Over the last few years,
sustainability has become one of the biggest buzzwords in the fight against environmental problems like climate change, loss of biodiversity, ecosystem degradation, and pollution. But what does sustainability actually mean? And how do you make it part of your everyday life?
Broadly speaking, sustainability is the idea that we must meet our own needs
without compromising the ability of others to meet their needs, whether the “others” in question are future generations or people living in other parts of the world. But understanding the basic concept is one thing. Practicing it is quite another.
Every single day we make dozens of different choices that impact our planet. But understanding this impact is not easy. And when it comes to green living, there is a lot of conflicting information about what’s eco-friendly, what’s not, what’s fact, and what’s fiction.
But green sustainable living is possible. With a little guidance, we can all learn to make better choices for ourselves and the planet.
And that’s where the Sustainable Living Online Course from International Open Academy comes in.
Sustainable Living Online Course
When it comes to green living, there’s certainly no shortage of information available on the internet. The trouble is figuring out who knows what they are talking about and what information is legit.
If you’re tired of spending half of your research time trying to vet your sources and you just want straight answers to your questions about sustainable living, the Sustainable Living Online Course is for you. Sustainability experts designed this course to be the ultimate resource on sustainable living. As such, it covers everything you need to know to lead a renewable life that keeps you and the planet healthy.
Key topics covered in this online course include:
- how to make sustainable living easy
- how to look great without damaging the environment
- how to spot companies that aren’t eco-friendly
- how to save money and the planet at the same time
- how to find sustainable food that tastes great
- how to make simple swaps that make a big impact
Of course, the Sustainable Living Online Course won’t magically reduce your carbon footprint to zero. You’ll still have to put in the work and implement what you learn. But this course will give you the tools you need to be a better citizen and live a healthier, more natural life.
International Open Academy, or IOA, is one of the internet’s most trusted sources for online learning, with over a million students in 139 different countries. Whether you want to learn coding, interior design, or knitting, IOA’s accredited online courses make learning easy, fun, and affordable. No matter the subject, IOA courses focus on practical skills, with videos, texts, activities, and exams that students work through at their own pace.
Normally, the Sustainable Living Online Course costs $119. However, you can enroll through Groupon for just $17, which is a whopping 86 percent off the regular price.
If you’ve made it your goal to be more eco-friendly in 2023 but are unsure where to start, this deal on the Sustainable Living Online Course from International Open Academy is definitely for you. Click here to start your sustainable living journey today.
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The next generation of female leaders has arrived. Here’s how they’re making sure they (and every girl) get a chance to learn.
Malala Fund and their local partners, with support from Pura, help girls find their voice. The result: greater access to education and a better world.
Music, community and joy drive real change
In a small village in Pwani, a district on Tanzania’s coast, a massive dance party is coming to a close. For the past two hours, locals have paraded through the village streets, singing and beating ngombe drums; now, in a large clearing, a woman named Sheilla motions for everyone to sit facing a large projector screen. A film premiere is about to begin.
It’s an unusual way to kick off a film about gender bias, inequality, early marriage, and other barriers that prevent girls from accessing education in Tanzania. But in Pwani and beyond, local organizations supported by Malala Fund and funded by Pura are finding creative, culturally relevant ways like this one to capture people’s interest.
The film ends and Sheilla, the Communications and Partnership Lead for Media for Development and Advocacy (MEDEA), stands in front of the crowd once again, asking the audience to reflect: What did you think about the film? How did it relate to your own experience? What can we learn?
Sheilla explains that, once the community sees the film, “It brings out conversations within themselves, reflective conversations.” The resonance and immediate action create a ripple effect of change.
MEDEA Screening Audience in Tanzania. Captured by James Roh for Pura Across Tanzania, gender-based violence often forces adolescent girls out of the classroom. This and other barriers — including child marriage, poverty, conflict, and discrimination — prevent girls from completing their education around the world.
Sheilla and her team are using film and radio programs to address the challenges girls face in their communities. MEDEA’s ultimate goal is to affirm education as a fundamental right for everyone, and to ensure that every member of a community understands how girls’ education contributes to a stronger whole and how to be an ally for their sisters, daughters, granddaughters, friends, nieces, and girlfriends.
Sheilla’s story is one of many that inspired Heart on Fire, a new fragrance from the Pura x Malala Fund Collection that blends the warm, earthy spices of Tanzania with a playful, joyful twist. Here’s how Pura is using scent as a tool to connect the world and inspire action.
A partnership focused on local impact, on a global mission
Pura, a fragrance company that recognizes education as both freedom and a human right, has partnered with Malala Fund since 2022. In order to defend every girl’s right to access and complete 12 years of education, Malala Fund partners with local organizations in countries where the educational barriers are the greatest. They invest in locally-led solutions because they know that those who are closest to the problems are best equipped to solve and build durable solutions, like MEDEA, which works with communities to challenge discrimination against girls and change beliefs about their education.
But local initiatives can thrive and scale more powerfully with global support, which is why Pura is using their own superpower, the power of scent, to connect people around the world with the women and girls in these local communities.
