Ready to let love in? From tracks that capture everyday moments to proud declarations, we’ve rounded up 10 of the best love songs that really get relationships right

Ah, the classic love song. There’s something irresistible about cranking up the volume on a track that tells the story of one the most intense feelings we can have. From belters to laments, these tunes have the ability to tap into the highs and lows of our love lives – being there for us when we need them the most.

There’s nothing quite like the feeling of being seen by a song – or of sitting back and taking in the lyrics as each one hits the nail on the head. It’s a cathartic experience, reminding us that we’re not alone, whether that be in our happiest moments or through challenging times. So, here, we’re giving you a leg-up for finding your perfect match, with 10 songs that get relationships right.

1. ‘All I Want is You’, Barry Louis Polisar

Sometimes, love and relationships can feel vast and complex – and, sometimes, they're simple. A foot-tapping track that had its time to shine in the iconic opening of the film Juno, ‘All I Want is You’ breaks those big feelings down to celebrate the simplicity of love, and the ways that we go together with our perfect match.

2. ‘Bless the Telephone’, Labi Siffre

This one is for all the long-distance lovers out there. With its simple, yet passionate, guitar lines, ‘Bless the Telephone’ traces a phone conversation between two people, thankful for these small moments of connection that can mean so much.

3. ‘You’ve Got the Love’, Florence + The Machine

A song that has become iconic since its release (no doubt helped by the fact that President Obama included it on his 2012 official Spotify campaign playlist), ‘You’ve Got the Love’ channels the euphoria that can come with good love. So, put your hands in the air, because this love will see you through!

Learn the signs and protect yourself and others

Misinformation is a problem and, in the 21st century it’s spreading faster than ever before. When it comes to misinformation about mental health, the consequences can be dire. Ranging from being unhelpful to unsafe, mental health misinformation can interfere with recovery, put people at risk, and feed into stigma.

Whether you see it online, on social media, or hear it from the people around you, it’s important to learn the signs that what you’re being told might not be accurate. Here, we’re exploring some of the ways that you can spot mental health misinformation.

Is it overly simplistic?

This is usually the first sign that something isn’t right. Mental health is a complicated topic, and each experience will vary from person to person, which means that blanket statements can often be inaccurate.

Be particularly cautious around claims that link to diagnoses. For example, ‘X is a trauma response’. In this example, whatever X may be, it could very well be a trauma response for one person, but not for another.

In the same vein, ‘quick fixes’ are often fictitious. There are many different tools that we can apply to our mental health, such as diet and exercise, or cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) techniques, that really can make a difference. But long-term change often happens with long-term support and work over a lifetime.

Ultimately, it can be helpful to return to the question, is it too good to be true? Are the claims too bold, and is the line too simplistic? If so, you might be being given one part of the story, when, really, it’s the rest that makes it make sense.

Who is sharing the information?

It’s always important to consider the source of the information. For example, is it coming from a qualified, accredited individual?

Professional bodies exist to regulate counsellors and psychotherapists, and in order for individuals to join, they must meet a certain set of standards, and abide by a code of ethics.

• You can read more about professional bodies here..
• You can also learn more about the qualifications that mental health professionals need.

This is a good place to start when you’re considering the source when it's coming from an individual, but what about the information you’ve found online?

If you’ve seen something spread online, and you’re not sure about the claim, the first step you can take is to put that claim into Google. Now, if that claim comes up multiple times, it could be a good sign, but don’t stop there. See if you can find the original source. Does it come from a study published in a respected journal, or did it all start somewhere more dubious?

Additionally, there are other signs that you can look out for when searching for reliable information online. For example, has the post been reviewed by an accredited expert? Does it include dates of publication? Are any edits or amendments listed? Does the site have a PIF TICK stamp – a UK quality mark for health information?

Is there a sales push involved?

There are many products out there that can support us

A new study has found that looking at mental health memes may actually help to relieve some symptoms of anxiety and depression

When it comes to its effect on our mental health, it’s fair to say that the internet gets a pretty bad rap. Comparison traps, the onslaught of bad news, misinformation, and a general sense of information overload.

That said, there are still glimmers of something more positive, and a new study that aligns with National Meme day 12 November has uncovered some surprising findings.

The study, from Sheffield Hallam University, has found evidence to suggest that memes – an image and short caption that usually depicts an element of culture or behaviour in a humorous way – may actually be able to alleviate symptoms of anxiety and depression.

When it comes to memes focused on mental health, the general attitude was to dismiss them as ‘trivialising’ the real-life struggles, but the research by Dr Jennifer Drabble and Dr Umair Akram at Sheffield Hallam’s department of psychology, sociology, and politics has instead found that mental health memes can help us to express difficult emotions in new and creative ways, as well as improving our emotional bonds with each other in a socially supportive way.

“Following the culmination of our work in the area, and the recent increase in studies related to internet memes, we wanted to explore the psychological impact that mental health-related memes may have for individuals experiencing psychiatric symptoms. Often, memes of this nature are disparaged, often without any substantial evidence,” said Dr Umair Akram.

“Research in this area is relatively new. As such, we felt that it was important to set a research agenda, providing tips for other researchers who may be interested in the topic.”

