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Metro.co.uk •

Five physical signs you need to work on your posture — and how to fix it

Office workers spend 75% of their waking hours sitting down — so it’s really no surprise that as we move into the new year, our postures might need a bit of work.

But just because we spend a lot of time sitting down, that doesn’t mean we have to give up on a good posture entirely.

‘The first thing to remember is that we are all different,’ physiotherapist Helen O’Leary told Metro.co.uk. ‘Most of us, unless you happen to be a dancer, won’t stand, sit or move like a dancer!

Good posture, Helen
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People are 'rat snacking' on TikTok and it's as 'unhinged' as it sounds

While 2023 might have been the year of ‘girl dinner’, it’s time to make way for a new, divisive food trend known as ‘rat snacking.’

As the name implies, rat snacking involves scavenging through your kitchen and cobbling unexpected bits of food together in quirky bite-sized combinations — and needless to say, things are already getting weird.

Rat snacking maestros have been sharing their creations under the #ratsnack hashtag on TikTok, which, at the time of writing, has amassed 12.6 million vie
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The celebrity-inspired baby names Brits can't get enough of

Picking a name for your little one can be a bit of a challenge, as there are so many possibilities to choose from.

And then you have to consider how many others in your child’s class or year group might also have that name.

But if you’re someone who loves a trend and isn’t too bothered about your baby having the most unique, one-of-a-kind moniker, then you’ll probably be interested to hear what’s predicted to be popular with mums and dads in 2024.

A new analysis of ONS and Google search data
Metro.co.uk •

If this is the year you want to get into volunteering, here's where to start

As 2024 gets underway, it’s natural to want to improve yourself and become a more rounded person — and there’s no better way to do that than by volunteering.

Approximately 14.2 million people in the UK volunteer each year, while more than one in five Brits (23%) report volunteering at least once a month.

The benefits of volunteering can’t be overstated. The vast majority of volunteers (90%) feel as if they make a difference through their contributions, while more than three quarters of volunte
Metro.co.uk •

TikTok's New Year 'grape theory' could help your love life in 2024

We all know about the twelve days of Christmas, but what’s all this about twelve grapes at New Year?

If TikTok’s ‘grape theory’ has taken over your FYP, then you’ve come to the right place.

It all started when former singleton Izzy Dwyer shared on TikTok how the only thing standing between her and true love was… grapes.

Izzy goes onto explain that last New Year’s Eve she tried out a new tradition with the fruit as the clock struck midnight on December 31.

‘I saw on TikTok that [eating the 12
Metro.co.uk •

Miscarriages are more common in the summer - experts share how to navigate them

As Britain grapples through the end of another heatwave, new research has revealed that there’s an increased risk of miscarriages during the summer months.

The study, which was conducted by researchers from the Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH), found that pregnant women in North America have a 44% higher risk of an early miscarriage in the summer — especially late August — than they do in the winter months like February.

An early miscarriage is defined as a miscarriage that oc
Metro.co.uk •

'I was the kid no one would sit with — my podcast helps people feel less alone'

Welcome back to How I Made It, Metro.co.uk’s weekly career journey series.

This week, we’re looking at the alternative music industry from the perspective of 23-year-old Yasmine Summan, a West Bromwich-based journalist, social media manager, podcaster, and TikTok creator.

They’ve been involved in the alternate music scene for a number of years, starting their journey as a YouTuber dedicated to all things emo music, before pivoting to TikTok, social media management, and journalism.

After grad
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Associative regression: Why we act like our younger selves with old friends

The less said about its horrible ending, the better, but it did introduce us to a lot of relatable concepts that help define our day-to-day lives.

One of these is ‘revertigo’ which, as explained by Jason Segel’s character Marshall, is a phenomenon where ‘when you’re around people from your past, you start behaving like them’.

Sure, we shouldn’t be taking any psychology lessons from the TV, but ‘revertigo’ actually has a technical name in psychology; associative regression.

As the name implies
Metro.co.uk •

Six foods that can help to tackle anxiety

Whether it’s work, adjusting to post-pandemic life, or the state of the world that’s getting you down, there’s no shame in feeling anxious time to time.

As one of the most common mental health conditions in the world, the NHS say that anxiety can impact up to 5% of the UK population.

