I was about to turn 50 as we went into the first Covid lockdown in the spring of 2020. Like many people, after the initial panic, I went into autopilot and continued my job as before, writing reports for corporate clients and working as an editor and writer, while attempting to homeschool my younger son. I had no idea at the time that I might be going through perimenopause, although in hindsight the signs were there.
Hot flushes came and went, as did weight gain and mood swings. I was lucky that I could work from home, flexibly. I did not even realise at the time that I was in perimenopause. I knew something wasn’t right, but in the early 2020s, there was little awareness of menopause and its symptoms. The lockdowns meant that speaking to a GP was also much harder, so I generally coped on my own. By the time I was offered HRT a year later, I had found coping strategies and was probably over the worst of it.
And so I ploughed on. I had no choice really; deadlines had to be met and life just had to go on somehow. Six years on, I feel like I am through the worst of it, and while I do still have moments of forgetfulness and I tire slightly more quickly, at the age of 56, I also have far more mental clarity and focus than I ever remember having.
How to be more grateful for daily life in five easy steps
The world feels like a difficult place at the moment, and it can feel very hard sometimes to find things to be thankful for; when we are overwhelmed, we have less capacity to notice and reflect on the good things. Yet, ironically, proactively cultivating gratitude is one of the things that can actually help us feel less stressed.
NHS GP dR RADHA
The science
Research has shown that feeling or expressing thanks can actually alter our brain.
- The balance of neurotransmitters change; more serotonin and dopamine (feel good chemicals) are produced.
- This can be long lasting if we make gratitude a regular habit.
- We also get a decrease in our cortisol (stress hormone) levels which helps lower anxiety.
- Being grateful can strengthen the nerve pathways which triggers positive emotion.
How can we build gratitude?
Change your words
Instead of seeing something as a problem, try to see the opportunities within it.
Our brains are very receptive and what we read or write can alter our emotional system.
Express it
This will not only make you feel good, but you will also get a positive response from others.
How can we build gratitude?
Notice more
Throughout your day, try to notice all the things that are going well; has someone opened a door for you, or smiled?
The basics
By being thankful for the small things every day, we are far more likely to be and stay healthy so that we can enjoy them.
What to do
Gratitude can lead to feelings of optimism, lower our blood pressure, and improve sleep quality.
- Write down what potential good aspects there are to the things you don’t feel like doing, or even what could be worse about it.
- Spend a few minutes writing down three things that you are looking forward to that day, or the good things that have happened to you that day.
- Say thank you to yourself for the things you have achieved, or managed to get through and changed that day.
Sales of battery
electric vehicles hit a record high last year.
Starts at £22,995 for the smaller battery
Available with either a 40kWh battery or a larger 52kWh pack, that offers almost 255 miles, the latest, retro-inspired Renault 5 is both a joy to behold and a hoot to drive.
The interior has been lavished with a level of detail that’s typically reserved for more expensive cars.
4 min read
A champion of EV efficiency
It offers a remarkable 491 mile range on a single charge from the 85kWh battery.
It is a technological masterclass inside with the ability to option screens that span the entire width of the dashboard, including an optional display for the front passenger.
Priced from £37,400
2 min read
It’s a lot of money to part with, but this is arguably all the car you will ever need.
The £89,000 Macan is a premium SUV that somehow manages to blend Porsche’s reputation for dynamics and sporty driving with everyday practicality.
The 95kWh batteries can go from 10 to 80 per cent in as little as 21 minutes from the fastest public charging outlets.
With the business class-style six seat configuration costing a staggering £76,995, it is by far the most expensive Kia ever made, but it backs up its financial demands with a suite of genuinely useful and impressive onboard technology.
It’s fast, goes a long way between stops and charges relatively quickly but the interior is bland, the onboard technology is infuriating and the experience is devoid of emotion.
All of its gadgetry can’t disguise the fact that performance is weak, even for a typically zippy EV, the ride is fussy at slower speeds and it’s not in the least bit enjoyable to drive on a country road.
