DEAR Jasminda, I’m thinking of getting an ice bath for stress relief. Do you have any views on this? Gavin H. Oh, Gavin, Sometimes I read a conundrum and my first thought is, yes, I have views on this, but do you really want to know them? I have no qualifications in ice-bath therapy, so […]

DEAR Jasminda, I’ve been invited to the staff Christmas party but the people going are hard partiers and I always end up being the designated driver. I’m aware there’s an expectation for me to remain under-the-limit to ferry all the guests home. I’m thinking I might not go for this reason. Harriet L. Dear Harriet, […]

DEAR Jasminda, I’VE started going to a gym and there’s a man there that leaves various personal items on the equipment I want to use. His drink bottle is on one, his towel is on another and then he leaves his backpack on a third machine. What is the gym etiquette around this?  I only […]

DEAR Jasminda, My new girlfriend chats incessantly as soon as she wakes. I prefer to ease into the day. How can I get our morning routines in sync? Karl B. Dear Karl, I’m with you on this one. My husband’s mouth seems to wake up before the rest of him. From the moment his eyelids […]

DEAR Jasminda, AFTER a couple of weeks away, my husband and I have realised that we get along much better when we are away from home. Our relationship improved, we both relaxed for the first time in a long time, and it became apparent that we are soft touches and often feel that others take […]

DEAR Jasminda, There has been so much hype around the gotcha moment when Astronomer CEO Andy Byron was caught in an embrace with his chief people officer at a Coldplay concert. Why is there so much interest? Jerry P. Dear Jerry, Coldplay songs cover the gamut of emotions. It’s one thing to drive a loved […]

DEAR Jasminda, I WAS scrolling through the local community page on the weekend and came across a cheeky post. The post didn’t raise an eyebrow, but what did was the pile-on from adults hating on this young person. It seems strange that people over a certain age would stoop this low. Why are people so […]

DEAR Jasminda, MY new girlfriend sleeps with her dog (Brutus) in the bed. I really like her, but I find this behaviour bizarre and, frankly, a relationship breaker. How do I navigate this? Gerard P. Dear Gerard, The early phase of a relationship is often marked by constant affection, but this should not include waking […]

DEAR Jasminda, THE other night, my brother-in-law invited himself over for dinner. However, I had not prepared enough for him (as he was unannounced), and he got annoyed and left. Now he won’t reply to either my husband’s or my messages. How do you suggest I go about this? Normine B Dear Normine, I’m picking […]

DEAR Jasminda, WE are organising a large birthday function and there are relatives that don’t get along with each other. How do we ensure no one feels left out while still making it an enjoyable experience for everyone? Harriet P. Dear Harriet, If your large family events traditionally look like an episode of Dr Phil, […]