5 benefits of knitting and crocheting—Stitch your stress away
At The Optimist Daily, we’ve written about the benefits of various indoor hobbies like tackling a jigsaw puzzle or getting crafty with painting. However, if puzzles confound you and painting doesn’t call to you, then perhaps you can stitch your stress away instead by trying out knitting and Read More...
Zebrafish brains reveal new information about our memories
It seems like we're writing about fish a whole lot lately! Last week, we featured an article about goldfish learning to drive. This week, zebrafish, a species studied for their relatively long lifespans, are helping us understand how memories are made! Let's talk synapses! Signals in the brain Read More...
10 Reasons to pick up a paintbrush: Good for your heart and soul
The cold winter weather combined with continuing concern for our health and safety during the pandemic may mean that many of us are opting to spend more time indoors these days. To keep boredom from taking hold, try to see this as an opportunity to delve into some fun hobbies that are not only Read More...
Book Excerpt: ‘The Sleep Fix: Practical, Proven, and Surprising Solutions for Insomnia, Snoring, Shift Work, and More’
“Sometimes finding just one place to start, one thread to pull on, can shift the momentum in the other direction—sleep improvement leads to more sleep improvement.” -Diane Macedo In today’s Optimist View, we’re delighted to share an excerpt from ‘The Sleep Fix,’ the newest book from Read More...
Forest Schools surge in popularity in the UK
Around 30 years ago, The Forest School movement was introduced to the UK via Scandinavia, a place where a passion for nature and the great outdoors is a deep-seated part of the culture. Now, Forest Schools are experiencing a revival in the UK. According to a 2021 survey by the Forest School Read More...
More sleep leads to happier teens
The impact of school closures Due to the pandemic, schools were forced to close in 2020 to decrease the rates of transmission within the population. Although necessary, this protocol hugely impacted adolescents' mental health, with rates of anxiety and depression are seen to be rising in the past Read More...
Belgium's "right to disconnect" protects workers from burnout
In November of last year, we shared a story about how Portugal has made it illegal for employers to contact workers outside of working hours in an effort to encourage a healthier work-life balance. Now, Belgium’s Minister of Civil Service Petra De Sutter has introduced a similar law for the Read More...
The Optimist Daily guide to “Un-LANGUISHING”: Ideas on how to reconnect to thriving
“By acknowledging that so many of us are languishing, we can start giving voice to quiet despair and lighting a path out of the void.” - Adam Grant BY Kristy Jansen and Summers McKay This year, big, audacious, expansive resolutions seem a bit on the absurd side. Nearly the entire first week Read More...
6 ways to maintain mental health during unpredictability
It’s now 2022, and the world is still reeling from the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. The global crisis has taught us many lessons, one of them being the importance of resilience and maintaining our mental health, especially in exceptional circumstances. Here are six practices that will help you Read More...
Is journaling not your thing? Here are 3 alternatives
Cultivating a journaling habit has been proven to help deal with stressful times, boost creativity, and improve mental health in general. That said, some people just aren’t a fan of journaling—or, an individual’s appetite for journaling may change throughout their lives; perhaps as a child Read More...