The Pura x Malala Fund Collection incorporates ingredients naturally found in Tanzania, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Brazil: countries where Malala Fund operates to address systemic education barriers. Eight percent of net revenue from the Pura x Malala Fund Collection will be donated to Malala Fund directly, but beyond financial support, the Collection is also a love letter to each unique community, blending notes like lemon, jasmine, cedarwood, and clove to transport people, ignite their senses, and help them draw inspiration and hope from the global movement for girls’ education. Through scent, people can connect to the courage, joy, and tenacity of girls and local leaders, all while uniting in a shared commitment to education: the belief that supporting girls’ rights in one community benefits all of us, everywhere.
You’ve already met Sheilla. Now see how Naiara and Mama Habiba are building unique solutions to ensure every girl can learn freely and dare to dream.
Naiara Leite is reimagining what’s possible in Brazil
Julia with Odara in Brazil. Captured by Luisa Dorr for Pura In Brazil, where pear trees and coconut plantations cover the Northeastern Coast, girls like ten-year-old Julia experience a different kind of educational barrier than girls in Tanzania. Too often, racial discrimination contributes to high dropout rates among Black, quilombola and Indigenous girls in the country.
“In the logic of Brazilian society, Black people don’t need to study,” says Naiara Leite, Executive Coordinator of Odara, a women-led organization and Malala Fund partner. Bahia, the state where Odara is based, was once one of the largest slave-receiving territories in the Americas, and because of that history, deeply-ingrained, anti-Black prejudice is still widespread. “Our role and the image constructed around us is one of manual labor,” Naiara says.
But education can change that. In 2020, with assistance from a Malala Fund grant, Odara launched its first initiative for improving school completion rates among Black, quilombola, and Indigenous girls: “Ayomidê Odara”. The young girls mentored under the program, including Julia, are known as the Ayomidês. And like the Pura x Malala Fund Collection’s Brazil: Breath of Courage scent, the Ayomidês are fierce, determined, and bursting with energy.
Ayomidês with Odara in Brazil. Captured by Luisa Dorr for Pura Ayomidês take part in weekly educational sessions where they explore subjects like education and ethnic-racial relations. The girls are encouraged to find their own voices by producing Instagram lives, social media videos, and by participating in public panels. Already, the Ayomidês are rewriting the narrative on what’s possible for Afro-Brazilian girls to achieve. One of the earliest Ayomidês, a young woman named Debora, is now a communications intern. Another former Ayomidê, Francine, works at UNICEF, helping train the next generation of adolescent leaders. And Julia has already set her sights on becoming a math teacher or a model.
“These are generations of Black women who did not have access to a school,” Naiara says. “These are generations of Black women robbed daily of their dreams. And we’re telling them that they could be the generation in their family to write a new story.”
Mama Habiba is reframing the conversation in Nigeria
Centre for Girls' Education, Nigeria. Captured by James Roh for Pura In Mama Habiba’s home country of Nigeria, the scents of starfruit, ylang ylang and pineapple, all incorporated into the Pura x Malala Collection’s “Nigeria: Hope for Tomorrow,” can be found throughout the vibrant markets. Like these native scents, Mama Habiba says that the Nigerian girls are also bright and passionate, but too often they are forced to leave school long before their potential fully blooms.
“Some of these schools are very far, and there is an issue of quality, too,” Mama Habiba says. “Most parents find out when their children are in school, the girls are not learning. So why allow them to continue?”
When girls drop out of secondary school, marriage is often the alternative. In Nigeria, one in three girls is married before the age of 18. When this happens, girls are unable to fulfill their potential, and their families and communities lose out on the social, health and economic benefits.
Completing secondary school delays marriage, and according to UNESCO, educated girls become women who raise healthier children, lift their families out of poverty and contribute to more peaceful, resilient communities.
Centre for Girls’ Education, Nigeria. Captured by James Roh for Pura To encourage young girls to stay in school, the Centre for Girls’ Education, a nonprofit in Nigeria founded by Mama Habiba and supported by Malala Fund and Pura, has pioneered an initiative that’s similar to the Ayomidê workshops in Brazil: safe spaces. Here, girls meet regularly to learn literacy, numeracy, and other issues like reproductive health. These safe spaces also provide an opportunity for the girls to role-play and learn to advocate for themselves, develop their self-image, and practice conversations with others about their values, education being one of them. In safe spaces, Mama Habiba says, girls start to understand “who she is, and that she is a girl who has value. She has the right to negotiate with her parents on what she really feels or wants.”
“When girls are educated, they can unlock so many opportunities,” Mama Habiba says. “It will help the economy of the country. It will boost so many opportunities for the country. If they are given the opportunity, I think the sky is not the limit. It is the starting point for every girl.”
From parades, film screenings to safe spaces and educational programs, girls and local leaders are working hard to strengthen the quality, safety and accessibility of education and overcome systemic challenges. They are encouraging courageous behavior and reminding us all that education is freedom.
Experience the Pura x Malala Fund Collection here, and connect with the stories of real girls leading change across the globe.
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Happiness expert shares the 7 habits of people who are happy and healthy later in life
Four habits are physical, three are psychological.
No one wants to be unhappy or unhealthy at any age. But as we get older, health and happiness arguably play an outsized role in our quality of life. Sketchy health habits we may have gotten away with when we were younger catch up to us later in life. And what once made us feel happy may no longer be an option as we age.
