The Latest Breaking News from Emma Beddington

Five intimate friendships is the optimal amount – I scrape two

Research tells us living near our loved ones makes us happier and strengthens our relationships. But is that possible, and how can we be better friends if not, asks Emma Beddington

The Guardian - UK · Apr 9, 2023

I am being terrorised by my robot vacuum cleaner

Morning, noon and night, it’s there, whirring and whirling around. It’s so industrious I feel simultaneously scared and shamed, writes Emma Beddington

The Guardian - UK · Apr 2, 2023

The Finns hold the secret of happiness – and it is not what you might expect

Finland’s tourist board is running a competition to win a happiness masterclass. Sadly, the prize doesn’t involve drinking in your underwear, writes Emma Beddington

The Guardian - UK · Mar 27, 2023

Fine, I admit it – I am a ‘dry texter’. It beats emojis or verbal diarrhoea

All of my family keep it brief. Most messages are just ‘k’. So when an expression of affection finally arrives, it elicits a genuine thrill, writes Emma Beddington

The Guardian - UK · Feb 27, 2023

Talking posh still pays – that’s why Boris Johnson is rolling in it

The former PM’s high earnings have been partly attributed to the way he speaks. But I’ll take Bill Paterson or Maya Angelou’s sonorous tones over the voice of privilege any day, writes Emma Beddington

The Guardian - UK · Feb 26, 2023

My husband and I are at war over the radio. Will peace and quiet ever be possible?

I loathe jingles and DJ banter while he listens to BBC Radio 1 and doesn’t get Radio 4. So who will win: the tinnitus sufferer or the controlling monster, writes Emma Beddington

The Guardian - UK · Feb 20, 2023

Modern stress never stops. When will our nervous systems catch up with the 21st century?

The most stressful time of day is apparently 7.23am – but, for many, life is a constant roiling churn. Here are a few small changes that would help, writes Emma Beddington

The Guardian - UK · Feb 19, 2023

From Grindr to threesomes, can we please stop calling anything sex-related ‘spicy’?

There must be a better euphemism. But ‘sensual’ just makes me think of a bare-chested Sting, says Emma Beddington

The Guardian - UK · Feb 12, 2023

Greg Hands and Lee Anderson give the Tory reshuffle a fairytale ending

Brief letters: Master storytellers | Sybil Fawlty | Recycle or reuse? | Jarring comment | Corgi registered | Rooks and crooks

The Guardian - UK · Feb 8, 2023

‘You stand like an overcooked prawn!’ Why bad posture is the key to back pain – and 10 ways to improve yours

At work and at home, we spend hour after hour sitting, staring at screens or fiddling with our phones – and our hunched, twisted bodies bear the marks. Let’s get things straight again

The Guardian - UK · Feb 8, 2023