The Independent

Jenni Murray: Robin Gibb didn't lose any 'battle'

22 May 2012 12:00 AM

What impact would it have had on more virulent cases if I'd crowed about my 'victory'?

Virginia Ironside's Dilemmas

06 March 2012 12:00 AM

Dear Virginia,

I am friends with a couple and I get on with each of them very well individually. The problem is that they are always bickering. I know it doesn't mean anything, but I feel most uncomfortable when they do it. They've been married for more than 10 years, and it seems to be a way of life for them, but I hate the way he puts her down, and her spiteful responses. I don't know where to look, and I don't like to take sides. Should I say something? I'm an old friend of theirs and see them often.

Yours sincerely, Sally

The modern fix: Do self-help books really work?

04 March 2012 12:00 AM

Few subjects are quite so divisive – but self-help books have become a billion-dollar business. With four 'classics' of the genre about to be republished, Nick Duerden goes searching for enlightenment.

Novak's regime and pain is hard, but is worth it

Get fit the Djokovic way (it is as hard as it sounds)

31 January 2012 12:00 AM

The Serb's victory in an epic Australian Open final has been hailed as one of the great feats of sporting endurance. Robin Scott-Elliot reveals the unlikely secrets of his extraordinary stamina

Young monks run back to class at the Dechen Phodrang monastery in Thimphu

Is Bhutan the happiest place in the world?

14 January 2012 12:00 AM

Andrew Buncombe visits Bhutan to find out if its people really are as content as they claim to be.

Rubin says: 'The more you pay attention to what makes you happy, the more you see the opportunity for change in small things.'

How to be happy: Gretchen Rubin’s guide to everyday contentment

14 January 2012 12:00 AM

Gretchen Rubin's blog is one of the web's most popular self-help destinations. Clare Dwyer Hogg meets the first lady of good cheer and presents her top tips for a positive outlook.

Laughter triggers 'funny memories' that help us to feel positive

The best medicine: The power of laughter

14 January 2012 12:00 AM

Laughter is the most obvious outward sign of happiness. But is it better for our health than we ever imagined?

The politics of positivity: Why is the Government measuring our happiness levels?

14 January 2012 12:00 AM

Statistics that measure how content we all are might not be as silly as they sound, argues sociologist William Davies

Being Modern: January detox

01 January 2012 12:00 AM

Blood, yellow bile, black bile and phlegm. Now, we know that's not what you want to be reading on a New Year's Day hangover, but that's what a lot of our Januarys will be based around, so don't go getting light-headed on us now.

Shape up: 10 ways to get fit without spending hours on a treadmill

01 January 2012 12:00 AM

New Year may be a time for taking stock of everything in our lives, but it's our health and fitness that are the focus of our most penitent promises. Though we ignore dust thickening on our trainers during the festive season, January demands action. But before the dutiful search for your gym pass, it's worth considering that if your mind-numbing treadmill routine hasn't worked thus far, it's probably time to try one of the ever-multiplying alternatives for getting – and staying – active.