In the UK, it’s estimated that more than 8 million people are experiencing an anxiety disorder at any one time, and one in six people are affected by depression. But despite their commonality, anxiety and depression can be very isolating experiences, in part because of the way that they make us feel, but also because it isn’t always easy to put into words the things that we’re going through.

So, when we stumble across a ‘meme’ that gets an experience spot on, even if that experience isn’t a particularly pleasant one, it can feel affirming. The research paper from Dr Akram and Dr Drabble highlight the online forum Reddit, which hosts a subreddit named ‘memes and misery’ and another called ‘depression memes’, but there are countless sources out there. The researchers point to previous findings that 47% of college students reported engaging with internet memes as a way of alleviating psychiatric symptoms, with self-deprecating memes allowing them to laugh at their problems,

Keeping your spending in check over the holidays can be challenging. Even when we know we can’t afford to overspend, the thought of letting friends, family and loved ones down can urge us to go beyond our means. We share 25 ways you can manage your finances in the run-up to the holidays and avoid a Christmas debt hangover

The holidays should feel magical, shouldn’t they? Spending time with loved ones, watching nostalgic films, playing board games, giving meaningful gifts, and sharing comforting foods. Yet, in the UK, over a quarter of us feel stressed about the festive season. As the holidays draw nearer, nearly half (46%) find even thinking about what Christmas presents to buy is stressful, 45% find the costs to be worrying, and 42% find the general financial impact of Christmas to be stressful.

Around three in 10 of us will overspend during the Christmas period. While that’s down from previous years when up to 43% would spend beyond their means, we still spend around 29% more each December than we do any other month.

It’s estimated that a third of us will borrow money to pay for Christmas. That’s 16.9 million people, feeling the pressure to put gifts, food, and even increased bills around heating, holiday lights, and travel to see family on credit cards, using our overdrafts, or taking out a loan.

But why do so many of us feel the pressure to spend, spend, spend during the run-up to the holidays? And for those already struggling, how do we avoid going into further debt during the most expensive months of the year?

Why do we overspend at Christmas/during the holidays?

Many of us have fond childhood memories of past holidays spent with family, friends and loved ones. Whether that’s remembering picking out the perfect tree together, eating your favourite home-cooked meal with extended family, or that feeling of surprise and gratitude at being given that one special gift you didn’t even know you wanted.

As Counselling Directory member and counsellor Dahlian Kirby explains, our underlying idea that Christmas should be a special time we spend together with our families could be getting overshadowed by our own high expectations.

“The main problem for many people around Christmas is unrealistic expectations. The expectations create pressure to be what you think you should be. This can cause tension and frustration in itself. There is also the possibility that we see Christmas as the time that will rescue us from the boring, the familiar, and even from depression.

“It can lift our mood, as can tasty food and baubles and visits from people we love. However, Christmas won’t cure any issues or problems.”

Our anxiety around being ‘good enough’ and creating the ‘perfect’ celebration can also lead to overspending, Read more

How the ideas of an ancient Greek philosopher could help you find true inner joy today

For the vast majority of people, the desire to be happy is one of the core motivators in this life.

Whether we consciously realise it or not, the reason why we work towards certain financial, career, or personal goals, is generally because we believe that achieving these things will help us to become happier than we are now.

And it is the same story with our relationships, social activities, hobbies, interests – and even for when we might decide to just sit around the house all day long, doing nothing.

Yes, we may sometimes seem to make decisions that are not necessarily good for us at all in the long-term. But, even here, the core reason is often because we are simply pining for an as yet unrealised form of happiness.

But this is the problem: the more we pursue happiness in any of its forms, the more we realise just how difficult it is to really hold on to.

I’m sure we have all experienced times when that success we worked so hard for turns out to be, somehow, not as good as we always imagined it to be. Or when a short-term pleasure never quite gives us that lasting happiness that we really need.

So, with that being the case, it is really no surprise that many of us may feel completely lost when faced with the question: “How can I be happy?”

The truth is, happiness means different things to different people – and (sadly) there is no universal key to finding it.

However, we can still give ourselves the best possible chance of finding real happiness by approaching our life in a more philosophical way. And, this is the main purpose of this article. To dive a little deeper into the real ‘art of happiness’ via the insights of an ancient Greek philosopher known as Epicurus.

Now, just as a quick side note, if you have heard the name “Epicurus” or “Epicurean” before, then it may well have been in the context of describing someone who is hedonistic, or living a life of excess.

And, in fact, even since the very earliest days of Epicurean philosophy – which started in a modest garden academy around 300 BC – this has been one of its most common misrepresentations. Because, of course, if we live our life only with the goal of being as happy as we possibly can, then there is a good chance we might stray increasingly towards a life of endless partying, overindulgence, and pleasure-seeking, forgoing all other personal responsibilities.

However, when it comes to Epicurus’ real thoughts on living a happy life, the message could not be more different. Yes, he advocated for happiness being our ultimate goal in life. But he also insisted that the best way to actually approach this “pursuit of happiness” is always with a philosopher’s mindset.

In other words, this is not about living with total abandonment. Rather, it is encouraging us to approach every situation – and every temptation – with a discerning mind. Asking: “Will this particular pleasure really bring me lasting happiness? Or will it only bring temporary pleasure, which might lead to negative outcomes in the long run?”

As an example, let’s consider someone who enjoys playing video games in their spare time. If they use this hobby as a way to connect