BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Life can be hectic, and it does not always allow for the rest we want and need. Whether it’s owing to a newborn’s irregular sleep schedule or an intense workload, sometimes you just can’t get those additional Z’s. Although prolonged sleep deprivation is not ideal, there are techniques to survive the day when you’re absolutely exhausted. Here are three expert-recommended ways to help you get through your day with a bit more energy, even if you’re running on empty. 1. Utilize your body’s natural energy cycles Understanding and leveraging your body’s natural energy swings can make a big impact when you’re tired. Energy naturally ebbs and flows throughout the day, and the patterns differ from person to person. As Dr. Michael A. Grandner, a licensed psychologist and sleep expert, suggests, “Try to tackle the most draining tasks when your energy’s on the upswing and save the easier stuff for when you usually tank.” For example, if you are most awake in the morning, focus on high-energy tasks such as exercising, working on major tasks, or running errands after breakfast. Schedule less difficult duties, such as answering emails or performing light cleaning, for times when you generally feel tired, such as mid-afternoon. You may increase productivity and save energy by timing your activities to match your natural rhythms. 2. Move your body, preferably outside When you’re fatigued, the thought of exercising may seem like a cruel joke, yet physical movement, even at its most basic, can help you overcome lethargy. Dr. Grandner emphasizes that some movement is preferable to none, stating that “if you’re on your feet, it’s hard to fall asleep.” Moving your body boosts blood flow, which brings more oxygen and nutrients to your muscles, giving you the extra energy you need to stay awake and attentive. If feasible, take your exercise outside. Natural light helps regulate your body’s internal clock by indicating to your brain that it is daytime and triggering the release of chemicals that keep you awake and energized. Even a brief walk outside, especially on a sunny day, can boost your energy and help you resist the need to nap. 3. Connect with others to improve your mood When you’re exhausted, socializing may seem like the last thing you want to do, but connecting with others may be unexpectedly revitalizing. “Humans are social animals,” explains Dr. Grandner, “and talking to another person is stimulating.” Research shows that social interactions cause the release of feel-good chemicals in the brain, including oxytocin, dopamine, and serotonin. These neurotransmitters not only serve to regulate your mood but can also make you feel more connected and attentive. You don’t need to organize a large social gathering; simply a brief chat with someone can make a difference. If you’re an extrovert, take a coworker for a walk over your lunch break or plan a quick catch-up with a friend. If you’re more introverted, a simple phone call from a loved one may be enough to lift your spirits and get you through the day. While nothing can replace the benefits of a good night’s sleep, these tactics will help you get through the day when rest is not an option. Working with your body’s natural rhythms, engaging in mild physical activity, and interacting with people can help you find just enough energy to get through the day. Remember, persistent fatigue should be discussed with your healthcare professional to rule out any underlying health conditions. The post 3 tips for dealing with extreme fatigue when sleep is not an option first appeared on The Optimist Daily: Making Solutions the News.

BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM In an unusual blend of biology and technology, researchers are working with sea lions to explore undiscovered ocean territory. Scientists can now gain unique insights into the seafloor by outfitting these marine creatures with cameras, opening up new potential for conservation and ocean mapping. A recent study in Frontiers in Marine Science describes this exciting approach in detail. The researchers attached cameras, GPS trackers, and accelerometers to Australian sea lions, allowing them to explore their underwater environments organically. The sea lions revealed six distinct seafloor habitats over the course of 89 hours of footage, offering important information on coastal topography and the influence of human activities on marine ecosystems. Why Australian sea lions are so crucial Australian sea lions, the only pinniped species native to Australia, are experiencing a significant population decrease as a result of human-caused threats such as debris-related mortality and habitat degradation. With their numbers having fallen by 60 percent in the previous 40 years, the remaining 10,000 to 12,000 sea lions are largely concentrated in South and Western Australia. These locations also have mostly unmapped maritime environments, making sea lions’ contributions to oceanographic study even more important. “Animal-borne video from Australian sea lions offers unique advantages,” the research team wrote, highlighting that the footage supplied by the sea lions may cover broad areas of the seafloor in a relatively short period and at a far cheaper cost than traditional approaches. A cost-effective alternative to traditional methods Traditional ocean mapping strategies frequently use sophisticated technologies such as towed cameras and remotely operated vehicles (ROVs). While effective, these approaches are time-consuming, labor-intensive, and require suitable weather conditions. In contrast, sea lions can easily travel the ocean’s depths, collecting footage in locations that human divers would find difficult or even impossible to reach. “Wessel-based surveys are costly, time and personnel-intensive, and rely on suitable weather conditions, which makes mapping large expanses of the benthos challenging,” explained the researchers. Sea lions, which can dive up to 245 meters (804 feet), are naturally prepared to investigate these depths, providing a low-cost, adaptable alternative to traditional mapping approaches. The implications for marine conservation and future research The success of this study demonstrates the feasibility of using animal-borne cameras in maritime research. While tagging marine animals such as sharks and turtles is not new, using cameras to collect data on ocean environments is a relatively new method. This approach could change the way scientists study the ocean by offering detailed and dynamic pictures of undersea ecosystems. The sea lions’ footage is more than just a scholarly curiosity; it has real consequences for marine conservation. By mapping newly identified habitats, researchers can gain a better understanding of the surroundings on which these endangered sea lions rely, guiding conservation efforts to safeguard these vital locations. This novel application of technology may open the way for more sustainable and cost-effective methods of oceanography and marine conservation in the future. Source study: Frontiers in Marine Science—Using sea lion-borne video to map diverse benthic habitats in southern AustraliaThe post Sea lion film crew helps with ocean floor mapping and species conservation first appeared on The Optimist Daily: Making Solutions the News.

