Today’s Solutions: January 22, 2025

Lifestyle

Alongside taking care of other people and the planet, make sure you take good care of yourself. The Lifestyle section at the Optimist Daily has solutions for everyday wellbeing on topics like food, beauty, fashion, and the latest trends. Curious about caring for houseplants, eating plant-based, or parenting tips? It’s all in there.

woman in overalls gardening

Create a refuge for endangered native plant species in your own garden

Here at the Optimist Daily, we never tire of sharing stories that help garden-lovers and green thumbs continue cultivating their gardening habits. Gardening, or even just spending time in a garden, doesn’t just offer people several physical and mental health benefits, but gardens can potentially Read More...

Preeti Chandi

Preeti Chandi becomes the first woman of color to trek across Antarctica

Preeti Chandi, a 32-year-old army officer and physiotherapist hailing from Derby in the UK, has become the first woman of color to successfully complete a solo expedition across Antarctica. Chandi admits that she was not always encouraged to take on the 700-mile trek on her own. She says that Read More...

four diverse children play and learn in the forest

Forest Schools surge in popularity in the UK

Around 30 years ago, The Forest School movement was introduced to the UK via Scandinavia, a place where a passion for nature and the great outdoors is a deep-seated part of the culture. Now, Forest Schools are experiencing a revival in the UK. According to a 2021 survey by the Forest School Read More...

Man sleeping peacefully resting with eyes closed lying comfortable in bedroom.

How long to nap for depending on what you want out of your day

Waking up from a refreshing nap feels great. You’re no longer exhausted, have more energy and can focus on what you need to get done. The problem is that not every nap falls into this category. Sometimes our naps last too long, leaving us disoriented when we wake up and somehow even more tired Read More...

Hands cupping soil with worms

How this initiative is helping us worm our way into a greener future

A Nottingham-based initiative called the Urban Worm Community Interest Company (UWC) is helping spur on an urban worm farming movement in the UK that will help the nation deal with waste while simultaneously providing high-grade fertilizer. So far, the enterprise has been granted 50,000 GBP from Read More...

Dog looks intelligently at owner

Study proves dogs can distinguish between familiar & unfamiliar languages

A new study published in NeuroImage confirms what many dog owners already know—their furry companions are really quite smart. The study focuses on dogs’ brains and their ability to distinguish between familiar and unfamiliar languages. The lead author of the study, neurobiologist Laura Read More...

smiling mixed-race woman stands smiling against a yellow backdrop with a reusable bag full of plant-based groceries

The green living trends experts expect will dominate 2022

Green living and sustainability are at the forefront of many of our minds. This mentality is reflected in the droves of people who over the course of the many lockdowns have: pledged to be green-minded about their transportation options, choose more plant-based milk and food, and change their Read More...

a group of people checking their phones for texts and emails

Belgium's "right to disconnect" protects workers from burnout

In November of last year, we shared a story about how Portugal has made it illegal for employers to contact workers outside of working hours in an effort to encourage a healthier work-life balance. Now, Belgium’s Minister of Civil Service Petra De Sutter has introduced a similar law for the Read More...

woman's hands around hot bowl of soup

7 storage strategies for your leftover soup

When the winter cold is chilling you to the bone, there’s nothing more comforting than a tasty and nourishing soup. Yes, it’s soup season, and fortunately, most soup recipes yield quite large serving sizes, which means that you can have your soup now and store it away for an easy snack that Read More...

man's hand picks up littered purple plastic bottle from roadside

The Litterlotto app gamifies litter picking to trade trash for cash

Gamification is proving to be an effective strategy for mobilizing communities to build healthier, safer, and greener habits. We’ve shared stories about how gamification has been implemented to reduce traffic emissions, and how it’s being used to plant millions of real trees. Now, there’s Read More...