So how do we stay both happy and healthy throughout our lives?
Dr. Arthur C. Brooks, a social scientist at Harvard University and a leading researcher on happiness, has studied this question. Thanks largely to the 85-year-long Harvard Study of Adult Development, the longest-running study on happiness, we can better understand which qualities and habits are associated with being both happy and healthy as people age.
Four quadrants. Photo credit: Canva Measuring health and happiness basically separates people into four quadrants. In an interview with Dr. Rhonda Patrick, Brooks shared that people who fall into the happy-healthy (or happy-well) quadrant tend to share seven habits in common.
The four physical habits associated with happiness and health
The first four have to do with our physical health and are ones that most of us might guess.
“Diet, exercise, smoking, and drinking,” Brooks said, adding that happy-well people are “very moderate” when it comes to substance use. “None of them were addicts, or if they had trouble with it, they quit,” he said.
Brooks shared that he smoked into his 20s and, even then, knew it was stupid. “But I still think about it every day,” he said. “I do. I love nicotine. I got addicted to it when I was 13 and quit when I was 26. And it was a relationship for me, right? But the whole point is no, because lifelong smokers have a 7 in 10 chance of dying from a smoking-related illness, and that is an unhappy way to go. You’re not going to be healthy and you’re not going to be happy dying of emphysema.”
As far as diet goes, Brooks said the happy-healthy people eat a “normal, healthy” diet. And for exercise, it’s really about moderation and the obvious things like walking and staying active.
“If you don’t exercise at all, you’re not happy and well,” he said. “And if you’re an exercise maniac, you actually will do some mechanical ill to your body, but actually you’re probably not happy and some compensation is going on.”
Three psychological and emotional habits associated with health and happiness
The other three habits aren’t quite as obvious.
“No. 1 is continuing to learn,” Brooks said. “And people who are life-long learners, they are healthier and they are happier. That’s usually a lot of reading, but curiosity is how that comes about. It’s just really really important.”
The next is having a technique for dealing with setbacks.
“You’ve got to get good at it,” he said. “You need skill at dealing with life’s problems. And if you don’t get good at it, you’re going to be bad when things actually crop up. And so maybe you’re good at therapy. Maybe you’re good at prayer, maybe you’re good at meditation. Maybe you’re really good at journaling. But all the happy and well people have their way to deal with it and they’re highly skilled in doing it.”
And the seventh habit, which Brooks calls “the biggie,” is simply love. “People who have the best lives, who are happy and well when they’re older, they have a strong marriage and/or close friendships,” he said. “That’s it. There’s no substitute for love. Happiness is love, full stop.”
Brooks shared other thoughts about the value in boredom and the pitfalls of social comparison in this segment, but the whole interview is filled with fascinating insights into what makes people happy and healthy.
You can watch the full Found My Fitness episode featuring Dr. Arthur C. Brooks here:
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A psychologist’s productivity quiz gives people insights into how they work best
There are eight different archetypes. Which one are you?
Have you ever ended a long workday feeling drained, unproductive, and wondering where the heck all your energy went? Many of us blame ourselves for not having enough willpower or discipline. We invest in new planners, download habit-tracking apps, or create rigid to-do lists to push through the exhaustion. But what if the problem isn’t your effort?
Dr. Mark Travers, a psychologist, suggests a kinder, more effective solution. He argues that your daily output isn’t about sheer willpower—it’s about being in tune with your biology. By aligning your schedule with your body’s natural rhythm, you can enjoy greater ease and joy in your tasks, transforming the way you approach work.
The science of work rhythms
Did you know? Our bodies operate on specific internal clocks that influence everything from focus to energy levels. You may already be familiar with the circadian rhythm, the all-mighty cycle that governs your sleep and wake patterns. However, this doesn’t just occur at night: during the day, your brain also runs on shorter ultradian cycles of about 90 minutes. These cycles consist of distinct energy phases: rising, peaking, and then declining. When you push past your natural peak without taking a break, you drain your mental resources, leaving you fatigued and less effective.
Additionally, researchers have identified another phenomenon, the Synchrony Effect. This concept clearly shows that timing is crucial for productivity. It’s powerful to schedule complex, high-focus tasks during your biological peak, so that you can perform them more efficiently and with greater clarity. On the other hand, trying to do difficult work during a natural energy dip can feel like an uphill climb. The key is insight: knowing when your brain is at its best can completely change how you approach your most important tasks.
The three dimensions of productivity
Travers highlights three important elements that influence how we approach our work. These aspects offer valuable insight into how we think and help explain why different people flourish under different conditions.
Intensity
Intensity measures your energetic output. Some people excel in short, powerful bursts of work, tackling tasks with explosive focus and tons of energy before needing a break to recharge. Others perform better with a steady, measured pace that allows them to sustain their momentum over longer periods. For example, a writer might sprint through the first draft of an article in a focused hour, while another might prefer to slowly build their piece over several hours. Both are valid forms of output.
Focus
This dimension explores how you manage your attention. Some individuals work best when they dedicate long, uninterrupted blocks of time to a single, complex project. For them, deep focus is key to achieving flow and completing their best work. On the other hand, some people thrive by juggling multiple tasks and rotating between activities. By shifting their focus, they feel energized and use that energy to maintain momentum throughout the day.