If you need joy, God promises that it is available to you. Find hope in the truth that nights don’t last forever. One day, the night will be no more, but for now, the sunrise will come. The light and fresh air offer hope and beauty that our souls need. Take heart; the morning is coming soon, my friend.

The post The Food Your State Hates Most Of All appeared first on Shareably.

Democrats gathered in Chicago, Illinois on Monday to kick off the first day of the Democratic National Convention with the ostensible theme “For the People.” Despite the theme, the stage was mostly dominated by political and cultural elites when compared to the Republican National Convention last month in Milwaukee. Rather, it was three other themes that set the tone for the week ahead.  Betting Big on Gender Politics With Democrats set to nominate the first female person of color as a major party’s presidential nominee, the convention to put the spotlight on female speakers. First Lady Jill Biden, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Rep. Lauren Underwood of Illinois, and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass were among the female politicians who addressed the crowd gathered in Chicago Monday night.  The Democrats’ decision to put its female leaders front and center on night one suggests Democrats are set to lean in on the widening gender gap in American politics that is particularly pronounced amongst young voters. A February Gallup poll found that 40% of women aged 18-29 identify as liberal, while only 25% of young men do.   While political attitudes are not as segmented between the genders in older generations, exit polling from previous presidential elections show how men and women are increasingly sorting themselves into red and blue. In 2008, the gender gap was seven points; by 2020 it was 12 points.   With Kamala Harris atop the Democratic ticket, the gap is poised to grow even wider. “It is now close to, or certainly in the ballpark of, the biggest gender gap we’ve ever seen,” Paul Maslin, a pollster at FM3, told Politico. A recent CBS News/YouGov poll showed women favored Harris by 12 points, while men favored Trump by nine.  All this helps explain why the Harris campaign has opted for an aesthetic (including its co-option of pop star Charli XCX’s “brat” branding) and communications strategy geared towards young women online. Democrats seem to believe turning out these young, female voters come November, though messaging on abortion and other social issues, is the key to victory.  2. Create Chaos on the Right  Democrats seem poised to use the DNC’s domination of the primetime airwaves this week to bait the right into fighting itself. If night one is any indication, Democrats’ strategy to break conservative ranks will be through continued attacks against The Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 to pit the think tank against the Trump campaign.  With a comically large copy of the Project 2025 reader, “Mandate for Leadership,” in hand, Michigan Senate Majority Whip Mallory McMorrow took the stage for a primetime speaking slot on night one.   “This is the Republican blueprint for a second Trump term,” McMorrow proclaimed on the DNC stage despite both the Trump campaign and Heritage Foundation’s insistence that the campaign and Project 2025 are independent of one another. McMorrow went a step further, claiming that Project 2025 plans “to turn Donald Trump into a dictator” by “reissu[ing] Trump’s Schedule F Executive Order to permit discharge of nonperforming employees” and “ending law enforcement activities of independent agencies.”  “That is not how it works in America,” McMorrow later screamed as screens behind her read “Choose Democracy,” seemingly unaware that the proposals reinstitute elected checks on unelected bureaucrats.  The doomsday scenario? “Donald Trump would be able to weaponize the Department of Justice to go after his political opponents,” McMorrow said.  Pot, meet kettle.  Before leaving the stage, McMorrow promised that Democrats would be back tomorrow with another speech on proposals in Project 2025, even though the Harris campaign has previously admitted to misleading voters about Project 2025’s objectives and its relationship to the Trump campaign.  3. Out With the Old, In With the new  Monday night also featured ghosts of presidential elections past.   