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.
Cave experiment lets volunteers reconnect with natural circadian rhythms
What is it to live without clocks, daylight, or simple communication with people outside your immediate surroundings? In the name of science, fifteen people descended into a cave in southwest France for 40 days to find out. The experiment, which was part of a wider project called Deep Time, Read More...
Adidas unveils its first shoe made of mushroom leather
Last year, we shared a story about a consortium of major brands pledging to bring mushroom leather into their products as soon as 2021. Among these giant retailers was Adidas, which has now unveiled a mycelium leather version of its classic Stan Smith trainers — becoming the latest in a flurry of Read More...
Santa Barbara institutes nation's first 100 percent rental assistance program
As families struggle financially during the pandemic, we’ve highlighted different solutions like mandatory mediations and legal assistance services that are helping avoid a housing crisis. Santa Barbara County is addressing the issue with a novel comprehensive rental assistance Read More...
Fixing Fashion reduces textile waste with consumer education
Dutch designer Dave Hakkens has launched a new sustainable fashion collection, but he doesn’t want you to buy any of it. Instead, he uses this line to illustrate the different techniques he teaches users on Fixing Fashion, a platform that features instructions and video tutorials on how to Read More...
Plugging abandoned oil and gas wells generates jobs and reduces emissions
We recently shared a study that found that plugging abandoned oil and gas wells is not only a win for the environment but can also generate billions of dollars in new jobs and avoiding pollution. A new study from the Ohio River Valley Institute supports these initial findings and lays out the Read More...
The Optimist View: Healthy Kitchens Week
“Everything happens in the kitchen. Life happens in the kitchen.” – Andrew Zimmern The kitchen is said to be the heart of the home. That’s where we gather with our families or friends to break bread, get nourishment, find connection. To celebrate Earth Day, which really has grown to Read More...
The Climate Diet: A guide to living for a greener future
We at The Optimist Daily are big fans of lifestyle changes that contribute towards slashing greenhouse gas emissions and offer a sense of autonomy in creating a greener future. We’ve written at length about the benefits of shifting towards a plant-based lifestyle and reducing personal waste and Read More...
Celebrate Earth Day with these 6 virtual events
Happy Earth Day! In addition to our Healthy Kitchens Week series, we’re celebrating by sharing some great virtual events you can take part in to honor the Earth and flex your sustainability muscles. Earth Day Live: Restore Our Earth. This online stream begins today at noon (EST) and Read More...
6 Creative recipes to put your food scraps to good use
Last year, scientists from Pennsylvania State University released a report revealing that the average US household wastes about 31 percent of the food it buys — that’s one in three bites ending up in the bin. And while the best way to prevent waste is to stop buying more food than you need, Read More...
7 Eco-conscious ways to unclog your sink
Fixing a clogged sink is one of the most tedious household tasks. No one wants to put their hand into water that has the soggy remains of everyone’s dinner floating around in it, but that doesn’t mean we should turn to convenient chemicals to blast things down the pipes. Here are seven Read More...