interesting things I learned was that Korea's relationship with wellbeing extends far beyond the physical. Dr Hall's mother introduced me to kibun, a traditional Korean concept loosely associated with inner feelings, dignity and self-worth.

“Recognition as a person deserving of respect and status directly impacts their mental state,” she explains, describing how protecting another person's kibun has traditionally been an important part of Korean social etiquette.

I found this particularly interesting because Western wellness often feels like an individual pursuit. We invest in supplements, track our sleep and optimise our exercise routines, yet there's something compelling about considering how our interactions with other people influence our wellbeing.

Her observations made me wonder whether my approach to stress had become too focused on what I could do to fix it, rather than the relationships and everyday experiences that might help me feel better.

My Key Findings From Seven Days Exploring Korean Wellness

1. Food Was As Much About Connection As Nutrition

Some of my fondest memories of Seoul involve steaming bowls of broth, rice, kimchi and an impressive assortment of banchan, the small side dishes accompanying traditional Korean meals. What interested me wasn't simply their nutritional value, but their cultural significance.

“Food is entangled with Korean culture,” explains Dr Hall. “It's not just something that has to be done in order to stay alive or purely for taste–it is a Korean person’s way of showing love.” Her mother recalls traditional dishes such as samgyetang, a ginseng chicken soup, and miyeokguk, seaweed soup, which have long been associated with restoring vitality and supporting health.

There's promising science behind some elements of the traditional diet, particularly fermented foods. A 2021 study found that increasing fermented food consumption over ten weeks improved gut microbiome diversity and reduced inflammatory markers. While eating kimchi won't magically eliminate stress, emerging research into the gut-brain axis suggests a potentially important relationship between digestive health and mental wellbeing.

Personally, though, I found the emphasis on sharing meals the most special. There was something comforting about food being an occasion to enjoy, rather than another task squeezed between meetings.

2. Hiking Was A Habit, Not An Occasion

One of my most memorable mornings began before sunrise, climbing Seoul's Ingwangsan trail. As the fog gradually lifted over the skyline, I was struck by the number of locals already navigating the mountain. Older couples in hiking gear, friends chatting animatedly, solo walkers and families spanning generations were all tackling the steep paths on an otherwise ordinary weekday. Their familiarity with the terrain suggested this wasn't an extraordinary fitness undertaking, but a familiar part of life.

At one point, I passed an elderly woman rapidly making her way uphill, rhythmically clapping her hands together as she walked. I later learned about gi, the traditional Korean concept of vital energy, and how practices such as hand-clapping and acupressure are believed to stimulate its circulation and restore balance within the body.

“Hiking is a huge part of Korean leisure culture, particularly among older generations,” explains Dr Hall. Research supports the restorative effect of nature, too: scientific research has found that a 60-minute walk in nature reduced activity in the amygdala, a brain region involved in processing stress.

As a runner, I've always valued exercise, but standing above Seoul reminded me that movement doesn't have to involve a pace, distance or personal best. Sometimes, the pleasure of being outside is enough.

3. Coffee Culture Made Me Question My Obsession With Productivity

Seoul takes its coffee culture seriously. I'm talking beautifully designed cafés, drink menus that read more like dessert menus (black sesame lattes, anyone?) and coffee shops that stay open well into the evening. But what struck me most was how people seemed to use them. In London, it's almost impossible to find a café that isn't doubling as a makeshift office, with laptops occupying every available table and flat whites fuelling the working day. Yet in the cafés I visited in Seoul, I noticed remarkably few laptops during the day. Instead, there were friends catching up, older couples nursing the same coffees for hours, and people seemingly happy to sit and enjoy their surroundings without doing much else.

It made me think about how obsessed we've become with optimising our time. We listen to podcasts on our commutes, squeeze workouts into lunch breaks and turn our hobbies into side hustles, all in the name of making the most of our days. I'm certainly guilty of it. Even when I meet a friend for coffee, there's usually an errand to run afterwards or an email I'm mentally composing on the way home.

Dr Hall recommends prioritising shared meals and social connection as part of a healthy lifestyle, but perhaps what I really needed to learn was that not every spare hour has to serve a purpose. Sometimes, a coffee can just be a coffee.

4. Traditional Korean Healing Made Me Rethink Rest

South Korea's beauty industry is impossible to ignore. In Seoul, aesthetic clinics, elaborate skincare treatments and promises of eternal youth seem to occupy practically every other building. Yet beyond the pursuit of youthful skin, I was interested in traditional approaches to restoring balance between the body and mind.

During my trip, I visited Spa Gogyeol, a Korean wellness spa in Seocho, which I found on Tripadvisor. Its approach reinterprets traditional Korean manual therapy, with massage techniques inspired by yin-yang and five-elements philosophy. Rather than focusing exclusively on appearance, the spa's philosophy emphasises harmony between physical and mental wellbeing, with personalised treatments designed around the body.

As someone who spends an enormous amount of time researching evidence-based health advice, I'm naturally sceptical of treatments promising to rebalance energy. While energy-healing claims lack robust scientific evidence, massage itself can support relaxation. Yet I found the experience unexpectedly thought-provoking. Being encouraged to focus on how my body felt, rather than how it looked or what it could achieve, was a welcome departure from my usual approach to wellbeing. I spend so much time trying to make my body stronger, fitter and healthier that I sometimes forget to ask whether it feels rested.

The Verdict: Did Korea's Approach To Stress Actually Work?

I arrived in South Korea hoping to discover something revolutionary about managing stress, perhaps a cultural philosophy or ancient healing ritual that might finally convince my brain to switch off. Instead, I encountered a country whose relationship with stress was arguably just as complicated as my own. Yet amid all that ambition, I found everyday habits that made me reconsider how I approach my wellbeing.

Perhaps my biggest revelation was that I've spent years confusing having a healthy lifestyle with having a healthy relationship with stress. I've become remarkably good at making time for exercise, socialising and self-care, but much less accomplished at enjoying those things without mentally returning to my inbox. In Seoul, the moments that felt most restorative weren't necessarily the ones I'd planned around wellness. They were the conversations over dinner, the sunrise above the city, and the afternoon I realised that simply sitting in a café could be an entirely worthwhile use of my time.

Back in London, my inbox is as relentless as ever, and seven days abroad haven't fundamentally changed my personality. But I have started questioning why so much of my free time still feels as though it belongs to work. South Korea didn't teach me how to eliminate stress. Instead, it reminded me that looking after yourself isn't always about doing more, even when those things are supposedly good for you.

Shop MC-approved Essentials For 'Switching Off' Below:

Humming might be finding fresh favour as a wellness technique, but its roots stretch back centuries. Known as Bhramari Pranayama, or “Bee Breath”, in yoga, it has roots in ancient Indian traditions. Researchers are now exploring its potential physiological benefits, including whether it could help manage stress. In a small 2023 study of 23 participants, researchers found an association between humming and a lower physiological stress index - an early hint that this simple act could have interesting effects on the body. It’s enough to make you wonder whether that absent-minded little hum could be doing more for us than we realise.

As someone perpetually on the hunt for low-effort ways to take the edge off everyday stress (because, frankly, none of us needs another elaborate wellness ritual on an already overstuffed to-do list), I was keen to try it myself. Could something as simple as humming on an exhale help nudge my mind into “rest mode”? And would two minutes of making a noise usually reserved for supermarket aisles and half-remembered pop songs actually make a difference?

I decided to put humming breathing to the test to see whether this humble little hum deserves a place in my stress-relief toolkit—or whether some sounds are better left on the morning commute.

Meet the Simple 2-Minute Trick That's Shifted My Body Into Rest Mode

What Is Humming Breathing—and How Do You Do It?

Humming breathing is exactly what it sounds like: humming as you breathe out, turning an everyday habit into a simple, intentional breathing practice. The idea is blissfully simple in its mechanics: slow things down, focus on your breath and notice the gentle vibration of the hum.

Breathwork coach Ramon Ghosh explains that the potential benefits are both physiological and psychological; “slowing the breath may influence heart-rate patterns associated with relaxation, while focusing on the hum itself gives your mind something simple to tune into.”

Ghosh's Tips for Practising Humming Breathing:

• Get comfortable. First, you’ll need to sit or stand in a relaxed position, keeping your spine relatively straight and your head level.
• Breathe in gently. Next up: Inhale through your nose at a natural, comfortable pace. There's no need to take an exaggeratedly deep breath.
• Hum as you breathe out. Afterwards, make sure your lips are gently closed and exhale slowly through your nose while making a soft, steady humming sound.
• Let your exhale lengthen naturally. When exhaling, aim for a slightly longer out-breath than in-breath, but don't force it or strain to sustain the hum.
• Notice the vibrations. You may feel a gentle buzzing sensation around your lips, throat, face or chest. Stay aware and notice whatever feels comfortable for you.
• Repeat for two to three minutes. Keep your breathing easy and unforced. Remember to stop if you feel dizzy, breathless or uncomfortable.

If you’re a beginner (as I was), Ghosh recommends starting with just one minute and building up gradually if it feels comfortable. “There's no need to master a particular rhythm or produce the perfect hum; experiment until you find a pace and sound that feels natural.” His advice is to keep it comfortable, too: the aim is to feel more at ease, not to push through discomfort.

Can Humming Really Help Calm Your Nervous System? What The Science Says

Think of the last time you were running late and got stuck in traffic. Someone cuts in front of you; your shoulders tense and your heart starts racing. Or perhaps you’re about to give a big presentation, and your brain has already catastrophised every possible outcome. Sound familiar?

“These are familiar physical responses to pressure,” explains breathwork coach Thomas Hague. “When we're stressed, our breathing often becomes quicker, shallower and less regular. Humming breathing encourages us to slow things down, lengthen the exhale and regain a little control over our breathing.”

One of humming breathing’s biggest draws is its potential to help the body find a calmer gear. “By slowing your breathing and lengthening the exhale, you may be able to influence how your heart and nervous system respond to stress,” Hague explains. “This can affect respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) - the natural changes in heart rate as you breathe - and heart rate variability (HRV), which measures the time between heartbeats. Both can offer clues about how your body is responding to stress and relaxation.”

There’s a psychological element at play, too. “The brain is always spying on the breath,” says Hague. “By slowing your breathing and focusing on the gentle hum, you give your mind something simple to tune into, which may help signal to your body that it’s safe to relax.”

The vagus nerve also has a part to play. As a key pathway in the parasympathetic nervous system, it helps the body shift out of stress mode and into rest and digestion. While humming doesn't simply switch it on, Ghosh explains that the “slower, extended exhale may influence vagal activity, helping the body settle and encouraging a feeling of calm.”

Ghosh also finds the physical sensation of humming useful, sometimes placing a hand over his chest to notice the vibrations. “The combination of a slower breath, bodily awareness and a focus on the present may help create a feeling of relaxation. However, while slow breathing can influence heart-rate patterns, evidence that humming's vibrations directly stimulate the vagus nerve or produce a reliable stress-reducing effect remains limited. It's a promising possibility, rather than a physiological switch we can confidently say humming flips,” he says.

Two Minutes: Can It Really Make a Difference?

So, can just two minutes make a measurable difference? Yes, but it’s a work in progress. “There isn’t yet strong objective evidence that two minutes of humming specifically produces a reliable or lasting reduction in stress,” says Ghosh. He points to a study from 2021, involving 70 people, that found that just five minutes of humming breathing improved certain measures of HRV. “These changes are consistent with increased parasympathetic activity, which is associated with rest and recovery,” he says.

“However, I’ve seen extended exhales and humming work to relax hundreds of clients I’ve worked with. The key thing to remember here is that the response to breathing techniques is very individual, linked to several variables - gender, age, personal history, to name a few - so you need to find something that works for you.”

Putting it into Practice: The 2-Minute Impact Reset

Of everything I took away from trying this technique, one thought stuck with me. As Hague puts it so beautifully: “What I love about breathing. It's always available to us. We just need to learn how to use it.”

And it got me thinking: we learn how to use our phones, fitness trackers and all manner of wellness gadgets to help us switch off. But in the hunt for an external “rest and reset” button, have we overlooked the one thing we carry with us everywhere? Our breath.

Naturally, I waited for the perfect moment to try it. A Monday morning. An inbox multiplying by the minute. A delayed train. And my face wedged firmly into a stranger's rucksack on a packed Thursday afternoon train.

I gave myself two minutes, gently inhaling through my nose and humming on each exhale. At first, I felt a little ridiculous (there’s only so long you can make a bee-like noise before questioning your life choices). But once I stopped worrying about getting it right, I found something surprisingly comforting in the steady rhythm of my breath and the gentle vibrations of the hum.

After years of interviewing leading experts, I’ve learnt that the simplest techniques can feel a little strange at first. Perhaps that’s part of the point: stepping out of autopilot, if only for a moment, and giving your mind (and your nervous system) permission to focus on something other than the noise of everyday life: a tiny switch from doing to simply being.

What I will say is this: Did two minutes transform me into a picture of unshakeable serenity? Not quite. But I think that’s the point. Humming isn’t a magic fix for stress, and we still need more evidence to know whether it offers benefits beyond slow breathing alone. But it’s free, accessible and requires absolutely no kit. In a world forever selling us new ways to feel better, there’s something rather lovely about starting with a tool we’ve had all along.

If two minutes of humming helps you slow down and reconnect with your breath, it may be worth a try. Let’s perhaps save the full performance for somewhere other than the morning commute.

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And I know I'm not alone. My social media feed has been flooded of late with anti-hustle posts extolling the virtues of a so-called ‘soft life’, and I have to say, I'm totally here for it. Gone are the 4 a.m. wake-ups to work out in perfect co-ords before your 9 to 5, and in their place are gentle countryside walks and steaming cups of tea.

Honestly? After a long, hot summer and a hectic autumn (back to school hits hard, no matter how long it's been since you hung up your uniform), I could do with any excuse to take my foot off the gas. I'm notoriously poor at making time for myself—with three demanding children, a dog, ageing parents and a job, I'm in that classic ‘sandwich’ stage of life where everyone (and I mean everyone) needs something from me.

I'm also not ashamed to admit that I can be hugely influenced by the online content I consume. So, when confronted every millisecond with over-achieving, glossy, capable women, I'll admit—I can feel like I should be planning every single moment of my day (and night).

The upshot? I get super stressed, and then I'm hit with that inevitable vicious cycle of feeling too frazzled to actually be productive, and berating myself when I fall short.

The idea, then, of taking a more holistic, self-centred approach to life is appealing. Would adopting a soft life mindset and practising soft habits (we're talking romanticising the everyday, unplugged mornings, protecting boundaries and so on) help me feel calmer and more in control of my emotions? You'll have to keep reading to find out, but while you're here, do take a look at our guides to the antidotes to optimisation culture, whether dopamine menus actually work and the psychological sigh—plus, find out how one Health Writer got on when she tried 5 types of energy healing, here.

Soft Life Habits Are Trending This Season, but Can They Really Help Me Feel Calmer and More in Control of My Life? I Put Them to the Test

What are soft life habits?

If your algorithm isn't yet serving you soft life principles, listen up—we think you're going to like this.

“I think of a soft life habit as anything that helps us live our lives with a bit less pressure, and a little more enjoyment, in a more gentle way,” shares chartered counselling psychologist, Dr Kirstie Fleetwood Meade. “It might be protecting time in your diary, moving your body because it feels good rather than to punish yourself, setting boundaries, or making time for things you genuinely enjoy.

Despite the glossy Instagram aesthetic, it's important to note here that a soft life doesn't mean giving up or not striving to improve, grow and achieve goals.

“Deliberately choosing ease is not the same as giving up,” notes nutritionist and women's health expert Eleanor Hoath. “A soft life habit is a small, repeatable choice that lowers the load on your nervous system instead of adding to it. It isn’t about doing less with your life. It’s about living with less friction.”

Soft life habits may include (but aren't limited to) the following:

• Waking up a few minutes earlier
• Romanticising your everyday: this might be making a cup of tea in your favourite mug, lighting a special candle, or slipping into your PJs at 4 pm.
• Treating your body with love
• Resting without guilt
• Doing nothing.

What are the benefits of soft life habits?

It's all very well seeing prettily curated reels on the 'gram, but do these habits translate into any real-world benefits? In a word: yes.

“The idea of embracing a soft life taps into something many women recognise: the never-ending pressure to hold everything together, look after everyone else and somehow keep achieving at the same time,” says Dr Fleetwood Meade. “I think the soft life idea is appealing because it's giving ourselves permission to do things differently.”

1. They can help to reduce stress

“In physiological terms, soft life habits can move you out of ‘fight or flight’ (the sympathetic nervous system) and into ‘rest and digest’ (the parasympathetic nervous system) more often during the day,” shares Hoath. “Most of us spend far too long in the first state and far too little in the second.”

Studies show that being stuck in a fight-or-flight loop is damaging for both mental and physical health, contributing to an increased risk of depression, anxiety and even heart disease.

“Making space for rest, pleasure and connection can help us manage stress and feel more present in our lives,” agrees Dr Fleetwood Meade. “It can also help us recognise when we're pushing ourselves because something genuinely matters to us, and when we're doing it because we feel guilty, anxious or not quite good enough.”

2. They can regulate daily energy

How often have you started the day with a raft of good intentions, only to run out of steam post-lunch? Us, too—but cultivating a soft life could help here.

“Embracing soft life habits can help contribute to steadier energy throughout the day,” Hoath continues. “A healthier cortisol rhythm (high in the morning, tapering through the day) means fewer afternoon crashes and less of that tired but wired feeling at night.

“In turn, this helps us to sleep deeper, too. A nervous system that has wound down properly falls asleep more easily and gets more restorative sleep.”

3. They encourage self compassion

“As a psychologist, what interests me about this trend is how it challenges the idea that we always need to be doing more, achieving more or pushing ourselves harder,” Dr Fleetwood Meade muses. “Hustle culture, or the idea that we need to be constantly bettering ourselves, has been a dominant narrative for a long time, only made worse by social media.”

As such, the idea of cultivating a soft life is allowing us permission to rest without guilt and to be more compassionate with ourselves about our needs, too.

4. They help us enjoy the present moment

If you're craving a more mindful, intentional life, soft life habits are a great place to start leaning in.

“When we're constantly in 'doing' mode, we can lose touch with ourselves: what we're feeling, what we need, what our values are, and what we want from our lives,” shares Dr Fleetwood Meade. “We get so focused on the next task or responsibility that we stop noticing how we're feeling, what we need or what we're actually enjoying.”

Put simply, it's our chance to stop and smell the roses.

5. They support overall emotional wellbeing

Emotional health and resilience are vital for overall wellbeing, and tuning into soft life habits can really help us to shift our priorities back to things that nourish and support, rather than drain, us.

“Simple changes, such as setting boundaries, taking regular breaks and making time for activities we enjoy, can help reduce feelings of overwhelm and support emotional wellbeing,” explains psychotherapist Kamalyn Kaur. “Although the term itself isn't a clinical intervention, many of the behaviours associated with this trend align with established principles of psychological wellbeing.”

6. They allow us to make space for rest

“So many of us are used to putting ourselves at the bottom of the list, telling ourselves we'll relax when the work is done, when the house is sorted, when we've reached the next goal,” shares Dr Fleetwood Meade. “But how often are we saying to ourselves; we'll just get through the next few weeks, and then it'll calm down, only for things not to calm down. Because the list never really ends; If we don't make room for rest, and make conscious choices to do things differently, it won't happen.

“We need to recognise when it's time to pause, soften or pull back. If we're always overriding tiredness, ignoring our needs or telling ourselves to just get on with it, we can end up exhausted and disconnected from the things we're working so hard for.”

Why are soft life habits trending right now?

So, what's behind this sudden explosion of soft life content? Put simply: it seems we're all fed up with over-optimisation, and we're searching for a simpler, calmer life.

“I think there's a growing sense of exhaustion with hustle culture and the pressure to constantly optimise every aspect of our lives,” agrees registered psychologist Dr Carolyne Keenan. “We've spent years being told we should be doing more, achieving more and somehow becoming better versions of ourselves.

“The soft life trend offers an appealing alternative. It suggests that perhaps we don't need to earn our rest, justify our enjoyment or measure our worth by how busy we are.”

