Nearly everyone choosing a medical career now makes this momentous decision as a young teenager. Two sets of exams must be aced, and extracurricular activities buffed to have any chance of gaining what remains, despite the palpably low morale of doctors, a highly competitive profession.

January and February can be gloomy months - and not just weather-wise - with many of us counting the financial cost of Christmas and feeling demotivated and lethargic.

With hazy summer days a distant memory, autumn brings a season of transformation with crisp, vibrant leaves, harvests of colourful fruit and vegetables and crackling log fires.

The summer solstice is a formative day in the calendar year, heralding the astronomical first day of summer in the Northern Hemisphere. Whether you celebrated with wreaths and feasts or simply savoured the longest day of 2025, the milestone kicked off the summer which evokes sunshine-soaked days and balmy nights.

The Spring equinox - when night and day are in equal balance across the globe - is a defining period for transformation and growth. As endless dark nights fade to a distant memory, Spring symbolises regeneration and renewal when flowers burst forth with optimism and badgers, bats and hedgehogs emerge from hibernation. Sharon Cain, Our Time for Life Correspondent, urges our readers to stop their procrastinations and delays - and live for today.

Connecting with nature and its wondrous wildlife and birdlife is therapeutic for our health, bringing a wealth of rewards and an enormous wellbeing boost. With almost 630 species of birdlife in the UK alone, the opportunities and magnificent backdrops to enjoy this leisurely pursuit are plentiful – whether it be the golden eagles in Scotland or ravens on the cliffs at Land’s End. Our Time for Life Correspondent, Sharon Cain, and photographer, Steve Hare, have been exploring in Northumberland – an acclaimed bird watchers utopia.

Making time for a little pampering can have an enormous positive impact on our physical, emotional and mental health. So why don’t we do more of it? Luxuriating in the bath with candles and diffusers can feel deliciously decadent and provide a much-needed boost.

Blessed with an abundance of coastline and countryside, the Northeast boasts stunning sunsets along with fascinating folklore. It also makes a splash when it comes to its beautiful beaches – with four stunning beaches featuring in the Sunday Times 50 Best Beaches in the UK for 2023.

When is the last time you were blown away by the power of nature and sense of wellbeing in the great outdoors?

Gung Ho adventurers think nothing of throwing themselves into adrenaline-pumping activities like bungee jumping, skydiving, and hurtling off enormous cliffs. Reassuringly, not all of us, including our Time for Life Correspondent, Sharon Cain, have a head for heights, preferring the safety of ‘terra firma’.