By Scarlett Jones, a guest post originally published here. People ask is coffee good for you? Well, did you know that Americans would have consumed 624 million cups of coffee by the end of today? This is, however, not surprising if you consider that 70% of Americans say they consume coffee at least once every week, while 62% drink the beverage daily.   Why is a steaming cup of coffee the first thing many people think about when they wake up? Many coffee drinkers will say that they love coffee because it immediately makes them feel energized and ale ..read more

Maintaining your mental health at Christmas can be tough, especially for those entering midlife and beyond. Sometimes even we at redundantmidlife have to take things a bit more seriously. Here in a guest blog Boris Mackey, Author at Rehab 4 Addiction, provides a view of the scale of mental health issues faced by some people in the UK at this time, why they may be feeling that way and more importantly, what you can do to help yourself, friends, or family who may be struggling . Mental Health at Christmas Despite mental health being an ever-growing topic of debate, the binary feelings at Chris ..read more

Everyone loves Father Christmas. People invite him into their houses with offers of mince pies and wine, think he’s cute and in some instances sit on his lap. I look very similar, and yet people think I’m an old tramp, drink too much, and am best avoided this time of year. How can I make myself as popular as he is? Marvin’s answer: Well, for a start don’t forget Father Christmas comes bearing gifts, for the hosts and their children. Turning up at someone’s house with a bottle of wine that only you drink doesn’t really count. Also don’t forget he only gets one invite a year so people forget th ..read more

A man who refused to panic buy petrol was left stranded on the M1 yesterday as his car ran out of fuel. DL decided not to join the queues of panic buying motorists waiting at petrol stations as he didn’t want to contribute to the hysteria surrounding the fact that fuel might be delivered a day late. This was despite him having to undertake a 400 mile round trip journey that weekend. Explaining his decisions, DL said “I didn’t want to be the one that took the last drop of petrol and deprive someone else. And I certainly didn’t want to make the situation worse than it was. Besides, it shouldn’t ..read more

So it’s 18 months after my hip replacement . Back then I was redundant, and feeling a little bit down. At the time I worried about not getting out for six weeks, missing out on the beers and after work shenanigans. I worried I’d lose contact with people. If I had known then it would be almost eighteen months until some degree of normality was resumed, I probably wouldn’t have been as worried. To be fair, I’m still a fan of hip replacements. From where I was back then, to where I am now, I’d always recommend taking the option. I can now walk, chase a dog and cycle pretty much pain free. I can’t ..read more

So your puppy is home. The crate is open and welcoming. There is a box filled with toys. The dog is asleep and you’re sat with a beer in sunshine. You sit and smile. This is what owning a puppy is all about. For five minutes at least. Just as you crack open your beer, he wakes up and… Next thing you know something is chewing your shoe. You playfully brush him off, getting your fingers nipped for your troubles and spilling your beer in the process. The dog starts lapping at the beer so you rush to distract him while simultaneously hosing the beer away. As you turn the hose off you notice the bo ..read more

I have a just got a puppy and now understand why they’re so keen to empahsise that a dog is for life and not just for Christmas. If I had received a puppy at Christmas, when all I really wanted to do was eat, sleep and watch the occasional TV programme, I would have been severely disappointed (but more of that later). It turns out that buying a puppy is a bit like having a baby. And I say “a bit like” deliberately, as when you start reading the online material (which you will) the lines seem blurred between a dog and a small person. Don’t get me wrong there are similarities, but maybe not as m ..read more

As England’s relentless progress to football greatness stuttered and fell, one man who wanted to recreate Paul Gascoignes famous “dentist’s chair” England goal celebration ended up with more than he bargained for. Jim Bowen (JB) approached local dentist Sami Smiles and explained he needed to experience the real “dentist chair” position before being able to pose properly, after witnessing Gascoigne’s celebrations against Scotland in 1996. Despite Gascoigne’s pose being 25 years ago, JB felt that it would be great to recreate the next time he scored in one of his Sunday league games. Once in po ..read more

Alcohol impacts your body in many ways. Yesterday a local man was complained that the Government wasn’t doing enough to warn us of the dangers from post lockdown drinking after his first night out for a while ended with the mother of all hangovers. Dragging himself to the door, the man explained how his excitement of being allowed indoors at his local pub had got the better of him. Post lockdown partying can be a bit of a shock to the system “It started with a thirst quenching beer,” he said, struggling to keep his eyes open. “Then wine with the meal, followed by a couple of cheeky brandies fo ..read more

A middle aged friend of mine claimed to be “exhausted” this week from post-lockdown anxiety. This came after spending two consecutive nights socialising, and being pressured into having a good time. Post-lockdown anxiety can be caused by social pressure to get out and party “I’m not used to it” he said, looking visibly pale and drawn. “I thought I was still at my peak but I can’t do it anymore. After two pints on the second night I just wanted to go home and start watching Game of Thrones from the beginning again.” Several others have also expressed concern that as lockdown eases, the expectat ..read more