Friend or chore: why do our relationships suddenly feel like… work?

Chatting with a barista in the coffee shop, nodding at that woman you see every day as you walk your dog. Sociologists call this type of connection ‘weak ties’, but their impact is anything but weak, writes Kellie Gillespie Wright.

Whether it’s a thumbs-up, a smiley face or even a simple letter ‘K’ (which means ‘OK’ if you don’t have teens!) I’ve realised over the past few years that most of my communication has boiled down into

It’s party season – whether it’s your work summer do, a wedding, end-of-term socials for your kids, or just a barbecue with friends. There’s a lot of mixing, mingling and making small talk in this glo

Research reveals there’s a gap between how ‘liked’ you think you are and how much your friends, colleagues and acquaintances really do enjoy your company. Acting health editor Chloe Gray reports on how to bridge it

You might feel a bit embarrassed or self-conscious about writing a diary or journal, but the simple process of putting your thoughts on to paper allows you to look at things from a different perspecti

Midlife – and all the stresses that come with it, like divorce, redundancy and bereavement – can take its toll on long-established female friendships. As we saw in the last series of The White Lotus,