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.
Family planning can help the world: Lessons from Indonesia
Indonesia, the world's fourth most populous country, cut its fertility rate in half over a 30-year period. After decades of international efforts administered by the United Nations, development experts concur that family planning programs have been a key tool in reducing poverty and in empowering Read More...
The health benefits of knitting
About 15 years ago, I was invited to join a knitting group. My reluctant response — “When would I do that?” — was rejoined with “Monday afternoons at 4,” at a friend’s home not three minutes’ walk from my own. I agreed to give it a try. My mother had Read More...
How to live compassionately: Forgive yourself, forgive others
According to the dictionary, to forgive is to stop feeling Read More...
Greek islanders to be nominated for Nobel peace prize
Greek islanders who have been on the frontline of the refugee crisis are to be nominated for the Nobel peace prize with the support of their national government. Of the 900,000 refugees who entered Europe last year most were received –scared, soaked and travelling in rickety boats – by Read More...
People who value time more than money are happier, study finds
A new study by researchers at the University of British Columbia suggests that those who place a greater value on their time, rather than their money, are happier. Older people tended to value time over money, possibly because over the years, their priorities shifted, and they feel greater Read More...
Mindfulness is way easier than you probably think
It's pretty hard to find something to dislike about meditation or, as it's often sold these days, "mindfulness." Studies show that deep focus can reduce stress, improve health, even raise profits. But just because everyone agrees meditation is great, doesn't mean everyone is thrilled with Read More...
The surprising link between compassion and success
To many people, the idea of compassionate leadership is too touchy-feely at best and bad management at worst. But new research suggests that rather than making them look soft, acts of kindness and altruism increase leaders' standing in a group. In some contexts, that can translate into a serious Read More...
An app doubles income for laundry women in Uganda
Done right, the Internet opens up revenue opportunities for ordinary citizens. Initiatives like Airbnb and Uber allow people to make money with their assets. It works the same way in the developing world. In Kampala, Uganda, there’s an app—Yoza—connecting people who need their laundry done Read More...
The future is bright for the world’s poorest farmers, says Bill Gates
Bill Gates knows a thing or two about innovation. It tends to "take longer than many people expect, but it also tends to be more revolutionary than they imagine," he writes. And that's exactly what's happening now in the way digital tdchnology is reorganizing life for the poorest people in the Read More...
Ten habits of highly creative people
What exactly is creativity? So many of us assume that creativity is something we had as a child but we lost, or something allocated to rarified individuals that we can only admire from afar. But science has shown that, in many ways, we are all wired to create. The key is recognizing that creativity Read More...