THE GREAT ESCAPE

In 2013, there was just one escape room in Britain – there are now more than 600, with many in London. The concept has been described as ‘the fastest growing entertainment trend since the cinema’, and the first ever escape room championships took place last month.

But what’s involved? In short, teams have a set time to escape from a themed room by solving a series of puzzles. The Hungarian psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi is seen as the forefather of the psychology behind escape rooms, with his Flow theory – the idea that when you are absorbed in an activity, you are energised, focused, involved and happy.

London escape room reviewer Ben Ferguson on The Logic Escapes Me says the best in the capital is Time Run: The Lance of Longinus. Other stand-outs are clueQuest and Escape Plan.

HAPPINESS IN A CUP

We all need a little pick-me-up at times, a caffeine kick to boost our alertness. We Are Littles is all about mental wellbeing, with a mantra that ‘a cup of coffee should make you happy’. Studies show that coffee before exercise can help burn fat. Flavoured coffees include Island Coconut at £2.99 a jar, from Sainsbury’s and Waitrose.

DIY BRAIN TRAINING

There are a host of brain training books out there, but few are better than The Chimp Paradox by Professor Steve Peters (£12.99, Vermilion). Understand the workings of your mind and discipline your inner chimp to manage your time and emotions better.

NEWSFLASH

UNDER A HALO

They may look like ordinary headphones, but Halo Sport System have a price tag of £600. Yet founder, neuroscientist Dr Brett Wingeier, is adamant that the barely noticeable electric pulse that passes through the head set ‘increases the excitability of motor neurons during athletic training to improve strength and skill’.

Peak

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