Structure
Finally, structure examines how much predictability you need in your routine. Those who value routine often crave fixed schedules with clear start times, consistent deadlines, and detailed calendars. Structure helps them feel grounded and in control. Others prefer flexibility and thrive when they have the freedom to make spontaneous decisions throughout their day. They might find rigid schedules stifling and gain energy from looser outlines that allow for creativity and adaptability.
Discovering your archetype
To uncover your own unique combination of intensity, focus, and structure, take the Work Rhythm Personality Test. Developed by Travers, this quick assessment reveals your individual cognitive approach and matches you with one of eight productivity archetypes. As an added benefit, Travers also lists your second-best match and your ideological opposite. It should take only about two minutes to complete, but its impact on your productivity can be tremendous.
Sprinters need a solid structure to perform well. Photo credit: Canva The Sprinter
For example, you might discover you’re a Sprinter, someone who thrives under pressure and works best with tight deadlines. Travers writes, “The Sprinter is defined by a trifecta of psychological traits that cognitive science has linked to peak episodic performance: high activation energy, single-point attentional control, and sensitivity to external scaffolding… You are built for the race.”
The place where Sprinters most often struggle is the formless afternoon: no deadline on the horizon, no clear finish line, an inbox full of vague tasks, and a calendar that just says “project work.” For most people, that’s a reasonable Tuesday. For you, it’s a productivity black hole. The solution isn’t more willpower—it’s better structure. With this work rhythm, plan for two or three intense work sprints during the day, with genuine breaks in between, rather than trying to sustain peak productivity all day.
Marathoners love to work on a single thing at a time. Photo credit: Canva The Marathoner
You might not be the loudest person in the room. But when it actually matters—when the project is long, the stakes are high, and everyone else has burned out or moved on—you’re still there, still producing, still reliable. That’s the Marathoner. It is, in many ways, the most underrated archetype of all.
Your vulnerability is sudden change and rapid context-switching. Since you work best with long periods of deep concentration, try blocking out a single, extended protected time slot in the morning, followed by a shorter one in the afternoon (or vice versa).
The Architect is independent and self-sufficient. Photo credit: Canva The Architect
Some people need check-ins, progress meetings, and a manager asking, “Where are we on this?” to stay on track. You are genuinely not one of those people. If you’re an Architect, you come with your own engine. You sustain effort over long periods, focus on one problem at a time with remarkable depth, and don’t need external pressure to light the fire—the work itself does that.
Here’s the paradox, though: the same independence that makes you exceptional in the right environment can render you almost invisible in the wrong one. Recognizing this difference could be one of the most professionally eye-opening things you’ve ever done. Travers suggests keeping the same work sequence on most days, with recurring priority blocks, breaks, and a consistent shutdown ritual.
Are you good at juggling tasks? You might be a Conductor. Photo credit: Canva The Conductor
If your brain naturally juggles five things at once and somehow keeps them all moving forward, there’s a name for that: you’re a Conductor. While other people need long stretches of uninterrupted quiet to do their best work, you actually thrive in the middle of the action. You work at a steady pace, skillfully juggling multiple tasks without dropping any, and you really shine when a deadline is approaching and your team is counting on you. While some might find complexity draining, you see it as an opportunity to bring clarity and deepen understanding.
Here’s the thing about being a Conductor, though: organizations notice. And once they do, they tend to give you more. Your days should be built around managing complexity without being consumed with it. Remember to be aware of your limits, understand your capacity, and set boundaries to protect your well-being.
Perhaps you’re a Deep Diver, in which case the modern workplace isn’t meant for you. Photo credit: Canva The Deep Diver
There’s also the Deep Diver, whose engine runs from the inside. You bring intense, focused energy to your work. You love to tackle one challenge at a time, and once you’re engaged, you don’t need anyone to hold you there. Here’s the catch: the modern workplace was not designed with you in mind. Open-plan offices, Slack pings every six minutes, back-to-back meetings that chop your day into unusable fragments. All of it is neurologically harmful to how your brain functions best. Instead, protect your uninterrupted time by setting aside blocks in your schedule so your brain can focus on what it does best.
Flow Weavers work at their own pace. Photo credit: Canva The Flow Weaver
If the standard productivity playbook—sprint goals, KPI dashboards, weekly status updates, time-blocked calendars—has never quite fit, congrats: you’re a Flow Weaver. “The Flow Weaver is the archetype that defies the conventional productivity imagination most completely,” writes Travers.
You work at your own pace. You move between projects and ideas not according to urgency or someone else’s schedule, but according to something harder to explain: a felt sense of when you’re ready, when an idea has ripened, and when the momentum is there. Resist the urge to overschedule your day or pack it with rigid blocks. The goal for you isn’t a timetable—it’s honoring your internal signal.
The Igniter is ready to get things started. Photo credit: Canva The Igniter
You are the person everyone wants in the room when something new is about to start. Igniters bring a unique type of energy that’s truly rare: high-intensity, multi-layered, and at its most electrifying when there’s a deadline, a collaborator, or a charged social environment surrounding the work. You don’t just begin things—you’re motivated by starting things.
Harness the charge before it scatters. Start your day and hit the ground running. Channel that immediately into your highest-stakes task before anything else can dilute it.
