From groundbreaking studies to ordinary people doing extraordinary things, we're rounding up the good news stories that you might not have heard about

1. Employees clock on to the importance of mental health

Scan any job listing these days and you’ll usually find a list of employee benefits, chosen to convince you that this company is where you want to be. The day off on your birthday, summer hours, and subsidised canteens are all tempting but, apparently, they don’t top the wish lists of job-seekers.

A study by Easy Offices looked at the most popular employee benefits, and found that companies that were taking the mental health of their employees seriously had a significant advantage over those that weren’t.

Virtual counselling topped the list of most popular benefits, followed by insurance to help cover the cost of mental health treatment, virtual support groups, tools to build mindfulness and resilience, and training on how to help others with mental health problems.

The study also tracked an increase in the number of companies embracing employee assistance programmes. That said, a recent YouGov poll found that only 57% of employees knew about benefits schemes at their work.

So, do you know what’s on the table at your organisation? With demand for wellbeing benefits rising, it’s safe to say that these kinds of perks are more than just a passing trend, and working on your mental health could be an inside job.

2. Dutch start-up Lightyear has developed the first solar-powered electric car, which it hopes to release this year!

3. Plastic-free paradise on the horizon

In some great eco news, it’s been reported that plastic waste on Australian beaches has reduced by 30% in the past six years. This rapid pace of positive change is due to initiatives by local councils, including extra bins, notices reminding people not to litter, and a hotline dedicated to reporting illegal waste dumping. This is a clear sign that we can all clear up our acts – and beaches.

4. A Yorkshire-based business, Banana Moon, has released the world’s first ‘anxiety hoody’

Created with the intention to provide sensory relief to wearers, the hoody features chewable toggles, a fidget popper, and weighted pockets, helping to redirect anxious energy, and move you from fight-or-flight to rest mode.

5. New research shows a ‘substantially faster’ way of gaining knowledge

If there was a way to supercharge your ability to learn, would you take it? According to a new study published in the Journal of Psychological Science, there may, in fact, be a way to ensure that we are more ‘ready to learn’ before we explicitly try to tackle something new.

Vladimir Sloutsky, study co-author and p

When it comes to finding our personal sanctuary, we all deserve a space that can invigorate and inspire, as well as offering peace and protection – whether that be a physical place or a mental state. Here, mental health advocate, author, and broadcaster Fearne Cotton reveals how she found her own happy place, and invites you to explore your own, too…

The first time I stepped into the cold sea was a blue skied April morning with my friend Ella. We had taken the kids to the south coast of the UK for a few days for fresh air and freedom. I had long heard about the gargantuan benefits of cold water therapy, and had dabbled with cold showers on days I could bear it, and not worry too much about my next door neighbours hearing my pathetic yelps, but I was yet to walk into the sea with the intention of feeling better.

Ella is gung ho. There are no excuses or chickening out with her. We put our swimsuits on under our tracksuits, and strode down to the water edge with purpose. My stride illustrated a confidence I certainly didn’t feel at this point. Ella walked in, shoulders up to her ears, hands switching by her side. I had no choice. I tiptoed behind her, my mouth stretched out like a Wallace and Gromit character in complete despair. Every millimetre of my skin was alive. The surface almost pulsating, goose-bumps the size of peas. We kept walking. Once waist high in icy, light green water there are only two options, walk back out screeching or push out and swim. I dutifully followed Ella, and sunk my jittering shoulders beneath the undulating surface, and let my arms glide through the water.

For the first 30 seconds I couldn’t catch my breath at all. I was gulping and gasping, and looking on towards the locals with lust. I so wished I could look as calm as them. By day three of our trip, I was almost there. My face was more relaxed knowing how good I would feel afterwards, my body less rigid and resistant, and I managed to stay in for a full six minutes.

I may not be Wim Hoff, but my love of getting into the sea, no matter what time of year, has only grown since. I even managed to submerge into the arms of Dorset’s Jurassic salty waters this March when the sea is at its coldest. Not only do I feel the total, all-consuming exhilaration afterwards, I also feel immensely calm when I’m swimming. I love the feel of the water around my body, how big the sky looks on the horizon, and how the huge gulps of air wake up my body. In those moments, I am truly alive.

There are certain beaches on the UK’s south coast that make me feel very happy. Sometimes I’ll go in the sea, but sometimes I’ll just sit and look at it. I’ll listen to the pebbles being dragged out to sea and then rolled back to shore again, and watch the ever-changing shape of the water's surface. Being by the sea is undoubtedly my happy place, and I know it’s the same for so many people out there, too. Maybe it’s the mysterious nature of how it moves and flows. Perhaps the historic presence it's always had, far out living any species, giving us perspective? Or it could be that it's simply beautiful in every way – unruly, wild, spontaneous, unpredictable. It has all those qualities I long for, but