But it's not all just a hustle-culture backlash. In recent years, our emotional literacy has improved massively, meaning we're now openly discussing (and challenging) a range of wellbeing myths.

“Nervous system literacy has gone mainstream,” notes Hoath. “People now talk about cortisol, regulation and concepts such as rest and digest in everyday conversation. They have the words for what they’ve been feeling.”

Unsurprisingly, the internet loves the idea of a soft life, and the hashtag is garnering thousands of views on socials.

“Social media has also helped popularise the concept of a soft life, although there's an irony in turning a movement about doing less into another lifestyle we're supposed to aspire to," Dr Keenan continues. “I suspect part of its appeal is that people are beginning to question whether being constantly busy is actually making them happier or actually just making them tired.”

Hoath agrees, noting how normalised burnout has become. “The hustle and girlboss era told a generation that exhaustion was the price of success. Many women are now living with the cost, and they’re questioning the deal.”

How to weave soft life habits into your day to day

While there's no perfect, universal way to embrace a softer life (what it looks like will vary from person to person), if you're not sure where to start, the experts agree: this is less a radical life overhaul and more intentional tweaks.

“Start small and think about what would genuinely make your day feel a little easier, rather than trying to create an entirely new lifestyle,” advises Dr Fleetwood Meade. “That might be taking ten minutes to enjoy your morning coffee without checking emails, going for a walk without feeling the need to count your steps, or saying no to something you don't actually have the time or energy for.

“It might also look like leaving some space in your diary rather than treating every free hour as an opportunity to squeeze something else in.”

I tried embracing soft life habits for two weeks—and I can't believe the difference in my stress levels

Week one

As the beginning of my soft life habits trial approaches, it's clear that I need it now, more than ever. My Oura ring is telling me my HRV has levelled up and my resilience is down, so it couldn't have come at a better time.

Day one, and I start off by lighting one of my favourite candles (one of the perks of darker mornings, surely?) as I start to potter in the kitchen. With three children and a dog, this scene was not quite as romantic or relaxing as it may sound, but it still felt like a step up from squinting at the big light at 6 am.

And my next soft habit? Leaving my desk for lunch, rather than absent-mindedly scarfing a salad as I type. This also meant I benefitted from a post-prandial stroll, too, which we know aids digestion—two birds, one stone.

Across the rest of the week, I tried to stop rushing from task to task (something I'm hugely guilty of), and deliberately took more time out to breathe a little deeper even in my busiest days. But the biggest change, for me, was noticing when I started to feel tired in the evening, and acting on it.

Usually, I'd override the impulse to sleep and crack on with those chores that really need to be done (dishwasher, washing, it goes on), but this week, I tried to get all the mundane jobs done earlier, so when I started to feel sleepy—I knew it was time to wind down.

I've never really been one for a wind-down routine, despite being well aware of the benefits (reduced stress, improved sleep quality, to name a couple), but this week, I allowed myself to ease into bedtime, even finding time for an LED mask, which I'm certain my skin will thank me for.

Week two

Of course, it takes longer than two weeks to create a habit that lasts (research estimates that habit formation takes around 66 days), but by week two I really feel like I'm easing into a softer way of life.

One of my favourite soft life habits? Small, sensory joys. Lighting a candle first thing in the morning while waiting for the kettle to boil, stopping to notice the changing leaves on my weekly run rather than fixating on pace (a huge one, for me)

“Small sensory joys tell your body it’s safe,” shares Hoath. “A good way to incorporate this is by adding colour, not rules. A soft life is about pleasure as much as rest. A colourful plate, a warm drink you love, flowers on the table all work.”

You don't have to tell me twice to make a cuppa, let's be honest.

As for my Oura ring readings? Well, I'm a star student. My resilience has blasted through the roof (or so it's telling me); whether this is down to the habits themselves or simply taking a little more time to focus on what makes me feel good, I don't really care: I'm taking it as a win.

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As much as I love how winter incoming means more cosy evenings on my agenda, I’ve never been particularly good at embracing the darker months. The clocks haven’t even gone back yet, and I can already feel my enthusiasm for early mornings dwindling.

And I’m certainly not alone. Research from Dreams found that almost half (45%) of people feel the darker mornings and evenings negatively impact their energy levels, while 42% notice a dip in their mood. More than one in five even say the darker days affect their sleep.

I don’t have a diagnosis of seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a form of depression associated with seasonal changes, but I certainly recognise a shift in my mood, motivation and energy levels as the days become shorter. And while I’m usually the first person to advocate for a little comfortmaxxing, there’s only so much sleep hygiene you can practice, supplements you can invest in and wellness hacks you can try before admitting defeat. Winter can be rather miserable.

But what if the answer to feeling a little brighter during the darker months was something simpler? Enter: the ‘sunlight snack’, a wellness concept encouraging us to seek out small, regular doses of natural daylight.

We've already established that exercise snacking—short bursts of movement scattered throughout the day—can have benefits for our physical and mental wellbeing. Which got me thinking, if bite-sized workouts can help boost our mood and energy levels, could the same principle apply to sunlight?

After all, natural light plays an important role in regulating our body clock, and research suggests it can influence dopamine activity, too.

Curious whether just ten minutes of morning light could make a meaningful difference to my wellbeing, I decided to put it to the test for two weeks. Keep scrolling to discover if it shifted my mindset, but whilst you're here, you might want to explore our other MC-approved morning hacks. We've got guides to drinking bone broth for breakfast, low-effort wellness habits, and the most common everyday energy drains. Plus, read how I got on when I tried the psychological sigh to reduce cortisol, too.

I Tried a 10-Minute ‘Sunlight Snack’ Every Day for Two Weeks

What Is a ‘Winter Slump’, and How Does It Affect Our Bodies and Minds?

If you’ve ever found yourself struggling to get out of bed in the winter months, or noticed that your usual enthusiasm for an early morning workout has mysteriously disappeared, you’ll be familiar with the winter slump.

Although not a medical diagnosis, the term describes a dip in energy, mood and motivation some of us experience as daylight hours decrease.

For others, these seasonal changes can develop into something more serious. According to the NHS guidance, SAD is a form of depression that typically occurs during autumn and winter, with symptoms including persistent low mood, fatigue, difficulty concentrating and losing interest in activities previously enjoyed.

“Light is one of the most important signals that keeps our circadian rhythm clock synchronised with our environment,” explains Dr Shirin Lakhani, an expert in women’s hormonal health. “When daylight becomes more limited in autumn and winter, our exposure to light changes, which can influence the timing of melatonin release, sleep patterns and mood.”

Our circadian rhythm is essentially the body’s internal clock, helping regulate everything from sleep and hormone production to energy levels.

“The shift to darker evenings can trick the brain into thinking it’s later than it really is, leading to earlier releases of melatonin, the hormone that promotes sleep,” adds Dr Suzanne Wylie, GP and medical adviser for IQdoctor.

How Does Sunlight Help Improve Symptoms of a Winter Slump?

There’s good reason to believe that getting more daylight could help us feel better during the darker months.

Light is one of the strongest environmental signals regulating our circadian rhythm. When daylight enters our eyes, specialised cells in the retina communicate with the brain’s internal clock, helping our bodies distinguish between day and night. Morning light is particularly useful for reinforcing this sleep-wake cycle.

“The body’s internal clock regulates sleep, hormones and energy levels. When daylight hours shorten, this shift affects melatonin production, making us sleepy sooner, and reduces serotonin levels, which impacts mood and motivation,” adds Dr Wylie.

And research suggests that exposure to brighter light may have benefits beyond helping us feel more awake. A 2024 study found that greater exposure to bright light was associated with more regular sleep patterns and fewer depressive symptoms.

Of course, this was observational research, so it doesn’t prove that stepping outside every morning will improve your mental health. Nevertheless, it offers an encouraging reminder that our relationship with daylight deserves more attention, particularly when the temptation to hit snooze and spend five more minutes in bed becomes almost impossible to resist.

What Is a Sunlight Snack, and How Do You Do It?

Think of a sunlight snack as a small serving of natural daylight, ideally enjoyed shortly after waking. The concept is simple—spend at least ten minutes each morning somewhere bright, whether that’s drinking your morning coffee in the garden, going for a walk or stepping outside for a breath of fresh air before opening your laptop.

And if the British weather has other ideas? Sitting beside a bright window can still offer some natural daylight, although getting outdoors is generally better for supporting our circadian rhythm.

For my two-week experiment, I also wanted to make those ten minutes feel like a moment of calm before the working day began, rather than another wellness task to tick off. So, I asked breathwork practitioner Nicola Cacioppo whether incorporating a few minutes of conscious breathing could make my morning ritual feel even more restorative.

“One of the wonderful things about breathwork is that we’re already breathing all day, every day,” she explains. “We all have access to it, but I think people underestimate how much we can use our breath to influence how we feel.”

Her advice was refreshingly simple: breathe gently in through your nose for four seconds, then out through your nose for six. “Nothing forced or exaggerated, just soft, comfortable breaths,” she advises. “As the practice becomes easier, you can gradually lengthen your breathing, keeping the exhale slightly longer than the inhale.”

Scientifically, we know that slow-paced breathing can have short-term benefits for heart rate and heart rate variability, both of which offer insight into how our bodies respond to stress.

But what interested me most was Cacioppo’s suggestion that paying attention to our breathing can encourage us to check in with ourselves. “Am I feeling tense? Am I rushing? Am I holding my breath without realising? Sometimes, simply noticing your breathing is enough to bring you back into the present moment.”

As someone whose mornings tend to begin with a mental inventory of everything I need to accomplish that day, I was particularly curious to see whether combining the two might help me start things a little differently.

What Does the Science Say About Micro-Habits and Our Health?

If you’ve ever enthusiastically committed to an elaborate morning routine on Monday, only to abandon it by Thursday, you’ll understand the appeal of a micro-habit.

Rather than attempting an ambitious lifestyle overhaul, the idea is to introduce small, manageable changes that are easier to stick to. And there's science behind this approach, too. University College London found that forming a new habit can take anywhere from 18 to 254 days, but missing the occasional day doesn't necessarily undo your progress.

For breathwork practitioner Cacioppo, the secret is making these small moments part of everyday life, rather than treating them as another task on your to-do list.

“You don’t need any equipment, and you don’t need lots of time,” she explains. “Even five minutes every morning is still a practice. Consistency is more important than trying to do too much.”

I Tried Sunlight Snacking for Two Weeks—Here’s My Honest Verdict

Week One

In typical British fashion, the weather took a turn almost immediately after I committed to getting more morning daylight. Grey skies, persistent drizzle and absolutely no desire to leave the warmth of my flat meant my first week of sunlight snacking looked rather different from the wholesome, sun-drenched mornings I'd envisioned. As a Health Writer who could wax lyrical about the benefits of getting outdoors, the irony wasn't lost on me that I was now finding every excuse not to.

Instead, I found myself sitting beside the brightest window in my house, allowing whatever natural daylight was available to pour in while practising the breathing technique Cacioppo had recommended.

*Four seconds in, six seconds out. Repeat.*

I'll admit that, initially, I felt slightly ridiculous. I'm usually mentally scrolling through a to-do list before I've even finished my morning coffee, so sitting still and concentrating on something as mundane as breathing felt surprisingly unnatural. I was also acutely aware that the relatively modest amount of light coming through my window wasn't quite what the research had in mind.

But I quickly began to enjoy those ten minutes to myself. There was something rather lovely about starting the day without immediately reaching for my phone, answering emails or mentally calculating how much I could accomplish before lunchtime. And while I can't say I experienced any dramatic changes in my energy levels, I did begin to notice how rarely I allow myself to do absolutely nothing.

Week Two

Thankfully, the weather improved during week two, and I could finally take my sunlight snack outdoors. I’ve long been a fan of the German practice of lüften, or ‘house burping’, which involves throwing open your windows first thing in the morning to let the fresh air in, even in the depths of winter. It’s a ritual I already swear by, and I was beginning to think a daily dose of morning sunlight deserved a permanent place in my routine, too.

And what a difference it made. Within a few days, getting outside and soaking up some natural daylight as soon as possible after waking had become something I genuinely looked forward to. My productivity soared, and I found myself sitting down at my desk feeling awake, energised and far more capable of tackling my inbox, rather than spending the first hour wishing I was still in bed. Some mornings, my ten-minute walks turned into half an hour, simply because I was enjoying myself.

Can Ten Minutes of Morning Sunlight Really Beat the Winter Slump? My Verdict

After two weeks, I can’t claim that sunlight snacking has transformed my mental health, but I certainly noticed a difference. Getting outdoors first thing left me feeling more energised, focused and ready to tackle the day.

While ten minutes of daylight isn’t a guaranteed fix for the winter blues, I was surprised by how quickly such a small change became something I looked forward to. It’s a habit I fully intend to keep up as the days grow darker.

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From over-the-counter supplements to countless bedtime routines, if it promises to improve my sleep, you can bet I've given it a go. But with so many sleep aids now at our disposal, it's hard to know which ones (if any) actually work.

It turns out I'm not alone in my quest for some decent, regular shut-eye. According to research published in The Lancet, insomnia affects up to a third of adults worldwide.

With everything from sunrise alarm clocks to sleep trackers and magnesium promising to be the fix, I've dipped in and out of plenty of them over the years, but never properly stuck with any to see if they really work.

So, over the course of a month, I committed to testing the most popular sleep aid interventions with guidance from leading sleep experts to find out if any of them could be the answer to my prayers. Not only that, I wanted to know whether improving my sleep would translate into more daytime energy.

Keep scrolling to find out if I discovered a magic fix, and while you're here, check out our guides on how to improve sleep, how to get to sleep, insomnia treatment – plus find out how other health writers got on when they tried the Huberman 'Sleep Stack' and a 10-minute daily habit.

I Spent a Month Testing Popular Sleep Hacks—Here's What Happened

Do Sleep Aids Actually Work?

Before choosing which sleep aids to use for the experiment, I turned to the experts for their take.

“Some sleep products can be helpful, but I think we need to be careful about believing we need them in order to sleep,” Kathryn Pinkham, founder of The Insomnia Clinic and the Sleep Well & Live Better online course, told me.

If, like me, you're already anxious about your sleep patterns, sleep trackers can actually do more harm than good, says Kathryn. “I’ve seen people wake up feeling fine, only to become anxious after their tracker tells them they’ve slept badly.”

This is echoed by Dr Maja Schaedel, Co-Founder and Director of The Good Sleep Clinic, who points out that although trackers can help us understand our bodies, they’re not helpful for anyone who struggles with sleep regularly.

“This is because they increase focus on sleep, which often tends to make sleep anxiety worse.” Not only that, the technology isn't always accurate. “They are less good at being able to interpret what goes on during sleep,” Dr Schaedel adds.

There's even a term for becoming fixated on sleep-tracking data. A 2017 paper in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine coined the term to describe patients who became fixated on their sleep data and achieving the 'perfect sleep.'

So, which sleep aids do the experts recommend? “My absolute favourites are the sunrise alarm clocks,” says Dr Schaedel. “I think these are such a lovely way to wake up and a great way to help our circadian rhythms, as light is the main way our brains understand what daytime is and what is nighttime,” she says.

Dr Schaedel says eye masks and earplugs also have their place, especially where noise and light pollution are likely to disturb sleep.

And supplements? “I’m cautious about supplements such as magnesium,” says Pinkham. “The evidence that they significantly improve sleep is limited, particularly for people with chronic insomnia.”

How Can You Improve Sleep Naturally?

So, while sleep aids can earn a place in your routine, the good news is you don't necessarily need them to improve your sleep.

As Pinkham puts it: “The more products and routines we rely on, the more complicated sleep becomes.”

That was reassuring to hear, and it helped me understand which simple habits I could build into the routine, rather than relying on sleep aids alone.

1. Wake up at the same time every day (including weekends)

I'm sure I'm not the only one who's guilty of this, but when you've had a late night, or haven't slept as well as usual, sticking to the same get-up time goes out the window. But if you're serious about nailing a healthy sleep routine, it's one of the things the experts advocate for.

“I’d recommend getting up at roughly the same time each morning, even after a bad night, to help regulate your body clock,” says Pinkham.

2. Spend less time in bed

It's easy to think that you need to spend more time in bed trying to catch up on Zs. But Pinkham says one of the most effective things you can do, particularly if you’re struggling with insomnia, is the opposite.

“We build up something called sleep drive throughout the day, a bit like hunger,” she says. “The longer we’re awake, the stronger our appetite for sleep becomes. Going to bed too early or spending extra hours in bed trying to catch up can weaken that sleep drive and actually make sleep more difficult.”

3. Don't force sleep

One thing you absolutely shouldn't do is lie awake trying to force yourself back to sleep. Pinkham suggests leaving the bedroom rather than lying there frustrated that you're not asleep. “And avoid checking the time, as this often starts a cycle of worrying about how much sleep you’re losing,” she adds.

4. Build a good wind-down routine

This is where I often get stuck. Once the kids are in bed and I have some time to myself, I don't always prioritise a good wind-down routine, and I'm guilty of staying on my phone or laptop longer than I should.

Dr Schaedel says protecting your evening is key. “I tend to find a good wind-down routine, including keeping active, keeping boundaries around work and relaxation in the evenings and not taking too many naps or lie-ins, can be the most helpful way to maintain sleep quality,” she explains.

5. Write down anything that's bothering you

If you find all those things you didn't tick off your to-do list popping into your head at 3 am, you're not alone.

Pinkham suggests spending 10 minutes writing down what’s worrying you before you go to bed. “If you’re anxious about not sleeping, ask yourself what you’re actually afraid will happen if you’re tired tomorrow. Often, addressing that underlying fear can take some of the pressure off sleep.”

My Month-Long Sleep Experiment

Weeks one to two

By now, I've sussed out which pre-bedtime habits can make my insomnia worse (scrolling on my phone in the hour before bed and drinking caffeine after 4 pm, to name a couple), so I entered the experiment determined to avoid them.

I'll be honest, though, I failed miserably during the first week. I went all-in – introducing a sunrise alarm clock, tracking ring and sleep mask at the same time, alongside a stricter bedtime routine. But focusing so much on whether I'd see any changes only increased my anxiety, and I struggled to even get to sleep.

I don't usually wear my Garmin to bed because I've learnt that seeing the time or checking my sleep data after a bad night doesn't help. I used the Sekonda Smart Ring, which was more subtle than a watch, but knowing it was there kept me focused on my sleep, just as the experts had warned.

At the start of week two, I took the ring off. Knowing I wasn't going to wake up to a sleep score meant I wasn't lying in bed analysing how I'd slept, and I found it easier to judge my night based on how I actually felt.

I already take magnesium before bed, and I kept it up throughout the experiment. But hearing the experts explain that there's limited evidence that it significantly improves sleep (particularly for chronic insomnia) made me question whether it was doing much at all. Still, it's become part of my calming bedtime routine, so I don't think that's a bad thing.

I was keen to add an eye mask to my routine because even the smallest sliver of light will wake me up. While I can't say it improved my sleep, it did the job of blocking out any light, and I liked how it helped me switch off from distractions around me.

The sunrise alarm clock, on the other hand, was an instant hit. During autumn and winter, I struggle to wake up when it's pitch black outside, so the gradually brightening light felt so much gentler than switching on my bedside lamp.

Weeks three to four

During the second half of the experiment, I focused on the habits recommended by the experts. Having a consistent wake-up time was pretty easy to stick to, as my kids usually act as my alarm clock anyway.

The biggest challenge was waking up in the night. I tend to check the time and start worrying about how tired I'll be the next day. Pinkham had told me: “We check the time, calculate how much sleep we’re losing and start worrying about tomorrow. This creates alertness at exactly the time we’re trying to relax.” So, when I was still awake after 20 minutes, I took my Kindle downstairs to read until I felt relaxed and sleepy enough to go back to bed.

What made the biggest difference wasn't any of the sleep aids I'd introduced; it was a question that Pinkham asked, and something I'd never really thought about before. “If you’re anxious about not sleeping, ask yourself what you’re actually afraid will happen if you’re tired tomorrow.”

