Today’s Solutions: November 08, 2024

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.

Norwegian island of Hamnoy, Reine in winter

What Norwegians can teach us about beating the winter blues

Today the sun will set in the Norwegian capital of Oslo at 4:06 pm. That sounds awful, especially for those of us living in the US, and makes us beg the question: how do nordic countries beat the winter blues when sunlight is so fleeting? One Stanford researcher, Kari Leibowitz, spent a winter in Read More...

an ethnic man and woman stand over a pan on the stove top while a group of friends chat in the background

7 Reasons cooking at home gives your mental health a boost

Cooking isn’t just a means to an end when you’re feeling hungry—it can actually be considered a kind of therapy. Professionals refer to the act of cooking at home to boost your mental health as 'therapeutic cooking,' 'culinary therapy,' or 'culinary mindfulness.' According to Culinary Art Read More...

A large group of minority skateboarders pose with their skateboards outside

Meet the woman on a mission to diversify the world of skateboarding

The world of skateboarding has been dominated by the typical “white boy” skater, which is what Marie Mayassi, who introduces herself as “born in Paris but originally from Congo,” noticed when she first took up the sport four years ago. Determined to change the scene’s lack of Read More...

Book Excerpt: ‘Aspire Hi

Book Excerpt: 'Aspire Higher' - Becoming a solutionary and upholding your truest values

“Being a solutionary will make you feel even better than being an astute constructive decision-maker, because you’re taking others’ feelings, concerns, and ideas into account when crafting your solutions and actions.” - Ken Lindner As we head into the holiday season, the themes of love, Read More...

man in blue button up sings into a microphone while three friends dance behind him

How singing improves your mental health (regardless of whether you're in key)

Singing can be an intimidating experience, especially for those who don’t consider themselves very good singers, however, many won’t deny that when they do let loose and belt out a catchy song in the privacy of their car or shower, they feel a delicious release. While feeling shy or Read More...

view of autumnal dinner table from above

7 Tips for making Thanksgiving more sustainable this year

The festive season is just around the corner, which makes for a lot of excuses to (safely) gather around the dinner table with friends and family to feast on favorite holiday dishes, starting with Thanksgiving at the end of November. Unfortunately, this also means that the issue of food waste Read More...

cold girl wrapped in a blanket sits on the floor next to heater

Expert-approved ways to combat seasonal depression

Autumn is a beautiful time of year—the leaves change color, and there’s a crisp feeling in the air, however, the sun slips away earlier, and the nights feel long and dark. It’s not uncommon for people to start feeling a bit of the “winter blues,” clinically known as seasonal affective Read More...

Old-fashioned clock next to pumpkin and fall foliage

Why we have daylight saving time and how you can help your body adjust to it

Daylight savings time 2021 If you live in the US, tomorrow marks the official end of daylight saving time, also known as “fall back.” Despite widespread pushback against the concept of daylight savings, it is still practiced in 48 states (Hawaii and Arizona opt out). Today, we’re sharing the Read More...

Nutritious and cozy: In-season

Nutritious and cozy: In-season superfoods to fuel you through the coldest months

"Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home." - Edith Sitwell It’s important to eat a well-balanced diet all year, but as we head into the coldest months of the year, eating well is even Read More...

elderly white man sits cross legged on the floor in living room

This simple Blue Zone habit can improve your longevity

How often do you find yourself sitting on the floor in your day-to-day life? It turns out, sitting on the floor, while it may not be the most comfortable, is a simple way to improve your longevity. According to Blue Zones founder Dan Buettner, cultures that tend to keep their furniture to a Read More...