The Optimist Living
Nature reduces stress
John Muir, environmentalist and nature conservationist, once said, “The mountains are calling, and I must go”. As humans we have, most of us at least, a yearning to be in the wild, spend too much time in the city and the mountains will call you too. But a recent study found that our animalistic Read More...
Feast-famine diet could make you live longer
Regular fasts could help you live longer. Researchers found that intermittent fasting increased levels of various antioxidant proteins that are associated with longevity. In the study male participants switched off between eating 25 percent of their regular caloric intake then 175 percent of their Read More...
Calm App helps you meditate
Our cellphones usually add to our stress levels—pings from your boss, reminders of meetings or looming deadlines—they’re constantly doing what their designed to do: Get your attention. The Calm app, from the same people at Calm.com, helps you relax, and reset your mind. There are many Read More...
Drinking more coffee will benefit your health, seriously
Coffee is a favorite beverage around the world. And, apparently we drink not enough of it. At least that’s what US nutrition experts conclude. The panel says that drinking 400 mg of coffee a day, about five cups, is associated with a wide range of health benefits including reducing the risk of Read More...
Early bedtimes and regular mealtimes wards off mental illness
Burning the candle at both ends is just about as healthy as eating a bunch of junk food, and now a study has discovered that both could also lead to mental illness. Our circadian rhythm is our body’s internal clock; it keeps everything in set schedule and is maintained through regular sleeping Read More...
Saunas make you live longer
As it turns out, getting a good sweat in multiple times a week will make you live longer. A recent study tracked more than 2,000 middle-aged men for 21 years. The study found that those who basked in a Sauna two to three times per week had a 22 percent lower risk of dying from cardiac arrest. Read More...
Buddhist concepts increase tolerance, compassion
It’s no coincidence Buddhists are viewed as more peaceful than the average person—it’s because for the most part they are. As it turns out simply seeing Buddhist principles spelled out makes one more tolerant, compassionate, and prosocial toward others. A recent study gave two groups of Read More...
Exercise prevents depression
It’s kind of an indescribable feeling you get once you finish a good work out, you just feel better in almost every aspect. Researchers have long suggested exercise to get rid of depression, but a recent study has found that exercise for women—especially those who continue on through Read More...
Mindfulness makes you exercise more
We’re nearly three weeks into February and let’s face it—many of us have abandoned our New Years gym going resolutions. But why is it that so many of us have hard times keeping our workout regiments? A recent study asked this same question and as it turns out mindfulness—defined as being Read More...
Funny meetings create better ideas
Work meetings are so serious, boring, and mundane. Most of us don’t like them for those very reasons but a new study found that meetings that were the opposite—funny and full of laughter—catalyzed better, more creative ideas. The first study to look at the psychology of humor in meetings Read More...