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.
Choosing the right running shoes is less complicated than you think
Sometimes, life is less complicated than you think. Say you'd like to buy a pair of running shoes, but there's an overwhelming amount of shoes to choose from. Some shoes are promoted for different types of terrains, others for specific cushioning or stability or grip. This new study found the Read More...
Study: Meditation Can Help Reduce Self-Critical Behavior
Perfectionism can have its benefits--motivation and setting high standards for your work-life--but it can also have negative side effects like heightened levels of stress and anxiety.Even worse, self-critical perfectionism, which is linked to psychological conditions like eating disorders and Read More...
Happiness comes from intention, not luck
We do not expect to hit life milestones—getting a promotion, raising a child, running a marathon—without a fair bit of gumption and at least a tentative game plan. But we often fail to put the same amount of effort or planning into less tangible goals—even important ones, like Read More...
A solar iPhone or an Apple Car? Or both? Tech giant keeps leading innovation
Much talk about Apple during the weekend. A high-level team of executives of the tech giant met in Munich with German carmaker BMW last week strengthening the rumors that Apple is about to enter the automobile industry. And then the next iPhone, no release date yet—number 7, still remember the Read More...
Dutch bank ING launches sound-activated payments to make banking safer
No two voices in the world are the same, even identical twins have different voice patterns. This is why a voice is a very safe password. The Dutch bank ING is using this knowledge to make banking safer and has introduced sound-activated payments. Customers can now log-in and make payments Read More...
A new look at sarcasm: Study finds it stimulates creativity and problem solving skills
Sarcasm doesn't have a very good reputation, but a new study by researchers at the Harvard Business School and other universities shows that sarcasm stimulates creativity and problem solving skills. According to the researches, sarcasm forces the brain to switch to a more abstract thinking, which Read More...
Sleep almost doubles chances to remember something you've forgotten
We already knew that sleep boosts our memory, but a new study found that there's even more to it: sleep sharpens memories overnight. According to researchers at the British University of Exeter, sleep doubles chances of remembering previously forgotten information. The researchers asked a group of Read More...
A solution to the refugee crisis: Create a new country
The number of refugees in the world is growing, now at an all-time high of nearly 60 million people. A Silicon Valley entrepreneur has a radical idea: Let’s create a new country for all these people. He suggests using one of the world’s less inhabited islands or a newly built island. Other Read More...
Uber cheaper and faster than taxis in low-income neighborhoods
Some say that on-demand ride-hailing services like Uber only serve in city centers and well-to-do neighborhoods. However, a study funded by Uber shows that it took Uber cars less than half as long as calling for a taxi in several low-income neighborhoods in Los Angeles. Moreover, the trips Read More...
The world is a better place than you think
OK, we stole that headline; it's a popular rubric in our quarterly magazine. (We guess you can't really call it "stealing" then, can you?) Stealing, and crime in general, is on the decline. That's one of many important, positive long-term trends that we describe on the very last page of each issue. Read More...