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.
How to heal while fighting for social justice
In a time of deep, civil unrest (not to mention a pandemic), self-care has perhaps never been so important. You might brush off a morning meditation or virtual get-together with a simple thought: There are more important things to be focusing on right now. And you're right—there are. But that Read More...
How to change people’s minds without triggering a negative response
People don’t like being told what to do. There’s even a word for it: reactance. “Psychological reactance is a negative emotional state that we feel when we’re not in control of our behavior,” says Jonah Berger, author of The Catalyst: How to Change Anyone's Mind. “Anytime we feel like Read More...
Why the coronavirus recovery is the perfect opportunity to enact change
As cities reopen even while global COVID-19 cases continue to grow, most people are wondering when things will truly get back to normal. In a TED2020 talk on Monday, economist Mariana Mazzucato said that it’s the wrong question to ask. “Really, my view is that we need to do everything we Read More...
Study: Eating dinner early can help you lower blood sugar and burn fat
Conventional wisdom is that a calorie is a calorie, no matter when you eat it, and that weight gain is caused by eating more calories than you use. Nutritionists call this the calories in, calories out theory of weight control. But it might not be as simple as that. New research discovers that Read More...
Add some sweetness to your grill with these amazing fruits
While it may not be so common in the US, many cultures around the world love to adorn the grill with fruits. Grilled fruits? Yes! Grilling fruit brings out the natural sweetness, and many of them make natural flavor pairs with other popular weekend barbecue dishes. The best fruits to grill: When Read More...
Why a clover lawn is so much better than a grass lawn
Americans use more than 7 billion gallons of water a day on their lawns. Over half of that doesn't even help lawns. People overwater, which is bad for the grass. Some water just evaporates or runs into sewers, carrying pesticides with it. That's a pretty heavy environmental cost. "But people like Read More...
Natural DIY recipes to keep mosquitos at bay this summer
Summertime is the season to enjoy the outdoors, but it’s also the season for mosquitos. If you’re planning on relishing the warm summer nights or embarking on a summer camping trip, here are ways to make homemade mosquito repellent that really works! First off, if you spend a lot of time in Read More...
The Optimist View: The Power of Social Entrepreneurship
"A little bit of good can turn into a whole lot of good when fueled by the commitment of a social entrepreneur" - Jeffery Skoll We often hear about massive companies creating amazing new products, coming up with disruptive solutions and finding new ways to deliver their products or change our Read More...
Goldman Sachs is placing its bets on the future of green energy
The shift to renewables is coming and it’s coming fast. Big industry and financial institutions are finally getting on board with a greener future. This week, Goldman Sachs analysts released a report stating that the transition to renewable power from traditional fuels will create a $16 trillion Read More...
Johns Hopkins is offering a free online course in psychological first aid
The pandemic caused a significant rise in anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues. Isolation, combined with health concerns, social justice frustrations, and economic uncertainty took its toll on all of us. With this in mind, researchers from Johns Hopkins University started offering Read More...