YES! Article archive

Father and daughter with kite photo from Shutterstock

A Brief History of Happiness: How America Lost Track of the Good Life—and Where to Find It Now

For decades, we've been taught that economic growth and buying more stuff will make us happy—while trashing the planet. The good news is, there’s a better kind of happy: It starts with meaningful work, loving relationships, and a thriving natural world.

Sarah van Gelder | May 15, 2015

Tiny Houses in Paradise! 20 Incredible Vacation Rentals on Airbnb

From caves in Spain to treehouses in Cape Town, check out Airbnb's best tiny house destinations.

Cat Johnson | May 6, 2015

Health care

“I Wish My Teacher Had Known…”—Adults on How Teacher Empathy Could Have Changed Their Lives

Teachers don't always know the challenges kids deal with outside of the classroom. Sometimes talking can make all the difference.

Lindsey Weedston | Apr 23, 2015

Local economies

Big City Living May Help You Slow Down, Stress Less, and Be Happy‏. Really!

From New York City to Barcelona, cities across the world are turning to “slow living” to make their communities happier and healthier in the face of increasing urbanization.

Zanna McKay | Apr 17, 2015

We Aren’t Alone in Our Cities: 12 Ways Animals Have Adapted to Urban Life

City living is changing animals in surprising ways. But they’re also transforming the cities they share with us.

Matt Soniak | Apr 14, 2015

How I Learned to Ask For Handouts (No Matter How Weird It Feels)

Farming and writing don't bring home the bacon—why I'm no longer ashamed to ask my community to help.

Shannon Hayes | Apr 14, 2015

When It’s Time to Hand the Farm to the Next Generation, the Simple Life Is Anything But

This year’s muddy spring presents my family with the chance to pull together more closely than ever.

Shannon Hayes | Apr 9, 2015

Local economies

What Your Town Can Learn From America’s Most Walkable Suburb

It's got great transit, plenty of sidewalks, and values people more than cars.

Jay Walljasper | Mar 31, 2015

Wealth and inequality

Why “Broad City” Is the Perfect Comedy for the Student Debt Generation

The Comedy Central show allows millennials of a specific demographic—and even those outside of it—to laugh at the situation the 1 percent has handed them.

Kate Aronoff | Mar 18, 2015

Jobs

7 Myths About Housewives, Debunked

Are housewives less ambitious than career women? Are they bad feminists? Read on to go beyond the stereotypes.

Lindsey Weedston | Mar 14, 2015

Forget Dystopian Fiction: This New Novel Explores Being a Modern Teenager Waiting for the End Times

In Bryan Bliss' debut novel, 16-year-old Abigail's family follows a charismatic preacher to San Francisco, where they live in a van to wait out the apocalypse. But if you believe completely that the world is coming to an end, what do you do when it doesn’t?

Leigh Finke | Feb 26, 2015

Local economies

Young Adults Love Walking, Biking, and Buses—11 Reasons That’s Good For Everyone

Buses, trains, bikes, and walking represent more than an efficient means of getting from one place to another. They move us toward a brighter future because of the many social and economic benefits they foster.

Jay Walljasper | Feb 3, 2015

Mental health

Can Empathy for Birds Make Us Happier? Ten Breakthroughs in the Science of a Meaningful Life

Last year, scientists found that gratitude makes us financially smarter, mindfulness reduces racism, a little sadness makes for healthier people, and compassion for birds could help tackle climate change.

Bianca Lorenz, Jason Marsh, Jeremy Adam Smith, Jill Suttie, Kira M. Newman, Lauren Klein, Lisa Bennett | Jan 9, 2015

Backyard swing. Photo by Jason Parks / Flickr.

How “Granny Flats” and Suburban Downtowns Are Creating a Different (and Better) Kind of Density

Density has become a dirty word in some circles because people associate it with big, ugly buildings. Luckily, there are other ways to get people living close together.

Jay Walljasper | Dec 31, 2014