I realised that, while I may be tired, I'd always coped in the past. That simple shift in perspective helped me worry less about being away, and I started falling back to sleep more easily. I even started wearing my ring again, and as long as I didn't fixate on checking it, I found the data around my sleep interesting rather than stressful.

So, did my energy levels improve? I wasn't exactly bouncing out of bed, but I did feel more rested, even if it took me a little time to come round in the morning (although the sunrise alarm definitely helped). I also made an effort to get my steps in on days when I'd usually run but felt too tired, following Dr Schaedel's advice to try gentler movement, like walking or yoga. Often, it was just what I needed to perk myself up.

My Verdict: Do Sleep Aids Work?

What surprised me most is that I'm not necessarily sleeping for longer. Pinkham told me that progress shouldn't be measured purely by how much sleep we're getting, but by our relationship with sleep. For me, that's exactly what happened. I can honestly say I worry less at night, I've stopped clock-watching, and I know I can cope if I do have a bad night's sleep.

Of the products I've tried, the sunrise alarm clock and eye mask have earned a permanent place in my bedtime routine. I'm still sticking with the magnesium too, but ultimately, it's the free and slightly boring habits (and that one simple question) that have made the biggest difference.

Shop MC UK Approved Sleep Essentials

That’s a phrase I was told in childhood, over and over. I can guarantee men weren’t warned of these sickening possibilities—or made to feel responsible for their own fate.

Girls are policed and are made aware that their gender puts them at risk from a young age. These small messages about where girls should or shouldn’t go—where they should or shouldn’t be seen, how they are discouraged from just ‘hanging out’ in public compared to boys, their curfews, and even crossing their legs or wearing shorts under their skirt at school all act as microaggressions.

Quietly but loudly, these rules and messages tell girls their body is something someone might want to access, and their safety is their responsibility. Society and parental fear for the female body (whether correct or not) permeates girls’ nervous systems. This messaging means that as girls become women, we are always left asking ourselves: is it safe to go here? Should I wear that? Am I safe?

The Contradiction at the Heart of Women’s Running: Freedom Comes With Fear

Running has allowed me to reject this and has provided me so much freedom, but no matter how far I run free—from marathons to trail runs, to sub-20 min 5ks—I am often still left asking: how free can I really be?

When I started researching my PhD in 2020, many people—and by people, I mean men—asked me, “What? Where can’t you run? The canal? Well, that’s fine; I wouldn’t go there either”. They just didn’t, and arguably still do not get it.

This layer of mental maths that men simply don’t consider is what I feel most rage about. UN Women UK found that 71% of women have faced public sexual harassment. Girlguiding UK found that nearly 30% of girls experienced their first instance of sexual harassment between the ages of 11 and 13—often once this has happened, women and girls begin limiting themselves, working to ensure that incident doesn’t happen again. Women and young girls take on the work to protect themselves, and it is an unfair burden. Freedom and enjoyment become secondary to safety, and their lives are led by fear rather than freedom.

Men mostly do not see the mental labour and the effect of small incidents. It’s not that all women have been attacked, but most will have experienced microaggressions—from catcalls, to cheers, leering or worse, a man trying to touch or grab you and physically assault you. All while also being gaslit and told that it was ‘just a bit of fun’. It all sounds a bit Harvey Weinstein, doesn’t it?

If the comment section of my Instagram posts is anything to go by—many men feel they understand, as they are statistically more likely to be mugged. What they don’t fully grasp is that for women, these attacks can be life-altering physical and sexual assaults (including rape). Perhaps men are more likely to be mugged or attacked, because they are more likely to take risks. Women are taught that their bodies will be pursued by men—and that it's our problem.

It’s a spectrum of lived fear—from the catcall to assault—and very few women have been untouched by this. Working to not get raped or attacked was one of the main hobbies of my 20s. What if men spent as much time thinking about their safety as they do their split times? Women must.

Responsibilities Never Reaching the Root Cause of the Problem

Something that has baffled me recently is the heightened volume of social media ‘tips’ about how to stay safe running in the dark. Let me be very clear on this one: you don't need tips, and women don't need to do anything. Ashling Murphy was murdered on a run in broad daylight. These messages—although well-intended—are damaging and have to stop. The onus should not be on women.

These ‘tips’, strategies and even sometimes clothing advice tell women the risk is their responsibility, and the responsibility never reaches the cause of the problem: men. We need to stop handing out ‘tips to stay safe’ to women and begin educating young men and boys and calling out unacceptable behaviours.

When something does happen, women are asked what they were wearing, where they were running, or whether they had headphones in, and the list goes on. Victim blaming is easier than recognising that we need societal change—even in the messaging, ‘Violence against women and girls’ puts the onus on women, when in reality we need to start calling it male violence—because that is what it is.

We need to talk about women’s safety honestly—recognising the barriers that women face and limitations that exist. We need action to overcome male violence. And just for the absolute record, police presence is not the answer. Many women do not feel safe around the police either.

Running Exposing Reality

My doctoral research found that running exposes where women feel they can and can’t go. When you run, you’re out longer, covering more of the city, in kit that men seem to think permits them to comment. So—women hit those boundaries harder. And the boundaries move: a route that feels fine in July can feel off-limits in November. Each woman has a mental map of the city of where she will and won’t go and a list of what makes her feel good. Recognising this additional mental labour is part of the work we all need to do.

The other key finding is that safety on the street can’t be separated from everything else. If women aren’t safe at home, with people they know, how can they be expected to overcome fear outside?

As a designer and architect—many think we can design out fear—and design is part of the answer. Most designers and architects are men (69% of architects are men) who design based on their experiences. When women aren’t part of those decisions, spaces end up designed around a default user who isn’t us. Simple things can improve perceptions of safety, like good lighting, clear sightlines, routes through parks that aren’t isolated after dark, and places that feel busy and looked after. But as Leslie Kern, the author of Feminist City: Taking Up Space in a Man-Made World, once said, ‘no amount of lighting can abolish the patriarchy’.

The biggest change isn’t a handbook of design fixes or ‘run club rules’. The issues are too layered for a checklist. Women need power: a seat at the table when space, community experiences and brand activations are planned, and women’s lived experience treated as evidence, not anecdotes or ‘nice to haves’.

Creating spaces like Nike After Dark where women can feel seen and heard about the limitations they face is crucial. The event was built around women’s experiences and is hugely empowering, bringing together over 5000 women. The first year we organised it, which was last year, someone at Nike asked me, “Do you think we will sell out?”. I had no doubt how much women would connect with this space based on my PhD—women want to run, and they want women-led, women-designed spaces to do so.

Tickets for After Dark sold out within hours, which really just showed how desired women-only spaces are and that women need to be given space in running, not expected to mould into and around male-led spaces. I witnessed women crying at the finish line, and many spoke of how safe and inspired they felt. Women coming together creates a unique space for healing, and it needs more support.

Continuing Conversations That Inspire Change

A race brings women together, but the conversation afterwards is where transformation happens. I created Taking Space during my PhD, a series of events that has lived on beyond the PhD and brought together over 300 women through runs and panel talks. Taking Space talks openly about these issues and challenges the perceptions and restrictions we have been put under in a safe and supportive environment. We ask questions like: how can we take up more space? And men are invited into the panel as male support is vital to progress.

To return to where we began—and society's obsession with tips or ‘guidance’ for women—instead, I urge us all to turn to our collective responsibility. The most practical thing communities can do is to build spaces where women can run together—in mixed or single sex groups so that training is not hindered by the mental maps and lists women have had to take on just to run in the same way as men. There need to be moments in the week when the burden can be relieved.

These spaces need to be protected with supportive policies, located near tube stations or other transport nodes and with clear governance. Run clubs and communities need to look at how they are structured; similarly to how workplaces are having to address leadership inequality, we need to look at why so many run clubs have only male leadership who have no lived experience of the issues women face and therefore do not ensure this is considered when planning runs, routes, meet-ups and races. I want to be very clear: this is not a men vs. women or women vs. men discussion; it will require a collective effort to create change.

Nobody ever warned the boys about the common. To this day, almost all the advice is aimed at women: don’t run alone, don’t run in the dark, don’t wear headphones. Whereas actually, we'd be better off offering advice for men. Take responsibility for each other, call out a mate, give women space. Don’t see it as someone else’s problem—make sure you’re really listening.

Women need to be listened to and heard without defensiveness. Real steps must be taken to make women feel safe, without placing the burden on women to create that change. And men, if you still don’t know what to do? Well, that's a you problem.

For many of us, winter stirs up complicated feelings. On the one hand, there's all the excitement of Halloween (don't judge me!), bonfire night and Christmas, but on the other, it's dark, dank and frankly pretty miserable outside.

And we know that this impacts our mood. While official figures suggest only a small proportion of the population suffers from clinically diagnosed winter depression (more commonly known as seasonal affective disorder, or SAD), studies show that anecdotally, many of us experience dips in mood, energy and motivation at this time of year.

In fact, according to the Yale School of Medicine Winter Depression Research Clinic, around 90% of people notice seasonal shifts in winter, mirroring what we see in nature: a slowing down and conserving of energy for the spring.

For me personally, there was always a quiet dread that accompanied the autumn clock change. As a naturally anxious person, something about the dark, dreary, long days of winter triggered me to feel even more uneasy than ever, so trust me when I say I've spent years searching for solutions to my winter malaise.

So, when I was asked to try a range of beat-the-winter-blues hacks for a month, it's safe to say I was suitably qualified, as well as keen. Would four weeks of brain-boosting habits be just what I needed to embrace the season? You'll have to keep reading to find out—but in the meantime, you might enjoy perusing our guides to autumn energy slump solutions, what the clock change does to your mental health and the antidotes to optimisation culture, here.

The Winter Blues Are Kicking In, so I Tried These Hacks To Feel Better—Here’s What Worked To Boost Mood, Energy and Focus

What are the ‘winter blues’?

As touched on above, it's common (and, experts agree, natural) for our moods to dip slightly as the weather cools and the daylight dims.

“Winter blues is an informal term for feeling lower in mood or energy during the darker months,” explains Dr Ahmed Shoka, consultant psychiatrist at Medical Express Clinic. “Reduced daylight can affect the body clock and sleep. Doing less and seeing fewer people may also contribute to a lower overall mood.”

You might notice reduced energy, increased fatigue and a lack of motivation to go about your usual routines. And while the exact causes of the malaise aren't clear, it's generally accepted that reduced exposure to daylight impacts our hormones, with serotonin levels dipping, causing fatigue and listlessness.

What are beat the winter blues hacks?

The good thing about so many of us feeling similarly about the winter months is that there's plenty of advice out there about how to feel a little brighter. It's important to note, at this point, that if you're concerned about persistent low mood, it's always worth speaking to a GP or medical professional.

This being said, if you're looking for some easy, everyday ways to boost mood and energy, beat the winter blues hacks could be the solution. So, what kind of things are we talking about here?

“When we think about beat the winter blues hacks, we tend to mean small, intentional habits that help you feel more in control of your day,” shares former NHS registered nurse, author and founder of wellness brand, Tolicious, Cass Uk. “It could be something as simple as getting outside during daylight, arranging a weekly catch-up with a friend, creating something to look forward to or being more deliberate about how you spend your evenings.”

Crucially, the habits are simple, easy to fit into a busy life and (perhaps most importantly), free. No chasing unrealistic aesthetics here—music to our ears. Even better? Implementing these habits when life is harder can benefit us even when things are brighter again, too.

“As someone who works with ambitious women making big changes in their lives, I often see how easily personal wellbeing gets pushed to the bottom of the list when work, family and other responsibilities take priority,” she continues. “We can become so focused on getting through our to-do lists that we forget to ask ourselves what we need to feel good.

“For me, the key is to stop waiting until you feel motivated to do something positive. Build small habits into your routine that support you even on the days when your energy is low, especially when you know that the ‘winter blues’ are around the corner.”

I tried these 5 beat the winter blues hacks—here's what actually worked

1. Getting outside (in all weathers)

I'll level with you: I'm a fair-weather girl. When my kids were little, I'd have to get outside come rain or shine, if only to do the school run. But now they're older and more self-sufficient, I can spend whole days not leaving the comfort of my house—and I'm not mad about it. Even my dog isn't a fan of a wet and windy walk, preferring instead to snuggle with me under a blanket on the sofa.

However, the experts are unanimous on the benefits of natural daylight and fresh air for everyone.

“One of the simplest hacks, and yet arguably one of the most important, is getting outside during the daylight hours,” agrees Cass Uk. “Natural daylight helps regulate our circadian rhythm, which influences our sleep-wake cycle, and getting outside can also provide a welcome mental break.”

I'm lucky, though: week one of my month-long challenge is still unseasonably warm, meaning I'm more than happy to head out for a lunchtime run or walk. I'm also able to enjoy my morning coffee in the (almost warm!) sun most days, too, which is a huge win, although possibly not the ideal conditions for testing the winter blues theory!

Perhaps I'll have to revisit this hack later in the month.

2. Embracing the season

A couple of years back, I read Katherine May's wonderful book, Wintering, all about leaning into the joys of winter: hunkering down, stepping back and enjoying a simpler routine. And as much as I loved the premise, I've been (predictably) rubbish at putting any of it into practice.

So, in week two, I'm determined to pare back my routine where I can, and make room for those glimmers we can all find if we look hard enough.

“Winter can be a beautiful time to simplify,” shares advanced meditation teacher Beth Upton. “Fewer social engagements and less time outdoors can give us an opportunity to appreciate the quality of things, rather than continually filling our lives with newness.

“We can become so accustomed to looking for the next thing that we overlook what is already here. A warm drink, an unhurried meal or a quiet evening can offer a great deal when we give it our attention.”

For me, this looked like switching an evening meal out with friends to a morning dog walk and coffee (two birds with one stone, as I was also getting my daily quota of natural light!) and keeping my evening free; lighting the lamps and candles as dusk fell (no big light energy for me, thanks) and popping a chilli on the hob to putter away all afternoon (there are few things I find as exciting as having a delicious dinner to look forward to!)

Turns out, the darker evenings aren't that bad once you find those micro joys.

3. Maintaining social connection

Earlier this year, I wrote about treating my friendships like a wellness habit, and I'm proud to say it's something I've been loving ever since. But in winter, I'll be honest: my tolerance for activities that don't require a sofa and a heated blanket is, let's say, low. But I know that I feel so much better after connecting with my girlfriends, so I'm determined to try harder.

“One of the simplest things we can do to support our wellbeing is maintain our relationships, all year-round,” advises Cass Uk. “When it's cold and dark, it's easy to cancel plans and retreat into our own routines, especially when we're already feeling tired and drained. But this is when it’s extra important to prioritise socialising, so that you don’t end up feeling lonely or isolated during the winter. It could be something as simple as arranging a call with a friend or inviting someone over for a cup of coffee. Small, consistent moments of connection can make a real difference to how supported we feel.”

And I found tying social connection into things that I have to do worked really well for me—wellness habit stacking, if you will. Rather than rushing home from a day working in London and shooting back into town the following day for a meeting, I ask one of my besties to join me for the evening, and we split the cost of a hotel for the night, and it's money excellently well spent. I could get used to this kind of hack....

4. Regular movement

As a health and fitness writer, I'm pretty dedicated to my exercise regimen already, but I know that it can be tougher to motivate ourselves to work out in the winter months. But movement really is medicine when it comes to boosting mood, energy and more.

“I always recommend regular physical activity, maintaining a consistent sleep routine and eating a balanced diet, as these habits can improve energy levels, support physical health and help manage stress and low mood all year round,” shares GP and medical adviser for IQDoctor, Dr Suzanne Wylie. “Exercise does not need to involve going to the gym, as brisk walking, dancing at home, swimming or cycling can all be beneficial, with adults generally advised to aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity each week.”

With this in mind, I don't let the grey skies and drizzle dampen my motivation, and lace up my trainers regardless for a rainy run—and despite spending much of the 45 minutes fantasising about a hot coffee and shower on my return, I loved it. And the sense of achievement that I'd stuck to my fitness goals despite the weather? Off the charts.

5. Prioritising sleep and rest

Another thing I'm notoriously poor at prioritising? Rest. But if perimenopause is teaching me nothing else, it's the value of a consistent and calming sleep routine; otherwise, those 4 a.m. wake-ups hit even harder.

And with the clocks changing, I'm grateful for my newfound diligence: I barely notice the difference, other than my wind-down routine takes place in the dark instead.

“Sleep can be thrown off completely during the winter, but creating an evening ritual that lets you wind down can make you actually look forward to those darker evenings,” shares Cass Uk. “Try creating a simple ritual that signals the end of the working day, such as changing into comfortable clothes, making a warming drink, reading for 15 minutes, taking a bath or listening to a podcast while preparing dinner. It can really help you to shut off and make the darker evenings more enjoyable.”

And she's not wrong: I take the time to head upstairs half an hour earlier for a week (sans screens), and it makes all the difference to how easily I fall asleep. The night wakings, not so much, but we can't have it all.

Beat the winter blues hacks—my honest feedback

So, at the end of the month, which ones am I sticking with, and what's being ditched? It might sound trite, but I can honestly say I've found all of them beneficial.

But of all of them, the one that surprised me was the wintering idea, and that's the one I'd highly recommend, especially if you're an anxious type. Leaning into the cosy vibes encouraged me to notice all the wonderful things about this time of year, both in nature (the leaves! Conkers!) and closer to home, too.

The best bit? Because most of them were things I'd do anyway, I haven't created any more work for myself, which is key, as we're all busier than ever. Rather, I've built consistent, achievable habits that I'm more than happy to keep up—all in all, a winter wellbeing win.

Shop MC UK's winter wellbeing edit now:

So, here I am: the ideal candidate for a breathing technique promising to calm the nervous system, largely because mine seems to have absolutely no concept of an overreaction. Which brings me to my latest attempt at being a calm, collected woman: five-finger breathing. This simple grounding technique involves tracing the outline of one hand with the index finger of the other, breathing slowly as you go. The best part? It takes around 60 seconds, requires zero equipment and can be done pretty much anywhere.

I can practically hear your scepticism through the screen, so let me deep-dive together. Could tracing your fingers for 60 seconds really make a difference when your brain is running at 100mph? Well, in the name of proper boots-on-the-ground journalism (and for the benefit of my fellow overthinkers), I decided to put it to the test. Someone has to do the hard yards, after all. Here’s how I got on.

This Breathwork Technique Calms Your Nervous System in 60 Seconds—I Should Know

What Is Five-Finger Breathing—and How Do You Do It?

“Five-finger breathing is pretty much what it sounds like: a simple breathing exercise that combines slow, controlled breaths with tracing the outline of your hand,” explains Thomas Hague, founder of The Breath Coach. “The idea is to give your mind something physical to focus on while encouraging your breathing to slow down.”

Hague assures me the process is simple: “To try it, hold one hand out in front of you and use the index finger of your opposite hand to trace around it. Breathe in as you trace up each finger, pause gently at the top, then breathe out as you trace down the other side. Work your way across all five fingers, then repeat in the opposite direction. If you prefer, you can close your eyes and visualise the movement instead.”

He recommends breathing gently through your nose if comfortable, allowing your exhale to flow slowly and keeping your jaw and shoulders relaxed; “aim for around five seconds on each inhale and exhale. But truly, the goal is to find a pace that feels comfortable for you, rather than turning relaxation into yet another thing to get right.”

And no, the idea isn’t simple: keep your hands busy until your problems disappear. There’s a reason slowing your breathing can help when you’re feeling overwhelmed. Research suggests that controlled, slow breathing can influence the ‘autonomic nervous system’, which helps regulate functions such as heart rate, and may reduce some of the body’s physical signs of stress. “The combination of focusing on your hand and paying attention to your breath also gives your mind something simple to concentrate on, rather than letting it run off with the day’s worries,” explains Hague.

The picture he paints is super useful: it’s a small opportunity to interrupt the spiral. It won’t magically resolve whatever’s stressing you out (if only), but it may help you feel a little more grounded before you tackle it.

Can Five-Finger Breathing Really Help Calm Your Nervous System?

The short answer? Potentially, yes—and there’s more to it than simply giving your hands something to do.

