Author: TECH

January often brings a burst of motivation for new routines, with social media fuelling plenty of gut health trends along the way. While many of these habits sound nourishing on the surface, some can actually leave your digestive system more unsettled than supported. As a dietitian, nutritionist and gut health scientist, here are five patterns I commonly see each January, and how to tweak them so they truly work with your gut, not against it.Adding lots of new plant foods all at onceDietary fibre is one of the most powerful tools we have to support gut microbes. It’s linked not…

Social Security beneficiaries will see higher benefit payments in 2026 thanks to an annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) that bumps their benefits up a smidge. While COLA increases have ranged as high as 8.9% (in 2022, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic), on average they are moderate, just enough to keep pace with inflation. Here’s what the average retired worker can expect for their spring 2026 checks, according to the Social Security Administration (SSA), how that compares to 2025 and what factors into those estimates. Despite the ongoing cost pressures retirees face, the Social Security Administration announced that the COLA for…

Langton Hughes, whose book Not Without Laughter, entered the public domain on Jan 1st 2026 January 1st isn’t just New Years Day; there’s another little holiday wrapped up inside. It’s Public Domain Day: the moment when a year’s worth of literature, music, film, television, pop culture, poetry, and science enters the public domain and becomes free to use, reprint, and alter. According to Standard eBooks, the public domain concept stretches back to the founding of our country, with the Framers desiring a loose and restricted intellectual property law in order to promote the advance of sciences and the arts. As…

VENLO, Netherlands, Jan. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Search data shows that consumers are increasingly drawn to Japandi, an interior design philosophy that fosters calm and mental well-being through decluttered, balanced spaces. As a global fascination with minimalist living continues to grow, there is a remarkable rise in demand for Japandi-style furniture – a design trend blending Japanese tranquillity with Scandinavian simplicity.Search data and social trends validate vidaXL’s findings on Japandi furniture demandFrom 2020 to 2025, search interest has grown steadily with peaks in early 2023 and late 2024, expecting momentum to continue into 2026. Google search data shows interest in…

THE Selangor government is launching a PeerZ pilot programme in two Bandar Utama secondary schools, including the one where a fatal stabbing occurred last year, to provide peer-based emotional support for students before involving mental health professionals. In a report by an online news portal today, State executive councillor for Public Health and Environment Jamaliah Jamaluddin (picture) said the initiative will supplement the existing Peer Support Programme (PRS) run by the state department.  According to her, issues relating to school safety and student counselling support were raised during a meeting with parent representatives after the tragic incident. “PeerZ aims to provide a platform…

On Jan. 18, at the second weekly Dartmouth Student Government meeting of the winter term, senators listened to two presentations about mental health on campus — the first by faculty members involved in Evergreen.AI, and the second by members of the student Mental Health Union.  During the meeting, MHU co-presidents Ming Zha ’27, Chelsae Mills ’26 and policy chair Luna Zhang ’29 shared their takeaways from the Ivy League Mental Health Conference, which was held from Nov. 7 to Nov. 9 at Princeton University Zha said there was a “student mental health crisis,” with 13% of students reporting seriously considering…

                                What Do You Think? Survivors of Texas employees who die at work can sometimes sue employers for wrongful death. But, no matter how tragic or dramatic the death, they’ll have one especially big hurdle in the way, the Workers’ Compensation Act’s exclusive remedy provision. A case involving a grain bin cleaner who was sucked under corn and killed illustrates what it might take to clear that hurdle. In that case, the employee entered a running grain bin to recover a grain vac hose and…

Mental hygiene is equally important as personal hygiene. Extremely low government investment in mental health has been the bugbear of the country, the fact notwithstanding that mental health awareness has gained significant traction in the country in recent times. In this context, Sanjog Karki of The Himalayan Times had a tête-à-tête with Safar Pokharel, an experienced clinical psychologist and mental health practitioner as well as a veteran of mental health campaigns, as the latter shared his insights on the matters related to mental health.Q. What is the criteria of normal and abnormal behaviour in psychology? A. Normality and abnormality are…

A new year often brings a renewed sense of motivation—and for many people, that motivation centers around money. Whether your goal for 2026 is to reduce debt, rebuild savings, improve your credit, or simply feel less anxious about your finances, improving your financial well-being starts with a plan. Financial health isn’t about perfection or drastic overnight changes. It’s about making informed, intentional decisions that move you toward stability and peace of mind. Here are five practical, realistic ways to strengthen your financial well-being in 2026—no matter where you’re starting from. 1. Give Yourself a True Financial Fresh Start Financial stress…

Certain Social Security recipients in the U.S. are tomorrow set to get their first benefits of the new year, in the latest payment run on the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) schedule for January 2026. Because of the way the SSA structures its payment calendar, this week’s beneficiaries are among millions of Americans who have faced the longest possible wait for this month’s Social Security benefits.Who gets a Social Security payment on Wednesday, Jan. 21?Payments are to be sent out to a particular group of recipients of retirement benefits, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and survivor pay.Of the roughly 70 million…