Welcome back to our weekly behind-the-scenes glimpse at what’s getting our team talking. Tell us what you’ve been reading at info@reasonstobecheerful.world and we just might feature it here. Uprooted When trees are in the path of development, they have to go. Right? Not in Japan, where arborists and horticultural experts are enlisted to lead a months-long process to carefully relocate centuries-old trees while keeping their root systems intact. As the Times of India reports in a story shared by RTBC Executive Editor Will Doig, the technique, known as nemawashi, “combines centuries of horticultural knowledge with modern engineering and reflects Japan’s long-standing respect for nature and cultural heritage.” Will says: Saving one very old tree at a time might have an impact that’s hard to measure — one that fosters a reverence for forests that reverberates through society. Seeds of change This year’s Earth Prize, the world’s largest environmental competition and “ideas incubator” for teens, went to three Indian teenagers who discovered a low-cost and low-tech way to remove microplastics from water. The surprising key, according to an announcement shared by Contributing Editor Geetanjali Krishna, is tamarind seeds — more specifically, a biodegradable magnetic tamarind powder that removes microplastics from water. Plas-Stick, as they’ve called their solution, is designed to work without electricity or complex machinery. Geetanjali says: Given the enormity of microplastic pollution in our rivers and oceans, I’m impressed by how simple and replicable this method seems. What else we’re reading The City That Conquered Traffic Has a New Weapon — shared by RTBC Founder David Byrne from Bloomberg CityLab Staten Island gets machines with free naloxone kits to help prevent future drug overdoses — shared by Editorial Director Rebecca Worby from Healthbeat An island in Chile covered its waters with floating solar panels. Soon, thousands of salmon had turned them into their home — shared by Executive Editor Will Doig from The Pulse by Ecoportal In other news… Let’s pause for a moment of beauty with this dispatch from Contributing Editor Peter Yeung: I came across this beautiful 160-year-old magnolia tree while strolling around in Bayonne, in the southwest of France. It has been recognized as an “arbre remarquable” or remarkable tree, reminding me of my story about Sceax’s tree charter. An “arbre remarquable” in Bayonne, France. Credit: Peter Yeung The post What We’re Reading: Saving One Centuries-Old Tree at a Time appeared first on Reasons to be Cheerful.

Every kid seems to have that one toy they’re obsessed with. For 3-year-old Sylas of Philadelphia, it’s a baby doll named Ellie. After Sylas asked for another sibling, his mom, Mary, lovingly surprised him with a baby doll. Now, videos of the 3-year-old tenderly caring for the baby boy doll are melting hearts across the internet. “Sylas absolutely loves Ellie!” Mary told Upworthy. “I’m hoping by [these videos] getting so much attention that we can see the benefits of baby dolls and normalize boys having them as well! Boys deserve to learn how to nurture and love at a young age, just like girls.” View this post on Instagram Taking care of Ellie Mary has been documenting the many ways Sylas has developed nurturing skills while caring for Ellie. “He enjoys giving Ellie milk and preparing food for him in his play kitchen,” she said. “He also makes sure Ellie uses the potty and doesn’t have accidents in his dinosaur costume.” The two also share plenty of adventures together. “Sylas makes sure to include Ellie in multiple activities including reading books before bath time, watching Ms. Rachel [who re-shared a video of Sylas watching one of her videos with Ellie], and tagging along to different activities like food shopping, swim class, and exploring the city of Philadelphia,” she said. Sylas has also been gifted two more baby dolls—twins—that his mom says “are both named Baby” for now. View this post on Instagram The benefits of baby dolls Mary, who teaches 4-year-olds and is also mom to Sylas’s younger brother, Myles, knew that giving Sylas a baby doll would offer more than just another toy to play with. “I am so big on learning through play,” she said. “Dolls can be helpful in so many ways, including social-emotional, fine motor, and communication [skills]. Caring for babies gives children the opportunity to practice patience, responsibility, empathy, and kindness that is natural and developmentally appropriate for their age that will benefit them for years to come.” In particular, she’s seen firsthand the positive impact caring for baby Ellie has had on Sylas. “Sylas has been talking through his big emotions more, having less accidents, and has been encouraged to eat more during meal time,” she added. Seeing Sylas “so happy” has also inspired Mary to give other children baby dolls of their own. “I am