Thrill-seeking made me feel alive – until the day I hurtled down a volcano on a mountain bike
Gary Nunn
My bungee-jumping and skydiving days are over because I can’t shake the visceral memory of learning that I’m not invincible, says freelance journalist and author Gary Nunn
A chance encounter took me from a New York skyscraper to a London food market – and a new life
Franco Fubini
Working in finance, I was unhappy and surrounded by greed. Then I embraced my passion for cooking, produce and nature, says produce supplier Franco Fubini
After my mother died, I dreaded my stepfather moving on. Then I realised love isn’t limited
Iman M'Fah-Traoré
I couldn’t help but love the woman who brought light back into our lives – and now I feel so lucky to have my big blended family, says writer Iman M’Fah-Traoré
I was terrified of being the last single woman left among my friends. Then I made peace with it
Édaein O’ Connell
My life’s markers may differ from those of my peers, but a year of freedom and fun has taught me to appreciate myself, says freelance journalist Édaein O’ Connell
I delved into my family’s history – and discovered a long-hidden secret. But was it mine to tell?
Marisa Bate
I wanted to learn more about my mother. But when her half-brother that I knew nothing about got in touch, I was faced with an agonising decision, says journalist Marisa Bate
I used to think Googling my symptoms kept me healthy. My mother’s death showed me I had to quit
Elle Warren
Tragedy, and an OCD diagnosis, reshaped my understanding of what I was doing – and why, says Elle Warren, a writer covering queerness and mental health
I thought I could ‘man up’ and deal with my high-stress job. Then it made me too sick to work
JD Murphy
As a fire brigade commander, I worked on the Grenfell Tower disaster. When I developed PTSD, I realised I couldn’t just ‘push through’, says writer and former firefighter JD Murphy
As a hippy-punk grandmother, here’s how I learned to stop disturbing the baby – and his parents
Rose Rouse
Coming to terms with my son and his partner’s modern, tender and considered parenting hasn’t been easy – but now I love it, says Rose Rouse of Advantages of Age
My passion for an argument was relentless – and damaging. Then my granddaughter intervened
Sergey Maidukov
Why was I so fixated on being right all of the time? Calmly, after a board game outburst, a seven-year-old set me straight, says author Sergey Maidukov
After my husband’s death, I papered over my grief with posters and pictures. No more
Kat Lister
Last autumn, I pared back the clutter to face the white walls of my flat. It was the start of a more guilt-free approach to healing, says author Kat Lister
Stressed, sweaty and remorseful, I arrived late for dinner again – and then made a life-changing decision
Helene Rosenthal
My friends expected nothing less, but my habitual tardiness was more than just a quirk: it was eating away at my wellbeing, says writer Helene Rosenthal
I became a councillor to change people’s lives. It left me drained, bewildered and burned out
Kimberly McIntosh
A career in politics was my dream, but the pressures were too great. Quitting was best for me and for those I was there to serve, says author Kimberly McIntosh
After my brother’s death, guilt haunted me. Until I went back to where he died
Lynne Wallis
Almost four decades after Stephen overdosed, I was finally able to grieve the astonishing waste of my brother’s young life, says journalist Lynne Wallis
Googling my name became an obsession, every hour of every day – I needed help
Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani
It was a thrill to read what people were saying about me. Then I found out that I wasn’t alone. The habit just had to go, says novelist Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani
After 30 years of dieting I was exhausted. So I started to ask: what if I stopped?
Jason Prokowiew
My childhood bullies instilled in me a hatred of my body. Now I hear the word ‘fat’ as a neutral term rather than a label of shame, says author Jason Prokowiew
