Lifestyle

According to experts, the year's most depressing day is coming soon. Here are some tips to help you banish the 'Blue Monday' blues. When is Blue Monday 2025? Blue Monday is the third Monday of every new year. This year it's on the 20th of January. Is Blue Monday a real thing? Sort of. Blue Monday is said to be the day of the year when many things that make us feel depressed all come...

Make your holiday budget stretch further by following these tips for booking a glorious getaway. If you’re staring out the window and wishing you were anywhere but the UK in mid-winter, you’re not alone. Many Brits experience a slump after the fun and festivity of Christmas and yearn for some respite from the gloomy weather. As a result, more than 6.4 million people book a holiday in January*...

Here are three alternative gift ideas if you still need to pick up Christmas presents but can't face the heaving masses on the high street. With just a few days before Christmas, time is running out to get your gifts. But you don't have to do a frantic dash around the shops listening to Mariah Carey on repeat to get what you need. Here are three ways to sort last-minute gifts from the cosy...

Here are three tips to help you save on unwanted subscriptions and put more money in your pocket. Regular subscriptions to products and services can be useful. But they can also be a waste of money – especially if you never use them. According to official figures, we spend £1.6 billion on unwanted subscriptions every year. However, nearly 10 million out of 155 million active subscriptions in the...

If you’re on a budget, DIY is a great way to improve your home without spending a fortune on tradespeople. But it’s not always as easy as home makeover teams make it look. Many well-intentioned homeowners start projects only to discover they’ve bitten off more than they can chew. They end up spending a lot more time and money on the job than they intended. DIY fails can have more severe...

Working from home (WFH) is the norm for many Brits – 26% do it at least some of the time*. But it’s easy to fall into a rut when your domestic and professional lives play out in the same location. When this happens, simple tasks take longer to complete, and your mental health can suffer. So, how can workers stay productive while still enjoying the benefits of WFH? Here are three...

Let’s face it – doing property maintenance isn’t many people’s idea of a good time. However, keeping on top of maintenance can help ensure your property’s value in the long term. Here are our top three tips for maintaining your property’s value over time. Look after your roof (and your roof will look after you) Roofs are often neglected. But they are the most important part of every...

Unfortunately, when the nights get longer, this time of year can be open season for burglars looking to target your home. Now is the perfect time to review your home security and see what improvements you can make. Here are three tips to improve your home’s security. The simplest measures are the best Some of the most effective security precautions are simple and cost very little – apart...

It’s considered the health epidemic of our times and affects one in nine people*. If left unchecked, it can cause migraines, nausea and hair loss and increase the risk of stroke, heart attack and dementia. And yet, in modern society, stress is often downplayed or ignored. Some people even boast about it (there’s a term for telling everyone how stressed you are; it’s called ‘stress...

Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD, is a type of depression. Some symptoms of SAD include low mood, irritability, difficulty concentrating, eating more (and gaining weight), and just feeling tired all day. What causes SAD? SAD is believed to be caused by reduced exposure to sunlight, which is usual in autumn and winter. It can be caused when your body produces too much of the hormone melatonin,...