More than 200 million girls and women live with the consequences of female genital cutting (FGC), and a further 3.9 million are at risk of being cut each year. We speak to the charity at the forefront of the movement to end it Julia Lalla-Maharajh was volunteering in Ethiopia when she first encountered female genital cutting (FGC) – a harmful practice where the female genitals are cut, injured, or changed, without a medical reason to do so. Back in the 2000s, Julia admits she didn’t know much

When push comes to shove, aren’t we all looking for a bit of peace and quiet? An escape from the hustle, bustle, and pressure of the world around us – and the one within us, too? Following the death of his brother, Dave Mountjoy found this ‘quiet’ in the company of cows. Soon after, he opened his retreat, Being with Cows, where visitors are invited to take part in mindful activities on the farm, in the company of the cattle... For city-dwellers and weekend-walkers alike, cows might be no more

Every now and then, we need to stop. Stop making ourselves available 24/7, stop saying yes to every invitation, stop running ourselves into the ground for fear of missing out. JOMO is the “joy of missing out”, and it’s the wellbeing phenomenon that’s telling our 21st century sense of obligation to take a seat. But, if we want to understand the necessity of JOMO, we’ve got to understand its energy-zapping cousin that got us in this burnt-out-mess in the first place: FOMO. FOMO is the “fear of

Throughout life, we’re bombarded with messages about who we should be. From the films we watch growing up, to the clothes we’re dressed in, and the toys we play with. When business psychologist Jennifer Toll stopped to think about the messages that were seeping into her young daughter's life, she knew she had to do something – and so Not Just A Princess was born. More than a brand selling modern, aspirational slogan T-shirts, Not Just A Princess runs deeper to fuel a movement of parents who want to show their daughters that the sky truly is the limit. And it’s right on time

2003: the year the M6 Toll opened, Mick Jagger received a knighthood, and two friends – Travis Garone and Luke Slattery – were having a beer in a bar in Melbourne, Australia, lamenting the fact that moustaches had been all but left behind by the fashion industry.

‘You say you have depression but you still go to work every day, so how bad is it really?’, ‘OK, so you often feel anxious, but I saw you went to a packed-out concert the other day so you can hardly say you have anxiety.’ Do these comments sound familiar? We hope not, but judging someone else’s experience is called gatekeeping, and we need to close the door on it

Whether you’re doing it 10 feet under water or 10,000 feet in the air, how can ‘extreme sports’ keep us grounded?

In 2018, we’re finding more ways than ever before to talk about historically taboo topics. Rosalind Peters and Rochelle Thomas are the co-directors employing the sensuous powers of burlesque to start conversations about mental health with their troupe: Invisible Cabaret. Kathryn Wheeler caught up with Rosalind and Rochelle, to learn more about this affecting creative venture

Standing at 135cm tall, with a functioning vagina, anus, mouth, and soft-to-the-touch silicone skin, Meghan has been in Scott’s life for five years.

After suffering severe burns as a child, Sylvia Mac now runs swimming sessions for those with skin disfigurements, offering them the chance to develop their confidence, and embrace their differences. At the age of three, Sylvia fell into a pot of boiling water, leaving her with third and fourth degree burns. Sylvia recovered, but was left with scars across her back and various parts of her body. As a child, Sylvia became a competitive swimmer and, while she loved being in the water, would work

A family member you haven’t seen in a while leaves a comment on a photo you uploaded to Facebook, saying that they miss you. Do you: a) send them a message to find a date you can get together; or b) feel guilty that you haven’t seen them, declare yourself a selfish and thoughtless person, dwell on this all day, and replay the interaction over and over in your mind late into the night?

According to Time to Change, 60% of people wait more than a year before telling friends and family about their mental health problems. Opening up is hard. We don’t always know for certain how someone is going to react, and talking about something as personal as mental health can quickly get emotional.

Orgasms are good for us. Like, really good for us. Physical benefits, psychological benefits, and a whole host of social ones; the evidence is overwhelmingly telling us that it’s something we should invest some time in. When I attended a recent Ann Summers event in London, launching their new Elation range, with a focus on the mental health and wellness benefits of orgasms, masturbation and sexual health, I was struck, not by anything “vulgar”, but the naturalness of sexual wellbeing.

Blink twice and the next life-altering invention is already off the shelves and in the bargain bin. The speed we’re moving at can feel scary – it is scary, but it can also be wonderful. Many people see advancements in technology as a way to not just make life easier for people in general, but to make a real difference in the world. Here, Happiful speaks to some of the inspiring people and organisations harnessing the power of tech to create a happier, more sustainable future.

"It’s hard to define when mental health research, as we would understand it, emerged,” says Sophie Dix, Director of Research at MQ – the UK’s only charity funding research into mental illnesses. Founded in 2013, MQ’s vision is simple: “To create a world where mental illness is understood, effectively treated, and ultimately prevented.” Yes, it’s simple, but it’s also revolutionary. For MQ, heightened awareness of mental illnesses has to be met with medical and psychological support – and when go

Social media gives round the clock updates on people’s lives. So what happens when someone posts something concerning?

The ability to change a life could be as simple as where you buy your morning coffee

Author and political activist Gloria Steinem was on to something when she said: “The first problem for all of us, men and women, is not to learn, but to unlearn.” When Happiful invited readers to attend a self-confidence workshop, we thought Callie may have tips for leading a happier, more assertive life. We soon discovered there’s no secret formula for self-confidence – it’s about unlearning deep-rooted, self-restricting attitudes instilled in us since before we could talk. Sat in a circle in