There is something tender and deeply meaningful about a child’s final summer before stepping into secondary school. It can pass quietly, almost unnoticed, yet it holds one of the biggest emotional turning points in a young person’s life. The world they have known so far begins to stretch and shift, making space for adolescence, with all its wonder, uncertainty, and change. For many children, this summer brings a soft mix of excitement and worry. They may talk about new unifor

By Kevin Noonan It’s July, and according to social media, everyone is having a wonderful time. Someone is drinking something expensive-looking beside an infinity pool. Someone else is at a festival. There are sunsets, weddings, airport departure boards, impossibly blue swimming pools and families who, judging by the photographs at least, have spent seven uninterrupted days enjoying one another’s company. Meanwhile, you’re standing in the kitchen wondering what to make for din

By Vivienne Lillis A little sunlight can go a long way for your mind, mood, and energy! • Boosts mood by supporting serotonin, often called the “feel-good” brain chemical. • Helps regulate your sleep-wake rhythm, which can improve rest and emotional balance. • Supports vitamin D production, which is linked with overall wellbeing. • Can increase energy and alertness, especially when you get natural light earlier in the day. • Encourages time outdoors, movement, and mindful bre

By Mary Clare Douglas

By Noel Daly There is a temptation to think that the world is falling apart. That we are on the brink. A tipping point. By any reasonable measure, this is an absurd thing to believe. Before I go on, this is not to say that everything is brilliant. There has never been a time when things were perfect, or even close to perfect. And I’m not talking about people who endure particularly heinous circumstances. I’m talking about people broadly. Generationally. Every generation faces

By Murray Mackenzie The use of compassionate imagery to calm the nervous system is an ancient practice. In the West, proponents of compassion focused therapy, such as Paul Gilbert, have promoted the use of specific imagery based exercises to help trigger our soothing system. This is the parasympathetic nervous system commonly known as the “rest and digest” which helps dial down our threat system, also known as the fight, flight or freeze response. We can practice these imagi

By Kevin Noonan Every year on June 23rd, International Women in Engineering Day shines a spotlight on the achievements, contributions, and impact of women working across engineering and technology sectors. The day serves as both a celebration and a reminder. While significant progress has been made in increasing opportunities for women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), women remain underrepresented in many engineering disciplines. International Wome

By Kevin Noonan Every year on June 18th, Autistic Pride Day provides an opportunity to celebrate autistic identities, challenge misconceptions, and promote a more inclusive understanding of neurodiversity. Unlike awareness campaigns that focus primarily on educating others about autism, Autistic Pride Day centres the voices and experiences of autistic people themselves. It encourages society to move beyond viewing autism solely through the lens of difficulties or deficits and

PMDD is something that’s coming up more in conversations lately, but for a lot of people, it still feels quite hard to make sense of in their own day-to-day experience. For some, there’s a noticeable shift at certain points in the month. Mood can dip, thoughts can feel harsher, and things that would normally feel manageable can suddenly feel more intense or more overwhelming. Then, not too long after, things can ease again. When that pattern isn’t clear, it’s very easy to tur

When people think about coeliac disease, they often think about digestive symptoms, avoiding gluten, or reading food labels. What is discussed far less often is the emotional and psychological impact that can come with living with a chronic autoimmune condition. As May marks Coeliac Awareness Month, it is important to recognise that coeliac disease affects far more than the digestive system. Research increasingly highlights links between coeliac disease and increased experien