None of the above? You’re likely a Firestarter. Photo credit: Canva The Firestarter
The Firestarter combines three things that don’t always appear together: high activation energy, the ability to think across multiple domains at once, and a fierce, uncompromising autonomy. You move fast. You connect dots others haven’t noticed yet.
When your environment demands sequential compliance—forms filled out in order, mandatory syncs attended on time, processes followed precisely because “that’s how we do things here”—you experience a kind of chronic friction that’s easy to misread as poor work ethic. It isn’t. It’s a mismatch between how your brain is wired and how the institution is structured. As you plan your day, remember that the goal isn’t to fill every hour—it’s to direct your considerable energy toward the right targets before it disperses.
Achieving better results with less friction
Understanding your archetype gives you a personalized roadmap for structuring your day in a way that feels natural and effective. When you work with your biological rhythms rather than against them, you reduce friction and create a workday that feels fulfilling rather than draining. Higher job satisfaction, increased productivity, and greater life balance are all achievable when you align your schedule with your brain’s natural rhythms. It’s not about doing more—it’s about working smarter with intention and ease.
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Artist’s provocative display captures how doctors dismiss women’s pain
“Wait why are there scissors? Why is that q-tip SO large?!”
Long-acting, reversible contraception methods like IUDs have become extremely popular in the United States and beyond. Just a few decades ago, only about 2% of women relied on them. In recent years, that figure has risen to around 17%, accounting for millions of women.
The rising popularity makes sense. IUDs can be convenient, highly effective, and can even make a woman’s period far less painful or stop it altogether. There’s just one problem: getting an IUD inserted hurts. For some people, it hurts a lot.
The pain from getting an IUD can range from mild discomfort for some people to excruciating pain for others. What’s frustrating is that medical providers haven’t historically listened to patients who say the procedure is severely painful. A 2013 study found that the average patient rated the pain of insertion at 64.8 out of 100, while providers estimated it at just 35.3—a big disconnect.
For years, women struggling in the aftermath of the procedure have been told the same infuriating refrain: “Just take ibuprofen.”
Artist brings women’s frustration to life
Emily Kampa recently debuted a striking piece of artwork built around this common source of dismissed pain among women.
The display, aptly titled “Just Take Ibuprofen,” boldly shows the actual medical instruments used in an IUD insertion in all of their horrific glory. Kampa listed them on her Instagram:
- Speculum: 6.95” nose length
- Single toothed tenaculum: 10”
- Paracervical block (& needle): 6”
- IUD insertion tube: 11”
- MT cervix-holding clamp: 11”
- OS finder: 8”
- Cotton swab: 8”
- IUD string scissors: 9.8”
- Hook for IUD removal: 10”
- IUD: 1.25”
After hours of research and planning, Kampa etched the instruments onto a copper plate, each one rendered life-size.
For the in-person installation at the Triton Museum of Art, Kampa placed the display on a real medical cart, with a surgical glove loosely dangling off the corner.
She wrote that she wanted viewers to experience the tools the same way she did when she first saw them at her OB-GYN’s office.
“‘Wait why are there scissors? Why is that q-tip SO large?!’” she recalled thinking. “That image stuck with me long after my own IUD experience and was the spark for this project.”
The art evokes a visceral reaction in viewers. It’s hard not to feel that taking a few Advil is a woefully inadequate response to the pain caused by these long, sharp instruments.
Artwork goes viral
Photos of the display have been posted and reposted across social media, racking up thousands of likes and comments wherever they appear. Many women flocked directly to Kampa’s Instagram account to thank her for speaking out through her art:
“Thank you for this because I thought I was over reacting when I got physically sick. I [was] literally on the verge of vomiting and passing out. Cramps for days.”
“I never connected to an image so much in my life. … For the first two years (and still for a few days every month), felt like I had barbed wire inside me. I went to the doc after the first two weeks of pain and the nurses there said … the pain was normal for the first year.”
“Ibuprofen my a**! Too many of us have been gaslit, dismissed, ignored, traumatized, and even killed by medical professionals. Thank you for capturing this all-too-true experience and sharing your process”
“My cervix is shuddering. This is ART from experience”
Conversations like this spark needed change
Art has the power to elevate messages in unique and memorable ways. Thanks to women and artists like Kampa who have spoken out over the years, the culture of IUD pain management is steadily changing for the better.
In 2024, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its guidelines for IUD pain management to include local anesthetics and pre-procedure counseling.
A year later, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) followed suit and released updated guidance on pain management for procedures like IUD insertions.
“Systemic racism and bias as to how pain is experienced and who experiences it also has, unfortunately, influenced pain management considerations,” said Dr. Christopher M. Zahn, chief of clinical practice and health equity and quality at ACOG.
The new guidance recommends local anesthetics for the procedure, as well as “comprehensive pain management counseling” for patients, including offering the option of sedation or general anesthesia when possible.
These are big and necessary steps forward. Perhaps the most powerful part of this shifting conversation and culture, however, is that more women are being heard and their pain is finally being taken seriously.
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People are finding out firsthand why you ‘can’t’ pour water down the Hoover Dam
Don’t try it unless you’re ready to get wet.
