Madeleine Aggeler

It can happen when doing ‘just about anything’ – experts share how to get ‘in the zone’, and what can pull you out

What is the secret to happiness? In a 2004 Ted Talk, psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi boldly claimed to have the answer: flow.

Flow is the experience of being completely absorbed in a particular task. Sometimes we call it being “in the zone”. Csikszentmihalyi described it in his Ted Talk as an “effortless, spontaneous feeling” and an “ecstatic state”.

Groceries, fitness classes and therapy all go under the wide umbrella of health expenses – and it all costs money

What does it take to be well? The answer varies from person to person. For some, it may require prescription medication and yoga classes; for others, it could be a vegetarian diet and regular doctor visits. One thing is certain: it costs money.

Americans spend more than $6,000 (£4,500) per person a year on wellness, according to the Global Wellness Institute. This makes the US “the largest wellness economy by far”. In the UK, per capita average wellness spending is $3,342 (£2,505).

From therapy to running and conversing with strangers, we asked experts what the basics are of starting anything new

The hardest part of any new habit or activity is starting it. Do you need special equipment? How do you know if you’re doing it right? What are the basics you need to master before you can take your practice to the next level?

In the series How to start, we ask experts to break down how to start, well, anything – including weightlifting, running, dating and talking to strangers.

The ‘worst allergy season ever’ in the US. A ‘pollen bomb’ in the UK. I asked experts how to tell if a runny nose is the result of allergies or a virus

Ah, spring. A time of thawing and rebirth, of blooms bursting forth from frost. Days become longer, warmer and – oh no, what’s this? A tickle in your throat. Pressure building in your sinuses. A runny nose. A sneeze. Another sneeze. Was there ever a time before sneezing?

The ‘worst allergy season ever’ in the US. A ‘pollen bomb’ in the UK. I asked experts how to tell if a runny nose is the result of allergies or a virus

Ah, spring. A time of thawing and rebirth, of blooms bursting forth from frost. Days become longer, warmer and – oh no, what’s this? A tickle in your throat. Pressure building in your sinuses. A runny nose. A sneeze. Another sneeze. Was there ever a time before sneezing?

When it comes to workouts, how much pain – specifically, how much post-workout soreness – is actually a good thing? The answer: it depends

Humans have long glamorized suffering, hailing it as an essential ingredient of growth. In the ancient Greek tragedy Elektra, Sophocles wrote: “Nothing truly succeeds without pain.” In the 1980s, the actor and aerobics instructor Jane Fonda told people: “No pain, no gain.”

But when it comes to workouts, how much pain – specifically, how much post-workout soreness – is actually a good thing? The answer: it depends.