The Optimist Living
Why a long walk is as beneficial for the mind as it is for the body
There's no doubt that walking every day, even if only for 20 minutes or so, is good for your health. It gets the heart pumping, works your muscles, burns calories, and generally helps you avoid most of the dangers of an overly-sedentary life. But beyond the physical benefits, walking can also do Read More...
You may not know it, but metaphors can change the way we form opinions
When we think about metaphors, we might think about how we typically learn about them in school: as a poetic device or a rhetorical flourish. But, metaphors are not simply confined to the world of poetry—they are all around us. By some estimates, we use metaphors every 25 words, but because Read More...
Want to sound more positive? Try avoiding this tiny word
Although you may not be aware of it, there’s a word you probably use a lot that makes the things you say sound more negative. That word is “but”. Typically, when you use the word “but,” everything that follows tends to make you sound like a downer. So how do you substitute this simple Read More...
Why being forgetful isn’t necessarily a bad thing
Traditional research on memory has focused on the advantages of remembering everything, but looking through years of recent memory data, researchers found that the neurobiology of forgetting can be just as important to our decision-making as what our minds choose to remember. When you forget, you Read More...
If you want to age healthier, do as the Amish do
The Amish are best known for their old-fashioned clothing and abstinence from the basic amenities that came about in the 21st century. What the Amish are not as well known for however is their great health in the latter stages of life. According to research, the aging Amish people have Read More...
To strive, or not to strive: A two-sided debate on one of life’s great questions
Should you spend your whole life working to make the greatest contribution to the world, or is it better to live a minimalistic life that is simple and full of pleasure? If you've ever found yourself asking this question, here is the case for and against striving your whole Read More...
Self-compassion is vital to your well-being. Here’s how to cultivate it
Most of the time, when we’re being too hard on ourselves, we do it because we’re driven by a desire to excel and do everything right, all the time. This entails a lot of self-criticism, and that persecutory inner voice that constantly tells us how we could’ve done things better is a hallmark Read More...
These tips will help you treat your migraines
Despite how common migraines are—12 percent of Americans suffer from them—we still have a poor understanding of what they are and how to effectively treat them. However, we do know some ways of managing migraines and reducing the frequency with which they come about. Here are seven ways to Read More...
Want to remember moments better? Don’t take pictures
The ironic thing about our obsessive desire to document everything we experience is that our brains are unable to recall events clearly when we’re busy taking photos. In fact, one study on memory and photography found that when museum-goers took pictures of exhibits, they were less likely to Read More...
Science shows that fasting is good for health—not just for weight loss
New research shows the health benefits of intermittent fasting. The participants in the study followed the regime of eating normally for five days and restricting their calories to 600 calories on two so-called "fasting days." They lost 5 percent weight within two months. They also reduced their Read More...