If you’ve never considered yourself a glass-half-full kind of person, there’s some good news: You may not be stuck that way. Research suggests optimism is something we can actually practice, and one surprisingly simple exercise takes just a few minutes a day. Here’s how to train your brain to look on the brighter side — without pretending everything is sunshine and rainbows.
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Fitness
Couples Who Work Out Together, Stay Together
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Workout Buddies: There are countless versions of “couples who do X together, stay together,” and new research out of Brigham Young University (BYU) adds exercise to the list. The findings suggest that couples who do physical activity together report higher relationship satisfaction.
The Study: The researchers examined data from nearly 1,700 young married couples in the U.S. Each couple reported how frequently they exercised, individually and together with their spouse. They also reported assessments of “marital communication, conflict resolution, and conflict.” After analyzing the data, the researchers concluded that exercising together was significantly associated with improved conflict resolution, better communication, and lower overall levels of marital conflict. The number-one reported form of joint exercise was walking, which the researchers said provides an opportunity for conversation.
Takeaway: Exercising with your spouse could improve your relationship by way of improving communication and conflict resolution skills. And it doesn’t have to be costly or intense: taking a simple walk seems to be impactful.
Keep in Mind: You don’t have to do everything together, all the time. Some marriage counseling professionals say that couples with different hobbies can thrive, too.
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Courtesy: Shortform
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Mindfulness
How To Use This Neuroscience Principle To Rewire Negative Thoughts
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Stinking Thinking: Ever have the experience where one critical comment plays on repeat in your head? Well, your brain’s default mode network (which switches on whenever you’re not focused on anything in particular, like in the shower or lying awake at night) may be to blame. A 2023 study scanned the brains of 53 women while they listened to critical comments and praise. Those at higher risk for depression showed more activity in this network after hearing criticism, but not after hearing praise. Researchers think the brain can be primed to latch onto criticism, but luckily, harnessing your brain’s neuroplasticity can help you break the pattern.
How to Do It: There’s a reason why affirmations remain so popular — they really work. So try saying the opposite out loud (something simple like “I handled this before” or “I’m doing fine” works best) next time you find yourself caught in a rumination spiral. Do it enough, and you’ll end up creating new neural pathways inside your brain.
The Benefits: Giving yourself positive affirmations basically gives your brain new material to practice instead of the old script. If you repeat it enough, your mind will find evidence to back it up, effectively breaking the rumination loop.
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Cognitive Health
Why Gen Z Is Trading Screens for Knitting and Crochet
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The Trend: From nonnamaxxing to grandma fashion, “grannnycore” is having a moment. Gen Z is living and dressing like their grammies — and even getting into their hobbies. Knitting and crocheting have gotten particularly popular: In increasing numbers, young adults are swapping smartphones for skeins of yarn.
What People Are Saying: As social media, AI, and other tech increasingly encroach on our lives, some have responded by seeking out a more analog lifestyle, from communicating via flip phones and listening to music on vinyl to prioritizing secondhand and handmade items. While this embrace of all things analog may feel nostalgic to older adults, for Gen Z, handmade crafts like knitting and crocheting can offer a way to unplug, slow down, and support mental well-being as part of a more intentional, less online lifestyle.
What to Know: Not only are knitting and crocheting fun and analog, but they’re also good for your health. Learning a new skill can help keep your cognition sharp, while hobbies that require deliberate, repetitive hand movements may lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol and calm the nervous system. Some research also suggests hands-on activities like knitting and crocheting may release oxytocin, a neurotransmitter associated with feelings of wellbeing.
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Quick Picks
Stress Supps — Curious about supplements marketed for reducing cortisol? Read this article first.
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Bone Builders — Which 5 exercises help your bones stay stronger as you age?
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All Healthy x Case Kenny
What Do You Want Your Next Chapter to Be?
Courtesy: Case Kenny
Whatever season you’re entering, there’s still room to decide what you want from it. That’s why Optimism has teamed up with writer and podcaster Case Kenny to bring All Healthy readers the free 7-Day Mantra Challenge. For seven days, you’ll get one short prompt designed to help you put what comes next into your own words — one honest sentence at a time. No writing experience, no audience and no pressure to get it “right.” Just a pen, a little honesty, and a question worth answering.
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HEALTHY HABIT
Keep Breakfast Ingredients at Eye Level
If breakfast is the meal that keeps falling apart, make it hard to miss. Put yogurt, eggs, fruit, overnight oats, or smoothie ingredients where you’ll actually see them. A good morning default does not need to be fancy. It just needs to be easier than pretending coffee is a meal.
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Final Thought
It is not enough to have a good mind. The main thing is to use it well.”
