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‘Have I imagined it all?’: it’s time to talk about mental health self-stigma

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Internalised stigma can stop you seeking help (Picture: Liberty Antonia Sadler for Metro.co.uk)

Back in the 1990s I watched the horror movie Stigmata with Patricia Arquette.

The film that shows our glamorous movie star writhing around in the bath, speaking in an ancient holy language and bleeding from her wrists and feet.

How should we talk about mental health in schools? Here’s what the experts say

It was around the same time that I was suffering with frequent panic attacks and acute anxiety.

Now, let’s be honest: horror movies are not exactly a good idea for some of us.

Movies like Stigmata inspired… Read the full story


Why are so many people dying from the flu and what complications can occur?

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The flu virus can be fatal (Picture: Getty)

A growing number of people have perished because of the flu.

In the UK, the death toll from the lethal virus hit 155, with 35 people dying last week alone, according to The Guardian.

Go ahead and put your chocolate in the fridge if you want to

Figures have shown that three times as many people are dying of flu this winter in the UK compared with last year.

The figures from Public Health England show that it’s the worst flu outbreak since 2010-11 and is affecting fewer adults but leaving growing numbers of children unwell.

The 2017–2018 flu… Read the full story

Why are young people having less booze, sex, drugs, and rock and roll?

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metro illustrations
(Picture: Ella Byworth for Metro.co.uk)

Millennial bashing, as trendy as it may be, shows the stark difference between the baby boomer generation and the youth of today.

Youngs people, meaning 18-24-year-olds, are having less sex, less drugs and less alcohol than their previous generation, but they are also reportedly more isolated.

Contrary to popular belief, youngs people seem to be living less reckless and self-serving lives than the hedonistic ways of their parents, especially when you consider the stats below.

Teens are getting drunk less often and they start drinking later. A fifth of British 16 to 24-year-olds don’t drink at all.

Unsurprisingly the number of pubs has also lowered, falling by 1,000… Read the full story

Why do people say bless you when you sneeze?

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Everyone seems to have come down with a nasty cold in the last few weeks.

For some, that’s instead an even nastier flu, which you certainly don’t want to catch.

When you’re on a packed tube and someone sneezes, instead of saying ‘get away from me immediately’ as the more rational of us may have thought deep-down, we say ‘bless you’.

But why are we blessing people who sneeze and where does this custom come from?

(Picture: Getty)

One theory on why people do this dates back to times when Bubonic Plague was rife.

People would say ‘God bless you’ after someone sneezed, as this was often an indication that they had the… Read the full story

Artist encourages people to do vulva prints as a way to spread labia love

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Loads of us are insecure about the appearance of our vulva.

Need proof of that? Just look at all the trends for bleaching, lasering, and trimming our labia, all in the pursuit of an ideal we see in porn.

It’s miserable, really, that so few of us love our labia just as they are.

The answer is simple: To get up close and personal with our bits, learn about them, and embrace them.

A fun way to do that: Labia printing.

Warning: Yes, this article does contain prints of labia. It’s probably NSFW. 

44-year-old artist and educator Lee is the creator of the Unfold Project, which asks those with vaginas to do vulva body prints in the name self discovery and body positivity.

The process is a lot like getting your fingerprint taken… but with your genitals. It’s a form of relief printing so each resulting print captures all the details and specifics of your body.

How the hospital became my safe place

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(Picture: Getty)

The hospital has become my safe place.

I know this sounds silly. Nobody enjoys going to hospital. It’s not that I enjoy it.

It’s that when I’m there, I feel safe. Secure. I feel like if anything was to go wrong, there are people there to help me immediately.

The hospital became my safe place after falling critically ill twice over the last six years.

In early 2012, I was hospitalised with pneumonia and a collapsed lung. In 2015, I was hospitalised with ulcerative colitis, a form of inflammatory bowel disease. I had my large bowel removed and was given a stoma bag.

Both of these experiences left me near death. Both of… Read the full story

12 inventive ways to use leftovers (and save money)

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Shakshuka is a great way to use up surplus eggs

Every year in the UK, we’re throwing out £13 billion worth of food, and 4.4 million tonnes of that is avoidable waste, which means it was edible.

We’re all guilty of throwing edible food in the bin, but we could actually save ourselves time and money if we put this food to good use.