- While good value (prices start at £17,935) for the 200-mile max range, there are more interesting options from Hyundai, Citroen and Renault for similar money.
- It attempts to wow with tech, much of which hinders, rather than helps.
- There’s no tangible benefit over mounting your phone to the dash.
- Simply an average driving experience, adequate range and slow charging speeds.
2 min read
The kitchen gadgets under £25
Victorinox paring knife
It’s comfortable to hold, with a point sharp enough for scoring pastry.
ProCook cast iron pan
For unbeatable searing and heat-retention, cast iron is the top choice.
Tesco chopping board
Priced at just £22, I’ve yet to find another board that matches it for sheer value and quality.
The kitchen gadgets under £25
Pyrex jug
It is the perfect vessel for blending smooth sauces, melting butter, or warming stock. It won’t stain like plastic and the red measurements never fade.
Salter scales
“I’ve had my slim little set of Salter Disc Scales for over a decade, and I’m delighted to see they are still made to exactly the same reliable design today.”
Microplane grater
It uses photo-etched stainless steel teeth that stay razor-sharp for a decade, something the lookalike copycats simply can’t match.
Braun hand-held blender
It’s an essential for everything from making velvety soup to getting the lumps out of white sauce.
Bodum cafetiere
As well as delivering great results, cafetieres are easy to clean and there’s no ongoing filter paper costs or pod recycling to deal with.
5 min read
The kitchen gadgets under £25
Oxo peeler
What truly sets it apart is the chunky, rubberised handle that absorbs pressure and stays completely non-slip, even if your hands are wet. It is inexpensive and incredibly durable.
Falcon pie dish
Made by fusing porcelain onto heavy-gauge steel for smooth durability, it is dishwasher, freezer, hob, air-fryer and oven-safe.
The golden rules for a happy, secure relationship
Psychiatrist and neuroscientist Dr Amir Levine, author of bestselling book , explains why we behave the way we do in love.
Golden rules for happy relationships
Start with your own behaviours
The foundation of a secure, connected life is being what I call CARRP: that means being consistent, available, responsive, reliable and predictable. All of these qualities can be enacted in small gestures every day.
Express your needs
People need consistency and connection to feel safe. This is not, ‘You hurt my feelings by never replying to me’, it’s more ‘this is the kind of contact that helps me feel secure’.
Golden rules for happy relationships
The appendix ‘inflammation’ rule
If a relationship repeatedly inflames your nervous system, you need to disengage and deprioritise it.
Lean on community
You don’t need hundreds of friends. You need people and places that regularly remind you that you belong.
Stop blaming childhood
Humans are much more complicated than: ‘this happened to you, therefore you are doomed to be anxious’.
Reach for a
secure script
When something unsettles you in a relationship, your first reaction is not always the most accurate one.
If you’re anxious, your brain may jump very quickly to: ‘this is the beginning of the end’. If you’re avoidant, your brain may say: ‘this person wants too much from me, I need to get away’. So one very practical thing you can always do is pause and ask: ‘What would a secure person do here?’
Loneliness elsewhere
When people talk about loneliness, they often assume it means you don’t have enough people in your life. But you can be surrounded by people and still feel lonely if those relationships leave you feeling excluded, ignored or disconnected.
What to do
- Build a community that works for your temperament and gives you regular, reliable moments of connection.
- You can still be kind to people while not treating them as someone who belongs in your inner circle.
- Explain what you need. Sometimes people simply don’t realise how you are experiencing them.
- Check in with people: does this person actually feel that I’m reliable? Do they experience me as predictable? That’s the only way that you can start to become more secure.
Do some foods leave
you feeling hungry rather than satiated? Experts say there are…
Foods that leave you hungrier
A bowl of cereal and glass of orange juice
More refined cereals are digested quickly, and fruit juice, whilst one of your five-a-day, contains less fibre than whole fruit. This might mean you find yourself hungry again within 1-2 hours of eating this breakfast.
