TV nostalgia continues with new gameshow based on musical chairs

Game of Chairs will have 10 contestants move around a circle who try to land on a seat when the music stops

A new TV show based on the children’s party game musical chairs is set to hit screens, tapping into viewers’ cravings for nostalgia and happy childhood memories.

The company behind Big Brother, Masterchef and Peaky Blinders is launching the elimination gameshow Game of Chairs – a series in which 10 contestants move around a circle of nine coloured chairs and aim to land on a seat when the music stops.

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Continue ReadingTV nostalgia continues with new gameshow based on musical chairs

Anna was overwhelmed by the administrative burden of her job. Self-compassion was the answer | Gill Straker and Jacqui Winship

Over time, she was able to more readily accept the impact of ADHD on her life without labelling this as a character flaw

  • The modern mind is a column where experts discuss mental health issues they are seeing in their work

A central tension in psychotherapy is the interplay between acceptance and change. People usually seek therapy because they wish to alter some aspect of their lives. Yet, at its core, therapeutic change often begins with reaching an acceptance that suffering, distress and imperfections are an inherent part of the human experience.

While this tension is at the heart of all therapies, there are two forms of therapy that explicitly target this interplay.

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Continue ReadingAnna was overwhelmed by the administrative burden of her job. Self-compassion was the answer | Gill Straker and Jacqui Winship

Anna was overwhelmed by the administrative burden of her job. Self-compassion was the answer | Gill Straker and Jacqui Winship

Over time, she was able to more readily accept the impact of ADHD on her life without labelling this as a character flaw

  • The modern mind is a column where experts discuss mental health issues they are seeing in their work

A central tension in psychotherapy is the interplay between acceptance and change. People usually seek therapy because they wish to alter some aspect of their lives. Yet, at its core, therapeutic change often begins with reaching an acceptance that suffering, distress and imperfections are an inherent part of the human experience.

While this tension is at the heart of all therapies, there are two forms of therapy that explicitly target this interplay.

Continue reading...
Continue ReadingAnna was overwhelmed by the administrative burden of her job. Self-compassion was the answer | Gill Straker and Jacqui Winship

Readers reply: When did ‘pop culture’ as we know it begin?

The long-running series in which readers answer other readers’ questions on subjects ranging from trivial flights of fancy to profound scientific and philosophical concepts

Just when in history did the nebulous notion of “pop culture” as we know it actually begin? And what particular person or event kicked it off? Were there any D-list celebrities to venerate in the ancient world, for instance? RobertosMitch, via email

Send new questions to nq@theguardian.com.

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Continue ReadingReaders reply: When did ‘pop culture’ as we know it begin?

Don’t be afraid to cry – or to interrupt: doctors’ tips for making the most of your medical appointment

Be honest about your symptoms, voice your concerns, take notes, ask follow-up questions if you need to … GPs and surgeons explain how to make every minute count

When you go to see a doctor, it can be difficult to communicate your health concerns clearly, out of fear, embarrassment or a misunderstanding of medical jargon. How can you make the most of these appointments? From taking notes to bringing along a friend, and when to request a second opinion, doctors share their advice on how to access the best possible care.

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Continue ReadingDon’t be afraid to cry – or to interrupt: doctors’ tips for making the most of your medical appointment

‘I love a home with a story’: inside a designer’s colourful London home

Designer Lou Rota shares her use of space, colour and nature to create a legacy home

Just as the British designer Lou Rota is enjoying what you might call a third act in her career – from graduating as a graphic designer to working on pop videos, then science and natural history documentaries to making and decorating tableware and furniture for the likes of Anthropologie – her house, too, is enjoying a new lease of life.

Lou and her husband, Gavin (director at a television production company), bought their three-bed, three-bath Edwardian terrace in west London 23 years ago. It has seen them through being parents to small daughters Rosie and Ava, – who then grew up and took over every inch of space as teens (with their friends in tow) – to becoming empty nesters when both girls went to university. Now, it is back to providing a convivial backdrop for a busy, bustling family as all four adults once again share the house.

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Continue Reading‘I love a home with a story’: inside a designer’s colourful London home