Do you really know?

“I can’t wait for us to get married;” “Let’s travel the world together;” “We’re going to have two kids and buy that apartment across the street” When you’re in a romantic relationship, it can be genuinely heartwarming to hear your partner paint a vibrant picture of days ahead. But what about if it happens much earlier than you expected - say on your second or third date? Usually at that stage, you...

In past episodes of Do You Really Know, we’ve talked about a number of Scandinavian lifestyle trends, like death cleaning and hygge for example. Both of those are inspired by similar sentiments; to do with feeling good in surroundings that aren’t overflowing with useless items. And yet, in recent months, we’ve been hearing more and more about a home decor trend that’s the complete opposite. Maxima...

We've all been there, haven't we? That moment when a holiday comes to a close and the reality of everyday life sets in. The post-holiday blues, that feeling of melancholy after returning from a relaxing escape, can cast a shadow on our moods. According to a 2017 articles from Mirror.co.uk, 57% of Brits are affected. Many of you may be experiencing these blues right now, so today we’re exploring ju...

A recent scientific brief from the World Health Organisation, explained that anxiety and depression had increased by 25% worldwide over the first year of the Covid 19 pandemic. The massive rise was mostly down to social isolation and multiple stress factors like fear of infection and financial worries.  It’s important to know that we can actually control our mood to some extent. It’s possible to b...

Gary Chapman is the author of The Five Love Languages, a book first published in 1992 that outlines how people express and experience love. He argues that romantic miscommunications come about due to people expressing love to one another using different “languages”, and therefore struggle to understand one another. But, if you understand your own love language, you can ask for what you need and be...

It’s happened to most of us at least once. A condom breaks, it turns out the girl forgot to take her pill, or you got carried away and had sex even though you didn’t have any condoms. These things happen, but the aftermath can be anxiety-inducing for a number of reasons.  A World Health Organisation report from May 2024 said that sexually transmitted infections like chlamydia, gonorrhea, trichomon...

We’re surrounded by screens all day, right up until we go to bed. Our lives are intertwined with technology, from the smartphone alarms that wake us to the late-night emails we check. An Ifop study from April 2021 revealed a startling figure: 69% of those scrolling in bed battle with sleep disorders. And while we might think that a quick video or message thread could usher us into dreamland, the r...

Have you ever been sure about a memory only to be told you’ve got it wrong? It’s a common experience: you confidently recall a detail from the past, only for someone to insist it didn’t happen that way. Or maybe you’re convinced you saw something with your own eyes when in reality, you only heard about it repeatedly. These are examples of false memories. They don’t mean you’re lying; in fact, you...

The start of any school year is always an emotionally charged time, whether you’re a child or an adult. But as a parent that excitement can quickly turn into stress and anxiety when money is tight.  In July 2024, retail marketing consultancy Gekko reported that UK parents were set to shell out an average of £452.40 per child on back-to-school supplies, which combined adds up to a whopping £2.3 bil...

Society’s beauty standards constantly evolve, and sometimes in surprising ways. The terms "rodent man" and "hot rodent man" have gone viral on TikTok, racking up millions of views.  And the roots of those terms are pretty literal - they refer to men whose facial features are reminiscent of rodents like mice, rats or hamsters. I know, it might not seem like the most flattering of comparisons to sta...

It may come as a surprise, but for some, summer isn’t always a time for rest and recharging. Quite the opposite, in fact. This phenomenon, known as “mid-year crisis” or “summer burnout,” is a type of seasonal depression that occurs during the summer months. According to The Guardian newspaper, symptoms include drowsiness, lack of appetite, decreased libido and energy, and a general feeling of bein...

Much like your fingerprints, your body odour is totally unique to you. It varies from person to person based on the chemical makeup of their sweat, which, believe it or not, is actually odourless on its own. Sweat only starts to smell when it comes into contact with bacteria on our skin. Our distinct scent depends not just on this skin microbiome but also on factors like sex, age, genetics, and ho...