Swap the orange juice for a whole orange, the cereal for oats and milk or serve it with Greek yoghurt or a boiled egg. This would increase the fibre and protein content; two nutrients strongly linked with fullness.
Foods that leave you hungrier
These pastries are made primarily from refined flour and butter, and are relatively low in protein and fibre.
Toast and jam
Shop-bought packs can contain a lot of white rice, which is digested quickly, and the protein content is often modest.
Foods that leave you hungrier
Vegetable soup
On its own, it is often very low in protein and calories, so hunger can return quickly.
Unless it’s loaded with veggies, it’s probably pretty low in fibre.
Liquids are generally less filling as they require little chewing which may not trigger satiety signals.
Foods that leave you hungrier
Snack bars
They are ideal for a quick pick-me-up, but if reducing hunger is what you’re after, it’d be better to swap it out.
Low-fat yoghurt
A full-fat plain Greek yoghurt with berries and seeds tends to be much more filling due to the protein, fat and fibre.
On an empty stomach, it can actually increase your appetite.
What to eat instead
Instead of thinking about avoiding foods, think about what you can add to them.
- Add beans, lentils or shredded chicken to your vegetable soup and pasta.
- Thicken your smoothies with Greek yoghurt, chia seeds and oats.
- Apple slices with peanut butter, yogurt with berries and hummus with oat biscuits are better snack options than a pre-made snack bar.
- Have alcohol alongside a balanced meal containing protein and fibre.
How to age well
without pain
Will Harlow, a physiotherapist
for the over-50s and author of Independence for Life, shares
the key signs you’re ageing
badly – and what to do about it.
How to know
Ageing well is maintaining the ability to do what you want you want for as long as you want without needing help. Everyone is talking about longevity but what’s the point in living longer if the last decade is painful and you’re [totally] reliant on people?”
The signs to look out for
- The most obvious early warning sign of bad ageing is pain says Harlow.
- Another is losing confidence in doing daily tasks, which can quickly lead to a lack of independence.
- One call Harlow often receives is people calling after having a fall and struggling to get up.
4 min read
How to age without pain
Not just stopping
When people retire, they often put their feet up and stop. Your body really is use it or lose it.
Throughout our entire lives, Harlow says we need between seven and nine hours of sleep.
Social isolation
The lack of connection can increase the risk of premature death by
as much as 29 per cent.
Strength training
It really is the proxy for
overall independence.
The more muscle mass you have, the less chance of heart disease, diabetes, falls and even anxiety, depression and dementia.
The brain can be linked to muscle mass too, Harlow says. It’s not just about being able to lift things. It gives you more energy, better sleep and you’ll look and feel better.
How to age without pain
Daily habits
Do short bursts of exercise, between 30 and 60 seconds, in otherwise dead time during the day.
Stretch in bed
Take joints through a full range of motion for five minutes to loosen it before getting up.
Don’t crash diet
How to age without pain
Harlow advises 1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight to stop muscle loss alongside resistance training.
Don’t wait
Harlow finds that many patients put off making a change to their lifestyle until their lives are consumed by pain.
For most people, it’s about reducing the number of times per week you’re exercising, not reducing intensity.
The three ageing tests to do
- Lie completely flat on the floor and get back up to a standing position using any technique. This should take less than 10 seconds.
See how many times you can sit on the chair and stand back up again in 30 seconds. Men should be aiming for more than 14 times and women 12.
The single-leg stand, which involves standing on one leg and balancing for 10 seconds. Everyone should be able to do that and for those under 65, Harlow asks them to do it with their eyes closed.
Despite the job market hiring fewer entry-level roles, employers are still looking for grads…
But you should be prepared to keep an open mind.
We’ve compiled the sectors hiring graduate roles, what degree is required, and what they pay.