planning on using this spotlight to start a Baby Doll Drive for children who are placed in foster care like I was as a baby,” she said. View this post on Instagram Viewers respond Mary adds that the support from people watching Sylas care for Ellie has been especially encouraging to her as a single mom. “Seeing the comments about how well I’m raising my children also mean a lot because as a single mother, I always feel like I’m not doing enough or could be doing more for my children,” she said. “It’s hard making sure I’m always making the right choices and decisions for them.” Viewers shared their love for Sylas’s sweet nature in the comments: “A wonderful human being raised by a wonderful human .” “Ok this is amazing he is mimicking how he is treated… he baths his doll, lotions it, is so caring bc he is cared for ” “My heart is a puddle, Sylas is such a sweet daddy to Ellie ” “These videos of the sweetest boy ever with his bff give me so much joy and dopamine! Please give little man a big hug from me. ” “You are doing an AMAZING JOB because everything he’s showing his baby is a direct reflection of your parenting ” “Best dad!! This should be a video all men are required to watch to be dads. That baby is so lucky! ” “I hope you know I bought my son this exact doll after I saw your post today lol.” “What a beautiful heart he has.” The post Mom buys her 3-year-old son a baby doll. His affectionate parenting skills are melting hearts. appeared first on Upworthy.

Chick-fil-A does a pretty great job of keeping its menu exciting. The fast-food giant changes things up regularly and consistently tests and debuts new items. A few years back, select Chick-fil-A locations tested spicy chicken strips, and fans fell in love. But as quickly as they appeared on the menu, they seemingly disappeared. Instagrammer Snackolator has good news for fans who want a little more spice in their lives. Right now, the spicy strips are testing in select Georgia locations. “They’re exactly what you’d expect – the Chick-fil-A strips we all know and love with the extra kick of spice, and I remember them having a little extra crunch to the breading too,” Snackolator explained on Instagram. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Snackolator (@snackolator) Chick-fil-A’s Spicy Chicken Strips Were a Huge Hit Snackolator loved Chick-fil-A’s spicy strips and would love to see them on the menu again. “As of now they’re only in the testing phase, but as we know Chick-fil-A tends to test a few seasons ahead so fingers crossed these go nationwide again at some point,” he wrote. “Would you want Spicy Chick-n-Strips? I’d also be happy with Spicy Nuggets too…” He’s not alone; lots of people would like to see things get spicy at Chick-fil-A. “I have been waiting for this! I would prefer nuggets but I’ll do chicken strips lol,” someone commented. Others can’t believe that spicy strips and nuggets aren’t already on the Chick-fil-A menu. “OMG i’m surprised these haven’t happened already,” one person wrote. This person agreed, suggesting Chick-fil-A just roll them out nationwide. “Forget testing!!! Bring then everywhere,” they wrote. This story’s featured image is by Kevin Carter/Getty Images

Nehemiah Turner loves animals. The 11-year-old particularly likes dogs and knew that he wanted to spend more time with them. More than two years ago, his grandmother took him to the Jacksonville Humane Society to volunteer, and their lives changed forever. He’s the first student in the Pawsitive Reading program’s history to log 100 hours reading to pets. “100 hours read here at the shelter is such an amazing accomplishment over two years. That’s some serious, serious dedication for a young person like Nehemiah,” CEO Lawrence Nicholas told Action News Jax. Nehemiah Turner Takes His Volunteer Work Seriously Nehemiah Turner told Action News Jax reading to the pets makes him feel good. “Soothing, feels good, calm, comforted animals, not like a whole bunch of barking is happening,” he explained. Lawrence Nicholas said he loves the program because it keeps kids engaged and doesn’t rely on electronics to do it. “This is a place where we can put the tablet and the electronics down, pick up a good old-fashioned book, and read to somebody who really wants to hear your voice. How can you beat that?” said Lawrence Nicholas, CEO. Nehemiah is headed into sixth grade and is a straight A student. He plans to continue participating in the Pawsitive Reading program “What’s next? I think we got to set up a new hour. So, I think I set up like 110, 150, and 200 hours.” This story’s featured image can be found here