Most people have a love-hate relationship with social media these days, but it has provided at least one public service. All those rumors and old wives’ tales that have been flying around for years? People around the world can now put them to the test and compare notes on their findings.
That’s exactly what Eddie, a TikTok user, decided to do on his recent visit to the Hoover Dam.
Putting the theory to the test
The Hoover Dam, located on the border between Nevada and Arizona, isn’t just one of the largest dams in the world. It also has a unique design that makes it recognizable around the world.
And even though the dam can handle some 300,000 gallons of water per second, if you try pouring a bit of your own water over the ledge…well, you can’t. At least, that’s the theory.
In a recent video shared on social media, Eddie writes, “POV you heard you can’t pour water down the Hoover Dam.” He then proceeds to do just that, or at least attempt it.
Eddie walks toward the edge of the dam with a cup of water in hand and tips some of it over the side. Immediately, as if by magic, it begins to levitate and break into droplets. The drops scatter along the face of the dam, with some even splashing back onto Eddie, prompting a joyful chuckle.
Mystery solved…or is it?
Other tenacious folks have tested the theory and had no trouble watching their water tumble down the side of the dam.
Annie, inspired by Eddie’s success, tried it with her boyfriend, and found herself bamboozled:
And yet, other people had no problem replicating the “viral trick.”
Here’s Luis, who visited the dam in 2022:
Science behind the trick
So, what’s really going on here?
According to IFLScience, your results in replicating this trick may vary depending on the day, where you’re standing on the dam, and the conditions.
Simply put, strong winds flow up the wall of the dam, pushing the water upward at high speed and causing it to splash. But it’s not an effect that’s easily replicated at other large, man-made structures. The dam’s design is perfectly suited to this result.
The Hoover Dam is situated above Black Canyon, whose high walls act as a wind funnel on breezy days. Winds in the valley can reach over 50 miles per hour. Naturally, when the air hits the wall of the dam, it has nowhere to go but up.
The wind accelerates up the face of the Hoover Dam because the water at the top cools the air.
So, on windy days, you get an extremely powerful upward draft—sometimes called ridge lift or slope lift—that can make small amounts of water appear to levitate.
Other places that seem to defy nature
The Hoover Dam isn’t a magical anti-gravity spot, but it is unique in the way it harnesses natural forces.
You might have heard of “gravity hills,” which are spots around the world that trick your eyes. These optical illusions make downhill slopes appear to go uphill, leading to some wild experiences—like cars in neutral “rolling uphill.”
People lucky enough to swim in the Dead Sea are often amazed at how they seem to magically float, thanks to the water’s extremely high salt content.
Like these locales, the Hoover Dam trick isn’t magic. It’s science. Some might say that makes it even cooler.
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Happiness expert shares 3-step cformula to build deeper connections
“If you only share, it’s a monologue. If you only listen, it’s an interview.”
The key to finding happiness has been widely researched. The data on happiness suggest that it comes down to our connections with others.
Dr. Sonja Lyubomirsky, a professor of psychology at the University of California, Riverside, explained that her research has identified one key factor in happiness—and it comes down to conversation and deeper connection with others.
During a TEDNext 2025 presentation, Lyubomirsky explained that she has been a happiness researcher for more than 30 years. In her lab, she has conducted experiments on “happiness interventions” since 1998.
These “interventions” include exercises such as writing letters of gratitude, performing acts of kindness, and “acting” extroverted—all of which led people to feel happier. Her research suggests these activities increase happiness because “they help us feel more connected to and loved by others.”
How to connect with others
Lyubomirsky’s next challenge was to determine how humans can connect most with one another. From touch to dance to eye contact, she noted that these are all valid ways people connect.
But in Western culture, connection often happens through conversation. Still, simply talking with others doesn’t always lead to connection because of the “walls around us.”
“We build those walls to protect ourselves, yet they also keep us from ever letting anyone in,” said Lyubomirsky. “They keep us from becoming truly known.”
To feel more loved, you have to be more known—which means taking down those walls when talking with others.
The 3-step conversation formula
Connecting more deeply with others starts with approaching conversations differently, according to Lyubomirsky. She offers a three-step formula to follow:
Step 1: Share from the heart
“You take down your walls by sharing something real about yourself, not just your highlight reel,” said Lyubomirsky.
The goal is to share deeply and be brave enough to let others see the real you. To do so, she encourages people to pace themselves and start small.
“Don’t immediately share your deepest secret or trauma,” she explained. “If you go deep too fast, everyone’s walls will come right back up again.”
Instead, say something honest—something like, “I’ve had a rough day,” instead of “I’m fine,” she said.
Step 2: Help others lower their walls
This is achieved by listening to learn, not to respond.
“Quiet your voice so theirs can be heard,” explained Lyubomirsky.
To do this, she encourages people to listen as if there’s going to be a quiz tomorrow on what the other person shares.
Step 3: Ask one more question than you usually do
This final step helps build deeper connection. For example, she suggests asking the person you’re speaking with, “How did that really feel?” Such questions signal that you’re right there with them, Lyubomirsky said.
She added, “When was the last time someone asked you a real question about your life? It’s rare. Yet research shows people yearned to be asked, and those who ask questions are better liked.”
Her final note is to keep in mind that sharing and listening go hand in hand. “If you only share, it’s a monologue. If you only listen, it’s an interview,” Lyubomirsky said. “But when you do both, that’s when the magic happens.”