The good news is, there’s plenty of things you can do to try and tackle anxious feelings, from talking to your GP about treatment options to practising mindfulness.

Alongside other treatment methods like talking
Metro.co.uk •

What is the ‘night luxe’ aesthetic - and how can you achieve it?

Didn’t you hear? We are living through a vibe shift.

As explained by The Cut writer Allison P. Davis, a ‘vibe shift’ occurs in fashion and culture because ‘sometimes things change, and a once-dominant social wavelength starts to feel dated.’

The shift we’re in at the moment is moving away from the Dyson Air-Wrapped, expensively-moisturised, kale smoothie-drinking, rise-and-grind mindset that dominated 2021.

In it’s place, the ‘night luxe’ aesthetic is set to takeover. And it’s a large departu
Metro.co.uk •

Why do we 'force ourselves' to like people we aren't interested in dating?

We’re told that there’s plenty of fish in the sea, but what if all we‘re left with is a pond?

Maybe you’re the only single person in your friend group, the dating apps are going a bit dry, or you’re so in love with the idea of being in love that you get carried away when you find out someone likes you – even if they’re not really giving you butterflies.

Nobody likes to admit that they settle in relationships, and we don’t always realise we are doing it, but thanks to some viral TikToks, we now
Metro.co.uk •

How to survive toxic family reunions

Bank holiday weekends are usually seen as an ideal time to get together with family and celebrate. But what if your relationship with your family is more fractured?

Research by Stand Alone, a UK charity focused on supporting estranged families, found that one in five families experience estrangement at some point.

For a lot of people, family estrangement isn’t entirely linear — it can involve minimal contact while continuing to come together at certain family events, and as pointed out by ther
Metro.co.uk •

The truth about why Easter eggs taste better than normal chocolate

There’s nothing quite like a chocolate Easter egg.

Year after year, as you chomp through an Easter egg (or three), you’ve probably asked yourself what they put in these eggs that make them so good?

Is it a change in ingredients? The nicer weather? The fact we only have them a specific time of the year?

It doesn’t make any sense, and yet it is undeniable.

Cadbury Easter eggs, for example, are obviously in a league of their own, and yet they somehow taste just that little bit different (and be
Metro.co.uk •

Buyer's remorse can strike when you shop online - here's how to avoid it

We’ve all been there: finding ourselves hypnotised by the shiny, flashing gif saying ‘SALE’ like a moth being drawn to the lampshade.

Maybe its payday, a quiet moment at work or, to put it plainly, you’re just a little bit bored.

Before you know it, you’ll find yourself spending hundreds of pounds on a winter coat despite it being the middle of spring, a too-good-to-be-true dress from SHEIN, or an item two sizes too small that you tell yourself you’ll grow into.

Sadly, they’ll soon be sentenc
Metro.co.uk •

Menopause leave: Why it's needed and what are your rights?

London mayor Sadiq Khan formally introduced menopause leave for City Hall staff last week, after exclusively revealing plans to Metro.co.uk last year during his re-election campaign.

Employees at London City Hall will also have a range of reasonable adjustments on offer to them, including ‘temperature-controlled areas’ to tackle hot flushes.

Khan said he hopes the initiative will be picked up by other workplaces as he aims to break the ‘last workplace taboo’ — but how much is the taboo around
Metro.co.uk •

Who are the 'overemployed'? Meet the people secretly working two full-time jobs

In the UK, 1.1 million people are either employed in two jobs, or are self-employed in addition to being in employment.

Having a ‘side hustle’ isn’t exactly a novel concept, with lockdown leading to more Depop accounts, resin trays and Etsy jewerly shops than one ever imagined possible.

According to recent research by Simply Business, more than half of side-hustlers started their business during the pandemic, with nearly a quarter of them saying Covid-19 gave them space to reconsider what they
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Exploring the 'platonic ick': When friends or acquaintances make you cringe

By now, we all know about ‘the ick’.

It starts with just one small, seemingly insignificant thing — from the way they end their text messages to their penchant for wearing open-toed sandals.

Maybe they still call their mum ‘mummy,’ run up the stairs on all fours, or have a photo of themselves in their bedroom.

It doesn’t matter how much you fancied them, or how inconsequential their cringeworthy trait is in the grand scheme of things: once you see their legs dangling freely on a bar stool, or

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