Anxiety can be a tricky condition to quell. Because it’s so common, researchers have spent decades trying to better understand it and find the right combination of medication and therapy to treat it. People who experience anxiety, especially at high levels, are often willing to try just about any life hack that might help keep it at bay. Harvard University-trained sociologist and author Martha Beck developed her own approach to tackling intense anxiety. She calls it the “CAT” method, which she explains in her book Beyond Anxiety. C is for Calm In an interview on Today, Beck broke down the acronym and explained how to put it into practice. If you’re beginning to feel anxious, she says to start with the “C,” which stands for “Calm.” But this isn’t about telling yourself to simply calm down—that approach rarely works. Instead, Beck suggests imagining yourself as a tiny, innocent baby or puppy and speaking to yourself the way you would to a vulnerable, beloved creature. “Your anxiety is always a little baby. A little animal,” she said. She also stresses the importance of speaking to yourself with kindness. “I think when you’re anxious, what you’re saying isn’t always kind,” she said. “‘I am going to fail. What’s going to happen?'” Beck reiterates that imagining yourself as a tiny kitten—or another small, vulnerable creature—helps you approach your anxiety with greater compassion. That shift in perspective can immediately begin calming your nervous system. A is for Art The second part of the acronym, “A,” stands for “Art.” Beck explains that once you’ve shifted into a calmer, kinder mindset, creating something can help redirect your attention away from anxiety. And it doesn’t require any artistic talent. “Don’t worry, you don’t have to be an artist,” she said. Anything you make—even something as simple as a sandwich—can be considered art. View this post on Instagram The act of creating something—whether it’s journaling, painting, cooking, or another creative pursuit—can itself help interrupt anxious thought patterns. “We have known that anxiety flatlines creativity,” Beck explained. “What I have started to realize is that creativity flatlines anxiety.” T is for Transcendence The final letter, “T,” stands for “Transcendence.” Each step builds on the one before it. “If you go into that creative space, your brain is designed to take you in connection with other beings and to assume some, I call it co-mingling, with creation,” she said. Beck acknowledges that the concept may sound a bit unusual, but says it may resonate with people who practice deep meditation. “It’s a weird thing, but that flow state that people are always after, you can go there and stay there,” she added. One YouTube viewer captured the idea perfectly: “C-A-T 1. Calm down the baby inside you.’ It’s gonna be ok, honey.’ 2. Art – do anything creative to initiate a shift in the brain. 3. Transcend – to gain a bigger birds-eye view and see possible solutions you hadn’t thought of before.” ‘People try to think their way out of anxiety’ Upworthy spoke with mental health expert Matt Grammer, founder of Therapy Trainings, about Beck’s “CAT” method. Given his expertise in developing training and resources focused on emotional regulation, trauma, anxiety, healthy coping strategies, stress, and resilience, he was well positioned to discuss the approach. He explained, “I agree with Martha Beck, that in her CAT (Calm, Art, and Transcendence) method, one of the major issues with anxiety is that people try to think their way out of anxiety, all the while their nervous system is still on high alert.” View this post on Instagram Instead of focusing only on the wellness aspects of the “CAT” method, Grammer explained how each step supports the next: “I see CAT as more of a sequence of steps, rather than three wellness tips. Calm gives space to respond rather than react. Art diverts the mind from ongoing threat scanning to sensory/creative play. Transcend engages the person in broadening their scope of connection to their meaning/values/nature/community and beyond the petty fear. For example, a person who is anxious in the moment (typically, thinking of the worst possible outcome) of a difficult conversation could use CAT and ask themselves, ‘What kind of person do I want to be in this conversation?’ to create some intentionality.” Excellent coping tool Grammer said he finds the method to be a helpful coping tool, but emphasized that it isn’t a substitute for therapy: “I think CAT is a useful coping tool, but not a substitute for professional help for anxiety, trauma, panic, OCD, and the like. Also, I am not a fan of overly literal statements that suggest switching from the left to right hemisphere of the brain and vice versa within CAT. I think the greatest gift of the CAT method is the shift in attention out of simplicity. “Anxiety focuses life on a single, anticipated event. CAT aims to broaden that perspective, though the intention isn’t to eliminate anxiety altogether. Instead, the focus is on restoring the ability to act appropriately in the face of anxiety.” The post Stop feeling anxious with expert’s ‘CAT’ method to switch off and ‘flatline’ anxiety appeared first on Upworthy.