Mental Health
Here you can read the latest news and research studies covering mental health. This is also the place to find out about different strategies on how you can reduce stress and boost happiness, and many other ways to look after your mental wellbeing.
Sardinian restaurants are banning phones for families at meals
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM The Italian federation of pediatricians designed a box of games to help parents ask their kids how their day went. Let’s think about this for a minute. A medical organization had to build a conversation starter for families at dinner because something else Read More...
NYC food pantries are now stocking pet food for struggling households
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM If you've ever moved a bit of food off your own plate just so your dog could eat, too, then you know the feeling this program is trying to address. It's a pretty common one in New York City right now. And most people who surrender a pet to a shelter aren't Read More...
Fall nostalgia: why your nervous system reaches for reruns when autumn arrives
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Every fall, something happens in the body before it happens in the mind. The smell of wood smoke drifting through a cracked window, the particular weight of October light slanting across the floor, and suddenly you're somewhere else entirely, back in a Read More...
How to quiet performance anxiety, according to sport psychology
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM You know that moment. The job interview is starting in 30 seconds, and your brain decides now is the perfect time to replay every mistake you've ever made. Or you're halfway through a presentation when a small stumble pulls your focus completely off the Read More...
Social physiology: the hidden health cost of eating alone, according to science
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM A study published in Science Advances found that eating the same meal with a close companion produces measurably better blood sugar control than eating it alone. In experiments with 108 participants, researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem Read More...
Wisconsin's first certified Shinrin-yoku trail is open to everyone
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Think about the last time you went for a walk in the woods. Were you listening to a podcast? Checking your step count? Moving fast enough to feel productive, already running through everything you needed to do when you got home? If any of that sounds Read More...
Soft productivity is the smarter way to work, and here's how to start
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM There's a kind of workday most of us know too well. You're logged on early, you barely step away for lunch, and by 6 pm you're not entirely sure what you have to show for it. The calendar was full. The inbox moved. But the work you wanted to get done? It's Read More...
How book clubs and bedtime stories protect and build healthier brains
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM If the book on your nightstand has been gathering dust, here's your reason to finally open it. A new review from Cambridge University researchers finds that reading for pleasure, whether that's a worn paperback or the latest romantasy on your e-reader, is Read More...
How revisiting old memories can build real self-esteem
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Think about a memory that still makes you wince. Maybe it is the time you said something embarrassing in front of people you wanted to impress, or the moment you felt out of place while everyone around you seemed completely at ease. Most of us carry a few of Read More...
8 low-cost hobbies that add hours of joy to your week
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Research has put a number on the value of a good hobby: eight hours. That is how much joy, defined as deep satisfaction, gratification, and accomplishment, studies suggest a person can add to their week by pursuing something they care about. Not entertainment Read More...