According to breathwork practitioner and bodywork therapist Nina Flintham, “five-finger breathing works by combining slow, controlled breathing with the physical sensation of tracing your hand.” Together, she says, these can help you bring your attention back to the present when your mind runs away with itself.

“When we feel anxious, overwhelmed or threatened, our sympathetic nervous system spikes,” Flintham explains. “Essentially, your body goes into high alert: your heart rate rises, your breathing becomes quicker and shallower, and suddenly whatever it is you were worrying about feels a much bigger deal than it probably is.”

I’m told that slowing your breathing, particularly by making your exhale a little longer than your inhale, can help support the body’s natural relaxation response; “this can help your body transition into a calmer state.”

But the breathing is only half the story. “Tracing each finger gives your mind something tangible to concentrate on, drawing your attention away from the endless stream of what ifs and back to what’s happening right in front of you. You’re focusing on the movement of your hand, the sensation of touch and the rhythm of your breath, rather than getting caught up in your thoughts.”

And no, you don’t need to clear your mind completely for it to work, and thank goodness, because with mine—I’d be waiting a while. The point isn’t to stop anxious thoughts appearing, but to give yourself something else to focus on when they do.

What Does Science Say About Five-Finger Breathing?

I’ll admit, anything involving breathwork has traditionally lived in the slightly “woo-woo” corner of my brain, somewhere between crystal healing and my monthly psychic appointment. But if you like a bit of proof in the pudding, consider dessert served, with one important caveat.

“The evidence is stronger for slow breathing than for five-finger breathing specifically, and it’s important to make that distinction,” says Hague.

Research into controlled breathing is promising. A Stanford-led randomised study published in 2023 found that five minutes of structured breathing a day over a month improved mood, with particularly encouraging results for cyclic sighing, a technique that emphasises a longer exhale. Meanwhile, a 2024 meta-analysis of 31 studies involving 1,133 participants found short-term benefits for heart-rate variability, heart rate and blood pressure.

The catch is that these studies looked at breathing techniques more broadly rather than five-finger breathing itself. So while the findings are encouraging, they don’t prove that tracing your fingers for 60 seconds will deliver the same results.

As Hague puts it: “Can you feel calmer in 60 seconds? Yes, you can. Can we promise a measurable or lasting change for everyone? No, but it’s a good starting point.”

And that feels like a realistic promise. I’m not expecting one minute of finger tracing to transform me into a woman who never catastrophises (I fear that will never be me). For me, the appeal is learning a simple skill and practising it regularly, so it feels familiar when stress inevitably comes knocking.

Does Five-Finger Breathing Really Help You Feel Calmer? I Tried It—Here's My Verdict

Like anything in life, if someone tells me something that could help me calm down in the moment, naturally, I’m all ears. I’m nothing if not keen to find a way to stop my brain from creating unwarranted anxiety.

What struck me about five-finger breathing was how ridiculously simple it was. No app, no wearable, no need to disappear somewhere for 30 minutes to become one with the universe. Just my hand, my breath and 60 seconds of my life.

If you’ve made it this far and still have a healthy dose of scepticism, know that I did, too. Surely, this was too simple to see some change? But I started practising daily, saving it for those moments when I could feel myself getting wound up. And while I can’t claim I emerged a dramatically calmer version of myself, focusing on the movement and slowing my breathing gave me a little breathing space between a stressful thought and my reaction to it.

For someone who can go from zero to 100 at a truly impressive speed, that small pause felt like a win. It meant that when the next spiral inevitably arrived, I had something to reach for rather than simply letting my thoughts run the show.

I suspect the real benefit lies in practising regularly, rather than expecting one minute to work miracles on demand. The more familiar the technique becomes, the easier it may be to use when stress strikes.

​Will I be trading my personality for permanent serenity? Unlikely. But if it means one less knee-jerk reaction and one more tool in my arsenal for when my brain goes into overdrive, I’ll take it.

Feeling like you need to find a little calm? Shop MC UK's wellness essentials

And while I'm not thrilled about having yet another thing to scrutinise under unforgiving bathroom lighting, I am pleased that ferritin is finally getting the attention it deserves. Iron deficiency is one of the most overlooked women's health issues, with symptoms too often brushed off and low iron stores (which is where ferritin comes into play) affecting us even before anaemia develops. If this trend is encouraging more women to ask questions, request tests and push for answers, I'm all for it. Even if we're not entirely sure what we're asking yet. The fact of the matter is: we deserve to understand our bodies, not simply learn to live with feeling rubbish.

There's really only so much Googling a woman can do, so in the name of womanhood, I've done the groundwork. I spoke to experts to unpack what ferritin actually is, which symptoms are worth paying attention to, what your blood tests can—and can't—tell you, and how to get the right support. Because, excuse the intrusive thought, but I can't help wondering how many women are walking around feeling rubbish simply because nobody's explained what their blood tests actually mean.

5 Subtle Low-Iron Signs in Women, Plus the Tests to Ask For

First, What Is Ferritin, How Is It Linked to Iron Deficiency, and Why Does It Matter?

Right, let’s dive in, because I know the woman on the other side of this screen is chomping at the bit to get to the bottom of what ferritin actually is.

First, a quick distinction: iron is the mineral your body needs to function; ferritin is the protein that stores it. “Measuring ferritin in your blood indicates how much iron you have in reserve. When those reserves run low, you can develop iron deficiency, even before you become anaemic,” says Professor Toby Richards of The Iron Clinic.

And iron matters for far more than making red blood cells: “your cells need it to produce energy, your brain needs it to make neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin, which affect mood and concentration, and it is needed for normal thyroid hormone production,” explains women’s health advocate and medical doctor, Dr Faye Bate.

But what counts as low? Richards points to the World Health Organisation’s traditional threshold for iron deficiency: ferritin below 15 micrograms per litre. NICE guidance, updated in August 2024, uses below 30 as an indicator of iron deficiency, while newer 2026 guidance from the American Society of Haematology also used 30, with a threshold of 50 considered for some higher-risk groups, including women with heavy periods.

Why do these numbers matter? “Think of your ferritin as your body’s iron savings account. Your bone marrow needs iron to make red blood cells, but your body can dip into those reserves to keep production ticking along even as they dwindle. That means your ferritin can fall before your haemoglobin does—and before you meet the criteria for anaemia.” As Richards explains, you can be iron deficient without being anaemic. A haemoglobin result within the normal range, then, doesn’t necessarily mean your iron stores are in good shape.

Which leads me to our next collective question: why can women have low iron stores even when their haemoglobin levels appear normal? In short: “Your body uses up its iron reserves to keep haemoglobin stable for as long as it can,” explains Bate. “So ferritin can drop before haemoglobin does.” And because a standard full blood count from your GP doesn’t automatically measure ferritin, you can be told your bloods are normal without anyone having checked your iron stores. TDLR: low ferritin can mean iron deficiency, even if you’re not anaemic.

The symptoms of low iron every woman should know

Fatigue might be the obvious one, but if you’re constantly running on empty, don’t automatically write it off as a busy life or another night of rubbish sleep. Richards warns me that low iron can make even mundane tasks feel like an Olympic event, from climbing two flights of stairs without getting breathless to concentrating at work. “Dizziness, heart palpitations and restless legs, as well as “pica”—cravings for ice or even non-food substances—and itchy skin are also signs worth paying attention to, not simply pushing through,” he says.

Then there are the hair and skin changes fuelling the “ferritin face” frenzy online; “when ferritin falls below 15 micrograms per litre—particularly below 10—signs can become more visible, including increased hair shedding, a widening parting, brittle nails, dark circles, puffy eyes and a sallow complexion.” In severe cases, he says, women can look visibly unwell.

The stakes go beyond appearance. Richards points to The Lancet’s Global Burden of Disease Study when discussing how disabling iron-deficiency anaemia can be: “it can be more disabling than diabetes.” He estimates the average woman can spend up to eight years suffering from iron deficiency, including two to three years taking iron tablets. That’s a really long time to feel unlike yourself. So, if any of this sounds a little too familiar, don’t just put it down to being busy or run-down. Speak to your GP and ask whether your iron levels could be part of the picture.

Iron blood tests decoded: what tests to ask for and what your results mean

As we know, it’s not quite as simple as having your bloods done and being told everything looks fine. Heavy periods and diet are common causes of low iron in women who menstruate, but, as Richards points out, “other causes—including coeliac disease and hidden blood loss—may also need investigating.” So what should you be asking your GP to test for? Naturally, it depends on your medical history and symptoms, but here are a few key tests worth knowing about.

1. Full blood count (FBC):

This will check your haemoglobin and other blood components, helping identify anaemia. Disclaimer: A normal result doesn’t necessarily mean your iron stores are healthy.

2. Ferritin:

This test will measure your iron stores. If you’re concerned about low iron, this is a key number to ask for.

3. CRP:

Checks for inflammation, which can affect how your ferritin result is interpreted.

4. B12, folate and thyroid function:

These may also be checked because deficiencies or thyroid problems can cause symptoms like brain fog and fatigue that overlap with iron deficiency.

And even when you have those results in front of you, interpreting them isn’t always straightforward. “The tricky part,” Bate explains, “is that ferritin doesn’t always tell the full story on its own. Inflammation can cause levels to rise, potentially masking an iron deficiency, so results need to be considered alongside your symptoms, medical history and, where appropriate, other blood tests.”

One final tip: ask for the actual number, not just whether your results are “normal”. A result can fall within a lab’s reference range without necessarily answering every question about your symptoms. If you’re feeling unlike yourself, take those numbers back to your GP and ask whether further investigation or treatment is appropriate.

How to restore your iron levels and get back on track

If you’ve gotten this far and are feeling a little overwhelmed by how much of this you relate to, fear not; I have good news. Low iron and low ferritin are treatable, but Richards stressed that it’s about more than simply reaching for a packet of iron tablets and hoping for the best. “First up—you will need to treat the iron deficiency properly—the key to recovery is to replenish your iron stores and get to the bottom of why they’ve dropped in the first place.”

For many women, treatment starts with oral iron. “The standard regimen is an iron tablet containing 200 to 300 mg of the iron compound, providing around 80- 90 mg of elemental iron.” But here’s the catch: your body only absorbs a fraction of what you swallow. According to his numbers, that works out at around 200 to 240 mg of absorbed iron a month. What those numbers translate to: “If you’re trying to correct a deficit of roughly 1,000mg, it can take around six months to replenish those stores fully, although you may start to notice an improvement in how you feel after about a month.”

It’s also important to address what’s causing your levels to fall: “For vegetarians, I suggest considering a regular multivitamin containing iron. If heavy periods are behind your low levels, tackling the blood loss is also important. Tranexamic acid is one treatment that can help reduce blood loss by up to a third to a half, although you’ll need to speak to a healthcare professional about whether it’s suitable for you. Iron replacement may also be needed to replenish what you’ve lost.”

And if iron tablets aren’t doing the trick—or you struggle to tolerate them—an iron infusion may be another option. “These deliver iron directly into the bloodstream and can be useful in certain circumstances, although access and funding arrangements vary in the UK,” says Richards.

So, how do you know when you’re back on track? “Check your ferritin levels after three months of treatment, aiming for levels above 50, then test again six months later to make sure they’ve remained stable. The right target and timing will depend on your individual circumstances, so it’s worth agreeing a monitoring plan with your clinician.” Crucially, he warns me that treating the underlying cause matters just as much as replenishing your stores; otherwise, you risk ending up back where you started.

There’s something quietly reassuring about Richards’ final words to me: “Everything in life is about stability.” It’s a simple sentiment, but one that feels surprisingly reassuring when you consider how many women have come to accept feeling exhausted, foggy or just not quite themselves as their baseline.

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Don’t get me wrong, there’s so much to celebrate. Experiences that a decade ago we didn’t have language for—such as the underreported ways ADHD and autism present in women—are now explored in podcasts, books and social media feeds. We’re seeing the Government acknowledge the gender health gap in ways they haven’t before, with a renewed 10-year plan promising to tackle medical misogyny and gynaecological wait times. So many formerly taboo topics, from infertility and post-natal depression to perimenopause and pelvic floor dysfunction, are now part of mainstream dialogue.

But we can’t ignore the catch. Because as the interest in women’s health has ballooned, so too has the noise, misinformation and marketing surrounding it. A 2025 investigation by The Guardian found that more than half of the top 100 posts under the hashtag #mentalhealthtips contained misinformation, while another report, published by The New York Times, found that Instagram is flooded with hundreds of AI-generated wellness influencers peddling dubious claims.

It’s made worse by the fact that AI is, in many cases, replacing real-world conversations. Polling by Mental Health UK in 2025 found that 37% of UK adults have used an AI chatbot for mental health support, while a further survey commissioned by Intimina in 2026 found that 53% of women would use a free AI tool for health advice—despite knowing that it has a 20% inaccuracy rate. At therapy service Self Space, therapists say this increased reliance on AI is having a mixed impact on clients' trust in their own experience. “We’re seeing a shift from ‘what do I think about this?’ to ‘what should I be thinking according to AI?’” founder Jodie Cariss noted in her most recent newsletter.

It makes the conversations we have with other, real women all the more important. Studies show that, as a gender, we’re predisposed to the tend-and-befriend response, which means that, in times of stress, we gravitate towards one another for social support, nurture and advice. Unlike algorithmically driven digital spaces, which frequently trap us in echo chambers with others of a similar age and circumstance, these real-world women span generational cohorts, backgrounds and life experiences.

Really, that’s why I wanted to write this piece. Think of it as the best dinner party you’ve ever been to: fifteen women, fifteen perspectives, and a collection of advice to bookmark and return to. None are universal rules, nor is one woman’s personal experience a substitute for medical evidence. What they are is real. Honest reflections from women who've lived through different stages of life, made discoveries and found things that work for them.

If you’re currently navigating your own health journey, we’ve got plenty of resources for you. From the eight habits to help PMOS and the 26 micro behaviours to support hormone health, to the five breast cancer symptoms which are most often overlooked, there’s a treasure trove of expert-led guidance over on the Marie Claire UK health section.

I Asked 15 Women Over 50 For Their Best Piece of Health Advice-What They Shared Feels Like Gold Dust

1. Elif Shafak

If you’re an avid reader, you’ll have no doubt heard of Elif Shafak. The novelist and essayist is not only one of the most accomplished storytellers of our generation; she’s also a powerful mouthpiece for marginalised voices, often weaving moral, political and historical questions into the lives of her characters. Whenever I read her work, I’m left thinking about her words long after I turn a page.

It’s why I was unsurprised to find that our conversation left a mark on me. When we sit down together over Zoom, the first thing that strikes me is that her presence mirrors her written voice—calm and unhurried. In the midst of a busy week, I soon find myself adjusting to her pace, and for that alone, I feel better.

“We live in an age of speed,” she reminds me. “There’s so much information and so much rush. We tell ourselves to keep juggling and multitasking. But in fact, it’s ok to slow down. Actually, the faster the world spins, the more urgently we need to slow down, connect and care for ourselves, each other and nature.”

But how do we do it? I ask her. “Spend time close to things much older than you,” she replies. “Walk by rivers, sit under oak trees, visit the British Museum and look at the sculptures. When you sit by things which are old, you gain another perspective.”

It reminds me of her latest book—There Are Rivers in the Sky—which considers the idea that water houses memories, connecting societies and places across centuries.

And on the topic of connection, Shafak has another message. “Each and every one of us is struggling in one way or another, no matter what the seemingly perfect lives on social media portray”, she says. “So don’t be afraid of difficult emotions. These are deeply human experiences, and the question isn’t whether we’ll feel them, but what we do with them.”

When I ask what she does with her difficult emotions, her answer is to turn to creativity. To Shafak, it’s writing, but she says it can be anything that helps you express yourself. “Whatever you do in life, try to find the thing that you love,” she finishes. “If there’s love at the heart of what you do, it won’t feel like a chore, or even a job. It becomes existential.”

2. Julia Cameron

Julia Cameron’s book, The Artist’s Way, came up repeatedly with the women I spoke to for this feature. Having already reached out to the author herself, these conversations made speaking to her feel more necessary than ever.

For those who are unfamiliar, The Artist’s Way is a twelve-week self-help programme for creative recovery, which has sold over 5 million copies worldwide since its original publication in 1992.

Naturally, when I ask Cameron for her single piece of health advice, it's the same practice so many of my other contributors remembered from the book, too. “My suggestion for greater health is the Morning Pages—three pages of longhand morning writing. The pages put us in touch with our needs and desires, while providing the calming influence of prayer and meditation,” she tells me.

3. Michelle Griffith Robinson

Olympian turned personal trainer and lifestyle coach, Michelle Griffith Robinson oozes energy. The first woman in the Commonwealth to jump beyond 14m in the triple jump, there’s no questioning her inner resilience and tenacity, which have been tested not just in the competition arena, but also in managing her diagnosis of prediabetes, which she received in 2018. Since then, she’s worked to destigmatise the condition, particularly amongst black women—for whom genetics can play a key role. Her overriding message across everything she shares is one of optimism—something I feel as soon as we start speaking.

“My advice for women, particularly in midlife, is to find something that makes you smile again,” she tells me. “It’s a time when you can feel disconnected—even a bit lost. Whether it’s creative writing, starting jogging, joining a group or weight training, find something that brings you joy.”

She emphasises that doesn’t mean you have to follow the crowd. “Remember that one size doesn’t fit all—what brings another person joy may not be the same for you,” she adds. “It’s crucial to celebrate our uniqueness, and find what it is that makes you smile again.”

4. Nuala McGovern

My interview with Nuala McGovern, broadcaster and presenter of BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour, unearths what can only be described as a treasure trove of wisdom.

“Having suffered from painful periods since my thirties, I think I learned a little too late to respect the rhythms of the menstrual cycle,” she begins, explaining that, for a long time, she asked her body to operate at the same pace throughout the month. “It’s easy to forget that during your period, your body is already running a marathon and that therefore, it’s ok to cut yourself some slack, knowing that you’ll be able to operate at twice the rate later in the month,” she says.

Later in our conversation, we get to the topic of female friendship and specifically, the importance of spontaneous social connection. “Try to resist letting your friends become another item on the to-do list,” McGovern says, explaining that at times, she feels we’ve become too adult about the ways we spend time together. “Not every meet-up needs to involve a house tidy, drinks or dinner,” she says. “Remember that it can be as simple as running errands together, exercising in tandem, watching The Traitors or even sitting on the floor flicking through magazines. These little plans can be a gift.”

Just when I don’t want our conversation to end, she leaves me with this. “Nothing gives me a greater endorphin rush than hopping on an electric bike, cycling up to the [Hampstead] Heath, chucking myself in cold water and going for a pint and a snack afterwards. If I have friends with me, so much the better.”

If ever I’ve heard a shortcut to happiness, I’d say this was it.

5. Renee McGregor

For sports dietitian Renee McGregor, who specialises in eating disorders, athlete nutrition, REDs and hormonal health, consciously checking in with herself every day is a non-negotiable health habit. It’s something she also encourages her clients to try.

“Every day, I ask myself whether my behaviour and actions demonstrate that I’m taking care of myself,” she explains. “That means asking: am I resting enough? Am I nourishing my body? Am I listening to my body? Am I maintaining boundaries?”

For many of us, who spend our lives rushing to prioritise the demands of others, this conscious daily check-in might feel unfamiliar. But get into the habit of it, and it could be the thing that protects your health and prevents you from reaching a breaking point.

6. Cindy Gallop

I first came across Cindy Gallop, Founder and CEO of MakeLoveNotPorn, when she appeared on the Begin Again podcast with Davina McCall. Entitled ‘How to have a great sex life’, the episode was a transformative listen. Gallop is unapologetic about her belief that all of us, regardless of age, gender or past experience, should be able to experience intimacy, desire and pleasure without shame. It’s why she’s leading the campaign, Yes Sex Please We're British, with MP Samantha Niblett, and why she created the MakeLoveNotPorn Academy, to improve sex education for all of us.

"Love yourself as a sexual being,” writes Gallop over email, when I ask her for the one piece of health advice she’d impart on other women. “Refuse to feel shame, guilt and embarrassment around sex—whether that’s talking about sex, wanting sex, having sex or feeling sexy.”

