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.
If you struggle to meditate, try this
Meditation can be difficult for some people to achieve Simple breathing exercises can be a gateway to relaxation and a form of meditation I was on vacation last week, and I spent a few days in Cape Cod. In March, it's a gray place. Most of the things that make it "the Cape" in the eyes of folks who Read More...
Can robots reestablish trust in traditional party politics?
Millions around the world have lost their trust in traditional politics. Populist politicians are benefitting from the protest votes. Can politics be saved by technology? One alternative is to design policy-making systems—robots—in such a way that policy-makers are sheltered from undue outside Read More...
How to cultivate mindfulness to curb spending
A clean slate. A fresh start. These phrases are popular in springtime, when Americans are focused on clearing the clutter and cobwebs from their households. They're also declarations commonly used by consumers who want to regain control of their finances. Whether it's finally making a plan to pay Read More...
The mushroom: A doubly-whammy for Vietnam’s poverty & pollution
It’s very difficult not to have a smile on your face while looking at Fargreen’s Postcode Lottery Green Challenge pitch (it takes less than 5 minutes, definitely worth a watch!). The founder and CEO, Trang Tran passionately describes her social enterprise, Fargreen. At Fargreen, they have been Read More...
How a Swedish school helps migrant kids to integrate
Shabo Rhawi is clearly vexed during our first meeting. Sitting in the office of Elafskolan, the only school in Europe with a curriculum specifically designed for Assyrian children, the headmaster nurses a black coffee, prepared to answer questions on the school’s bilingual program. Instead, Read More...
New Airbus plane designed to diminish the impact of jet lag
A new Airbus plane significantly diminishes the impact of jetlag through a combination of a humidification system, onboard fresh air and an adaptable color temperature system, which can produce different light color combinations dependent on the flight length and time zone changes. The LED lights Read More...
Mindful meditation may be the answer to relieving chronic back pain, study suggests
In 1992, Harvard neuroscientist Richard Davidson embarked on an unusual research project to study the brains of Buddhist monks who spent thousands of hours meditating. What he found was that not only did the practice activate different parts of the brain, it also seemed to impact the body in ways Read More...
Australia shows a solutions-oriented approach to the refugee problem
Europe and the United States are struggling with refugee and immigrant problems driving highly charged debates triggered by populist politicians. In the mean time, Australia is implementing a different response. The country is aggressively leading a global competition for highly-skilled Read More...
Going somewhere? Try one of the 10 places named as most ethical travel destinations
With a skyrocketing human population currently consuming the equivalent of 1.6 planets‘ worth of resources and expected to reach a mind-boggling 9.6 billion by 2050, that wilderness is rapidly disappearing, especially in the industrialized world. Canada has been the world’s leader in Read More...
This is why meditation makes you feel better
Usually, “do nothing” is poor advice to follow if you want to feel better. Yet a strong body of literature now shows that meditation—the mindful art of doing nothing but sitting still—effectively relieves pain. Now, a new study published in the Journal of Neuroscience shows that meditation Read More...