You don’t need to overhaul your entire life, it’s more about making small, intentional shifts to create lasting habits and rituals for a longer, happier life.

Not every encounter has to make the chandelier shake. Even humdrum, socks-on sex leaves a warm glow. And when you learn to embrace your physical bond, and all that it can give, your relationship will deepen and thrive along with your love life.

At The Place Retreats, mindfulness is a daily part of our lives and vital to everything we do. Our Balinese haven is a supportive, luxurious sanctuary where clients can focus on their mental well-being as they learn to practice mindfulness and meditation. Free from the pressures, distractions, and stress of everyday life, guests at The Place Retreats rediscover themselves through our evidence-based therapies and personalised care.

The strongest couples respond with repair, trust and a willingness to work through the issues. When couples acknowledge that all relationships require effort to maintain the connection, they can recognise distance early—before the gap becomes insurmountable—respond with intention rather than reactivity, and work towards the necessary intimacy to reconnect.

In order to fall asleep, the body needs to feel safe enough to let down its guard. However, when anxiety is present, the nervous system remains on high alert even when the body is tired and ready to rest. The mind continues scanning, planning, ruminating, and worrying.

Couples fight over money more than sex. The therapist Jean-Claude Chalmet on how to avoid financial incompatibility — and four writers on how they split the bills.

But before we look at how much is “too much”, couples need to first identify the reasons why they drink and the function of alcohol in their relationship. It can be complicated but if we want our habits and happiness to improve, that’s where it starts.

January 1 has far more symbolic weight than practical meaning. It’s a date we’ve collectively agreed represents a “fresh start,” but real change doesn’t work on a schedule like that. More often, it shows up once the noise settles and real life resumes.

If you’re only just starting to notice what isn’t working in your life, that doesn’t mean you’re too late. It usually means you’re finally paying attention and you’re ready to start making some changes.

Understanding why you are spending this day together, despite having split, is key to its success. You are aligned in wanting to create a wonderful Christmas and joyful memories for your children. If you have clear intentions — and have agreed on tricky details, from whether you two will exchange gifts to topics you won’t talk about — there will be less anxiety and no false expectations for the adults or the kids.

How could anyone feel joyful, grateful, social, present, thoughtful, and productive all at the same time? You can’t. It’s impossible.

For many people, the festive season seems to be full speed ahead as they race to hold it all together.

If all of this sounds a little too familiar and you notice yourself overwhelmed, irritable, or even disconnected by the whirlwind of holiday stress, it’s time to slow down and start enjoying the season

A new connection removes the illusion of being in control. So how do you know if you're truly ready for dating? Perhaps you've asked yourself this question multiple times throughout the course of therapy or “doing the work”, but you’re not quite sure.

Grief tends to intensify around meaningful dates tied to tradition and connection—like the holidays—so if you don’t quite feel up to celebrating, it’s perfectly normal, as grief can often feel heavier during the festive season.

Rest requires safety, and for many trauma survivors, safety isn’t something the body recognises easily.

We all have emotional needs, but many of us weren’t taught how to effectively communicate and regulate those needs. As a result, emotional repression, abandonment wounds, and people-pleasing take control, leading to anxious behaviors that cause shame around our emotional needs.