A PROBLEM SHARED
Mum-of-two Anita Naik has been an agony aunt for 30 years
She ruined our holiday
Q We’ve just been on holiday with my best friend. She ruined our time by complaining constantly, getting drunk and making a fuss – to the point we were thrown out of two places. Her husband said she was always like this on holiday. I told her I would never go away with her again, which caused an argument. I am furious she won’t take responsibility, and tells everyone I have ruined our friendship.
A You never really know anyone until you either live or go on holiday with them. While you have every right to be angry, waiting for her to admit to being difficult will never happen. It sounds like her self-awareness is either very low, or she genuinely feels entitled to behave any way she wants. All you can do is move on.
I DON’T WANT TO HAVE SEX
Q About five years ago, I decided I didn’t want sex anymore. I have had good sex in the past, but it’s never been something I was hugely into. I now have a partner who feels the same, and we are happy. But my sister believes I need therapy as she says it isn’t normal not to have sex. Help.
A If you don’t want sex, that’s entirely your decision. There are several ways to be intimate with someone without having sex, and as long as your partner is happy, then it’s no one else’s business. You don’t have to explain yourself to your sister or see a therapist to ‘fix’ yourself. Tell your sister she is entitled to her view but you don’t want to hear about it.
3 ways to... SLEEP BETTER
1 KEEP IT SIMPLE
It sounds strange but overthinking why you can’t sleep makes sleeplessness worse. If you are restless, get up for 20 mins. If noise bothers you at night, wear ear plugs. If you’re worried, see someone for help.
2 TALK ABOUT WHAT’S BOTHERING YOU DURING THE DAY
We often have problems falling asleep, as we ignore our anxieties during the day. Try to offload before bed, even if it’s simply writing your worries down.
3 DOWNLOAD THE MEDITOPIA APP
It offers more than just a short-term solution to falling asleep. The free-to-download app has more than 1,000 deep-dive meditations that get right to the heart of what you are dealing with every day, to help you sleep better.