In what felt like a swan song address, former Secretary of State and 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton took the stage Monday night to proclaim that the glass ceiling is shattering for real this time.   “Tonight, so close to breaking through once and for all, I want to tell you what I see through all those cracks and why it matters for each and every one of us. What do I see? I see freedom,” Clinton told the audience. “On the other side of that glass ceiling is Kamala Harris raising her hand and taking the oath of office as our forty-seventh president of the United States.”  The glass ceiling wasn’t the only Clinton reprise in her DNC speech. Clinton went for the deep cut with the revival of her “it takes a village” mantra, the title of her 1996 book. “We have to fight for Kamala as she will fight for us. Because you know what, it still takes a village to raise a family, heal a country and win a campaign,” Clinton said. The late Bob Dole rolls in his grave.  “The future is here. It’s in our grasp,” Clinton said to conclude her remarks. The bitter pill for Clinton to swallow is if that future comes, she likely won’t play a major part in it. “Fight Song” by Rachel Platten played as she exited stage left.  The Bidens won’t be playing a large role in that future either, at least if the party has its way.   First Lady Jill Biden preceded her husband, still the incumbent president, late Monday night. The first lady breezed past lingering questions that remain about the nature of her husband’s decision to not run for reelection. “When I saw him dig deep into his soul and decide to no longer seek reelection and endorse Kamala Harris,” Jill Biden said, was a moment she “f[e]ll in love with him all over again.”  “Joe knows that our nation’s strength doesn’t come from intimidation or cruelty. It comes from the small acts of kindness that heal deep wounds, from service to the communities that make us who we are, from love of a country that shines with promise and renewal,” the first lady claimed. But “Kamala Harris knows that too.”  Harris, and her running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, are “inspiring a new generation,” Jill Biden concluded.  Speaking for the old generation, President Joe Biden took the stage at almost 10:30 p.m. Chicago time. Biden was teary-eyed as he walked on stage, and remained visibly choked up as he approached the microphone and the crowd chanted “we love Joe!” and “thank you, Joe!”   In the midst of making official the unceremonious passing of the torch to his vice president, Biden was defiant about his record as president. Biden proclaimed his administration took on Big Pharma, beat back inflation with the Inflation Reduction Act, the passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and America’s continued involvement in the war in Ukraine.   Not before long, Biden was scraping the bottom of the barrel. He boasted that his administration has invested in, and built, charging stations from electric vehicles—even though only 7 chargers have been built. The president insisted that now there are fewer border crossings than when Donald Trump left office, but U.S. Customs and Border Protection data shows that in January of 2021 there were 78,414 migrant encounters on the southern border while there were nearly 105,000 in July. Biden also claimed that “when Trump left office, Europe and NATO was in tatters,” despite the largest land war in Europe breaking out under Biden’s watch. Nevertheless, Biden promised it was “not a joke!”  The president had his trademarked stumbles in a stemwinder carried on for nearly an hour, but nothing like the troubles that beset him in the presidential debate that led to his political demise in June.  Nearly an hour in, Biden finally decided to hand Harris the baton as promised. The president said he knew Harris would make a good president “because like many of our best presidents, she was also a vice president.”  “That’s a joke,” Biden added.  The post 3 Themes That Set the Tone for the DNC on Night One appeared first on The Daily Signal.

NEW: Trump Drops an Update on the Presidential Debate Schedule As Biden Ends DNC Speech

New research exposes dangerous lead levels from Malawi’s informal solar battery recycling, calling for urgent waste management reforms. Researchers at The University of Manchester have identified dangerous levels of lead pollution in Malawi due to informal recycling of lead-acid batteries from off-grid solar systems. Common informal recycling activities for lead-acid batteries used in solar energy [...]