Today’s Solutions: December 18, 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.

zero-waste back pack for travel

7 tips for zero-waste air travel

While traveling by air isn’t the most eco-friendly means of transportation, sometimes it's the only viable option to get us where we need to go in a highly globalized world. However, even if you do travel by plane, there are still ways to reduce the environmental impact of your trip (that go Read More...

Tibetan singing bowl.

3 benefits of sound healing to bring your body to vibrational balance

Music is a powerful force that can evoke all kinds of feelings and responses within our bodies. Scientists are only just starting to understand how our brains process these melodic sounds, with numerous studies looking into music's capabilities in treating human ailments. With that in mind, it’s Read More...

APA, AAPI...

APA, AAPI, APIDA or AANHPI? The history and significance of the “Asian American” identity crisis

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” ― Lao Tzu By Arielle Tiangco Weeks ago, seated cross-legged on my couch, I watched the small bobbing faces of my colleagues speaking within the confines of their equally-sized zoom rectangles. We were in our scheduled editorial Read More...

Different fresh wild mushrooms in wicker bowl on black wooden table.

Four surprising reasons to add more mushrooms to your diet

Here at The Optimist Daily, we are huge fans of mushrooms. As each year passes, more scientists are turning toward fantastic fungi to treat a range of mental health conditions and look to their impressive networks for inspiration in building complex computing devices. Mushrooms have soared in Read More...

close up of woman's feet while sitting on the toilet

A pelvic floor physical therapist’s 3 tips for regular movements

We’ve all got busy schedules, so when we find ourselves held back because of some uncomfortably long wait times while sitting on the toilet, it can be more than frustrating. It’s a bit of a taboo subject, but let’s be real—everybody can relate. There are certainly some lifestyle Read More...

Star trails during the Lyrid Meteor Shower, April 2020, Herefordshire, UK.

How to catch the Lyrid meteor shower this Earth Day

Earth Day is an international celebration of our beautiful planet and a reminder of what steps we need to take to save it. The date marks the anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement which started in 1970. This Earth Day, the stars have aligned (so to speak) to bring us the Read More...

man sits with feet on the table, showing off holes in his socks

4 eco-conscious ways to dispose of old clothing

Once you’ve exhausted a garment to the point that it can no longer be mended, it can be tempting to simply throw it into the regular trash. However, doing so will only send them to the landfill where they will generate greenhouse gases and leach harmful dyes and chemicals into the soil as they Read More...

Solar Advocacy

6 ways to support solar energy without buying panels

Renewable resources are essential to achieve our goal of energy independence and resilience in the face of a changing climate. While many of us support the move toward energy sources such as wind and solar, we might not own our homes or be in a position to put up some solar panels ourselves. The Read More...

dog with a bunch of carrots in its mouth

Study suggests plant-based diets could be a healthy option for dogs

In the quest to lower carbon emissions, people’s interest in plant-based diets is growing, due to the fairly common knowledge that eating meat and animal byproducts, especially beef and dairy, is very resource-intensive.  The conversation around feeding our beloved pets plant-based chow is Read More...

Vibrant pink, blue, yellow flowers in full bloom growing wildly over stone wall in a cottage garden

Celebrate Earth Day by planting native plants… and then neglecting them

A lot of the time, human intervention is less effective than letting nature take its own course. So, this year, why not honor Mother Nature by giving her free rein over your garden. Instead of wishing for perfectly manicured lawns and pristine landscaping, imagine instead a fairytale-like oasis Read More...