Since we no longer rely on them for practical purposes, candles are one of those things that fall into the “luxury” category – and we mean that in the literal sense of the word. They’re an indulgence: something to light when we need to calm our thoughts, unwind or, occasionally, set a romantic mood. No one needs a candle, which is, paradoxically, one of the reasons they also make a first-rate gift. Here are five of the best at MR PORTER right now.

How do you sleep at night? It’s a question often levied to those with dubious scruples, but given the state of the world today, it also applies to the best of us. A recent UCLA-led report concluded that sleep is as important to our wellbeing as food, giving our brains a valuable window to repair the neurological damage we sustain every day during our waking hours (really). The good news is that a change of pace over the past year has resulted in some of us getting more shuteye. France was an outlier here, with its citizens spending an average of an extra 20 minutes in bed in 2020 (equivalent to a total 41.48 winks a night, assuming that’s what they were up to). But when it comes to sleep, as with many things, it’s quality not quantity that counts.

If history is anything to go by, one of the benefits of living through a pandemic is that we will witness the surge of creativity that takes place in its aftermath. Design has been responding to major global events for centuries: the cholera epidemic that broke out in the US in the mid-19th century opened a chapter of emotion and imagination known as the Romantic era. After WWI, the Bauhaus movement (a name that literally translates to “construction house”) focused on form, function and practicality, which it paired with bold, primary colours. More recently, a contemplative design movement that’s inspired by nature and wabi-sabi – an ancient concept that celebrates aesthetic imperfection –emerged in Japan in the wake of the devastating 2011 tsunami.

As hard-wired as we might be to survive, the instincts bestowed on us by evolution are being tested like never before. A worldwide pandemic, ongoing climate crisis and contested elections unfolding in real time are all contributing to a mental health crisis, with medical practitioners reporting never-seen-before spikes in anxiety and depression. Studies by the UK-based charity Mind show that more than half of adults and over two thirds of young people say their mental health has worsened during periods of lockdown, with boredom and loneliness among the major factors. How can we, as individuals, address this very real threat? Binge Netflix to distract from the chatter? Book an (increasingly optimistic) bucket-list trip? Or remain gripped by our newsfeed as doomscrolling cements its place in our lexicon – something psychologists view as an attempt to seek certainty in an uncertain world.

Since we no longer rely on them for practical purposes, candles are one of those things that fall into the “luxury” category – and we mean that in the literal sense of the word. They’re an indulgence: something to light when we need to calm our thoughts, unwind or, occasionally, set a romantic mood. No one needs a candle, which is, paradoxically, one of the reasons they also make a first-rate gift. Here are five of the best at MR PORTER right now.

How do you sleep at night? It’s a question often levied to those with dubious scruples, but given the state of the world today, it also applies to the best of us. A recent UCLA-led report concluded that sleep is as important to our wellbeing as food, giving our brains a valuable window to repair the neurological damage we sustain every day during our waking hours (really). The good news is that a change of pace over the past year has resulted in some of us getting more shuteye. France was an outlier here, with its citizens spending an average of an extra 20 minutes in bed in 2020 (equivalent to a total 41.48 winks a night, assuming that’s what they were up to). But when it comes to sleep, as with many things, it’s quality not quantity that counts.