Today’s Solutions: January 20, 2025

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.

State of Flow

The formula of “flow”: how we get in the zone at work

We’ve all experienced the fulfilling experience of “flow.” This is the immersive and usually elating state of mind we reach when we are creatively moving from one sentence to another deep into a writing project, reacting thoughtlessly and rapidly in a basketball game, or even operating at Read More...

Plogging

5 cities celebrating the earth by “plogging”

If case you haven’t heard, “plogging” combines physical exercise and cleaning up your town and environment. It started in Sweden — “plogging” being a portmanteau of the Swedish phrase “plocka upp,” meaning to “pick up,” and jogging — and the craze has caught on around the Read More...

Pollinating bees

Six ways to encourage pollinating bees in your garden

Bees are the most prolific pollinators on the planet and every gardener’s best friend. The majority of flowering plants in the world need the help of pollinating animals like bees to reproduce, and they pleasantly add a gentle buzz to the air.  So how do you make sure that your local bee Read More...

Two people holding hands as an empathy concept.

With empathy comes better solutions. Here are 3 ways to be more empathetic

Everyone sees things differently, and yet we often assume that people share our same perspectives. With such assumptions, you may conclude that someone else should also behave like you would or hold your beliefs. Unfortunately, these assumptions are often wrong and can cause us to have less empathy Read More...

three happy Zimbabwean women in their village

Food delivery apps let Zimbabweans abroad support family at home 

With the help of a range of food delivery apps and specialized websites, Zimbabweans who have settled elsewhere are supporting their families through the country’s economic crisis. For instance, Sharonrose Manhiri, a Zimbabwean living in Wolverhampton in the UK, can make sure that her Read More...

bee in tall grass

More than 25 cities in Wisconsin to participate in No Mow May

No Mow May is an initiative that encourages gardeners and homeowners to let their lawns grow wild in the interest of boosting biodiversity and supporting important pollinator populations, which are in decline. It originally began in the UK, but in the spring of 2020, caught on in Appleton, Read More...

5 Tips to control ticks this s

5 Tips to control ticks this spring and summer, according to the experts

Summertime is the peak season for many bugs and while mosquitos can be irritating, other insects carry even more risks. Ticks, for instance, carry pathogens like Lyme disease that are harmful to humans. Plus, they’re so small that you might not even notice that you’ve been harboring a Read More...

Young fitness woman doing professional bouldering in climbing gym indoors.

6 reasons to try indoor rock climbing or bouldering

We all know exercise is good for us, though hitting the gym or running 10 km multiple times a week can get boring and demotivating. If you’re looking for something new to spice up your exercise routine, why not try indoor climbing or bouldering? Here are six health benefits of climbing. Any Read More...

two men having engaging conversation

Practice mindful listening to get the most out of your conversations

When engaging in conversations (and especially arguments) with others, most people tend to react immediately or impulsively rather than intentionally trying to understand what is being said. Or perhaps when people are speaking, you may find yourself zoning out or getting distracted and not Read More...

white Senior man has fun while taking outdoor walk

Study confirms you slow degenerative aging by picking up the pace

It’s no surprise that maintaining an active lifestyle is linked to staving off age-related diseases such as heart damage, memory loss, and cognitive decline. However, researchers are zoning in on specific activities that we can easily incorporate into our life that will directly slow down Read More...