Her next lines are particularly pertinent given the recent news cycle. “Know you have sexual agency. That is the agency to decide what kind of sex you want to have and when you want to have it. Nobody else gets to decide that for you, and nobody else gets to make you feel bad about any of it.”

7. Lavina Mehta MBE

It’s funny which phrases stick with you. Sometimes they’re so small you could miss them. Like when Lavina Mehta MBE says, “exercise for sanity, not vanity.” The personal trainer and bestselling author of The Feel Good Fix, who is a huge proponent of taking small steps over big leaps, says this is how she’d love more women to view movement. “I truly believe that exercise isn’t just about how we look; it’s about how feel,” she says.

It’s also why she urges us to focus on healthspan over lifespan. “Think of your health in terms of an investment—we want to futureproof our bodies so that we can maintain independence and keep doing the things we love for as long as possible.”

Her parting words? “Yours is an individual journey; no change is too little, and it’s never too late to invest in your health.”

8. Gabby Logan

Growing up as a track and field athlete, Gabby Logan’s voice was the soundtrack to my weekends. Whether watching the Diamond League athletics circuit on a Saturday afternoon or tuning into Olympic coverage every four years, the former gymnast turned broadcaster has been at the centre of sport, health and wellness—first as an athlete and then as a presenter—for over forty years.

Today, she’s also the host of Life at the Midpoint - a podcast which explores the changes, challenges and complexities that arise during midlife. Though I’m still in my late twenties, I regularly make notes as I listen, in the hope that I’m banking the wisdom for my future self.

It makes sense then that her advice is a product of those podcast conversations. “If there’s one piece of advice that comes through loud and clear from my guests, it’s to pick up some weights,” she says. “Resistance training in midlife is a game changer for our muscles, bones, mood and metabolism, and it’s never too late to start. I’ve made it part of my week, and I’ve never felt stronger."

9. Liz Earle MBE

While we first knew Liz Earle MBE as co-founder of her namesake beauty brand, the past decade has seen her association with wellbeing develop into much broader contexts. From gut health and resistance training to menopause and longevity, she’s the author of 37 books, the founder of a wellbeing platform with over 200,000 social media followers, and the host of a hit podcast, Age Better with Liz Earle. Together, her work serves as an important reminder: that our health doesn’t necessarily have to decline with age.

As for the advice she shares with us? It couldn’t be more refreshing. “My golden rule is to ask: will this help me become stronger?” she tells me. “I wish I’d spent less of my twenties trying to shrink my body and more time appreciating what it could do. In my sixties, I’m much more interested in building muscle, protecting my sleep and eating to nourish myself. Every day, I try to do something my eighty-year-old self will thank me for, whether that’s getting outside into daylight for mitochondrial health, lifting a few weights for muscle preservation, or simply going to bed earlier for greater DNA repair.”

She has a final point, too. One that hits home just as I shut my laptop. “Your body deserves care at every age. Don’t wait until you like the reflection to start.”

10. Gym Tan

“Never assume you’ve finished becoming who you are,” content creator Gym Tan writes to me over email. The 66-year-old has been a regular feature on my For You page for well over a year now, but this is the first time we’ve spoken directly.

I’m pleased to discover that her no-nonsense zest for life, which so emphatically comes through in her content, is reflected in our conversation. “For much of our lives, we define ourselves through our careers, our families, and the roles we play for others. But those roles are only part of our story,” she reminds me, explaining that after thirty years building a career in fashion from Hong Kong, she pivoted to content creation when she moved to the US.

“At 66, I feel there are still so many possibilities to explore and places to see,” she continues. “Getting older doesn’t mean becoming less of who you are. For me, it's been an opportunity to discover and be more in tune with myself, including parts I may have put aside along the way.”

For Tan, that has looked like prioritising running and fitness, travelling more for work and play and forming collaborations with brands she’s admired for decades. But whatever our dreams are, it’s a reminder that possibility doesn’t disappear after we hit a certain age or milestone. No matter what age we are, it’s never too late to expand our horizons.

11. Julia Samuel

Psychotherapist and author Julia Samuel is known for her pioneering work destigmatising grief. Having listened to her on a number of podcasts, I knew that her advice would be measured and grounding. And so it proved to be.

“However bad your day has been, your best medicine is to connect with someone you trust, get outside and move your body,” she says. “These are three of the most powerful ways we can protect our mental and physical health. We are social beings; we need to feel loved, heard and understood. Movement helps regulate our emotions, and time outdoors can reduce stress and improve our mood. I know from my own life, as well as decades as a psychotherapist, that these small daily habits make an enormous difference. They won’t make life’s difficulties disappear, but they give us the emotional resources to face them.”

12. Kate Rowe-Ham

“Weights don’t make you bulky,” Kate Rowe-Ham’s voice reverberates through my phone. The reminder is simple, but it’s one that goes against years of conditioning. “It really isn’t true,” emphasises the midlife and longevity strength coach, as if she’s just read my mind. “Lifting is essential to future-proofing our bodies so that we can live well for longer.”

When it comes to food and nutrition, she’s just as clear. “There’s no right or wrong, good or bad, earned or unearned,” she says. “It [food] is the thing that you need to keep going, build muscle and thrive. I spent years treating hunger like a problem to be solved when in fact it was just my body asking for what it needed.”

As for her parting words? “Understand your hormones before they change. Being prepared for something isn’t the same as dreading it. Trust the body that’s got you this far, and if something doesn’t look real or possible, it’s probably not.”

Does that feel like a mic drop?

13. Karen Arthur

“Trust your gut,” says author, broadcaster and artist Karen Arthur.

It’s advice I love, but I will admit that I sometimes struggle with it—especially because my busy brain often drowns out what my gut is telling me. It’s a point Arthur picks up on. “We often ignore when things start to niggle because our brain is so busy worrying about our other responsibilities,” she says.

As she rightly points out, however, this doesn’t make the issues go away. In fact, it tends to make them shout louder. “The trick is to start spending time with yourself,” explains Arthur. “Learn to sit quietly, learn to be silent, learn to let go of the guilt around doing nothing. Pour back into yourself.”

She adds a final point, one I think is particularly important. “We are supposed to evolve. Not everyone has to be in your life forever, and just because you have always done something a certain way doesn’t mean that you can’t change your mind. Remember, you have choices.”

14. Cally Beaton

When Cally Beaton goes on stage, she tells a joke about a T-shirt she owns, with the words My weight is not the most interesting thing about me. The punchline? That she would have worn it tonight, but it makes her look fat.

I laugh, but her point hangs in the air. Because beneath the joke is a very real message that Beaton lives by. “The less I fixate on my body image and weight, the better I look and feel,” she says. It’s why she keeps a pact not to weigh herself. “I focus on being physically active and make an effort to get the right foods in me without depriving myself,” she says. “For me, that’s far healthier than obsessing over a number on a scale.”

At a moment when bodies around us are shrinking by the day, it feels like an especially important message; one that brings us neatly onto Beaton’s second tip. “Ceasing to worry about what anyone else thinks is extremely youthening,” she smiles. “In fact, I think it’s more powerful than any Botox or tweakment.”

It’s undoubtedly easier said than done, but Beaton believes it’s possible for all of us. “Building a relationship with yourself is crucial,” she says. “Be confident in your own emotional resilience, and don’t be afraid to keep your world big and curious. Do things which are unlikely, try to let go of rigid structures, and see what happens.”

As for how that looks day to day, Beaton says her journaling practice has been essential. “Every night I write down three positive qualities about myself, three things I’m proud of having done that day, and three things I’m grateful for,” she says. “It sounds cliché, but it reminds me that, even on days where life throws everything at me, I’m still ok. That doesn’t go away just because of a bad day.”

15. Lucinda Chambers

Lucinda Chambers is nothing if not honest. The former fashion director of British Vogue and now co-founder of curated shopping platform Collagerie is synonymous with taste and style, but says she’s far from conventional when it comes to her health.

“I’ve never seen the inside of a gym and do not take any form of exercise in a strenuous, regimented sort of way,” she tells me. That, however, does not mean she doesn’t value feeling well. The 67-year-old says, “I like doing things that are for the mind as well as the body, so I take every opportunity I have to swim. I find it meditative, can turn things over without any stress and always, always feel better afterwards.”

She’s quick to point out that her focus isn’t on the pace or number of lengths she achieves. “It’s just up and down, slowly and surely,” she says. “It could be the sea or pool; both are wonderful to take the mind elsewhere and calm down.”

Her advice isn’t necessarily to copy her, but rather to find something that brings you peace. “Anything that you can build into your life that takes you out of your head is a must,” she concludes.

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Know someone who’s a fan of early morning gym sessions, post-workout rituals, and discovering how strong she is both in and out of the gym? Someone who romanticises sweaty workout sessions, lives for an uplifting gym bag essentials, and makes time for the routines that’ll make her feel good both inside and out?

Then you’re in the right place.

I’m a Health Editor who’s lucky enough to test the latest fitness launches and must-tries day in, day out. Keep scrolling for my personal pick of the best gifts for the fitness enthusiast in your life—gifts that celebrate every version of her health journey and encourage what’s to come. Gifts that make life easier, and movement more joyful. Small tools to make home workouts simpler; everyday gym essentials; and feel-good finds that promise to make working out feel like a privilege, not a chore.

Because there’s something powerful about a woman who keeps showing up for herself.

This gift guide is for her; for the woman dedicated to finding her strength.

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But there is one area where the advancements in computer science may be a solution to an ever more pertinent problem: women's health. Despite making up roughly 50% of the population, women's health is chronically underfunded and misunderstood. Decades of having our pain and symptoms minimised and brushed off are only recently starting to be taken more seriously, with conditions such as (but not limited to) endometriosis and PMOS finally receiving the airtime that they deserve.

In fact, recent research conducted by the University of St Andrews reveals that women are less likely to be offered treatments such as surgery or strong painkillers when presenting with exactly the same symptoms as men—even more baffling, when you consider that biologically speaking, women go through more medically significant periods throughout their lifetimes (including menstrual cycles, children, menopause and more).

Which makes it even more significant, then, that we're turning to AI in droves for medical advice. A 2026 YouGov survey showed that 8% of UK adults use AI as their first port of call for medical advice, a figure that rises to 13% for Millennials. Given that women are more likely to seek GP advice than men (according to this research from the British Medical Journal), it's not a huge leap to assume that many of these are also women.

So, can AI provide the understanding and information that is still so lacking in traditional medical settings? As many of us turn to cycle tracking apps and more, it could make perfect sense. We asked a range of experts for their honest opinions on this—keep scrolling to read their take.

We Asked Top Experts Whether AI Could Help Us Better Understand Women’s Health

How can AI be used to help us understand women’s health?

It's safe to say that the AI and women's health conversation is an engaging one. Whether you're pro-AI, on the fence or staunchly against it in all its forms, it's worth keeping an open mind on this.

So, how can it help us understand our health better? The answer is multi-layered—and fascinating.

1. It helps us track rhythms

Women's bodies—unlike men's—are cyclical, which has traditionally been one of the complexities in women's health research.

“Women's bodies run on rhythms—monthly cycles, pregnancy, perimenopause—and those rhythms create huge amounts of data that, until now, nobody had the time to make sense of,” agrees fertility coach and nutritional therapist Monica Kranner. “AI can connect the dots between sleep, mood, energy, cravings, cycle length and symptoms in a way a ten-minute GP appointment never could. Patterns that women have been describing for years, and often been dismissed, suddenly become visible and measurable.”

2. It can help connect the dots

If you've ever wondered why you're feeling tired, headachey and drained—only to start your period the very next day, you'll relate to the idea that even when symptoms are (with hindsight) seemingly obvious, they can be easy to overlook. Here's where AI can help—take period tracking apps, for example.

“AI can help connect a health picture that is often fragmented,” shares founder of Fueld, Glenn Smith. “It can link nutrition, blood tests, specialist reports, wearable data and someone’s own account of their symptoms. Considering these together can make patterns easier to explore and help us highlight the right areas when speaking with a healthcare professional.

“Women’s health is much broader than reproductive health alone, so this can cover not just menstrual health and perimenopause; it also extends to cardiovascular and metabolic health.”

3. It give space and time to a complex conversation

Unless you have the means to go private, getting a face-to-face GP appointment can be like gold dust—and if you are lucky enough to land one, you'll only have a few minutes to download all your concerns. AI, on the other hand, has all the time in the world.

“For me, one of the most interesting questions is: what happens when women finally have a tool that will sit with the detail of their symptoms for as long as they need it to?” notes consultant psychologist Dr Louise Goddard-Crawley. “Women’s health can be incredibly complex, and historically it hasn’t been researched to the same extent as men’s health. Symptoms can cut across hormones, fertility, pregnancy, menopause, mental health, sleep, medication and physical health, and it can be difficult to make sense of how everything fits together.

“AI gives women the time and space to put the whole picture down, organise what has been happening, understand terminology and work out what might be worth taking to a doctor.”

4. It can help us advocate for ourselves

Used well, AI can help women advocate for themselves—something that, traditionally, we're not all brilliant at.

“AI can help women walk into an appointment with a clearer idea of what has been happening and what they want to ask,” Dr Goddard-Crawley shares.

It also takes away some of the societal pressures that can come alongside a doctor's appointment. “You can ask AI the same question in different ways, go back over something you didn’t understand or mention a detail you thought might be irrelevant, without feeling you’re taking up too much time,” she adds.

5. It helps us make informed choices

AI has shown that it has the potential to support diagnoses, and this is a developing area. the experts admit that it's exciting.

“A Swedish MASAI AI-supported breast screening trial detected a greater proportion of cancers while maintaining the same specificity as standard screening,” shares Smith. “That is evidence of benefit in a defined clinical setting, and as these tools improve, we expect their contribution to diagnosis to grow. Each application still needs testing in the people and settings where it will be used, but the promise is a clearer picture, a better conversation and a more informed next step.”

6. We can be more open and honest

If you've ever lost your train of thought and totally forgotten what you meant to say at the GP—you're not alone. So, popping your concerns into AI from the comfort of your own home might ease some of these worries.

“There can also be a sense of neutrality with AI,” agrees Dr Goddard-Crawley. “You don’t have to worry about sounding dramatic or silly, being embarrassed, or whether someone has already formed an impression of you. AI isn’t truly objective, of course, but the interaction can feel less socially loaded.”

What are the drawbacks?

Of course, AI isn't the perfect solution to the women's healthcare paradox, so if you're still on the fence—we're right there with you. And honestly? We wouldn't use it to diagnose a broken nail, let alone a legitimate medical concern.

“The obvious problem to me is that AI can be wrong while sounding incredibly convincing,” cautions Dr Goddard-Crawley. “It can miss important context, make a connection that sounds plausible but isn’t, or reassure someone when they actually need medical assessment.”

Additionally, it's worth bearing in mind that AI works by utilising existing knowledge—something that the experts warn is distinctly lacking when it comes to medical research on women. “AI doesn’t magically remove these gaps or biases,” shares Dr Goddard-Crawley.

It's also wise to remember that AI is only as good as the questions we're asking it, and it can soon start to resemble an echo chamber.

“There’s a psychological risk, too,” Dr Goddard-Crawley acknowledges. “Over time, an AI conversation can start to reflect the concerns and assumptions the user brings to it. If someone is anxious about a symptom and repeatedly asks about increasingly frightening possibilities, AI may continue engaging with those possibilities rather than recognising that the questioning itself has become part of the anxiety.

“This means you can end up in a negative feedback loop where the conversation inadvertently gives more weight to a fear than it deserves. And for someone prone to health anxiety, that constant availability can also make reassurance-seeking very easy.”

How can we use AI for women's health safely and mindfully?

1. Give it a clear task

AI works best with clarity, notes Smith.

“Ask it to explain a result, summarise changes in your eating and sleep, or prepare questions for an appointment,” he advises. “Check that it has understood your information correctly. Diagnosis and treatment decisions need appropriate professional assessment; urgent symptoms should never wait for an app’s interpretation.”

2. Be vigilant about privacy

One of the biggest concerns around AI has to be how safe your information is.

“Be deliberate about privacy,” cautions Smith. “Ask where your information is stored and (importantly) processed, including when it is passed to an external AI provider. Does it stay in the UK or EU, or travel to the US or elsewhere? Who can access it, is it used to train models, and can you delete it?

“You should understand where your health data goes as clearly as you understand the insight coming back.”

3. Step away if needed

Constantly tracking and monitoring stats certainly isn't for everyone, and if you're prone to health anxiety or obsessing over results, you may want to check yourself.

“I’d also pay attention to how you’re using AI,” shares Dr Goddard-Crawley. “If you notice you’re asking the same question repeatedly, looking for certainty or becoming more frightened with every answer, that’s probably the point to stop. The AI may still be answering your questions, but the conversation may no longer be helping you.”

4. Understand the limitations

Last but not least, do keep in mind that you're essentially dealing with a computer—which has limitations.

“AI can be really useful for helping you understand information, organise symptoms, prepare for an appointment or think about what questions you might want to ask,” Dr Goddard-Crawley explains. “But we also need to remember what it can’t do. It can’t examine you, take observations, see the full clinical picture or take responsibility for a diagnosis. I’d use it as another source of information and a way of thinking things through, rather than as a replacement for medical care.”

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It's well established that the seasons impact both mental and physical wellbeing, for a variety of reasons. Research shows that how much daylight we are exposed to affects mood, sleep and our risk of depression (check out this study, published in the Journal of Affective Disorders), while further studies (such as this one, from the journal Nature) reveal that the seasons and the weather influence both levels of depression and physical activity.

It's something that is supported anecdotally, too, as GP Dr Punam Krishan shares.

"Every year, I see a shift in what patients are coming to me for around the autumn equinox—where days have shortened to where the length of day and night are almost equal," she tells MC UK. "People come in concerned about a low mood, saying they feel flat, unmotivated, or 'off' like they have a 'post-summer hangover'. Some don’t make the connection to the season at all."

And nothing screams a seasonal shift quite like the changing of the clocks. At the end of October, we'll be popping everything back an hour, meaning it'll get darker earlier in the evening, and as for waking up in daylight? You can kiss goodbye to that until March (sorry!).

So, what impact does this shift in rhythm really have on our wellbeing? After all, it's only 60 minutes; how much difference can this really make? We turned to the experts for their take—keep scrolling to discover their thoughts, but in the meantime, you might want to lock in on our guides to the best Danish hygge lifestyle tips for colder months, mental health tips and Scandi fitness hacks here.

It’s Time for the Clocks To Go Back—Here’s How It Can Affect Your Mental Health, Plus How To Cope

How does the clock change affect mental health?

The biannual UK clock change in March and October has long been a subject of hot debate, but so far, it seems we're stuck with it. At 2 am on Sunday 25th October, we'll all pop our watches, phones and clocks back an hour, marking the end of British Summer Time.

And while in theory, this means that we'll all be banking an extra hour's kip, it's not unusual to feel a little out of sorts around this time, too. So, what exactly is going on here?

“The clock change can temporarily disrupt our circadian rhythm, which is the internal body clock that regulates sleep, hormones, appetite, body temperature and many other biological processes,” explains GP, longevity expert and founder of HUM2N, Dr Mohammed Enayat. “Even a one-hour shift can leave some people feeling more tired, less alert or slightly out of sync for a few days.”

Physically, we can notice changes in concentration, energy levels and appetite, with some people reporting headaches, digestive changes or generally feeling more sluggish while their body adjusts to the timing shifts.

But when it comes to mental wellbeing, the effects are even more pronounced.

“When the clocks go back in autumn, most of us welcome the extra hour in bed,” notes psychotherapist Stefan Walters. “But for many people, the shift brings a less welcome side effect: lower mood, poorer sleep and a dip in energy that can linger for weeks. Research has linked the autumn change with short-term disruption to sleep and, for some, a rise in low mood.

“For people with seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a form of depression with a seasonal pattern, this period can mark the start of symptoms such as persistent low mood, loss of interest, fatigue, oversleeping, craving carbohydrates and withdrawing from others. Even those without SAD may notice irritability, poor concentration and a general sense of feeling flat.”

