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.
8 quick ways to improve your attention span
We spend half of our waking hours with wandering minds. Here are eight easy things you can do to regain your focus. If your mind tends to wander, you’re not alone. Turns out, human brains are in the moment for just over half of our waking hours—a sad 53%—according to a study from Read More...
Not bitcoin but the blockchain technology will revolutionize everything
The real revolutionary thing about bitcoin is not the coin itself. As we explained in our much-discussed Summer 2015 cover story, it's the underlying blockchain technology that has a unique potential to transform how people and businesses co-operate. Now, The Economist shows how the technology is Read More...
How smartphones helped shape a new generation of globally minded "next-pats"
A new study reveals that Americans have a more global outlook than Europeans, partly because they are more connected through technology. Americans have a reputation for being insular and unadventurous when it comes to learning about the rest of the world. This is partly justified: Only 38% of Read More...
The Sharing Economy Is Booming in Helsinki: Here's Why
Nationwide, thousands of students are getting arrested, ticketed, interrogated and searched by police officers. Until fairly recently, the US had a free or virtually free system of public higher education. The situation has changed dramatically, with tuition costs soaring to dizzying heights at Read More...
Learn how mindfulness can disrupt your business (and change your life)
It's a sad fact of life, but one we've grown accustomed to, that the workplace is often draining, demanding and disruptive. At its worst, it becomes a culture that breeds toxicity, but even at its best, stress is the norm. In our constant state of rushing from one assignment (or crisis) to another, Read More...
8 different ways to meditate (for those who can’t sit still)
As I’ve said before, if you really want to change your life and pursue personal excellence, meditation is essential. But there are a lot of people (those diagnosed with ADD or ADHD, for example) who simply can’t sit still. For these folks, sitting quietly with their eyes closed for more than a Read More...
Why the digital detox is the best detox for your health
Could this cure-all of the tech world provide more benefits to the humans using the tech than the devices themselves? Digital detox devotees think so, and they've started a movement that seems to grow louder and larger with every tech announcement or app update. The digital detox is, quite simply, Read More...
Sharing happiness online is highly contagious
We at The Optimist are all about positive stories. And several recent studies suggest we are in line with most people's wants: feeling and being happy. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania found out that positive articles are shared more often than negative ones. Similar studies had Read More...
Canadians are crowdsourcing Justin Trudeau's government
Last Monday night the Liberals rode a "real change" agenda to victory. By Tuesday morning, Canadians took to the web to speak to their new prime minister. Twenty-three new petitions for him, on day one.Life in the public square is playing itself out online, only the Internet has made the square Read More...
Refugee athletes allowed to compete at the 2016 Rio Games under Olympic flag
For the first time, refugee athletes will be allowed to compete in the Olympics. In a time when tensions in Europe rise with the influx of more and more refugees, this is a warm signal. International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach announced this week that at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Read More...