The degrees to choose for a career
Hiring in the UK could
finally be on the up
47%
of employers offered entry-level
positions from July.
That is up nearly 15 per cent from the same period last year.
700,000
But graduate unemployment rose to six per cent in 2025 and 700,000 jobless graduates were claiming benefits.
Finance and insurance
- Around 42 per cent of UK finance and insurance employers say they will be open to graduate roles this summer.
- Business loan company Portman Finance Group has taken on 50 graduates over the past four years.
Portman graduates start on £36,000 for the two-year programme and the education you need to apply is a minimum “ABB” of A-levels, and a 2:1 or above university degree. But not in a specific subject.
Trade and logistics
What makes it particularly rewarding is that there’s always something to learn.
Nearly half (47 per cent) of trade and logistics companies will be giving graduates a go this year.
Salaries start at £30,000 with an uncapped bonus, rising to £50,000 plus a company car as a senior account partner.
Technology and IT
More than half (52 per cent) of UK tech and IT firms are actively looking for graduates.
Successful entry-level candidates can earn a basic salary of up to £35,000, with the opportunity to triple that within their first three years of working.
4 min read
Public sector, health
and social services
46 per cent of public sector, health and social services organisations are also ready to take graduates, according to a survey by Manpower.
- For example, Police Now runs a graduate programme into policing. They recruit graduates from any degree field, as long as they achieve a 2:2 or above. Starting salaries range from £31,164 to £42,210 depending on location and rising each year.
Can we treat guests without blowing our budget?
According to Waitrose, a dinner party revival is underway led by younger people trying to reduce the cost of getting together.
Always have bread
People will feast on the
ELLA RISBRIDGER, AUTHOR OF THE KITCHEN BOOK – GOOD FOOD FOR EVERY DAY
bread, and then need less fish/steak/expensive whatever. All small plates restaurants know this: this is why the first thing on the menu is always artisan bread and butter.
Use vegetables as centrepieces
Add pantry items
Graham’s recipes include a braised cabbage with a preserved lemon sauce, a roast cauliflower with saffron, and harrisa roast carrots with mango labneh.
How to host on a budget
Improve the everyday
Guests will always appreciate a stellar interpretation of the ordinary. Think lasagna or curry.
Cooking dinner for your guests is spoiling them – you’re being generous with your time, your effort, and your home. So don’t feel the need to go overboard elsewhere.
Ask for help
Ask friends to bring a contribution, be it a nibble or a pudding.
Big platter energy
[Presentation] can be the key to elevating something . Spaghetti and tomato sauce suddenly looks like a feast when tumbled on a lovely big plate, dressed with olive oil and parmesan and placed in the middle of the table.
Food writer and editor Eleanor Steafel
How to host on a budget
Taco party
Have one expensive filling, like shredded chicken, and two cheaper options, like refried beans, says Ella Risbridger.
Shop-bought ice cream is so easily zhuzhed up with the help of handy toppings, says Eleanor Steafel.
We focus so much on the negatives of menopause, and forget that for many women, like me, midlife brings a lot of freedom, clarity and outright joy. My 25 years of experience mean that I come up with ideas and solutions that younger people may struggle with, and my work has my full attention. Gone are the distractions of my thirties, when the ticking of the biological clock and the panic of when, or even if, I could get pregnant, was so loud at times that I could barely concentrate on the job at hand. Gone, too, are the many worries that came in my forties with early years parenting.
My eldest son is now 20 and at university, and my younger son, nearly 17, is a sixth former, and so the frenetic pace of life as a young parent has finally slowed down. No school pick-ups or drop-offs to worry about and no activities or play dates to organise.
While menopause campaigners have quite rightly brought attention to the many horrendous symptoms of the menopause, and the multitude of barriers that women continue to face in obtaining the right care, there are many of us for whom midlife also brings a renewed sense of confidence and new opportunities. We are thriving, bringing decades of experience to our professional lives and finally doing the things we always wanted to do.