Why does the clock change impact mental wellbeing?

Ok, but why does a seemingly tiny change to schedules and routines have such potentially far-reaching consequences?

Well, the experts believe this is down to a complex interplay of biological, psychological and societal factors.

Biologically speaking, our body clock relies notably on light to signal when we should be awake—and asleep.

“Our bodies run on a circadian rhythm, an internal 24-hour clock that regulates sleep, hormone release, body temperature, appetite and mood,” explains Walters. “It relies heavily on light, particularly morning light, to stay synchronised with the outside world. Moving the clocks by an hour sounds trivial, but it creates a mismatch between our internal clock and our daily schedule, a little like mild jet lag.”

Most of us will adjust to these changes within a few days, bit some people are more sensitive to fluctuations in routine and may find themselves affected for longer.

There are societal expectations at play here, too. When the clocks change, our social schedule changes immediately—but our internal biological clock does not necessarily adjust at the same speed, leaving us feeling sluggish and lacking in energy and focus. There's also a sense that the days are ‘shorter’, even though they're ostensibly exactly the same.

“As the days get shorter, people can feel as though the ‘good’ hours of the day have been taken up by work,” shares consultant psychiatrist Dr Alex Hartley. “You might leave home when it’s dark or grey, spend the daylight hours at work and then finish when it’s already dark again.”

“Darker evenings can also change our behaviour. Going for a walk in the park on a bright summer evening can feel safe and refreshing, whereas you may be less inclined to do the same thing when it’s dark, cold or raining. For someone with anxiety, particularly if they have experienced trauma or previously felt unsafe outside at night, that can become an even bigger barrier.”

“Anxiety often exists in the background with peaks and troughs that can be influenced by our environment. When routines change, and there are fewer opportunities to do the things that usually make us feel good, some people can find their mental health becomes harder to manage.”

6 Simple Ways to Boost Wellbeing When the Clocks Change

If all this has left you dreading the coming months, don't panic: there are lots of things we can all do to lean into the beauty of autumn and winter, and minimise the impact of those 60 minutes.

“Because this summer has seen record-breaking weather, I anticipate that Brits will struggle with mood changes even more than previous years since a bigger adjustment will be needed when the shorter, colder days are here,” advises Dr Krishan. “But there are a few small changes you can make to work with daylight hours rather than against it as the season changes.”

1. Prioritise morning light

Step one: regulate that all-important circadian rhythm by getting as much natural light exposure as you can, particularly early in the day.

“Get outside early,” advises Walters. “Morning daylight is the strongest cue for resetting the body clock. Even on an overcast day, outdoor light is far brighter than indoor lighting, so a 20- to 30-minute walk before or during the working day helps keep circadian rhythms steady and supports serotonin production.”

2. Keep your sleep routine consistent

We get it: the timing change can throw all of us out of sync. But it's well worth attempting to stay as consistent as possible when it comes to sleep, in particular, which we all know has a huge impact on mood and wellbeing.

“Going to bed and getting up at the same time each day reinforces your body clock,” shares Walters. “If you're finding this tricky, consider shifting bedtime gradually by 10 to 15 minutes over several days rather than expecting an instant adjustment.”

Over the course of a few days, you should find you settle into a new regime fairly easily.

3. Stay physically active

“One of the best things you can do to boost mental wellbeing in autumn is to move your body,” advises Walters. “Regular exercise, especially outdoors, improves sleep quality and lifts mood by boosting endorphins. It doesn't need to be intense; consistency matters more.”

Lace up those trainers, pop on your dancing shoes—choose whatever movement you enjoy and makes you feel good.

4. Lean into the darkness

Even on the darkest autumnal days, it can be helpful to use nature to our advantage and try to embrace the season—especially when it comes to light.

“When days start to get darker earlier, people naturally end up under brighter indoor lighting later into the evening: on phones, under overhead lights, or in front of the TV,” shares Dr Krishan. “In turn, this delays melatonin release and pushes your body clock later, so you end up tired in the morning and wired at night.

“Making the most of your whole home through this seasonal shift, upstairs included, is one of the simplest things you can do for your mood without any extra effort. Using softer lighting, stepping away from screens as the evening goes on and having a long wind-down routine will help counter the shift.”

Take this as permission to light those special candles.

5. Seek connection

As tempting as it is to hunker down at home under a heated blanket (and we totally endorse this, for the most part), it's important not to hibernate completely until spring. We know that social connections are vital for overall mental and physical wellbeing, and as much as you might struggle to leave the comfort of your sofa in winter, it's more important than ever to keep those social ties strong.

“Stay connected as the clocks change,” advises Walters. “The pull to hibernate is strong, but social contact is protective for mood. Plan regular activities with friends or family, and be mindful that isolation can deepen low mood.”

This might take some forward planning, or even being a lot more open with friends and family about what you're struggling with.

“Think about your social routine too,” notes Dr Hartley. “If you know you find winter difficult, tell the people around you and make plans in advance. That might mean arranging to meet at somebody’s house regularly so that maintaining those connections doesn’t depend on how you’re feeling on a particular evening.”

6. Focus on sleep quality

As much as consistency counts, so too does the quality of your shut eye.

“In the darker months, it's vital to protect the quality of your sleep,” encourages Dr Jemma Anderson, chartered educational psychologist and founder of Perceptive Educational Psychology Service. “A consistent bedtime routine, a comfortable sleep environment and reducing stimulating activities immediately before bedtime can all support the transition.

“However, if sleep difficulties persist rather than settling over time, it may be worthwhile looking at the wider causes rather than assuming the clock change is responsible.”

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With the clocks soon to change, feeling like you could happily spend the whole weekend hunkered on the sofa under a blanket is actually totally natural. As it turns out, seasonal energy slumps, particularly in the autumn, are pretty common. So common, in fact, that there's even a name for it: seasonal asthenia.

While there's no definitive research into autumn energy slumps themselves, anecdotally, the experts agree that they're legitimate.

“Shorter daylight hours can affect our body clock, sleep patterns and mood, which may leave some people feeling less energised during autumn and winter,” explains Shazna Khanom, head of clinical mental health at Bupa Health Clinics. “However, if you feel persistently exhausted, it may not necessarily be the time of year that’s causing it, so it’s worth seeing a health professional to get yourself checked.”

We know that there's nothing the internet loves more than a woman wanting health-related solutions, and there's certainly no shortage of advice online, but we're keen to bring you actionable, easy tweaks that can really help you feel less exhausted—without requiring a whole life overhaul.

Keep scrolling for our top expert-backed tips—but in the meantime, do check out our guides on how to beat fatigue, all the reasons we feel tired all the time and the different types of rest—plus, find out how one Health Writer got on when she stopped trying to fix her tiredness, here.

The Autumn Energy Slump Is Real—These Science-Backed Tips Might Just Be the Answer

What is the autumn energy slump?

So, we're all a little tired, lethargic and lacking in energy right now, but why is this? Well, it seems there are a number of reasons for feeling like we're running on empty in autumn. The days are shorter, there's a distinct chill in the air, and it's darker for longer—but there's more to it than just this, the experts note.

“At this time of year, light deprivation is a significant and underestimated energy drain,” explains longevity and lifestyle medicine doctor and founder of The Million Hour Club, Dr Alka Patel. “Shorter days and darker mornings affect our circadian rhythm, melatonin production, mood and alertness.”

Even a slight shift to our circadian rhythm can leave us susceptible to feeling fatigued and low on energy, and combined with September's manic back-to-school energy, we can be staring down the barrel of a very tiring season.

“At this stage in the year, many of us find that life can become a bit of a juggle,” agrees Dr Daniel Grant. “Be it preparing for half term, fighting cold and flu bugs, work targets needing to be met, or even beginning to think about Christmas. Our minds are in overload, and there is little time for rest and recovery.”

It's important to note here, however, that there is a difference between usual tiredness and lack of energy, and full-blown exhaustion.

“Speak to your GP if you’ve been feeling unusually tired for a few weeks without a clear reason, if it’s affecting your daily life, or if you have other symptoms,” advises Khanom. “Underlying health conditions, such as iron deficiency anaemia, thyroid problems, diabetes, sleep apnoea and depression, can cause persistent tiredness or fatigue. Always contact a health professional if you’re worried about exhaustion, as it could be a sign of something more serious.”

Can we solve the autumn energy slump by getting more sleep?

If you're consistently waking up sluggish and sleepy even when you've banked a solid eight or more hours of sleep, it might be time to think about how else you can restore your energy reserves—because it's not only unrealistic, sometimes, to just get more sleep; it also won't necessarily help.

“While getting enough sleep is essential, it’s certainly not the only factor influencing our energy levels,” notes GP, longevity expert and founder of HUM2N, Dr Mohammed Enayat. “You can get a full eight hours of sleep and still wake up feeling exhausted if the quality of your sleep is poor or other aspects of your health aren’t being supported.

“Hydration, nutrition, physical activity, stress and exposure to daylight all play important roles in how energised we feel throughout the day.

“It’s also about consistency. Going to bed and waking up at roughly the same time each day can help regulate your body clock, making it easier to fall asleep and wake up feeling refreshed. Even small changes to our daily routines can make a noticeable difference over time.”

How to feel less exhausted, according to the experts

While the experts agree that sleep is foundational to not feeling exhausted, there are a number of things we could do differently to improve our chances of staying alert and functioning until March rolls around. And the best bit? They're all entirely free.

“Ultimately, improving energy levels doesn’t have to mean completely changing your lifestyle,” advises Dr Enayat. “Simple habits such as getting outside in the morning, eating regularly, staying hydrated and making time for movement can all help support better energy levels. The key is consistency rather than trying to make lots of dramatic changes at once.”

1. Get outside within an hour of waking up

We're often told that exposure to morning light helps to regulate our circadian rhythm and boost sleep, and the experts unanimously agree.

“One of my favourite recommendations is to get outside for some natural daylight as early in the morning as you can,” shares women’s health GP and founder of The Female Health Doctor Clinic, Dr Nikki Ramskill. “Our body has an internal clock, known as the circadian rhythm, which helps regulate when we feel awake and when we feel sleepy. Exposure to natural daylight in the morning helps reinforce that rhythm, which can improve alertness during the day and support better sleep at night.

“You don’t need an elaborate morning routine. Even taking your morning cup of tea into the garden or walking around the block can be a good starting point.”

2. Tweak your diet

Nutrition becomes even more crucial during winter months, when bugs are widespread, and we're more prone to feeling run down.

“From a nutrition perspective, something I see quite a lot is people simply not eating enough during the day,” shares registered nutritionist and consultant at Healthspan UK, Rob Hobson. “They might skip breakfast, grab something small for lunch or rely on coffee to keep them going. Sometimes we're so focused on eating healthily that we forget about eating enough to fuel our day.

“Don't leave it too long between meals - Going for long periods without food can leave you feeling sluggish and struggling to concentrate, particularly if you're not eating enough overall. Try eating regular meals and including a nutritious snack when you need one.

“Don't be afraid of carbs! Carbs are our body's main source of energy, but sometimes we're so focused on protein that we forget about them. Foods like oats, wholegrain bread, potatoes and rice can all help keep us fuelled throughout the day.

“Make your snacks work a little harder. If you're hungry between meals, try combining protein and fibre to help keep you satisfied. Something like yoghurt with fruit, hummus with wholegrain crackers or an apple with peanut butter is simple and nutritious.”

3. Go for an afternoon walk

“When the afternoon crash arrives, try five to ten minutes of brisk walking or stair climbing before reaching for another coffee,” advises Dr Patel. “Movement increases circulation and sends the nervous system a strong daytime signal. In one study of sleep-deprived women, ten minutes of low-to-moderate stair walking produced a greater subjective energy boost than 50mg of caffeine.

“While it might feel counterintuitive and the last thing you feel like doing, an exercise snack such as walking rapidly around the block, climbing several flights of stairs or dancing to two songs gives you energy rather than draining you.”

4. Stop treating rest as something you have to earn

“Many of us wait until everything is finished before allowing ourselves to stop,” says yoga teacher Carliann Langley. “But the list is never finished. Instead, try mono-tasking: take a short pause before you reach the point of complete exhaustion, rather than waiting until your body forces you to stop.

“Rest doesn’t have to mean a whole afternoon off; it can mean sitting down with a cup of tea without simultaneously answering emails.”

5. Do a quick energy audit

“Ask yourself what has been taking up too much mental space,” suggests psychotherapist and member of Counselling Directory, Amita Marwaha. “Write down what has been occupying your head recently and ask:

• What can I do something about?
• What do I need to let go of?
• What genuinely matters to me for the next three months?

“This period doesn't need to be about squeezing more into your life. Sometimes it is useful to decide what deserves your energy and what no longer does.”

6. Stay hydrated

As the weather cools, it's easy to forget about reaching for your water bottle as often as over the summer, but dehydration can creep up quickly, causing lethargy and making it hard to focus.

“Dehydration is a common cause of fatigue, and it is well known that most individuals do not consume enough water,” says Dr Angela Rai, GP and longevity expert at The London General Practice. “Dehydration will decrease blood volume, making it harder for the heart to pump oxygen and nutrients to muscles and organs, leading to feelings of tiredness.

“Water is also essential for cellular functions and brain functions, helping us maintain our electrolyte balance, which is crucial for muscle function and energy.”

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I realised quite how bad I’d got when someone asked when I’d last taken a whole day just to rest. A whole day? I drew a blank. Like so many women I know, I’ve become convinced that every spare minute needs to earn its keep. Whether it’s an overachiever habit or the curse of a generation hell-bent on optimising absolutely everything, sitting still without feeling vaguely guilty is harder than it should be.

My apparently very reasonable conditions for resting: inbox zero, washing done, life in order. Only then may I lay down. Except, well, you know how that goes. So, in the spirit of finding balance, I had a difficult discussion with myself (and my psychic)... I need a way to switch off that didn’t mean relinquishing all my control to consumerism, buying another supplement, mastering an elaborate routine or adding yet another habit to my already overbooked day. Enter NSDR, or non-sleep deep rest: a practice that promises meaningful rest in just ten minutes. The gist? Lay down, close your eyes, follow a guided relaxation. No sleeping, no striving, no gold star required.

For six weeks, I tried ten minutes of NSDR a day, tracking my energy, mood, concentration and sleep, while speaking with experts to separate the science from the wellness waffle. Could ten minutes really help me feel less knackered? And could I finally switch off without mentally adding relax properly to my to-do list?

Can Finding Time to Do Nothing Really Boost Our Energy? I Tried the ‘NSDR’ Relaxation Technique for 6 Weeks to Find Out

What is NSDR, and how much of it is backed by science?

Before I committed to six weeks of lying around with my eyes closed (a daunting task for any restless Type A), I wanted to know whether NSDR was genuinely doing something for my brain, or whether I was essentially taking an elaborate nap minus the score points on my Oura ring.

First things first, explains neuroscientist and Brainwave founder Anne-Sophie Fluri: “NSDR is a label rather than a separate technique. Popularised by neuroscientist Andrew Huberman, it describes older practices such as yoga nidra, where you lie down, follow a guided focus on your body and breath, and stay awake while letting go of effort.” As Fluri points out, almost all scientific literature focuses on yoga nidra, with very little research looking specifically at NSDR. So, if you're scratching your head wondering why you haven’t come across NSDR before, then the lack of research under that name is probably why.

But why can doing nothing feel so difficult? Neuroscientist Farah Qureshi explains that “when we stop focusing on a task, the default mode network in the brain becomes more active” - a network involved in processing memories and experiences. Perhaps this helps explain why a quiet moment with our own thoughts can feel anything but relaxing. In a 2014 study, participants were so reluctant to do it that they preferred giving themselves a mild electric shock. Suddenly, my inability to sit still felt a little less ridiculous.

And while sitting still might not come naturally to all of us, there are potential benefits to giving it a go. Qureshi points to a 2002 study that found a rise in dopamine release during yoga nidra (although it involved just eight experienced practitioners). There’s also research suggesting that a little time spent doing absolutely nothing could help our brains consolidate new skills, giving them a chance to bed in what we’ve just learnt.

So, the science is promising, but yoga nidra and NSDR aren’t interchangeable, and neither is a magical dopamine reset or a substitute for sleep. Still, there are reasons to think deliberate rest could help us feel a little less frazzled. The question is how to fit it into everyday life - especially if, like me, sitting still for ten minutes feels like a challenge in itself.

5 ways to practise NSDR in everyday life

Where do we start when switching off doesn’t exactly come naturally? I asked the neuroscientists for their go-to NSDR techniques, from guided yoga nidra to purposeful slow breathing, and used their advice to shape my six-week experiment. As Fluri stresses, “there’s no single scientifically proven protocol, so the aim was to find something simple enough to stick to and easy to squeeze into everyday life.” No overhauled routine, no wellness homework, no new habit to feel guilty about not keeping up with. Promise.

1. Try a guided Yoga Nidra session

If you’re new to NSDR, start here. Yoga Nidra is the practice most of the research focuses on: you lie down, close your eyes and follow a voice guiding your attention through your body and breath. Fluri suggests starting with a recording of around 10 minutes, building up to 30 if it suits you. “The idea is to let the recording do the work, rather than turning relaxation into another task to get right.”

2. Breathe out a little longer

Both experts recommend slow breathing, particularly with a longer exhale, to help shift the body towards a calmer state. Qureshi recommends trying five minutes of cyclic sighing: inhale through your nose, take a second, shorter inhale, then exhale slowly. In a 2023 Stanford study, even just five minutes a day improved mood over a month, with greater improvements than mindfulness meditation. “It’s a simple standalone practice, or a gentle way to ease into yoga nidra when your mind is still racing,” says Qureshi.

3. Do a morning body scan

Rather than reaching for your phone the moment you wake up, try spending a few minutes noticing how your body actually feels. Fluri recommends a body scan: “Moving your attention slowly from one part of the body to another is central to yoga nidra, and gives a busy mind something gentle to focus on.” Fluri also sees it as a way to develop interoception: the ability to notice your body’s internal signals, from tension to tiredness. No wearable required; just a little curiosity about how you’re feeling before the day takes over.

4. Give your brain ten quiet minutes after focused work

This might just be the easiest habit to sneak into a busy day, and maybe one for the corporate baddies of the world to take note of. As Qureshi suggests above, there is solid evidence suggesting that resting quietly after learning something new can help the brain retain those memories, making a short, screen-free pause after a meeting, reading session or demanding task worth trying.

5. Make it work with your routine

There’s no magic hour for NSDR, but Qureshi recommends choosing a regular time, whether that’s first thing in the morning, before bed or somewhere in the middle of the day. “The brain responds well to routine,” she explains, “so consistency is a more useful goal than chasing the ideal moment. Find somewhere quiet, sit or lie comfortably, close your eyes and follow a guided recording so you don’t have to decide what to do next.”

I planned to experiment with these approaches over six weeks and see which, if any, made a noticeable difference, because knowing that rest should be good for me and actually managing to switch off two very different things.

Six weeks, 10 minutes a day: I put NSDR to the test.

Recently I found myself giggling with our Senior Health and Sustainability Editor, Ally Head, about just how spectacularly bad I am at doing nothing. A facial where I’m left alone under a red light for 20 minutes? Lovely in theory. In practice, my brain has worked through every email I need to respond to, replied to all of my 38 unopened WhatsApps (sorry to everyone waiting for a response), and telepathically asked my partner what he’s cooking for dinner, all before the therapist has even left the room. Being alone with my own racing mind isn’t exactly my happy place. Which, I figured, made me the perfect candidate for NSDR.

I’m also in the process of buying a house, and it turns out the rumours are true: it really is up there with the most stressful things you’ll ever do. If my solicitor happens to be reading this, rest assured I’m trying to find my calm.

Across the six weeks, I tried to work all of the NSDR techniques into my routine, from morning body scans to ten-minute yoga nidra sessions. I also experimented with where I practised. Living by the beach, I was curious to see whether taking my ten-minute rest outside, with the sea in front of me (and my Pomeranian in tow), would feel any different to lying down at home. Some days, I kept it simple and stayed put; on others, I took myself out for a little change of scenery.

