Metro • 20th January 2021

Has the pandemic made people want to settle down rather than hook up?

There’s no denying that the pandemic has changed the world of dating in a plethora of ways. For singles, first date kisses are now awkward affairs (not to mention currently against the rules) and hooking up with a stranger in a club feels like a totally alien concept. Those with partners face their own problems, like how to deal with ‘turbo relationships’ – whereby relatively new couples feel like they are married due to all the lockdown hours spent together. But it seems the pandemic has cau

Metro • 16th January 2021

Nursery workers feel forgotten in the Covid-19 pandemic

Schools may have closed their doors – but nurseries remain firmly open. This is a government decision that has left nursery staff feeling scared, vulnerable and forgotten about. Nursery nurse Anita* says that while she loves her job, the new measures have left her feeling anxious. She tells Metro.co.uk: ‘For this new lockdown I was rather panicked that nurseries haven’t been closed in line with primaries and secondary schools. ‘My three-year-old niece along with my sister, her husband and th

Metro • 9th January 2021

Are people delaying having children because of the pandemic?

The pandemic has thrown social, work and travel plans on their head. And for some people, the events of the past year have meant that they are now choosing to delay starting a family. Whether it’s due to economic reasons, that they want to make up for lost time or just the general state of the world, people are putting their baby plans on hold. At the start of the pandemic, many were convinced that lockdown (and the extra time on our hands) would result in a Covid baby boom, but it would appe

Metro • 28th December 2020

What positive lessons have we learned from 2020?

To say 2020 has been an awful year is putting it lightly. However, while the past 12 months may not have turned out the way we expected them to go, we’ve all learned a lot from them. Whether it’s personal discoveries about ourselves and what we want from life, to revelations about family and friends or new insights about our jobs or daily lives – lots of us have positive lessons we have learned from 2020. Various lockdowns throughout the year have given us much-needed thinking time – an oppor

Metro • 11th December 2020

Why we're spending our free time viewing houses online in 2020

If you’ve found yourself scrolling through Rightmove or Zoopla for hours this year (with absolutely no intention of buying a property) you’re certainly not alone. ‘Property porn’ has given people a much-needed escape from the anxiety-fuelled reality of 2020. With most of us being stuck at home for most of the year, property websites have offered an aspirational alternative to ‘doomscrolling’ (aka – surfing through glum news updates and bad-faith takes online). Even if the houses we’re viewing

Metro • 9th December 2020

Has Covid put an end to the first date kiss?

A date with someone new is (usually) packed full of excitement – there’s prolonged eye contact, hand-holding and the cherry on top… the first date kiss. But Covid-19 has changed the dating landscape in its entirety. This year, meet-ups have taken place in a different form, with romantic dinners forcibly swapped for outdoor walking dates – with a two metre distance urged at all times. Perhaps for the first time in our lives, cuddling up to a stranger seems alien and unsafe. And first date kiss

Metro • 7th November 2020

Why do houseplants die in winter and how can you stop it?

Ever noticed your indoor plants keep drooping and dying when it gets colder? The winter months bring with them chillier temperatures and darker days and this not only has an effect on us humans but our houseplants as well. These seasonal changes can impact our little green friends, so we need to adjust our plant parenting habits accordingly. Angela Dobson, founder of Green & Wild tells Metro.co.uk: ‘During the winter our houseplants are dormant, taking a little rest. It’s colder, the air is d

Metro • 6th November 2020

Why people are likely to take fewer sick days as a result of the pandemic

The pandemic has resulted in a heightened awareness around hygiene and infection. We’re washing our hands more than ever, have hand sanitiser within reach and are isolating when we are contagious. In fact, it’s likely this increased focus on hygiene will keep colds and flu bugs at bay this winter. So, if we’re more conscious of infection and health in general, will this mean we’ll be more vigilant when it comes to going into work sick in future? And will we feel less guilty about taking a sick

Metro • 2nd November 2020

People share lessons they learnt from the first lockdown as we go into the next

Lockdown 2.0 is just around the corner and lots of us are already battling with second wave anxiety. With darker and shorter days, there’s no doubt this second winter lockdown will be tough and present its own challenges. But, in the spirit of keeping things positive, we’ve come a long way since we first locked down back in March. The time at home with our families, partners and housemates gave us all a chance to stop, reflect and gain a little more understanding about ourselves and the peopl

Metro • 30th October 2020

Will there be fewer colds and bugs over winter now we're being more hygienic?

