Over the past days, the media has produced possibly one of the most intense news cycles since the end of the Cold War. And for good reason. Russia's invasion of Ukraine, a sovereign European country, is an unprecedented act of war in the 21st century.
But if you feel like you need a distraction from the grim headlines and you're the type of person who can find comfort in the positive side of the internet, you're not alone. The Instagram account kALE SALAD is here for you.
The guy behind the account calls himself the "king of wholesome memes" and I know what you might be thinking: people who crown themselves are rarely worthy of the title. But 3.8 million people think this one is.
Browsing kALE SALAD's feed, it's hard to disagree with them. Continue scrolling and take a look for yourself.
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While we may feel guilty for being joyful while others are grieving, happiness is actually very important in challenging times. Focusing on our own emotions can give us the resilience we need to change situations both in our personal lives and on a larger scale.
Dr. Laurie Santos, who is an expert on the science and psychology of wellbeing, and shares her findings with thousands through her wildly popular Yale University course, The Science of Wellbeing, said that while it may sound counterintuitive, happiness is exactly what we need to get us through uncertainty, fear and anxiety over the future.
Below you will find Dr. Santos's top insights from the field of positive psychology on happiness and how it can help us to overcome difficult situations like the ones we are facing today.
"We can harness the toughness to experience the power of post-traumatic growth," Dr. Santos said.
Difficult situations have the potential to make us stronger and even happier in the long run. By surviving a particularly tough scenario, we learn to appreciate what is truly meaningful and important in life and how to better prepare ourselves to face future adversity.
Damn! That's one hell of a birth story to pass on to future generations!!
Heck if you live in close proximity this is a wonderful and considerate thing to do.
Lol I made of one these 4 years back and still have it. It's ugly af on the inside WhatsApp-I...a-jpeg.jpg 
"If we want to be happier during times of stress, we need to use a special mechanism of protecting ourselves, and we can do that through social connection."
When used properly, technology has the power to keep people connected even when they are physically apart from each other. Loneliness and isolation can have a major negative impact on both our mental and physical health, so Dr. Santos suggests embracing those Zoom happy hours and exploring new ways to maintain relationships with family, friends, and coworkers.
Yeah, I mean I thought was funny, but my boys have had things like that said to them: we want equality, not to dominate.
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This little girl has been hearing some not-so-nice stuff, and I'm afraid she might grow up to be quite a cynical person...
I just told my brother this and oh the slideshow of expressions from curious to unimpressed to ultimate acceptance [I showed him the replies to this, and he's laughing so hard rn smh]
I admit, I'm confused. I've heard from a lot of forward-thinking, progressive people on this site, but many of the comments here are against every modern, feminist voice I've heard here. If this was a boy saying this to a girl, everyone would be pissed. So why is this okay?
Tamra Stiffler I got 13 downvote as of now for saying that
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Yes this post is sexism. Sexism is not feminism. Your comment is also sexism.
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We all know that if the roles were reversed, there would be an outrage. Right?
Why do i feel she has been sitting on that insult n was just waiting for the right time to use it
Ha nice! I told my sister that and got in trouble. I thought it was funny and she thought it was my dad did not.
Depending on the brother's age... was she subtly trying to set him up with the babysitter?
Don’t think this is wholesome. How can hetero women expect to have happy and successful relationships with men when it’s socially acceptable to call them a ‘waste of time’. If this was reversed, would it be considered wholesome to tell a little girl she’s going to grow up to be a ‘waste of time’. I think not.
That’s just sad, no wonder we have a society filled with adults who can’t communicate with each other and the opposite sex.
I pictured Baby Blues character Hammie as the brother and his sister, Zoe, saying this to him!
Romantic partners require a level of mental and physical energy that I do not possess.
It's amazing how easily offended people are these days. No one here knows the circumstances of this girl's comment. Stop assuming.
I said the same thing to my brothers, and guess what? I was 100% correct!
