Health
Finding good health news amidst a pandemic can be quite daunting. That’s not the case with The Optimist Daily, where positive news is in high supply. Our Health section covers the latest good news from the health sector, featuring solutions ranging from mental and physical health to immunity, nutrition, and cutting edge medical research.
UK invites everyone to donate blood, regardless of sexual orientation
Back in 2010, Ethan Spibey’s grandfather underwent major surgery and survived—thanks to eight pints of donated blood. His entire family knew that he wouldn’t have lived through the operation had it not been for the generosity of blood donors, and to repay that invaluable kindness, they all Read More...
Filterless air purification system turns captured pollution into building tiles
India is home to 22 of the world's 30 most polluted cities, contributing to high levels of lung and heart disease. Growing up in Mumbai, Angad Daryani experienced the negative health consequences of smog in the form of childhood asthma. Seeking a solution, he came up with the idea to take soot and Read More...
School-based intervention method improves teens’ mental health
There has been a phenomenal explosion of mental health services and communication around the importance of mental health care since the beginning of the global pandemic. There is not an age group on this planet that has not been adversely affected by the experience of quarantines, lockdowns, and Read More...
Spending time with trees boosts children's cognitive development
Trees are nature’s air purifiers—they provide us with oxygen and absorb CO2, which makes them a key component of the global fight against climate change. However, they also have an influence over our individual health, both mentally and physically. A new study published in Nature Read More...
What is toxic masculinity and how to tackle it
The term “toxic masculinity” is commonly referenced today, but what does it actually mean? Toxic masculinity is a term that describes how certain traits associated with masculinity can cause harm to men, women, and all members of society. It isn’t supposed to be used as an insult, but instead Read More...
Kiss your worries goodbye with these two quick exercises
These past 18 months have been unpredictable, chaotic, destabilizing… the list goes on. So, naturally, many of us are harboring a lot of worries right now. But what does worrying really do to change our situation? Nothing. Worrying simply makes us feel helpless by keeping us in a cycle of Read More...
France makes birth control free for everyone under 25
Lack of affordability is one of the biggest barriers for women when it comes to accessing contraceptives. To address this, the French government has announced it will make birth control free and available to all women under 25. The country already makes birth control free to everyone under 18, Read More...
Mexico’s Supreme Court rules to decriminalize abortion
Mexico’s Supreme Court ruled this week that criminalizing abortion is illegal. This landmark unanimous decision comes after years of advocacy from women’s rights groups who have fought to legalize abortion in the largely Catholic country. Although the decision does not automatically make Read More...
Policy changes and activism render Texas abortion reporting site inactive
Website host GoDaddy has taken down Texas Right to Life’s abortion whistleblowing website for violating its terms of service. GoDaddy specifically cites Section 5.2, which states “You will not collect or harvest (or permit anyone else to collect or harvest) any User Content (as defined below) Read More...
One dating app helps pets find their purr-fect match
At the beginning of the pandemic, animal shelters all over the world saw a spike in pet adoptions and pet fostering, but now, as the world adapts and people head back to work, many animals are sadly being returned to shelters. To address the surge in returned pets, the Munich Animal Welfare Read More...