NPR’s Stress Less newsletter series shares actionable strategies to reduce stress and increase joy. This series, based on a resilience course created by psychologist Judith Moskowitz, teaches eight strategies to boost your day-to-day well-being. 

The 8 skills to manage stress are: 

• Positive events: Notice when positive things happen in your life

• Savoring: Relish the positive things in your life

• Gratitude: Appreciate what brings you happiness

• Mindfulness: Focus on the present moment without judgment

• Positive reappraisal: Find the silver lining 

• Self-compassion: Be kind to yourself

• Personal strengths: Recognize your unique abilities

• Attainable goals: Make plans that set you up for success

The series launched on September 30, and I am currently on week 2 of the 5-week program. However, you can sign up for the Stress Less newsletter at any time and access the archived issues, as well as the upcoming weeks, if you subscribe now. — CD 

I’ve learned that ChatGPT and other chatbots are often more useful when you ask them to help you write your prompt. For example, instead of asking “Write an action-item list for planning a trip to Kyoto next fall,” ask “I’m taking a trip to Kyoto next fall. Write a prompt I can use to ask you to create an action-item list.” — MF

Difftext.com is an online tool that quickly finds the differences between two blocks of text. You can copy and paste text or drag in files, and it will highlight the differences in plain text, markdown, or code. There have been many times in the past when I wished I had something like this, so I was very happy when Recomendo reader Spencer Smith shared it. — CD

An Instagram artist I enjoy following is Adam Hale. His Daily Splice artfully spans photography, collage making, photogramery, gifs, cut outs, video clips, mash ups, and other visual experiments. — KK

This book, The Flavor Thesaurus; Pairings, recipes and ideas for the creative cook,  is original and without peers. It starts by mapping out 99 flavors of foods into a “flavor wheel,” and it then examines all the plausible combinations of these flavors, with comments on the pairing. I find it useful for cooking new things, but it is also a very enjoyable browse. How about trying these unexpected pairings: coconut & dill, or saffron & rhubarb, or walnut & cauliflower? There are thousands more, including well-loved common pairs. — KK

Maytree is a Korean a cappella group that recreates popular theme songs with stunning precision. Their vocal performances are so spot-on that you'd swear you were hearing actual instruments. My favorites include their renditions of Pyscho, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, The Godfather, and SpongeBob SquarePants. — MF

It’s rare to come across a quote that can instantly shift my perspective, but when I do, I feel compelled to share it widely. I found this one in issue #209 of Down the Rabbit Hole, a favorite newsletter of mine, and it is attributed to psychologist Carl Rogers from his book “A Way of Being” : 

“One of the most satisfying feelings I know — and also one of the most growth-promoting experiences for the other person — comes from my appreciating this individual in the same way that I appreciate a sunset.  People are just as wonderful as sunsets if I can let them be.  In fact, perhaps the reason we can truly appreciate a sunset is that we cannot control it.  When I look at a sunset as I did the other evening, I don’t find myself saying, ‘Soften the orange a little on the right hand corner, and put a bit more purple along the base, and use a little more pink in the cloud color.’  I don’t do that.  I don’t try to control a sunset.  I watch it with awe as it unfolds.  I like myself best when I can appreciate my staff member, my son, my daughter, my grandchildren, in this same way.”

— Carl Rogers

—CD

I’ve been using the Shark FlexStyle Blowdryer for almost a year now, and I can confidently recommend it as the best hair tool I’ve ever owned. I chose it over the Dyson Airwrap because it was half the price, and reviews indicated it was just as good, if not better. This tool is a significant time saver. I can blow dry and style my long hair in exactly 10 minutes. All the attachments are game changers: the oval brush adds volume, the paddle brush adds shine and smooths my hair, and the curlers use hot air to auto-wrap, curl, and set, which reduces heat damage. Although the blow dryer itself is compact enough for travel, the entire set with all the attachments take up a lot room. With that said, I often sacrifice other essentials in my luggage to bring it along because I really love how it makes my hair look and feel. — CD 

Los Angeles can be daunting, even for longtime residents. As an Angelino, I picked up some handy tips from an LA Times article called "How to park for free at LAX and other life hacks from L.A. locals." The free parking at LAX tip wasn't much use to me — motorcycles park for free. I no longer ride a motorcycle. But learning I can park my car in loading zones after 6pm and on Sundays was a surprise. — MF

These brief glimpses of human-animal hybrids as generated by AI are one of the most unnerving things I’ve seen. It gave me the chill of contacting alien species more than any sci-fi movie. — KK