Genius.. one of them super insightful kids that end up teaching all the adults in their life never the opposite
By repeating sexist, harmful phrases to her brother about his biological sex which is something he can't control? That's not greatness lol that's bad parenting.
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Imagine this was said to a little girl about her biological sex. The hypocrisy baffles me. 🤔 But ya, she's waaaay ahead right? Sick..
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However, Dr. Santos said studies on happiness also suggest that a big part of it comes from focusing on other people.
Even though we hear a lot about self-care these days and this text is kinda advocating it too, the reality is that truly happy people are what Dr. Santos refers to as "other-oriented."
Meaning, helping others, especially during times of crisis, makes us feel good and gives us a sense of purpose. Not only are we boosting our own mood by lending a hand, but we are also working towards solving real problems.
"If we want to be happier and if we want to protect our willpower and get more resilient and even improve our performance, we need to harness the power of gratitude," Dr. Santos added.
Gratitude might not be the first thing that comes to mind during a life-altering experience such as a global pandemic or war, but acknowledging even the little things that we appreciate in our everyday life can improve our overall wellbeing and boost our emotional resilience.
F’real want a pair. Is that a “pair”? Whatever you call it, I want it.
Mindfulness and meditation are powerful tools, especially when we're living under stress. "If we want to be happy, we need to find ways to be in the present moment, even if that present moment sucks."
We spend around 47% of our day with our minds wandering. By learning to truly focus on the present, we can be more productive and improve our sense of wellbeing by improving our stress response.
This is not funny when it's happening to you. But right now, it is. It so is!
"If we want to protect ourselves during tough times, we need to make room for healthy practices.”
When stress levels are high, it's really easy to skip a workout or two, make less nutritious choices at mealtimes or deprioritize our sleep. It can feel overwhelming to have to put this extra effort into "being healthy," but the reality is that these are the times when we need it the most.
Beyond our physical wellbeing, exercise is a great way to relieve stress and improve our mental state, a balanced diet can have mood-boosting benefits, and getting the recommended 7-9 hours of sleep each night can keep us happier, more focused, and improve our immunity. By maintaining these healthy habits, even when we just don't feel like it, we become stronger in dealing with the current stressors and will be better equipped to handle difficult circumstances in the future.
I love both of these looks! I would 100% have rainbow hair, goth-vibe clothes, a mat that says 'go away' on it, and a rainbow fence.
Wow ! Reminds me of the tent used by the Weasleys during the Quidditch World Cup. "I love magic."
This is such a cute idea. I just came across some of my dad's shirts. I didn't want to get rid of them, but I didn't really know what to do with them. Might just have to give this a try.
And das why I love god. (Please tell me you all got the joke...sorry I'll just see myself out.)
Haha!! This is SUPER smart!!! (is it bad I kinda want to try this!!)
Note: this post originally had 130 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.
completely agree! So over the lazy BP editors just reposting reddit gripes.
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I know kale irl. I was shocked to see his page went from a normal insta to memes and having a whole following. It's insane that now I'm seeing it here lol.
Umm and I think you're like one of the only people here that even knows who you're talking about
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I don't think the title is right. Most of these are not memes and plenty aren't wholesome either.
Love this. Laughed out loud so much. It's phenomenally better than the BP posts which claim to be funny but are just stressful posts shaming people's behavior, or just downright creepy or complaining and griping. We come to Bored Panda because we need uplifting, not because we need to read about crap.
completely agree! So over the lazy BP editors just reposting reddit gripes.
Load More Replies... I know kale irl. I was shocked to see his page went from a normal insta to memes and having a whole following. It's insane that now I'm seeing it here lol.
Umm and I think you're like one of the only people here that even knows who you're talking about
Load More Replies... I don't think the title is right. Most of these are not memes and plenty aren't wholesome either.
Love this. Laughed out loud so much. It's phenomenally better than the BP posts which claim to be funny but are just stressful posts shaming people's behavior, or just downright creepy or complaining and griping. We come to Bored Panda because we need uplifting, not because we need to read about crap.