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Trainer shows how a simple 45-degree hand shift makes push-ups easier and more effective for women
“Now I can so easily do push-ups. Honestly, mind blown.”
Many women have a hard time doing traditional push-ups. Instead, they opt for “girl push-ups,” where the knees are placed on the ground to accommodate less upper body strength.
But what if this exercise actually took female anatomy into consideration?
That’s the question behind a viral fitness trend on TikTok where women are making one small shift to their arm placement and suddenly realizing they could do full push-ups all along.
What is a “women’s anatomy” push-up?
As explained by Kayla Lee, a women’s anatomy and biomechanics educator, women tend to have a naturally greater “carrying angle” than men, meaning their elbows angle more outward when the arm is straightened. Traditional push-ups, where the elbows are tucked in and the wrists are stacked under the shoulders, don’t always accommodate this, which can lead to difficulty with the exercise, or even joint pain.
However, turning the hands outward at about 45 degrees and placing them slightly wider than shoulder-width accommodates this anatomical difference, making the exercise more doable while also reducing wrist and elbow strain and improving stability.
The reaction
So far, the reaction has been overwhelmingly positive, with many women hailing it as a game changer.
“Now I can so easily do push-ups,” one TikTok user said. “Honestly, mind blown.”
Another wrote, “POV: You tried the ‘form for women’s anatomy push-ups’ and suddenly now you’re questioning everything.”
Of course, not everyone saw instant benefits. Some felt no difference, while others found that traditional push-ups actually worked better.
But, regardless, the real takeaway is that there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. We should aim for good form, but it has to be a form that works with your body.
Historically speaking
It’s also worth noting that, historically, women haven’t always been taken into account in the fitness industry, or the health industry overall.
Fitness programs either drew a stark divide between men’s and women’s fitness—remember when it was unheard of for women to lift weights at all?—or neglected women’s structural differences, hormonal fluctuations, and need for pelvic floor health.
So it wouldn’t be surprising if push-ups, an exercise believed to have originated with ancient Indian warriors and later popularized by the military, were also shaped through a male-centric lens.
Thankfully, this is changing. For example, equipment manufacturers are redesigning machines with narrower grip spacing and more comfortable chest pad designs. Women are increasingly prioritizing muscle gain to help stave off osteoporosis and age-related muscle loss. There’s also greater awareness of hormonal health and pelvic floor strength, especially postpartum.
And trainers like Kayla Lee offer more female anatomy-friendly exercise alternatives—from bicep curls to dumbbell rows to lateral raises, just to name a few.
In other words, sometimes it’s not about “getting stronger” in the way we’ve been told, but about finally having the tools that work with our bodies instead of against them. If a small shift in hand placement can unlock that kind of confidence, imagine what else becomes possible when fitness truly starts including everyone.
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Surprising 16-year-long ADHD study proves researchers’ hypothesis totally wrong
The findings from first-of-their-kind, long-term ADHD studies keep rolling in and surprising researchers along the way.
Our understanding of ADHD has come a long way in just a few short years. Though it wasn’t even formally recognized as a medical condition until the 1960s, by the time the 90s rolled around, diagnoses and stimulant prescriptions were extremely prevalent. (Raise your hand if you grew up in the era of “Anyone who struggles in school gets Ritalin!”) Today, diagnoses and treatment are a lot more thoughtful and individualized, and there are more options for treatment and therapy including but not limited to stimulants like the well-known Ritalin. Even with all these advancements, though, we still have more to learn.
A new long-term study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry has proven to be an excellent next step in getting a better understanding of the disorder, showing that a lot of what’s commonly believed or assumed about ADHD is incomplete or just flat-out wrong.
Researchers studied 483 participants who were diagnosed with ADHD in childhood and continued to assess them for a period of 16 years. The study’s authors wanted to get a sense of how ADHD symptoms might change over time.
A doctor looks at an MRI. Photo credit: Canva What the researchers found surprised them. In most participants, symptoms of ADHD fluctuated greatly over the years rather than staying consistent. What surprised them even more were the environmental factors that seemed to play a role in those fluctuations.
Researchers expected that greater life demands—like more responsibility at work, a heavier workload at school, major life changes, etc.—would exacerbate ADHD symptoms. What they found was the opposite.
It makes sense that a person that struggles with inattention or hyperactivity might have more trouble focusing when they have more “going on” and more distractions to pull them in different directions. It was a huge surprise to the researchers that, actually, people’s ADHD symptoms seemed to ease up when life got hectic.
“We expected the relationship between environmental demands and ADHD symptoms to be the opposite of what we found,” study author, professor, and clinical psychologist Margaret H. Sibley explained. “We hypothesized that when life demands and responsibilities increased, this might exacerbate people’s ADHD, making it more severe. In fact, it was the opposite. The higher the demands and responsibilities one was experiencing, the milder their ADHD.”
I have a 4-year-old with ADHD and the findings totally track for me based on what I’ve witnessed in our own life.