With a little creativity, we can turn leftovers into something nutritious and delicious, simply by cooking them up with other bits and bobs from our kitchen. You’d be surprised at what you can do with surplus meat/veg/grains!

Why not dedicate a night of the week to ‘leftovers night’? That… Read the full story

If you can’t afford a flat why not buy an island instead?

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Private island
(Picture: East News)

Stressing about being able to buy a home is a pretty standard experience for any of us who live in cities, and lots of us who live in the countryside. 

But what if, instead of giving up avocados for twenty years and buying a moldy one-bed in zone 75, you could bu an actual real life island?

No word of a lie, that’s a real thing that could happen, because this island is for sale for just £250,000. Which would get you a parking space in London, or a cupboard in Oxford.


Jealous friends are worse than enemies: cutting them out of my life is the best thing I ever did

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Do I need jealous friends? (Picture: Ella Byworth for Metro.co.uk)

To my knowledge I don’t have any enemies.

I have, however, had the odd jealous friend over the years.

It’s a token of success, but is my Mercedes the reason I’m single?

I count these as worse.

These are people who are supposed to be your confidant, your advisor, your cheerleader.

All the things you are for them, they end up being the opposite of all of that for you.

What I’ve noticed with jealous friends is that the envy simmers unnoticed under the surface.

One day the crescendo builds and it becomes so blatant they… Read the full story

The happiest place in Britain? 9 reasons to love Leamington Spa

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Jephson gardens in Leamington Spa (Picture: Getty)

Having lived in Royal Leamington Spa my whole life, I wasn’t surprised at all when it was named ‘the happiest place in Britain’ by Rightmove a few months ago.

Leamington Spa, known as ‘Leam’ to locals, is tiny but mighty, with a regal reputation to match that of the capital.

15 pictures that prove the Midlands are the most beautiful area of the UK

Street names such as Oxford Street, Regent Street and Warwick Street all make an appearance in the centre, and there’s even a car park named after Covent Garden.

No surprise really, considering Leam is sometimes… Read the full story

Busao the cat falling in love with a heater is all of us in January

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(Picture: ranryug/Instagram)

It’s still bloody cold outside.

January seems to have dragged on for approximately 50 weeks and we’re still wrapped up to the nines in woollies. And that’s just in mild old London – imagine how cold it must be in Japan right now.

Tokyo’s been having mega heavy snow recently and it’s so cold that not even a thick coat of fur will suffice.

Busao the cat, however, has found something to warm his very core.

His human has put a little heater in his way, to help him warm up.

‘Japan is so cold right now! All he wants is to warm up more,’ Busao’s human Ryjui Tan tells Bored Panda.

Ryuji adopted Busao… Read the full story

Why do your fingers go wrinkly in the bath?

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(Picture: Getty)

One side effect of relaxing for too long in the bath is that your fingers start to look more raisin-like minute by minute.

When the skin on your fingers wrinkles up, there aren’t any actual adverse effects, they just look a bit weird.

So, why does the body make this minimal and seemingly pointless reaction happen?

(Picture: Getty)

The previous theory was that the wrinkling would occur… Read the full story

Heavy periods could soon be a thing of the past, scientists believe

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metro graphics tampons periods

If you suffer from heavy, uncomfortable periods, listen up, because your misery might soon be at an end.

Researchers from the University of Edinburgh believe that heavy flows might soon be a thing of the past.

Funded by Wellbeing of Women, a new study has been looking into how the shedding of the womb lining affects the levels of oxygen during menstruation.

When the endometrium (the lining) sheds, it causes us to bleed (our periods).

In order to reduce the amount of blood lost, the surface of the womb has to heal.

The study notes that when there are lower levels of oxygen, the body produces a protein called hypoxia-inducible factor one (HIF-1) – and it’s the production of that protein that speeds up the healing process of the womb lining.

Researchers have discovered that women with heavy periods tend to have lower levels of HIF-1 than those of us with a… Read the full story

Nearly 25% of all Yale undergrads have enrolled in a ‘happiness’ class

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(Picture: Ella Byworth for Metro.co.uk)

Studying at any top flight university must be incredibly stressful.

Once you’ve busted your balls to get in, you’ve then got to make sure you keep up with the intense workload – as well as find time to take part in societies and some kind of social life.