Deafness is known for being an invisible disability, which can lead to exclusion and loneliness. According to a Human Rights Watch article from 2019, 70 million deaf people across the world use sign language to communicate. Well sign singers take that one step further, by adapting song lyrics into sign language for the deaf and hard of hearing. In addition to making entertainment more accessible t...

Everyone has lied at least once in their life. But did you know that we lie at least once a day? This surprising conclusion comes from an American study published in 1996. The reasons behind our lies are quite intriguing. Often, we lie to protect the people we care about, this is known as a “white lie.” But that’s not the whole story. According to neuropsychologist and researcher Sylvie Chokron, l...

You might have seen this term on TikTok, Instagram or Pinterest, but do you really know what it means? ‘A Tomato Girl Summer’ is a retro trend inspired by Mediterranean living rather than actual tomatoes. It's about projecting the style and lifestyle of the region, wearing clothes that are comfortable and colourful, eating fresh and seasonal food, exploring new places, and having fun. What is the...

Water footprint matters because scientists have calculated that the climate crisis makes drought 20 times more likely, while the UN predicts that demand for fresh water will exceed supply by 40% by 2030.  You might think that you only use water when you drink, cook, wash, or flush the loo, but actually, you use much more water than that. According to Water UK, the average person in the UK uses 142...

May 29th was Spring Bank Holiday in UK. Going on holiday is cool, but not always within reach for everyone. It requires time, as you may need to get your leave request approved by your employer, and money. In recent years, a new kind of holiday has been catching on: the staycation. It generally refers to a trip which doesn’t require any overnight accommodation. The idea comes from the United State...

It's often said that drinking water while eating can make the stomach swell, causing bloating. But in reality, there are no studies to back that up. Similarly, drinking or avoiding drinking while eating also has no impact on the effectiveness of digestive juices or on any supposed difficulty in secreting them and therefore on digestion. We know that that water helps soften food boluses being diges...

Perhaps you've already experienced that awkward feeling on a first date when you don't really know what to say to each other. Having a drink or going to a restaurant are great activities, but they don't always add much to the conversation. So, if you run out of questions you are often just left staring into each other's eyes and hoping for an opportunity to arise so that you might make a quick get...

You may well have been told that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so you shouldn’t skip it. But did you know that prior to the industrial revolution, all people would eat for breakfast was leftovers from the previous day, typically meat and eggs. Even then that was only if they were hungry. Otherwise they wouldn’t eat at all. These days, a typical breakfast in the Western world is...

Lemon water is a popular drink that many celebrities and wellness gurus swear by. But is it really as good as they claim? Or is it just another fad that has no scientific basis? Lemon water has been linked to several health benefits, such as hydration. Drinking enough water is essential for your overall health, as it helps prevent dehydration, which can cause fatigue, headaches, dry skin, and cons...

If you’ve ever had a “conversation” with Siri, Google Assistant or Alexa, you may well have been using a domotics system, without necessarily knowing what that means. The term refers to the use of robotic technology and electronic systems for controlling home appliances and devices. It’s also known as home automation, or simply a “smart home”. And indeed the use of smart home devices has really ta...

We've all experienced those gut feelings, hunches, or flashes of insight that seem to come from nowhere. But what exactly is intuition, and can it be explained? Even though scientists haven't yet unraveled all of its secrets, intuition isn’t as mysterious as we might think. One expert definition of intuition says that it is: "the universal ability to grasp information in a non-conventional way, ou...

According to comparison website Finder.com, UK residents plan to spend an average of over £2100 on holidays abroad in the year 2023. Spending abroad has bounced back to pre-pandemic levels, having plummeted in 2020 and 2021, when travel restrictions were in place. Still, while many of us are making up for lost time when it comes to holidays, there’s also the small matter of a cost of living crisis...

Whether it’s reading, journaling, enjoying breakfast, or scrolling through social media, these are just a few activities people indulge in while lounging in bed. For some, this has evolved into an art form, popularized by a viral TikTok trend known as “bed rotting.” This habit embodies a laid-back attitude, where productivity and responsibilities are momentarily cast aside in favor of a few minute...