I find the term ‘self-care’ irritating. This is partly because, like words such as ‘wellness,’ ‘fierce’ and even ‘health,’ it’s often tossed around gratuitously by people less interested in its meaning than in associated self-promotion. I strongly endorse the principle of being kind to oneself, but, like many forms of personal development, self-care has been…
Tag: health
Is influencer marketing immoral? Confessions of an insider
It’s a dreary Tuesday evening and I’m sat on the sofa eating a ready-meal mac ’n’ cheese, watching ‘The One with Ross’s Sandwich’ for the tenth time. I flick through Instagram and watch my favourite influencer ‘unboxing’ the three free parcels she’s been sent today. One by one, she shows off her new jade face…
It zaps fat and increases productivity – but what is a ‘standing desk’ actually like?
“You can’t be too rich or too thin!” declared Wallis Simpson, the femme fatale who tempted King Edward off the throne and into the registry office. Draped in Dior and diamonds, and trailed by a harem of husbands, Simpson is an absolute legend. If there was a LADbible for ladies in the 1930s – a…
My pointless NHS taxi – a waste of public funds
Through the stained glass, I could see what looked to be a grey-haired man in his sixties, eyes squinted, peering in. I opened it, to which he enquired, looking very confused: “Are you Madeleine Sutherland?” I confirmed I was. I had, fifteen minutes earlier, called up NHS 111 service to ask for advice about a…
Introducing our writers
They are students, mothers, artists, job-seekers, office workers, political activists – everyday people facing everyday money challenges. Meet Mouthy Money’s new writers – they tell stories about their financial lives, dreams, successes and failures. And their words won’t just twang your heartstrings or make you clutch your sides with laughter – though they’ll certainly do…
Embracing lagom – the biggest Scandi trend since hygge
Forget hygge, ignore ikigai – 2019 is all about lagom (yay, another Scandinavian word we can’t pronounce). Roughly translating as ‘not too much, not too little, just right’, lagom is the art of living frugally, which is a pretty essential life skill if, like me, you’ve still got a £9,000 student loan to repay. Lagom…
My husband has been diagnosed with autism – and it could be threatening his livelihood
Throughout my schooling career, there has been one line that stuck out to me. One day, on a breezy autumn afternoon, my science teacher stood up and declared: “Revision is the new rock and roll! You rock through it, get good grades, and roll through to a good job with good pay!” Looking back, I…
Smiles cheaper – the secret to white teeth…on a budget
I’ve always been an avid drinker of tea. Green tea, red tea, camomile – you can’t beat a soothing cup of something hot. It’s one of life’s few simple pleasures. When I got my braces at the age of seventeen, I was cautioned against this habit; while the benefits of drinking green tea are plenty,…
Our NHS is a modern miracle – and we shouldn’t need “Call the Midwife” to remind us
Recently I’ve discovered a new show that I can binge on. It’s not really new, but it’s new to me – Call the Midwife, based on books of the same name by Jennifer Worth, a midwife who began her career in the 1950s. Reflecting true events that happened in the period, this drama opens up a…
Emma Leaven and the false economy of flu
This cartoon is part of a series of graphic strips by Steve Bee, author of the Pension Guru cartoons. Join Emma and her family as they muddle through life puzzling over any-and-all things personal finance.