And when you’re rushing around and working hard, that can leave little time to look after your own personal happiness.

Which might go some way to explaining why around a quarter of Yale’s entire undergraduate population has enrolled in the university’s Psychology and the Good Life course.

1,182 people have signed up – making the class the most popular in… Read the full story

8 of the best places to get a vegan burger in London and beyond

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Two vegetarian hamburgers with onion and cheese cutlets, avocado salad, arugula, fried beetroot and yogurt sauce in white plate over gray texture background. Healthy fast food.
I would like chips with our burger please. (Picture: Getty)

We all love them, chains are named after them, and we cover them in cheese, fill them relish and argue over gherkins.

Yes, I’m talking about the nation’s favourite – a big fat burger.

8 recipes so good, you won’t even notice they’re vegan

Classically, it involves sandwiching a patty of beef between two buns and topping with, well, whatever we like.

So, what if you’re vegan? What options are available then?… Read the full story


Photo of truck driver shows what 28 years of sun damage looks like

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(Picture: New England Journal of Medicine)

We know that we should wear suncream when we’re basking on the beach – but few of us use it every day as part of our regular skin care regime.

Our faces are subjected to UV rays all year round, whatever the weather.

And yet it’s only really beauty buffs who are concerned with avoiding fine lines and wrinkles at all cost.

But this shocking photo of a truck driver is proof that we really need to be more concerned with the everyday effect that the sun has on our skin.

Published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the 69-year-old’s photo shows how much more aged one… Read the full story

Nike obsessive makes her own custom tick pieces and we kinda want them all

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(Picture: @miniswoosh/Instagram)

Sneakerheads will do anything to feed their obsession.

They’ll bid on special editions for ludicrous sums (£30,000 pair of Pharrell Chanel x Adidas kicks, anyone?). They’ll travel around the world to fill the gaps in their collections. They’ll turn entire rooms into shoe storage units.

But few turn their love into a full-blown fashion collection.

Meet die-hard Nike-head and designer Alex Hackett, who has done just that.

She’s been repurposing old Nike gear into original pieces – all featuring the classic swoosh tick.

Her brand, @miniswoosh, pays homage to the sports brand’s iconic branding – from ‘Just Do It’ jeans to Nike jewellery and swoosh dungarees.

Read the full story

I spent a week saying no to try and be more assertive, and here’s the result

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I said 'no' to everything for a week and here's what happened
Sometimes, it helps to say no (Picture: Ella Byworth for Metro.co.uk)

Of all my good qualities – and, y’know, I have loads – assertiveness is not one of them.

I am a person who travels hours across town to meet friends instead of suggesting somewhere in the middle.

I quit sugar: Here’s what happened when I gave up the sweet stuff MmuffinQuit sugar? Here’s what happened when I gave up the sweet stuff

I say yes to work when I am already overloaded, then I’m too scared to negotiate the fee.

But… Read the full story

Think you know Gran Canaria? You should try the winter walking festival

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Think you know Gran Canaria?

Trust me, there’s more to learn.

Whether or not you’ve visited the Canary Island before, you may be familiar with places such as Las Palmas, Maspalomas, Puerto Rico and the Yumbo shopping centre.

Of course, we can’t forget all those playa’s either (I’m talking about the Spanish word for beach, of course).

But how much do you know about the scenic hikes Gran Canaria has on offer?

On a recent trip, I experienced this other side to the island.

The Gran Canaria Walking Festival, A winter adventure.
Fancy a dip? (Picture: Gran Canaria Walking Festival)

Last November, I was summoned to take on the Gran Canaria Walking Festival.

With Gran Canaria’s highest… Read the full story

How much of true old-school 90s kids were you?

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It is a well-known fact that 90s kids were blessed with the best childhoods, but just how much of a true old-school 90s kid are you?

Artist encourages women to do vulva prints as a way to spread labia love

Were you constantly glued to Nickelodeon? Did you have a large supply of PVA glue for all of your Art Attack projects?

Did you break at least one bone due to practising Power Rangers moves at home? And did you carefully set up the video recorder to capture Top of The Pops every Friday so you could learn all the dance moves?

Take this quiz and prove just how much of a true 90s old-school kid you really were.

Read the full story
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