Not gonna lie, as the youth say, but the benefits of a month’s sobriety have been too great to totally ignore. According to my Ōura ring, my resilience has leapt two levels, my readiness is optimal and I’m smashing the 90s with my sleep score. How depressing. I must face an inviolable truth. Alcohol doesn’t like me – although I love it very, very much. 

The effects of alcohol consumption only worsen as we age. I schwalled through my 20s and 30s – and drank (reasonably moderately) through my pregnancy. But, now that I have hit a certain decade, the truth has hit me in the face. I am inarguably less healthy, productive and proactive when I have anything to drink. Are you coming to the same conclusions? Are you stretching Dry January out to embrace another month? All I know is that Mother Root, a deliciously fiery ginger non-alc aperitif, is fast becoming my best friend. Talk to me about it (htsisubmissions@ft.com); I need the group support. 

Instead of drinking this month I’ve been doing Jivamukti yoga, in which each āsana (or position) is focused around one’s breath. It’s a great way to manage asthma, as well as exercise the spine. But am I breathing properly? According to current research, most people should do a recap of their ins and outs. Kathleen Baird-Murray asks the experts to show us how to do it right. I gulp air too quickly, and hold my breath when feeling stressed. It’s a revelation to discover how much calmer one can feel by simply learning to exhale.

A slight flutter of breathlessness, however, for Louis Garrel, who is this week’s cover star. The French actor is part of a cinematic dynasty that is thick with handsome, enigmatic performers. Best known to global audiences as one of the trio of young lovers in Bertolucci’s erotic fantasy The Dreamers, and more lately from Greta Gerwig’s Little Women as the professor who captures Jo March’s heart, Garrel has also enjoyed a stellar career as the director of four films of his own. This year he will star in three productions that showcase his unexpected range. He may be best known for his dark, brooding menace, but Alice Cavanagh discovers he’s perhaps more comfortable playing the clown.

Then take a deep breath as we introduce the hottest new restaurants to book in 2026, as recommended by culinary luminaries including Clare Smyth, Jeremy King, Amy Poon and Michel Roux Jr. We’ve tried to cover openings from every corner of the world. But please do send in your recommendations of those places you’re incensed we missed. 

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THREE MORE STORIES TO READ THIS WEEK

The house of Grenson has a foot in both camps Shoemakers Tim and Julia Little have created a modern home that follows in the footsteps of its Huguenot past Fatboy Slim: ‘Records are a window to the soul’ The DJ’s love for ephemera has spun into an art form with photographer Mark Vessey Six Senses London has landed The hotel at the heart of The Whiteley is taking wellness to the next level

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