EVERYONE HAS their preferred way to unwind at the end of a long day. Some people zone out in front of the TV or dive into video games. Others cue up a playlist or get cozy with a good book. Beyond distracting us from the stresses of daily life, these

GRAY DAYS CAN MAKE anyone feel blah, but they’re downright depressing for 1 in 20 Americans. Doctors call the response seasonal affective disorder and suspect it’s caused by disruptions to the circadian rhythm, which regulates sleep, appetite, and ho

PRETEND YOU’RE A GROUNDHOG and winter is coming. Food is getting scarce, the days are growing colder, and you can’t migrate anywhere warmer. Your best bet is to hibernate until spring. Animals around the world, ranging from bees to bears, instinctive

FEW THINGS CAN crush a productive morning or relaxing evening faster than a tension headache. Any number of factors can trigger one, from stress to poor posture, but it always feels like a band of pressure across the scalp that then tightens the neck

FEW PEOPLE WATCHING The Joy of Painting have an interest in learning the craft. They just want to chill, and Bob Ross, who hosted the program until his death in 1995, is a sure path to serenity. His subdued baritone and the gentle sound of a brush on

IT TAKES MANY FORMS. Bells or clicks that chase away sleep, crashing ocean waves that break focus, a low ringing frequent enough that it derails lives, relationships, and careers. The perception of sound in the absence of external noise—a condition k

Editor-in-Chief Corinne Iozzio Design Director Russ Smith Executive Editor Rachel Feltman Managing Editor Jean McKenna Senior Editor Purbita Saha Technology Editor Stan Horaczek Science Editor Claire Maldarelli DIY Editor John Kennedy Features Editor

CHARLOTTE FIGI WAS five when she made history in 2011 as the youngest patient in Colorado to receive cannabidiol treatment. Doctors prescribed the substance, known as CBD, to soothe her violent seizures, and within two years she was walking, talking,

IN THE FACE OF grueling stress, it’s easy to romanticize the body’s commitment to balance. A dark and lovely liver serenely regulates its life-sustaining chores like some kind of untrammeled deity. Nearby, plump kidneys churn out requests for water a

THE PAST YEAR has provided no end of things to flip out about. The pandemic. The economy. The cabin fever from spending months indoors. Couldn’t you just scream? Go ahead (but try not to scare the neighbors). Turns out shouting from the rooftops—or i

ON A CHILLY EVENING in Berlin, Suk-Jun Kim’s research has him eavesdropping in a stranger’s bedroom. Four family members are gathered around the bed, swapping nostalgic stories. Kim gently asks them to hum together. Their voices start off flat and he