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.
Just 10 minutes of meditation helps anxious people have better focus
Just 10 minutes of daily mindful meditation can help prevent your mind from wandering and is particularly effective if you tend to have repetitive, anxious thoughts, according to a study from the University of Waterloo. The study, which assessed the impact of meditation with 82 participants who Read More...
Harvard just launched a center for happiness
As two enormous, golden doors part, sunlight pours into an atrium filled with babies and puppies. Everyone is smiling. The air smells of freshly mown mint. Ripe avocados rain from the sky. (Somehow, they always miss the babies.) This is Harvard University’s new Center for Health and Happiness. At Read More...
Engaging in these 8 mindfulness practices decreased HIV patients’ viral loads
Mindfulness meditation has been practiced in East Asia for thousands of years. In the 1960s and 70s, interest in it brought this Zen staple to the US and Europe. It was common within the counterculture movement and continued over the decades among “crunchy granola” and “New Read More...
Study: Orange essential oil may reduce symptoms of PTSD
Those who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have limited options when it comes to treatment. A new study suggests that orange essential oil may offer a non-pharmaceutical option to help reduce the stress and fear associated with the disorder. Previous studies have shown that orange Read More...
Impact of feet hitting the ground opens up arteries and increases blood flow
Knotting up your trainers and going on a walk or run is widely known to benefit the heart, but did you know that it also improves long-term brain function? New research suggests that the impact of the foot hitting the ground sends pressure waves through the arteries, significantly increasing the Read More...
Sound waves enhance deep sleep and memory
Gentle sound stimulation — such as the rush of a waterfall — synchronized to the rhythm of brain waves significantly enhanced deep sleep in older adults and improved their ability to recall words, reports a new Northwestern Medicine study. Deep sleep is critical for memory consolidation. But Read More...
This type of exercise may help you live longer
In a recent study, researchers found that a specific type of exercise called high-intensity interval training (HIIT) can boost your chances of living longer. HIIT, whether in the form of cycling or weight training, improves age-related decline in muscle mitochondria, the cellular powerhouses that Read More...
IllumiBowl's latest toilet light also kills germs
IllumiBowl's motion-activated, multi-color toilet night light may have seemed like a silly idea when it first launched, but don't laugh -- it's a practical solution if you'd rather not flick on the regular bathroom light (and momentarily blind yourself) just to do your business. And it appears that Read More...
Purify the air in your home or office with this wall of plants
A company based in Finland has developed a remotely-monitored smart wall of plants that constantly purifies indoor air. The wall requires little to no management from the owner, and provides a steady supply of clean air. With an online design guide, the plant walls are easily customized to the Read More...
Ayahuasca: Psychedelic drug or mental health treatment?
Every year, thousands of people travel to the Amazon to drink the ayahuasca brew that puts them in a state of deep introspection for about four hours. When they emerge, they often report newfound insights into their unhealthy behaviors. While these stories sound amazing, is it really possible to Read More...