The Optimist Living
5 types of music to enhance focus and productivity
Keeping yourself focused and productive is no simple task in today’s world. Constant distractions surround us, from social media to the general busyness of everyday life, making it quite the challenge to maintain focus. The best way to start improving focus is to kick good habits into your own Read More...
How to overcome the three key fears for success and happiness
What if my goals and dreams don't work out? What to do with the unknown future? What will others think? Thoughts like these drift us away from making the most of ourselves, so that we can help ourselves and others as much as we can. Here's a path to dealing with the challenges as you look to Read More...
5 types of meditation that don’t require sitting still
Meditation doesn’t have to mean you’re sitting still with your eyes close. In fact, you can practice meditation virtually anywhere and sitting is definitely not a requirement. What makes meditation beautiful is that you can practice it in the way that suits you best, whether you like to lay Read More...
Get dirty: Gardening can help your immune system
It's still a counter-intuitive idea to many, but exposure to dirt leads to a healthier immune system. The naturally occuring microbes in our outdoor environment help program the body to learn what types of foreign agents are actually harmless. This prevents it from later attacking innocuous Read More...
A simple 2-minute trick to calm a racing mind
Rumination is when you go over the same—usually negative—thought again and again. You’re trying to work out why did it go wrong, what could you have done, and what could you do. "It’s useful if you do it once, but there’s no benefit to doing it again and again," says David Cox, chief Read More...
This simple task could make you become more resilient
Our bodies undergo strenuous changes when we’re anxious. The heart rate goes up, breathing becomes shallow, and the stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol are released. Some people are better than others at calming down and recovering to a more relaxed state after stressful situation, but Read More...
4 science-backed tips for achieving your dreams
Self-control is key to achieving your dreams. But it's hard to keep up. Self-control can exhaust us and, research has shown, gets depleted as the day goes on. So, one solution is to work on your dreams in the morning. Staying calm and manage your energy is another way to get ahead. If you find it Read More...
5 ways to get a better night's sleep
Sleeping at least seven to eight hours is the best way to start your day. It helps to relieve stress and improve productivity, but for some of us, thoughts and worries keep us from falling asleep at night. Not getting enough sleep does a disservice to your brain and physical health, and can make it Read More...
How to practice mindfulness when you don't have the time
Mindfulness meditation is all about allowing the mind to drift off and become unconditionally present. With its ability to help with self-control, resiliency and relieving stress, mindfulness is an outstanding activity to assimilate into your daily routine, but doing so can be difficult, especially Read More...
Feeling angry? Even a brief, 20-minute-meditation can reduce anger
One session of meditation can help reduce your body's response to anger. In people who were new to meditation, anger raised their heart rate, blood pressure and breathing rate. But after only 20 minutes of meditation, people who had never done meditation before had a much calmer and more relaxed Read More...