And the best bit? I could always find ten minutes. Between emails, house admin and the general business of being a person, I could always find ten minutes to lie down, close my eyes and give my brain the breather it hadn’t quite realised it needed.

Qureshi assures me that repeating the practices daily can help my brain adapt. “Six weeks is a really good start”, she says, although research suggests longer-lasting changes may take eight weeks or more. “Building a habit takes around two months on average, too, with plenty of variation between people.”

I’ve found myself turning to those ten minutes when the house-buying admin starts mounting, my inbox feels vaguely threatening, or my brain has approximately 29 tabs open and no idea which one to deal with first. Does NSDR make the stress disappear? Sadly, no. My solicitor still thinks I'm a basket case. But taking a few minutes to lie down and stop feeding the mental to-do list does seem to give me a little breathing room…quite literally.

Need a breather? Shop MC's essentials for a little everyday reset

But ask a physio or strength coach how strong you really are, and they might be less interested in your measurements than whether you can get up off the floor.

That's because the simple, everyday stuff can tell us a lot about our physical strength. “There’s often a misconception that people need to lift a certain weight or perform a set amount of reps to be considered 'strong',” says Samantha Cubbins, a lifting club manager at Gymshark. “However, this is completely false.”

Research backs up the importance of these everyday capabilities, too. A study of more than 2,000 adults aged 51 to 80 found that the better people scored on a test measuring the ability to sit down on the floor and get back up again, the longer they tended to live. And a 10-year study involving more than 300 female twins found those with greater leg power experienced less decline in memory and thinking skills as they aged.

Keen to find out what being 'strong enough' actually looks like, I spoke to industry experts about seven simple things every woman should be able to do, plus how to work towards them if you're struggling right now. And if you're looking for more ways to support your long-term health, check out our guides to strength training moves for healthy ageing, the best longevity workouts, healthy ageing habits and longevity moves you can do at home.

Is Functional Strength the Best Measure of Your Health? These Are the Expert Moves That Experts Say Matter Most

What Is Functional Strength?

“Functional strength is essentially whether your body is capable of doing the things your lifestyle asks of it,” explains Rebecca Bossick, physiotherapist and founder of One Body LDN. “This is generally what physios are assessing you for: how well your muscles, bones, joints, and nervous system work together."

It's a far better measure than pure weight or aesthetics, she explains, as neither can tell the difference between losing fat and losing muscle. Put simply: two women can weigh exactly the same, but they can have completely different amounts of bone density and muscle, depending on their genetics and lifestyle.

Everyday movements can act as a useful indicator of functional strength because they use several muscles at once. “If one of those is lacking, it will quickly show up in these everyday movements, usually as a hand on the knee or a breathless pause on the landing, or needing extra support,” adds Bossick.

Why Should Women Pay Attention to Functional Strength As They Age?

Our bodies change as we age, and for women, menopause can speed things up. We naturally lose muscle mass as we get older, while falling oestrogen levels—which help to protect bone health—can accelerate bone loss.

“In fact, women can lose up to 10% of their bone density in the first five years after menopause, making them more prone to osteoporosis and breakages,” says Bossick.

The good news? Functional strength is something you can build at any age—and it's key for staying independent for longer.

As personal trainer Carly Corrigall puts it: “These movements become particularly relevant to maintaining independence as we get older, but I don't think we should see them simply as “minimum standards” to preserve. We should be looking to build strength and physical capacity wherever possible, not just hang on to what we've already got.”

7 Functional Strength Markers Every Woman Should Know

According to the experts, these are the simple functional strength markers you should prioritise, whatever your age:

1. Get Down on the Floor and Back Up Again

Both Corrigall and Bossick rate this one highly, and it's one of Corrigall's favourites. “It requires strength across multiple muscle groups, alongside mobility, balance and coordination,” she explains. “After all, if we fall, we want to be able to get back up again.'”

Try it: Start by practising moving from standing into a half-kneeling position and back again, using a sturdy chair or wall for support. Over time, try to rely on using your hands less.

2. Balance on One Leg

If you're in your 20s or 30s, Cubbins suggests aiming to stand on one leg for 40 seconds.

“This shows that your vestibular system in your ear, the vision in your eyes, and your muscles are all able to work effectively together,” she says. “It also proves that you have strong core muscles and good lower body stability.”

There's research to back this up, too. A study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that being able to balance on one leg for 10 seconds or longer was associated with better long-term survival in middle-aged or older adults.

Try it: “Next time you brush your teeth or wait for the kettle to boil, practise standing on one leg for 10 seconds at a time, which you can gradually build up,” suggests Cubbins.

3. Stand Up From a Chair Without Using Your Hands

“Being able to stand up from a chair without using your hands is a simple but useful indicator of leg and glute strength as well as your balance and coordination,” says Corrigall.

And how you sit back down matters just as much. “If you're effectively falling into the chair, it could suggest that you're lacking the strength or control to lower yourself slowly, which is something to work on,” she adds.

Try it: Start by using a higher surface (such as a bar stool or the edge of the bed) if you need to, then work towards a lower chair and eventually doing the movement without using your hands.

4. Carry Heavy Shopping Bags

“Carrying heavy shopping bags is perhaps my favourite marker of functional fitness, as it’s something most of us will have to do on a daily basis, says Cubbins. “Heavy bags test your core and upper-body strength, especially your grip strength.”

Try it: Start by holding a manageable weight in each hand and walking a short distance, keeping your shoulders relaxed and your body upright, then gradually increase the weight or distance.

5. Push Yourself Away From a Surface

Good news if you dread press-ups—you don't need to be able to perform 20 of them. “I’m not a fan of saying “you must be able to do x number of press-ups in order to be considered healthy”, as I think this is pretty arbitrary,” Corrigall says.

What matters more is having enough upper-body strength to be able to push yourself away from a surface, whether that's a heavy door or the floor.

Try it: Start with push-ups against a wall, then a kitchen worktop, and work your way down from there.

6. Lift Something From the Floor and Raise It Overhead

Whether you're lifting a suitcase into an overhead plane locker or lifting a child into a high chair, Corrigall says this is a great test of whole-body strength and coordination.

“You're asking several muscle groups to work together to move and control a load,” she explains.

Try it: Corrigall suggests breaking the movement into two parts. First, practise picking up a light object from a raised surface, and practise pressing a light weight from shoulder height to overhead, before combining the two movements.

7. Climb Four Flights of Stairs Without Stopping

“Climbing four flights of stairs without stopping in under a minute indicates good cardiovascular function," says Bossick. “While struggling usually points to weak legs, poor fitness, or both.”

And don't forget your calves, which Corrigall says are some of the most neglected muscles in strength training

Try it: Start with double-leg calf raises, holding onto a wall while lowering slowly, before progressing to single-leg raises.

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For many women, the arrival of winter means reconsidering evening runs, rearranging gym sessions and finding new ways to stay active without compromising their personal safety. As a Health Writer and keen runner, it’s a chilling and frustrating reality that I still struggle to wrap my head around. Why should the changing seasons dictate when, where and how women feel comfortable exercising?

But personal safety isn’t the only reason the clocks changing can feel particularly frustrating for women. There’s another, less obvious factor at play: our biology. And while I’m all for hunkering down during cosy season, I find it frustrating that just as our social feeds become a constant stream of wellness challenges like The Great Lock-In and the Winter Arc, I’m often left feeling uncharacteristically tired and sluggish. Coincidence? Perhaps not.

Scientific research suggests women’s internal body clocks naturally run slightly earlier than men’s, which could make changes to our sleep-wake cycles particularly disruptive. A further study found that women tended to sleep less during the working week following the clock changes, while men actually slept more. The effect was most noticeable in spring, but a similar pattern emerged in autumn.

With our circadian rhythms influencing everything from sleep and mood to reproductive hormone regulation, could that seemingly harmless one-hour shift be having a bigger impact on women’s health than we realise? To find out, I spoke to experts about the science behind seasonal sleep disruption, why women’s bodies may respond differently, and the simple ways we can prepare ourselves for the darker months ahead.

While you're here, you might find this deep dive into circadian fasting interesting. We've got guides to sleepmaxxing, science-backed antidotes to optimisation culture and micro-habits that could positively impact your hormone health, too.

Do The Clocks Going Back Really Impact Women More Than Men?

Our bodies run on an internal 24-hour clock, known as our circadian rhythm, which helps regulate everything from sleep and alertness to body temperature and hormone release. It's largely guided by natural light, which is why the transition into darker seasons can leave us feeling a little off-kilter.

“When the clocks go back, our body clock doesn’t change when the clocks do, so the two briefly fall out of sync,” explains Dr Helen O'Neill, co-founder and CEO of Hertility. “Most people realign within a week, but the loss of evening daylight as winter sets in has a longer-lasting effect.”

Interestingly, research has found that women's internal body clocks tend to run slightly earlier than men's, meaning they're generally more inclined towards earlier bedtimes and mornings. But does that mean we're biologically more sensitive to the clocks changing?

“It's more complicated than a simple yes,” says O’Neill. "Hormones affect sleep across the cycle, pregnancy and perimenopause, but social factors matter just as much; women also still carry more caring responsibilities and night-time waking, which fragments sleep.”

What Is the Impact of Winter Darkness on Women's Hormones?

For people who menstruate, our body clocks are closely connected to the hormones that regulate our menstrual cycles, which means changes to our sleeping patterns can have a knock-on effect on how we feel.

Our circadian rhythms work alongside reproductive hormones such as oestrogen, luteinising hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), which play important roles in everything from egg development to ovulation. Research suggests that how much we sleep, and when we naturally prefer to sleep, may influence these hormonal patterns.

“Light is one of the most important signals that keeps our circadian rhythm clock synchronised with our environment,” explains women's health and menopause expert Dr Shirin Lakhani. As the days get shorter, reduced exposure to natural light can influence when our bodies release melatonin (the hormone that helps regulate sleep), potentially affecting everything from our energy levels to our mood.

That said, there’s a difference between the effects of long-term sleep disruption and a one-hour clock change. While research has linked prolonged disruption to changes in reproductive hormone patterns, there's not yet enough evidence to suggest that the clocks going back alone will significantly alter your hormone levels.

Can the Clocks Going Back Affect Your Period, Mood and Energy Levels?

“Poor-quality or insufficient sleep can affect mood, concentration, energy levels and our ability to cope with stress, potentially making premenstrual symptoms feel more difficult to manage,” explains Lakhani.

For women who experience premenstrual syndrome (PMS) or premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), that could mean more noticeable brain fog, irritability or fatigue when sleep is disrupted.

And it's not just our sleep patterns at play. Shorter days mean less natural light, which can also influence mood and energy levels. So, if your motivation to exercise tends to nose-dive along with the summer sunshine, there might be more to it than simply missing the warmer weather.

Why Might Menopausal Women Feel the Clock Change More?

Hot flushes, night sweats and disrupted sleep are already familiar symptoms for many, and the seasonal shift towards shorter days may add another layer of difficulty.

“In perimenopause, falling progesterone can disrupt sleep and shifting oestrogen triggers night sweats, so seasonal changes hit a system already under strain," explains O'Neill. "This stage also brings an increased risk of low mood, which shorter days can add to.”

And it’s not necessarily just a case of struggling to nod off. As Lakhani explains, changing hormone levels can cause women to wake repeatedly throughout the night, making a decent night's sleep increasingly difficult.

“When we add darker mornings, reduced daylight exposure and changes to daily routines, it may become harder for some women to maintain a consistent sleep-wake pattern,” she adds.

The TLDR? Poor sleep can leave you feeling more tired and emotionally drained during the day, while menopausal symptoms make a restful night harder to come by. The clock change isn’t necessarily responsible for those symptoms, but it could introduce another unwelcome disruption to an already unsettled sleep routine.

How to Prepare Your Body for the Clocks Going Back, According to Experts

1. Make the Most of Morning Daylight

If there’s one good reason to resist the snooze button this winter, it’s this. “Try to get natural light soon after waking,” recommends O’Neill. Daylight helps regulate our internal body clocks, so getting outside for a morning walk, a coffee run, or even a few minutes of fresh air can help your body adjust to the darker months.

2. Keep Your Sleep Routine Consistent

An extra hour in bed might sound like a treat, but O’Neill explains that it doesn’t necessarily translate into an extra hour of sleep. Many of us continue waking at our usual body-clock time, even after the clocks change. Her advice? Stick to regular bedtimes and wake-up times, and limit alcohol and late caffeine, particularly if you're already experiencing disrupted sleep. Most people adjust to the new clock time within a week.

3. Consider Supplementing With Vitamin D

O’Neill recommends following NHS guidance to consider taking 10 micrograms (400 IU) of vitamin D daily between October and March, when sunlight in the UK isn’t strong enough for our bodies to make sufficient amounts.

“Lower vitamin D over winter may also contribute, as it has been linked to worse PMS symptoms,” she adds. And if sleep problems, low mood or menopausal symptoms are interfering with daily life, it’s worth speaking to your GP rather than simply blaming the season.

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For 41-year-old psychotherapist and mum of two, Roxy Rhodes, it was exactly this discovery that changed her life forever. Just days after a close family member finished her own breast cancer treatment, and the night after her 39th birthday, Rhodes felt a tiny, pea-shaped lump in her chest.

What followed was a gruelling two-year journey that pushed her to her limits, both mentally and physically, while also challenging all her preconceptions of breast cancer and the treatment process.

Below, she shares her story.

“Being ‘Young’ When Diagnosed With Cancer Changed the Course of My Treatment.”

“In December 2023, between Christmas and New Year, one of my family members found a lump in her breast. In May, we were all booked on a long-awaited family holiday to DisneyWorld, which had been postponed due to the COVID pandemic.

The day before my birthday in April, my relative got the all-clear after a lumpectomy and five rounds of radiotherapy. We were all thrilled as it meant that she’d be able to join us on our much-anticipated trip.

But on 23^rd April, the day after my 39^th birthday, we were dealt another blow. I was just going to sleep; I’d said goodnight to my husband, Tom, and as I rolled over to get settled, my hand grazed my boob, and I felt the tiniest lump. It was total luck that I felt it. I immediately asked Tom to feel it, and he agreed there was something there, but as I’d had cysts in the past, I just assumed that that’s what it was again.

It was very round and pea-like, but smaller than a pea. If ever I felt that there was someone looking after me, it was in the weeks that followed, and it became clear how fortunate I’d been to have found it.

My overriding feeling was how on earth I was going to find the time to deal with making a doctor’s appointment and everything else that would be needed—I honestly just wasn’t overly concerned about it. That became a recurring theme throughout my treatment: I had to find time to fit it in.

What Happens After You Find a Breast Lump

I messaged the GP, and they rang me to tell me to go in and get it checked, which I did the same day. Again, the doctor was quite reassuring, but he said he could feel a lump and he had to refer me for a mammogram. So, I was put on the two-week cancer pathway, which is standard NHS practice whenever someone presents with a lump.

The service is very stretched in my area, so I ended up waiting longer than two weeks. But I was keen to get seen as soon as possible, so I ended up making a private scan appointment.

The clinic was amazing; it’s essentially a one-stop shop where you can go through the whole diagnostic process in one go, from mammogram and ultrasound to biopsy. When I was having the ultrasound, the doctor was incredibly thorough—and I was so fortunate that she was. She said that because she couldn’t quite see the very bottom of the lump, she was going to do a biopsy for the sake of clarity. If she hadn’t done this, things could have looked very different for me.

As soon as we walked into the consultant’s room, I knew instantly that I had cancer. As a psychotherapist, I’ve worked a lot in the NHS, and the moment I saw her face, I just knew. And then came the absolute worst part of the whole journey for me, which was having to watch my husband find out. Out of everything that was to come, that was my worst moment.

After Diagnosis, Things Happen Really Fast

I found out that the lump was hormone-positive but didn’t yet know if it was HER2-positive (HER2-positive cancers are typically more aggressive and are treated in different ways), so we weren’t sure of my treatment route.

Despite this, once you’ve been told you have cancer, you move into the life of being a cancer patient that same day—and it’s genuinely like a full-time job. I can’t explain how many letters you get, how much admin there is to deal with, how many appointments get cancelled, or how you don’t know what they’re for. It’s a constant bombardment of letters and paper arriving. Trying to manage where I was supposed to be and where, and then fit my life in around it, was a real challenge.

Since I was under 40, I was sent for an MRI scan, and there they discovered another lump lower down the same breast, which hadn’t shown up on the ultrasound. Because there were two lumps, I had to have a full mastectomy; I couldn’t just have a lumpectomy anymore.

We found out that the cancer was grade 1, stage 1, which is the tiniest cancer. I still count myself incredibly lucky we caught it at that stage when I think about how much treatment I ended up having. However, because they still weren’t sure about my Her-2 results, they couldn’t confirm my treatment plan for what felt like ages.

I finally had my mastectomy in mid-July, but I still didn’t know whether I’d need to have chemo, and we were all just praying I wouldn’t need it.

However, we eventually found out that the tumours were HER2-positive, which meant I did need chemo. I had twelve weeks of treatment, every Friday. They also removed my lymph nodes. Because I was so young, they didn’t want to risk skipping chemo, plus wanted to ensure nothing was floating around.

I also had a year of Herceptin injections, every three weeks for a year, which started when I was in chemo.

Again, because I’m young, the advice was to take Tamoxifen, a drug that blocks the effects of the hormone oestrogen in certain tissues, for ten years, but I chose to come off it after four months. They push you into full menopause, and I couldn’t handle it. The joint pain, exhaustion and lack of energy were too much for me after everything I’d already been through.

Don't Be Scared of Chemotherapy

From the moment I found out I had cancer, my biggest fear was chemo, due to my perceptions of what it would be like from seeing it portrayed in the media. And one of the most important things I would say is that it’s absolutely nothing like you think it’s going to be—it was totally fine.

TV tends to show perfectly bald people throwing up, but I wasn’t sick once. You’re given anti-sickness tablets the whole way through, and the dose is fine-tuned to your exact weight and height, so it’s so well controlled. I felt a bit nauseous after my first session, so I took two anti-sickness pills but never had to take them again—I didn’t even feel sick. I also don’t know anyone else who was sick—and I got to know everyone.

The first chemo session is terrifying. There are so many different types, and before you go into your first session, you have a kind of therapy session, and it seemed almost like they were trying to scare us. Bearing in mind, I was terrified. I felt like they were trying to get us to take it seriously, when all the way through I’d tried to maintain a positive outlook.

I was so lucky that I live close to a specialist cancer treatment centre where I had all my treatment, and I can honestly say that I used to look forward to it. On a Friday, it was only breast cancer patients as well, which made it feel almost like a little coffee morning—all the nurses were amazing, and I got to know the other women really well. You’re given lunch and endless cups of tea by the wonderful volunteers, and it’s just such a gorgeous atmosphere. We were all laughing and giggling, and it was honestly lovely.

On the chemo ward, you’re meeting people at their very bravest, and it’s such a privilege to spend time with them when they’re at their most vulnerable.

Losing My Hair Was So Much Harder Than I'd Expected

I finished chemo at the beginning of December, and I lost my hair after my fourth session, and that was the second worst day of the whole experience. I’d thought I might get away with it, and I felt like I’d gone through so much already. It felt like I was losing my hair forever.

I remember we shaved my head on a Sunday, and on the Monday I had to go to a school assembly for one of my kids, I wore a wig for the first time—and honestly, that was the time I had to be the absolute bravest, as I felt like everyone could tell. Over time, I got used to the wigs, and I wore some pretty crazy ones.

I do feel, looking back, that I could have challenged the chemo decision, but I didn’t realise at the time that I may have had a choice. I don’t know if I would have said no to it, but with hindsight, one of my biggest takeaways is that you have to question everything, much more than you think.

The cancer teams tell you that when you have to make a decision, to ask yourself the following questions:

• What are the consequences if I do this?
• What are the consequences if I don’t do this?
• What other options are there?
• What if I do nothing?

The Type of Cancer You Have Changes Your Treatment Plan

Be prepared to wait to find out what type of cancer you have, and make sure you get this information as soon as possible, as your whole treatment plan depends on it.

