Mental Health
Here you can read the latest news and research studies covering mental health. This is also the place to find out about different strategies on how you can reduce stress and boost happiness, and many other ways to look after your mental wellbeing.
Fractals: why your brain prefers nature over cities
You’re probably very aware at this point that it’s healthy for you to spend more time outside. While we’ve certainly written about it a great deal, scientists keep unveiling new findings about the relationship between lower stress and nature. For instance, new research from the Read More...
7 habits to promote brain health
Good brain health is essential for a long and healthy life, so it's important to actively maintain it. Here are seven habits to integrate into your life that are sure to boost brain health. Stay well-rested. Sleep allows your organs to slow down, and your body to go into “rest mode.” While Read More...
Here’s what you need to do when feeling overwhelmed at work
There are days where work just seems like it’s closing in on all sides. Your boss has a new deadline for you. Your to-do list keeps getting longer and longer, and there is a constant stream of emails distracting you every two seconds. When you feel overwhelmed like this, it’s hard to be Read More...
This breathing cushion could ease your anxiety
Just reading the news, you might occasionally feel your anxiety rise. That’s why The Optimist Daily exists, to counter all this worry by refocusing your worldview on the good that’s going on. As we’ve shown again and again, there is a lot! We are not the only ones battling for people’s Read More...
Children learn better when they bond with their teachers
Most of us can remember at least one teacher who changed our lives for the better, guiding us on the path to our true passion or maybe just making us feel heard at a hard time. Chances are that this life-changing teacher wasn’t a stern disciplinarian and instead showed us kindness and trust. This Read More...
Genuine empathy or people-pleasing? Here’s how to tell the difference
Humans are social beings, so it’s likely that most of us often act with another person’s feelings in mind, rather than prioritizing our own. Acting in this way is not intrinsically good or bad—in fact, oftentimes this is a demonstration of compassion, which plays a key role in being a Read More...
4 Foolproof tips for making your daily walk fun again
We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: carving out time in your schedule for regular exercise and time spent in nature is an essential part of self-care that touts numerous benefits both for your body and your mind. One of the most efficient ways to do both at once is to get outside Read More...
City trees may trap more CO2 than we thought
It’s becoming common knowledge at this point that trees greatly benefit cities and the people that call them home. City trees and urban green areas regulate temperature, improve mental health and reduce loneliness for urbanites, clean the air and even reduce crime rates. Our tall, green friends Read More...
Cyberbullying decreased sharply during the pandemic
Despite what you might have thought, when many schools closed for remote learning during the Pandemic, parents, teachers, and students alike were relieved to find that cyberbullying actually decreased by a lot. A new study from Boston University has found that cyberbullying fell by between 30 Read More...
How vitamin D promotes brain health and better moods
Recently, vitamin D has been a hot topic for The Optimist Daily. We’ve shared a lot of stories about this important vitamin, from how to figure out if your body needs more of it (spoiler: it probably does!) to debunking common myths about it. So far, we’ve focused a lot on how vitamin D Read More...