My chief go-to guide for Europe is Rick Steves, who has made yearly trips to Europe over 40 years, and personally updates his guides. I trust his advice for anywhere in Europe and found him incredibly reliable in his details. He’ll not only tell you where to go, but also what window to get the ticket the fastest, and when is the best time of day to visit, etc. Most important, he will guide you to the best experiences – the evensong choir at the church, the cheesemaking place with samples, the back entrance to the museum, etc. Standard guides like Lonely Planet or Fodors are obliged to cover the whole country, while Steves smartly just directs you to the selected best. I have all the Rick Steves’ guides, and keep them updated. I find it very worthwhile to optimize my travel by buying the latest edition for a relatively small price compared to the cost of the trip. For a good example try Rick Steves’ Best of Europe (2024). — KK

William Zinsser's book On Writing Well emphasizes clarity and brevity. He urges writers to cut excess, avoid jargon, and express ideas simply. Don't fret about style. Strip your sentences, and your voice will emerge. I’ve read it three times and it always pays off.  — MF

Cellar Door is on a mission to find the most beautiful word in the English language based on public voting. To participate, all you need to do is pick between two word choices until you get tired of doing so. It's fun to reflect on your personal picks and notice how some words seem to hold more charm than others. This process allows you to appreciate the aesthetic qualities of words, such as their sound and rhythm, regardless of their meaning. As of today, the current word on the leaderboard is: diagnostics. — CD 

I am enjoying another new podcast doing very long interviews on fairly technical topics. Dwarkesh Patel’s superpower is asking unusual questions that no one has asked the guest before. His Dwarkesh Podcast (also on YouTube) goes deep – and long – on AI, history, and frontier sciences. It’s the ultimate nerd enjoyment. — KK

Found on Reddit, here is a cute illustration of very polite and empathetic ways to decline social invitations. I typically respond with a combination of "thank you for thinking of me" and "I'm sorry I can't make it." If it's someone I definitely want to spend time with, I follow up with an invitation to meet up in the near future. — CD

My dad gave my daughter his Montblanc fountain pen that’s 50 years old. She went to a Montblanc store nearby, and they cleaned out the dried ink for free. They also mentioned the free online calligraphy classes Montblanc offers. Anyone can join, even if you only have a Bic pen. We took the one-hour French Cursive class together and loved it. You can also watch past sessions. Be sure to download and print the exercise sheets for the classes. — MF

I bought a couple of TagVault Fabric Mounts to attach Apple AirTags to my luggage, which I use to keep track of their whereabouts. These flexible mounts have an adhesive backing that makes a permanent bond on fabric surfaces, securely holding the AirTag while allowing it to flex with the material. Suggested uses include jackets, backpacks, and purses. I stuck mine on the inside of my suitcases under the lining, making them nearly invisible. — MF

This article “How to do mental time travel” offers practical exercises to help you engage with your past and future selves. These exercises encourage adopting a long-term view and gaining a vast perspective on life, as well as your place in the world. Here is a list of the mental exercises that can help you gain clarity and meaning, and avoid harmful short-term thinking: 

• Conversation with Future Self: Imagine asking your future self open-ended questions to make better present choices.

• Empathy for Future Generations: Visualize the lives of future people to foster concern for long-term issues like climate change.

• Temporal Windows: Spend time each week reflecting on the long-term past and future by observing your surroundings.

• Generational Thinking: Consider your place in the timeline of your family and humanity to feel more connected to the past and future.

• Future-Gifting: Do something now that will benefit your future self or future generations.

• Long-Term Communities: Engage with communities and movements that promote long-term thinking and effective altruism.

• Alternative Time Perspectives: Learn from different cultural views on time to enrich your understanding and approach to the future.

— CD

Some of my most intense reading experiences have been listening to an audible book. When I was commuting to work, audible books transformed my commute from dread to anticipation. The best books would leave me sitting in my driveway, not wanting to get out because I had to hear more of the story. A few recommended books that are fantastic in audible form, and will not disappoint:

Lonesome Dove: Pure lovely storytelling from the first paragraph. I cried at the end of this western saga because I wanted to hear what happens next and for the story to continue on forever. It was made into a not-bad video mini-series, but this audit is longer and so it’s better.

Shantaram: A one-book wonder that tells the wild story of a New Zealand fugitive hiding in the slums of India, who comes to love the colorful characters of India’s mafia and outlaw underground. An incredible inside view of Indian cities. The narrator does all the voices in pitch perfect accents. 

Harry Potter: This version narrated by Jim Dale, who delivers every voice in a stunning performance, is the canonical version of this franchise for me, which I prefer over reading the book or the movies.

Peter the Great: Non-fiction works well in audible too. This long biography of Peter the Great, who transformed Russia, was a page turner, and a deep tour of the Russian soul. — KK.

Google has released an experimental AI called NotebookLM that allows you to upload PDF and text files for processing. The AI then generates various outputs such as FAQs, study guides, and briefing documents. The most intriguing feature is its ability to create a 10-minute long podcast-style conversation between a man and a woman, discussing the uploaded documents as if they were the most fascinating topic they've ever encountered. As an example, check out the results from an 1897 article from The Strand Magazine about unusual competitions held in London's East End. The AI-generated podcast show is astonishingly good. — MF