Eleanor Mills, founder of online midlife platform Noon and former editorial director of , is of the view that midlife can bring renewed clarity and focus for many women. “My way of thinking about midlife is that in the 100-year life, 50 is around the midway point. What happens is that the first circle comes to an end, maybe that was child-rearing, or a first career, but you get this immense opportunity to start again,” she says. “I see this time as being about becoming the women we always wanted to be. It’s the age of opportunity. At around 50, we finally slough off everybody else’s expectations.
“The campaigning around the menopause has been incredibly important, because it was completely unspoken about, and lots of women suffered in silence. But I think talking about the menopause like it’s this terrible thing does a disservice to the 75 per cent of us who have not had severe symptoms.”
According to a 2025 report published by Prowess, a UK network supporting female entrepreneurs, women now account for 36 per cent of all self-employed people, and one in four self-employed women are aged over 50.
Meanwhile, a 2022 report by Noon, in partnership with Accenture, found that midlife women placed greater importance on flexibility and work-life balance than on status at work. Midlife for them is less about winding down and more about taking greater control over their working lives, whether by changing careers or starting a business.
Emma McCaffrey, 49, founder of “Move with Emma”, an online fitness membership with over 200 subscribers, saw the perimenopause as an opportunity to redefine herself. After dealing with a traumatic divorce and redundancy simultaneously, while raising two daughters, she turned to fitness and movement for her mental and physical wellbeing. “Rather than slowing me down, navigating perimenopause alongside single motherhood became the defining catalyst for my success,” she says.
“Perimenopause didn’t hold me back; it gave me clarity. It forced me to listen to my body, ditch outdated fitness expectations and create a business that truly serves women in midlife. It turned out to be the most empowering transition of my life,” says Emma. “Midlife and menopause aren’t the end of vitality; they are an invitation to rebuild on your own terms.”
For Nina Assam, now 53, the turning point came with divorce in 2020, which gave her the impetus to establish her still-life photography business. In the six years since, her income has increased by around 300 per cent, and she has now founded a photography retreat business aimed at women in midlife, which is also thriving.
“I was probably perimenopausal when I started the business, and I was getting bad brain fog and noticing that I just wasn’t as sharp any more, but I started taking HRT when I was 50, so it hasn’t really held me back,” says Assam.
Being a single mum with two children, she was spurred on to create something that gave her the flexibility to be there for her children while bringing in sufficient money to support them. “I had no one else to support me after my divorce, and that really spurred me on. I think the menopause is just something you learn to work with. It didn’t hinder me physically or mentally.”
For others, such as my friend, Lucy, 54, who has been a primary school teacher since her twenties, midlife meant she finally got to specialise in an area of teaching that she found more rewarding. “I battled through part-time work as a primary school teacher when my kids were younger, but it wasn’t really what I wanted to do,” she says.
About 10 years ago, Lucy retrained as a specialist teacher and now assesses children and advises schools across the borough where she works. “I only landed my ideal job in my forties after getting a diploma to specialise in dyslexia training. The work I do now is incredibly interesting and rewarding, and it also gives me much-needed flexibility,” she says. “I am on the best pay I have ever been on, earning about three times as much as before.”
Jenny Holliday, a career happiness coach, says: “A lot of the women go from wanting to please the boss to wanting to please themselves. I think there’s a renewal that happens in midlife. When you’re in your twenties, you’re climbing the ladder, whereas in midlife it’s less about climbing the ladder, and more about doing things on your own terms.”
That certainly rings true for me. While I still have many demands on my time, and my caring responsibilities have now shifted from my children to my elderly mother, who now lives with us, there is also a renewed sense of self-assurance that comes with midlife.
I am finally doing the things I always wanted to do, writing on the issues that affect women like me, and building something worth investing in, on my own terms. I have more ambition than I ever remember having. Gone is the self-doubt of my younger years, and I am excited about the possibilities ahead.