How to bring more compassion to your conversations
( 3 minute read ) What’s the most pressing problem of our time? Steve Trzeciak, a researcher at the Cooper University Health System in Camden, N.J., says it’s our collective lack of compassion for one another. “We have a compassion crisis,” Trzeciak told Freakonomics Radio late last year. Steve and…
escape auto-correct hell with editable messages
( 2 minute read ) Ducking auto-correct! Sometimes our devices get a little ahead of what we’re trying to say—and “correct” our typing to something unintended. While we can’t retrain your phone’s dictionary to recognize your typing habits, what we can offer is the ability to edit illumy messages once…
4 key steps for conflict resolution from Deepak Chopra
( 3 minute read ) Deepak Chopra is a busy guy. The alternative medicine expert published his ninety-first book (!) during the pandemic—in addition to founding a global mental-health initiative called Never Alone and launching his own app: Chopra Meditation and Well-Being. While Chopra has been staying active, many of…
why video meetups are so tiring—and what to do about it
( 3 minute read ) You’re on a video call with colleagues, family, or friends. It’s an energizing discussion. Lots of laughs. You’re glad for the human contact—then you click “Leave Meeting” or “End.” Only then do you realize: you’re totally gassed. What happened? You’re not imagining anything. Video meetings…
7 powerful quotes on life from BIPOC visionaries
( 2 minute read ) We’re looking for inspiration right about now, so in the spirit of getting and staying inspired, here are seven quotes from Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) people who’ve influenced our culture and our world. 1. remember that you are part of something much…
how to be more intentional in 2021
( 3 minute read ) We don’t need to tell you that 2020 brought lots of challenges. What didn’t happen in 2020? Maybe the year’s biggest lesson was how badly things went for those of us who, a year ago, thought we had it all together. When so much is going wrong,…
15 TV shows sure to beat the winter blues
( 2 minute read ) Winter is nearly upon us—on top of everything else that is going on in the world. If you’re like us, you could use some cheering up right around now. As the days get shorter and the weather becomes cooler (and we spend more time indoors…
tips for better family decision-making based on science
( 3 minute read ) To say that this Thanksgiving is an unusual one is an understatement. For many of us, drinking, dining, and chatting—all of Thanksgiving’s cherished rituals—are happening over the phone or on video chat. Catching up, swapping stories, and sharing memories may not feel the same this…
4 tips for having vulnerable conversations via text-based communication
( 3 minute read ) If you’re following social distancing guidelines, interaction in real life has been abbreviated to a quick hello at the grocery store, a moment of chit-chat with a barista, or a smile and wave on the sidewalk. These days, digital communication tools have likely replaced many…
how to launch a virtual book club using illumy
( 3 minute read ) How have you been spending your time in lockdown? Maybe you took some suggestions from our list of 100-plus free activities, such as learning a language, attending an art class, or browsing digitized art treasures. As we researched that list, we saw no small number…