I was first directed to the VIA Character Strengths Survey in the course of taking Dr. Laurie Santos’ class, The Science of Well-Being, which is the most popular course ever offered in Yale‘s 300-year history. As part of an initial happiness assessment, Professor Santos directed us to this character strengths test as part of a […]
Cool Ideas
A Father’s Day Gift Guide for Busy, Stressed-Out Dads
The products curated in our Father’s Day Gift Guide below encourage health, wellbeing, wonder, and happiness for every kind of Dad. Whether your Father is an outdoor enthusiast, an organization freak, an athlete, a foodie, a tinkerer, some combination of those, or non-traditional in some way, this gift guide offers a few ideas to suit […]
John Krasinski’s “Some Good News” is Making the World a Happier Place
Desperately seeking some good news, John Krasinski recently put out a call on Twitter in which he asked fans to tell him what was inspiring them at the moment. Some very good news ensued. The beloved actor was so moved and overwhelmed by the enthusiastic responses that he cobbled them together in a new video […]
Garlic and Memory: An Intriguing Connection
Just when you think you know everything there is to know about garlic breath, a promising new link between garlic and memory has been traced to a compound in garlic known as allyl sulfide. Allyl sulfide is a naturally occurring flavor compound present in all Allium species, most notably garlic and onions. According to research […]
A Mother’s Day Gift Guide for Busy, Stressed Out Moms
Know a Mom who is short on time and always tired? Don’t we all. This Mother’s Day gift guide is specifically designed for busy, stressed-out moms– superwomen who don’t have a lot of time to take care of themselves because they’re too busy taking care of others. Because most Moms just want to chill and […]
3 Gentle Yoga Poses For Period Cramp Relief
When you’re looking for natural remedies for period cramps, yoga poses that encourage circulation to the pelvis should be at the top of the list. Studies show that yoga can help relieve pain and aches related to menstruation, while also soothing the nervous system. For maximum drug-free pain relief, take 1 tablespoon of raw honey […]
How Mental Health Became Pop Music’s Unlikely Muse
Maybe you’ve noticed that some of the biggest songs on the radio in recent years have dealt with themes of depression, anxiety, suicide, and other aspects of mental health. Or maybe you saw Lady Gaga‘s 2019 speech at the Grammy Awards in which she mentioned, perhaps unsurprisingly, that many artists deal with mental health issues. […]
A “Forrest Gump” Guide to Savannah, Georgia
Tom Hanks’ 1994 performance in the iconic American film Forrest Gump was a revelation at the time the movie came out– though the politics of having an able-bodied person (Hanks) play someone who was intellectually disabled (Forrest) have certainly changed. (Spoiler alert: that is a bad idea!) Nevertheless, Forrest Gump remains an essential narrative within […]
The Incredible Science of Stress Granules (and How To Counteract Them)
Stress has been something of a human paradox since the dawn of human existence. On the one hand, we humans need stress to identify danger in the environment around us. But on the other hand, if left unchecked, this unbridled stress response can lead to a host of inflammatory diseases that can cause poor health […]
25 Helpful Gifts for Stressed Out People
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to realize that people really only want gifts that will make their lives easier. That’s why I put together this collection of gifts for stressed-out people– a collection of beautiful, functional stress relief gifts that promote mental health and wellbeing. We live at a moment in history when divisive […]