Hormone-driven tumours tend to be a ‘good’ thing, as they can be treated with medication and you might not require chemotherapy. So, it’s vital to be clear about what kind of tumour you have, as early on as possible.

People will surprise you all the way through the process, in good and bad ways. People you hardly know will step up and be amazing—there was one guy I worked with who used to cook me a homemade pie every week without fail and drop it round to my house—a good hour’s round trip for him, once a week.

And other people will let you down beyond belief, and you have to be ok with that, too. People that you’d think would be there won’t be. Also, once you’ve finished chemo, everyone thinks you’re back to normal, and things are fine again, but your life has changed forever. Any grace you had was gone.

Finishing Chemo Might Feel Like an Anti-Climax

I finished chemotherapy after three months, and I expected to feel relieved. But it’s not relief. It’s so strange, this whole thing that you had for three months that took up so much time and headspace just ends, and there’s no transition period or support through this—you just stop going there. In a way, I felt thankful that I still had to go back for Herceptin injections every three weeks for nine months, as I felt a little untethered without the support and routine of chemo.

You’ve built it into your life, and suddenly it’s gone, and you don’t have that structure—it’s such a weird feeling not to have any more appointments. You don’t get to say goodbye to the team who have cared for you; you just never go back—and it feels like you’re cut off from that support.

I feel really strongly that there should be more focus on the transition out of active treatment, in the same way as there is going in. I didn’t feel like I needed that much support while I was in treatment, but afterwards I really struggled and felt a bit numb.

Please don’t ever think you’re too young for critical illness cover.

I wasn’t even aware that I had this cover in place, but I’m so grateful that I did. They paid out immediately as soon as I was diagnosed—it’s not life-changing money, but it’s absolutely allowed us to do some things that we wouldn’t otherwise have been able to.

I’m self-employed, and I managed to carry on working fairly normally, but if you do have to take leave, this money will be incredibly important. There’s no financial support when you’re self-employed, so critical illness is crucial.”

The summer I turned 47, though, everything changed. Literally overnight (excuse the pun), I began waking at around 4 am—every. Single. Night. I was going through a bit of a tough time, so initially I simply put it down to being stressed—but when things resolved and my sleep was still all over the place, it became clear that something deeper was going on.

Clearly, I’m a prime candidate for being perimenopausal, but since I have the hormonal coil fitted, I honestly can’t say I’ve experienced that many symptoms so far—and my periods are pretty much non-existent, and have been since I first had the coil 10 years ago (life-changing, but that’s a story for another time).

So, it took me a little while to make the connection between my sleep issues and my hormones. But when the penny finally dropped, it was clear that peri was doing me dirty when it came to catching z’s (the night I woke up bathed in a sheen of sweat really cemented the fact).

And while initially, I was still falling asleep pretty easily, this too has started to shift, and it can take me upwards of an hour to drift off, even when I’m really tired. I don’t cope well on little sleep (or when I’m cold, or hungry…there’s a pattern, here!), so I started doing a little digging to see what I could do to help myself. It wasn’t long before my feed was flooded with supplements (nothing excites the algorithm like a menopausal woman, it seems), and I came across the Huberman stack.

While not designed specifically for menopause (and I’ll go into exactly what the ‘stack’ is below), Stanford University neuroscientist and podcaster Andrew Huberman designed his eponymous supplement stack with sleep firmly in mind. Keep scrolling to see if it transformed my slumber, but in the meantime, do take a look at our extensive sleep content, featuring everything from how to improve sleep and how to boost energy when you're tired to the symptoms of exhaustion you shouldn't overlook—plus, find out how one Health Writer got on when she tried a 10-minute sleep micro-habit, here.

I Tried Andrew Huberman’s Sleep Stack Supplement for a Week To See if It Would Help

Why Do Women Struggle With Sleep in Perimenopause?

It seems a cruel twist of fate, if you think about it. Many perimenopausal women are just exiting the sleep-deprived years of having small children, when we are all desperate for a full night’s sleep and are surviving rather than thriving every day, when we’re hurled straight into a decade (or more) of menopause symptoms.

But why is our sleep affected? Well, it’s complicated.

“Sleep problems are one of the most common, and most overlooked symptoms during the menopause transition and may be attributed to a few complexities going on in a woman’s body at once,” explains GP, TV doctor and Senior Medical Advisor at Natural Cycles Dr Semiya Aziz. “These can be loosely attributed to hormone fluctuations, night sweats and mood and anxiety issues.”

1. Hormonal Fluctuations

Here's the real kicker. “Declining oestrogen and progesterone both affect sleep patterns,” shares Dr Aziz. “However, the underlying mechanisms are far more complex, and it's important to understand that not every woman’s sleep issue is caused directly by hormonal changes.

“Progesterone has a mild calming, sleep-promoting effect, whilst oestrogen helps to regulate body temperature, serotonin and melatonin levels. As the levels of each hormone become erratic, sleep may become lighter and more fragmented, although complex processes are involved and can not all be attributed to hormonal variability.”

2. Vasomotor Issues

“Night sweats and hot flushes (also known as vasomotor symptoms) are common in menopause and can wake women up,” she continues. “Even if women aren’t fully alert, they can disrupt their sleep quality significantly.”

3. Mental Health Shifts

“Mental health changes can make early-morning waking very common, as perimenopause brings anxiety, low moods and racing thoughts,” says Dr Aziz. “The relationship is interestingly bidirectional: anxiety and depression can disrupt sleep, whilst persistent poor sleep can worsen mood and emotional regulation.”

What Is the Huberman Sleep Stack and What Are the Benefits for Perimenopausal Women?

As touched on above, Andrew Huberman is an American neuroscientist, best known for his hugely successful podcast, The Huberman Lab. Rated consistently as the number one wellness pod, it has over five million subscribers, while his following on Instagram alone is over eight million.

And his sleep protocol is a large part of his success: back in 2021, he launched his toolkit for sleep—and the rest, as they say, is history. From this, Huberman developed his ‘sleep stack’: a cocktail of three sleep-inducing supplements, magnesium, apigenin and L-theanine.

“Although Andrew Huberman’s protocol wasn’t specifically designed for perimenopause, its mechanics are pretty well-suited to the symptoms many women face,” shares GP and clinical lead at Treated, Dr Daniel Atkinson. “The trio can work well for sleep issues.”

Let's take a look at them each in turn.

1. Magnesium

You've probably heard a few people talking about the benefits of magnesium for sleep, and research does show a link between the supplement and improved energy, circadian rhythm and sleep regulation (take a look at this study from the journal Nature and Science of Sleep). And the experts agree.

“Magnesium is brilliant for calming the central nervous system and relaxing tense muscles,” says Dr Atkinson. “Threonate is particularly clever because it crosses the blood-brain barrier effectively, while Bisglycinate is highly absorbable and gentle on the stomach. And both of these help boost GABA, a neurotransmitter that quiets brain activity, which can ‘plug the gap’ left by lower progesterone levels.”

2. Apigenin

Again, clinical studies show apigenin to be useful in promoting good sleep architecture—but it's worth noting here that this is animal, rather than human, research.

“Apigenin is the active compound found in chamomile tea, but in a highly concentrated (50mg) dose,” shares Dr Atkinson. “It binds to the same receptors in the brain as anti-anxiety medications, helping to turn off the racing thoughts that keep you staring at the ceiling.”

3. L-theanine

“L-Theanine is an amino acid found naturally in green tea,” Dr Atkinson continues. “It increases alpha brain waves, which promotes a state of relaxed alertness and takes the edge off physical anxiety without making you feel heavily sedated.”

This is also supported by the science, with research showing a link between L-theanine and sleep quality.

Can Supplements Really Help Women Sleep?

It’s clear, then, that the efficacy of the trio of supplements individually has some scientific backing, but what about when it comes to treating menopausal symptoms? There’s been a fair bit of noise online, recently, about whether menopause supplements are really worth the (admittedly eye-wateringly high) money. It’s estimated that the market is worth a staggering $17 billion, with many women spending upwards of £1,800 per year on supplements. So, what do the experts think about the efficacy of the sleep stack, in particular?

“Potentially, these supplements could help women sleep, but I think we need to be realistic about what they can achieve,” says sleep specialist, nutritionist and founder of Rare Street Pilates, Nikki Behrens. “Certain nutrients and compounds may help support relaxation and sleep quality, particularly if someone has a deficiency or is struggling to switch off mentally.

“However, supplements cannot correct the hormonal fluctuations responsible for many perimenopausal symptoms. I would always look at the bigger picture first: nutrition, stress, exercise, hormonal symptoms and sleep habits.”

It’s important to note here, too, that while the supplements do have some research behind them, they haven’t been tested on perimenopausal women.

“Magnesium and L-theanine do have small studies suggesting benefits for relaxation or sleep quality,” notes Dr Aziz, “but these weren’t conducted in perimenopausal women specifically, so the evidence is not strong enough as an established treatment for perimenopausal insomnia.”

I Tried the Huberman Sleep Stack for a Week—My Honest Thoughts

Days One to Three

The jury being out, there was only one thing for it: I had to give the stack a try for myself.

For the sake of clarity, I didn’t purchase Huberman’s actual stack. There are a number of products that contain the same supplements available, so I simply plumped for one that seemed reasonably priced and would arrive in good time.

And it couldn’t come soon enough: my Oura ring gives me daily feedback on my sleep, and let’s just say, the picture hasn’t been pretty. This being said, I’m a little sceptical that the stack will make any difference.

On the first night, I only take one of the three recommended capsules (the supplements are blended together, so you’re not taking them all individually)

Note to self, though: do not take a capsule unless you’re able to actually go to bed within an hour or so. On night three, I made the mistake of taking it too early and having to wait to collect my teenage daughter from her job at pub closing time; let’s just say, I wasn’t up for a 1 am kitchen chat with her (sorry).

Whether I felt sleepy because I knew I had to stay awake (always the way), or because of the supplement, who knows—but ultimately, the end result was the same, and I was winning.

And it seems it wasn't just beginners' luck, either, as the next two nights continued in the same vein—so far, so good.

Days Four to Seven

Is it a placebo, or are the supplements actually helping? At this point, I’m not even really sure I care. While I’m still waking up around 4 am, I’m definitely less alert when I stir, and I'm able to get back to sleep more easily than before, which I’m absolutely taking as a win.

Interestingly, though, I also got my first period in almost 60 days during the trial week, which might account for my overwhelming tiredness (surely not just me?), but again, I’m taking all the sleep I can get, right now.

Perhaps my biggest win, though, is that I'm so much more tuned in to what my body and brain need to really be able to switch off. Focusing on taking the supplement half an hour to an hour before bed provided me with a concrete deadline to start winding down—something I'm notoriously poor at doing, usually. I even found the time to try out the LED face mask that's been gathering dust in my bathroom for a couple of months, so perhaps this new routine will garner benefits beyond my sleep, too.

So, will I continue with the stack? Honestly, I’d be really interested to try the supplements individually, to see which one is most effective, or if I really do need them all. But that’s a challenge for another time; for now, I’m all in.

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Actually, I lied. This isn’t an intrusive thought so much as a conversation I’ve been having with almost every woman in my life. We’re on the same treadmill—the seemingly endless urge to fix everything, with the wellness world giving us an ever-expanding toolkit to keep us running.

Guilty as charged. The minute I feel sluggish or vaguely unlike myself, I’m hunting for answers, only stopping when I feel satisfied with my “fix”. That fix being: supplements, cold plunges, earlier bedtimes, caffeine hacks, morning sunlight, protein, electrolytes, exercise. Anything to get me back to firing on all cylinders, preferably by tomorrow. It rarely occurs to me to question the pace I'm trying to maintain. I simply want to feel better so I can crack on. Perhaps that’s the mantra of modern life: feel better, do more.

Hardly surprising really when there’s always another fix promising to get us back to 100%. A 2025 Which? survey found that 76% of UK adults surveyed took supplements, with one in six supplement users taking at least four. We’re certainly not short of solutions. But are we getting any closer to asking the right questions?

So, for the sake of our fatigue, take a seat: an intervention is on the cards. For a month, I stopped trying to “fix” my tiredness and started paying attention to what it might be telling me. With expert advice, I’m separating useful fixes from wellness waffle—and discovering whether, in trying to outrun my tiredness, I’ve lost touch with the basics my body actually needs.

What Happened When I Stopped Trying To “Fix” My Tiredness For A Month

Is It Normal to Feel This Tired? What Tracking My Energy Revealed

Tracking my fatigue for a month was always going to be humbling for a chronic Type A who says yes to everything, then wonders why she’s got nothing left. Being busy is my kryptonite, but also my go-to excuse for feeling tired; finding a fix is my knee-jerk reaction. Cue a flurry of little rituals designed to wipe the fatigue slate clean: checking Oura scores, bargaining with myself over whether a sluggish morning needs a stronger coffee or an earlier night, the PM slump fixed with a protein bar of electrolyte (yes, I really do tell myself these work)

But my notes revealed that tiredness wasn’t the shapeless fog I’d assumed. It has rhythm.

Where I was in my cycle was a clear starting point. My energy ebbed and flowed with it, while the daily dips were surprisingly predictable: I often felt a slump around noon, then another between 4 pm and 6 pm. Mornings between 8 and 10 a.m. were generally better; I’d often get a second wind around 1 pm, and sometimes again in the evening. Exercise threw up another surprise: on days when I felt too exhausted to move, a workout could leave me feeling as though someone had plugged me back in.

My Oura score was less straightforward. I’d become so invested in its nightly verdict that a poor score could have me writing off the day before it began. More REM sleep also seemed to coincide with better energy, even after fewer hours overall—an interesting pattern, though hardly proof that one sleep stage held the key.

To make sense of it all, I spoke to GP Dr Jessica Little, who explained that she would first look at three things: “the pattern of fatigue, the duration of fatigue, and the impact it is having on everyday life”. ​

My cycle, it seemed, offered a useful clue. Little says, "A predictable dip linked to poor sleep, stress, or the days before a period can be reassuring. If tiredness follows a familiar menstrual pattern but you otherwise feel well and can carry on as usual, that may represent your individual normal.”

I’m assured that understanding our baseline matters more than running to any “fix”. “A noticeable change from this—struggling with work, exercise or socialising when you previously managed comfortably - is more concerning”, explains Little—particularly if someone who previously managed work, exercise and socialising comfortably is now struggling to get through an ordinary day. "Fatigue that persists for several weeks without explanation, worsens, doesn’t improve with adequate rest or starts affecting everyday life warrants investigation. The same goes for fatigue accompanied by symptoms such as breathlessness, palpitations, unexplained weight loss or heavy menstrual bleeding."

My cycle explained a familiar dip, but not necessarily everything. To stop reflexively reaching for another hack, I first needed to understand what was driving my tiredness in the first place.

Sleep Debt, Stress or Something Else? How to Work Out What’s Behind Your Fatigue

According to my Oura ring, I’m accumulating sleep debt. But what does that actually look like beyond a less-than-glowing sleep score? My stress levels? Also seemingly endless. With sleep deprivation, stress and the general admin of being a functioning adult all competing for the blame, how can I work out which is contributing the most?

Sleep scientist Sophie Bostock explains that the effects of sleep loss can show up in surprisingly everyday ways: “We become more easily distracted, our reactions slow down, and everyday tasks require more effort. Sleep loss can also make us more emotionally reactive and less motivated.” So, with my energy diary full of afternoons when concentrating feels like wading through treacle, my first port of call before heading for my usual oat flat white or magnesium supplement is to check whether I'm getting enough sleep to begin with.

Bostock also points out, “we can become so accustomed to functioning below our best that we forget what feeling properly rested is like” - a rather uncomfortable home truth. “One of the warning signs,” she continues, “is when tiredness starts to feel normal.”

To work out whether sleep debt might be contributing to my fatigue, her advice is refreshingly unglamorous: try going to bed ten to fifteen minutes earlier a week, and see whether my mood, concentration or energy improves. If I have the opportunity, allowing myself the gift of sleeping without an alarm could offer further clues. Am I naturally sleeping longer? Does my energy improve after a few days?

But what if being tired isn’t the problem—but how we feel about it?

Psychotherapist for female leaders, Katie Williams, has an explanation for my need to fix my fatigue. A caveat: I think a few of us are about to feel very seen. She suggested the rather alien concept: what if it’s not the tiredness we can’t stand, but what we’ve come to believe it says about us? “Most of us are carrying far more than we can handle, and have been doing so for years,” she says. “ For high-achieving women, productivity can become so tangled up with self-worth that when our bodies can’t keep up, it feels like a threat.”

I’d say we all know this feeling far too well. It’s not just that I’m feeling exhausted; it’s that I’m exhausted and not getting everything done. I’m falling behind. I’m not keeping up. And apparently, another thing I need to control.

Research from 2012 backs this up. A longitudinal study of 2,121 working adults found that performance-based self-esteem was a strong predictor of burnout over time, with a stronger association among women than men. It begs the question: are we tired, or do we feel guilty about not doing more?.

“When we’re stressed and activated, we’ll look for solutions, something to ‘do’ or a way to fix the problem, rather than considering changing our way of being,” Williams says. Perhaps I’m not just trying to get my energy back. I’m trying to get back to being the version of myself I think I ought to be—minus the fatigue.

Beyond the Quick Fix: What Helped When I Stopped Trying to Outrun My Tiredness

Without my classic “fixes”, I turned to nutritionist Hannah Alderson and GP Dr Ravina Bhanot to ask what going back to basics looks like. No, we’re not talking about another self-improvement project, but a toolkit for tuning in to what my body needs, what’s genuinely helping, and when to simply leave my tiredness alone.

1. Get Curious Before Reaching for a Fix

“When does your energy dip? Are you dragging yourself through the morning on coffee alone, hitting a wall mid-afternoon or feeling inexplicably exhausted in the days before your period? Do you feel better after eating, moving or resting?”

Alderson suggests looking for clues in the rhythm of your day. Skipping meals, under-eating, or relying on caffeine to compensate for poor sleep can all contribute to feeling depleted. “The point isn’t to diagnose yourself from an energy diary, but to spot patterns before automatically reaching for another supplement.”

2. Eat Enough Before Adding More

Wellness culture loves a new superfood, but Alerson’s advice is disarmingly simple: “start by checking you’re eating enough.” Build meals around protein, fibre, healthy fats and carbohydrates (remember: carbs are not the enemy), rather than obsessing over one macronutrient or cutting out entire food groups.

3. Don’t Expect Electrolytes to Rescue a Bad Night’s Sleep

Maybe a “fix” I relied on a little too much. “Using electrolytes to fix your tiredness is another example of wellness culture turning something physiologically important into something we supposedly all need more of, " says Alderson.

She notes these are essentials for fluid balance and muscle and nerve function; however, “most people eating a varied diet and drinking enough will get what they need. They’re useful when you’ve lost significant fluid and salts through prolonged sweating, vomiting or diarrhoea—not as an automatic upgrade to your water bottle.”

4. Give Your Body the Cues It Needs

A personal favourite, and one I’ve been really leaning into this month, is a warm shower or bath before bed. Bhanot suggests that this simple ritual, ideally one to two hours before bedtime, may help us fall asleep faster and improve sleep quality. And there’s evidence to back her up: a 2019 review found that passive warming before bed was associated with faster sleep onset and better self-rated sleep quality.

A win-win situation if you ask me.

5. Stop Treating Every Dip in Energy as a Problem to Solve

Maybe the bigger lesson for me. The basics—eating enough, drinking water, getting the rest you need—matter. But the point isn’t to turn them into six more rules to follow perfectly.

It’s to pause when the familiar urge to fix kicks in and ask a different question: what might I actually need right now? Food? Water? A break? An early night? Or perhaps a change to the pace I'm expecting myself to maintain?

Hey, sometimes a practical adjustment helps. And sometimes tiredness is a signal that you’ve taken on too much. I went into this experiment wanting to, ironically, find the right “fix” for my tiredness in relinquishing control and ditching everything I held so dear in the fight to find something that alleviated my tiredness. But instead, I came out more confident in my ability to recognise when I was reaching for one of my “crutches” by default. Not every feeling needs optimising. So, without further ado, I’ve put down the quest for a quick fix and picked up a little curiosity instead.

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