No one can deny that second wave anxiety is on the rise and the rule of six is having a psychological impact on friendships. However, there are a few positives to come out of the pandemic – like better hygiene. Just think back to this time last year, to the cramped rush hour tubes and the crowded shopping centres – people didn’t really seem to care about personal space. A year on and we’re washing our hands more than ever before, wearing masks and carrying hand sanitiser around in our coat poc

Metro • 23rd October 2020

What to do if you’re suffering with a ‘working from home bladder'

Working from home has its perks – easy access to the snack cupboard, the fact PJs can be worn all day and being around for deliveries. But there are some downsides to the new remote working climate. One of them being how easy it is to pop for a wee without any of your colleagues noticing – and the effect this is having on our bladders. As a result, there’s a new phenomenon emerging which we are coining ‘the WFH bladder’ – whereby the organ is noticeably weaker than it was when we were all in t

Metro • 21st October 2020

Experts explain why house prices have gone up when they were predicted to fall

Remember a few months ago when young people got their hopes up that they would finally be able to afford a house? Well, reality has come crashing back down for those hopeless dreamers, as the Rightmove House Price Index for October revealed that house prices are now 5.5% higher than a year ago. That’s the biggest rate of increase for over four years. To put it frankly, the housing market is booming, when a few months ago people were predicting the uncertainty of the pandemic would finally help

Metro • 21st October 2020

How to cope if you feel like you're existing rather than living at the moment

Hours, days and months are going by, but many of us are getting that repetitive ‘Groundhog Day’ feeling. Time is passing yet nothing is really happening. Instead we are in a limbo where we are not living our lives to the full and we are faced with a limited amount of freedom. Restrictions on socialising, going into the office, dining out, travelling and more are making it difficult for people to feel satisfied with their lifestyles. Simply put, most of us are just existing, rather than living

Metro • 1st October 2020

Flushable sanitary pads are now a thing and you can try them for free

Flushable sanitary pads are now a thing, all thanks to a new brand called Planera. These pads really are a milestone for anyone who experiences periods. For years now we’ve seen reusable and eco-friendly sanitary products brought out, but nothing on the flushable front. This was something that bothered Planera’s co-founder Dr Olivia Ahn, who felt that it was the responsibility of brands to do better. She tells Metro.co.uk: ‘I really became quite frustrated that the responsibility had been pus

Metro • 28th September 2020

Does talking to your house plants actually help them grow?

It’s safe to say that lockdown (and the subsequent norm of staying at home a lot more) hasn’t helped the nation’s plant obsession. We are more committed to our houseplants than ever and, being the doting plant parents that we are, we’re always looking for different ways to keep them thriving – from knowing how to water them correctly to researching the best technology and gadgets to help them along. One theory that’s been floating around over the years is the idea that talking to your housepla

Metro • 25th September 2020

The psychological impact the 'rule of six' is having on friendships

As we hit the six-month coronavirus mark, there’s still plenty of restrictions in place. The ‘rule of six’ is perhaps the biggest one that is affecting our day-to-day lives at the moment. Having to choose just five other people to socialise with at a time can be difficult and stressful – especially when you’re part of a larger friendship group. Obviously, nobody wants to offend anyone or make it seem like there are favourites within a group – so there are all sorts of emotional issues the rule

Metro • 23rd September 2020

How to push through the six-month coronavirus wall

Today, 23 September, marks an important milestone – six months since the UK went into coronavirus lockdown. A lot has happened during that time. If we think back to the very beginning, we saw the nation adjust to a new stripped-back, isolated lifestyle. Many busied themselves with baking – posting photos of banana bread and sourdough loaves – while others saw it as an opportunity to make the most of having so much time with partners, kids and housemates. After a difficult three months, meeting

Metro • 17th September 2020

The pandemic is having a negative impact on women’s sexual health

There have been numerous repercussions of the coronavirus pandemic, from social restrictions and job losses to financial difficulties, but a huge one that is floating under the radar is the impact it has had on sexual health. And it’s women, in particular, who are suffering. In fact, medical journal The Lancet has said the pandemic is having a ‘devastating’ effect on the sexual and reproductive health of women and girls across the globe. Back in April, one Lancet report even stressed that, whi

Metro • 26th August 2020

Why are so many people renting furniture?

Over the past few years, more and more brands have been adopting rental models that allow customers to momentarily own their desired item, without taking a giant hit to their bank balance in one go. Fashion brands have fully backed this renting movement, with many offering designer clothes on a short-term lease at a fraction of the price. Now, homeware brands are jumping on the bandwagon, with retailers such as John Lewis, Ikea and Muji introducing their own furniture rental schemes. The dema

Metro • 19th August 2020

How to prepare your finances and savings for the recession

Last week, the UK entered a recession for the first time in 11 years – following the devastating impact of coronavirus on the economy. To make things worse, official data has shown that it’s the biggest recession on record. For many millennials and all Gen Zers, it marks the second recession in their lifetime before they turned 30. There’s no denying that the coming months (and years) will be a bumpy ride financially – particularly with widespread redundancies and salary cuts on the horizon w