We find it’s actually easier to be in perpetual motion sometimes (out running errands, doing activities, visiting friends and family) versus staying put too long. When we’re just relaxing at home, that’s when she tends to start bouncing off the walls! Her ADHD tendencies come out strong in these quiet periods, including what we sometimes playfully refer to as her “hoarding” dozens of coloring sheets or surrounding herself in giant piles of toys, blankets, and stuffed animals; thereby making a huge mess in the house.
Doing nothing or doing very little is not often a restful state for people with ADHD. Typically, people with ADHD experience more background noise than neurotypical brains, so a quiet, seemingly restful environment can sometimes amplify racing thoughts, negative self-talk, and impulsive behavior versus dampening it. You know how kids sometimes act out in school not because they’re not smart, but because the material is actually too easy for them and they’re bored? Something similar is at play in both of these scenarios.
Of course, as always in science, you have to be careful assuming causation from the findings.
It’s important to note that the results of the study don’t definitively prove that being busy causes a decrease in ADHD symptoms.
“This might mean that people with ADHD perform their best in more demanding environments (perhaps environments that have stronger immediate consequences, like needing to put food on the table for a family or pay rent monthly). It also might mean that people with ADHD take more on their plate when their symptoms are relatively at bay,” Sibley says. Either way, the correlation is certainly strong and worthy of more study.
In the meantime, the study’s authors think the results could be viewed in a hopeful light for people just learning to manage their ADHD. “If you’re a doctor talking with a patient who is first getting diagnosed with ADHD, it’s a huge help for that person to hear the message that, ‘You’re going to have good years and not-so-good years, but things can go really well for you if you can get the right factors in place,’” Sibley said. As a parent, I can imagine how reassuring that would have been to hear early on in our own process.
With ADHD diagnoses on the rise, more and more research is being conducted. For example, a recent long-term study out of Sweden was just published linking use of ADHD medication with a reduction in traffic crashes, general injuries, and criminal behavior. That’s a strong argument for continuing to hone in on accurate diagnoses and treatment for people who need it, as it clearly benefits society as a whole when done properly!
We’re learning more and more about what the factors that affect positive ADHD outcomes are, like what might exacerbate symptoms and what types of things can help, and we’re starting to get a clearer picture of how people can manage this challenging disorder.
This article originally appeared last year.
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‘Windfall time’: Why unexpected free time feels so much better than the kind we plan
A new study reveals why we value surprise downtime.
Most of us are familiar with the sudden rush of relief that comes when a work meeting gets canceled. Even if you’re only getting 60 minutes of your time back, it can feel like a huge chunk of the day is suddenly uncharted territory. That feeling is liberating—a rare moment when your schedule loosens its grip, reminding you that not every second of your time is spoken for.
It turns out there’s a scientific explanation for this wave of euphoria, and it has everything to do with our (very subjective) sense of time.
A Rutgers University study, published in the Journal of the Association for Consumer Research, found that when people unexpectedly gain free time, they perceive it as longer than time that was already designated as free. The researchers call this phenomenon “windfall time.”
“An hour gained feels longer than 60 minutes, and that deviation from expectation creates a unique sense of opportunity,” said Gabriela Tonietto, an associate professor of marketing at the Rutgers Business School and lead author of the study.
Computer, clock, and letters spelling “TIME.” Photo credit: Canva Tonietto’s past work has explored various aspects of time management and perception, including “time famine” (the persistent feeling of not having enough time) and the benefits of having nothing to do. Her research often highlights how our relationship with time is shaped less by the clock and more by context, expectation, and emotion.
After conducting seven surveys involving more than 2,300 participants, the team found that windfall time results from the “contrast effect.”
That surprise hour is inherently judged against the initial expectation of having no free time at all, and thus feels perceptually expanded. In other words, a canceled one-hour meeting gives you 60 more free minutes than you expected to have. That mental comparison alone is what makes the time feel richer, fuller, and more valuable.
In terms of productivity, the study also found that people were just as likely to use windfall time for work (often longer tasks) as they were for breaks or personal errands. Tonietto cautioned against employers trying to engineer these surprises, especially at the last minute, as it could backfire and create frustration rather than relief.
Instead, Tonietto suggests that whenever this windfall comes, we should simply “take the gift and make the most of it.”
A man stretching at his desk. Photo credit: Canva And really, this discovery hits a little broader than just the workplace.
Parents, for example, might never know a sweeter bliss than the 45 minutes of free time gained when their child takes a nap. A delayed appointment, an early dismissal, or even a plan that falls through can become an unexpected pocket of possibility. That might mean being productive, or doing nothing at all, without guilt.
For example, some people find it helpful to use windfall time to start a task that normally feels too big to begin. Because the time feels more expansive, it can lower the mental barrier to getting started, even if only a small portion gets done. Others might choose something genuinely restorative, like stepping outside, taking a short walk, or simply sitting in silence without distractions.
A woman walking, refreshed. Photo credit: Canva It can also help to pause before automatically filling the time. Resisting the urge to default to scrolling or busywork, even briefly, allows you to decide what would actually feel good or useful in that moment. Keeping a loose mental list of things you enjoy or have been meaning to do can make these unexpected pockets of time feel even more rewarding.
Perhaps the biggest takeaway is to start seeing more of our time as “windfall time,” so we can make the most of it—or at least appreciate it more. Because sometimes it’s not about having more time, but about recognizing the moments when it unexpectedly appears.
