Writing thank-you cards is a bit of a lost art, but one that deserves a refresh. And as many of us are now the happy new owners of various gadgets, gift cards, and cozy clothing items, it’s the perfect time to brush up on best practices. Here are eight tips for writing the perfect thank-you note. — the Nice News team
Featured Story
Free Workbook Offers Well-Being Exercises Based on the Life Stage You’re in
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Self-improvement strategies abound, so opting in to one can sometimes feel like ordering the soup du jour. But what’s right for one person may not be right for another — or even for the same person at a different point in time. That’s why Tchiki Davis, founder of the Berkeley Well-Being Institute, suggests aligning the methods we use to prioritize our mental health with the life stage we’re currently in. Davis subscribed to this concept only after spending more than a decade investigating the best ways to improve well-being. In all that time, she’d come up with relatively little that could apply as a blanket measure for all people. It wasn’t until she happened upon a used book detailing models of development that she had an epiphany. “Suddenly it all made sense why certain psychological strategies don’t work for everybody — because they aren’t at the developmental stage where it even makes sense to use them,” Davis, who holds a doctorate in social and personality psychology from the University of California, Berkeley, explains to Nice News. She describes her insights in a free workbook called The Path to Well-Being, which includes practical exercises for each life stage. At the link below, the author shares more about her ideas and how you can implement them to boost your own well-being.
Fresh starts don’t have to be complicated. CookUnity makes it easy to begin the year with better eating habits by serving up variety and quality. The delivery service offers small batch meals crafted by top culinary talent, brought right to your door every week. There are over 300 weekly options from 25 global cuisines, crafted by 180 professionals — including award-winning chefs like Marcus Samuelsson and Esther Choi. Each dish arrives fresh, never frozen, and is ready in two minutes. It’s a thoughtful way to build a more intentional routine without giving up variety, flavor, or time.
The Winter Olympics, a NASA Moon Mission, and More Things to Look Forward to This Year
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Cultivating optimism isn’t always easy, but there is something profoundly liberating about choosing to orient toward joy, despite any obstacles that may stand in the way. In that spirit, Nice News is kicking off 2026 with a list of things to look forward to. From global sporting extravaganzas like the Winter Olympics and the FIFA World Cup to the plethora of beloved movie sequels hitting the big screen and a new train route traversing America, there’s so much positivity awaiting us. Click here to dive into all the good stuff on the horizon this year.
Lifestyle
Early Dinners, “Gig-Tripping,” and More Dining and Travel Predictions for 2026
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Ever been to the Albanian Riviera? How about Botswana? Or the Dolomites? According to a recent report from Chase, all three are trending destinations for 2026 travel. The food outlet Infatuation, one of the financial institution’s subsidiaries, also released the restaurant trends we can expect to see — and combined, the intel offers intriguing dining and travel predictions for the coming year. Chase’s “26 trips to take in 2026” is based on booking data, consumer surveys, expert insight, and more, and it features locations across the globe, from Portland, Oregon, to Osaka, Japan. According to Hillary Reinsberg, head of the company’s travel and lifestyle content, there’s a clear theme tying the different places together. “In our hyper-connected world, we are seeing travelers drawn to off-the-beaten-path destinations that let them experience unspoiled nature,” Reinsberg told ABC News. “Hotel and tourism development in places like Chile’s Atacama desert, the Canadian Arctic, the Caribbean island of Dominica, and Sri Lanka demonstrate a growing interest in overseas national parks and exploring unique corners of the planet.” Learn more about what 2026 might have in store for diners and travelers.
Health
Tips for Finding or Renewing Your Sense of Purpose
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Better sleep. Protection against anxiety and depression. Lower risks of heart disease and dementia. A longer life. According to a wealth of research in the field of behavioral medicine, these are just some of the well-being boosts associated with having a sense of purpose. Are you in possession of this powerful elixir for living well? And if not, are you aware of how to procure it? Contrary to what many people believe, purpose isn’t necessarily ingrained in us at birth, and discovering it isn’t always like spotting a shining light from on high. But there are ways to cultivate a sense of purpose, and there’s no time like the present to start your journey. “The biggest misconception is that what that life actually looks like is going to dawn on you spontaneously, and it doesn’t,” Suzy Welch, director of the NYU Stern Initiative on Purpose and Flourishing, tells Nice News. “It takes work to figure out your purpose. This is the most important work we’ll do.” We spoke to Welch and two medical experts about what it means to have a sense of purpose, how it affects our health, and how to go about finding or rediscovering yours — get their five tips.
Japanese culture is imbued with practices for living well, so author Hiroko Yoda set out on a 10-year quest to bring the country’s “spiritual sustenance” to readers around the world.In this book, she shares her journey traversing her homeland to uncover the life lessons Japanese wisdom can teach us.Yodasynthesizes her experiences — from training as a Shinto shrine dancer and participating in Buddhist funeral rituals to climbing holy mountains and meeting with a mystic — into a practical handbook for reconnecting to ourselves and the world around us.
Does manifesting really work? Are seed oils actually bad for us? It can be difficult to know which trending ideas and theories are based in truth without spending half our lives conducting research, which is precisely why Science Vs exists. The weekly podcast sifts through the science to determine “what’s fact, what’s not, and what’s somewhere in between,” bringing on experts to get to the bottom of things. Subjects include fad diets, AI, the full moon, and more.
This Week in History
“Wheel of Fortune” Premieres
January 6, 1975
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“I’d like to buy a vowel” is part of the global lexicon thanks to one of the longest-running and most beloved game shows. Created by TV heavyweight Merv Griffin (also the brains behind Jeopardy!), Wheel of Fortune is a blend of hangman and roulette, and has been beamed into living rooms for the past 50 years. Longtime host Pat Sajak, who retired last year, took the helm in 1981, replacing original host Chuck Woolery. Sajak was joined in 1982 by the inimitable Vanna White (pictured above in 2004), who still reveals the letters. Ryan Seacrest is now the face of the show, and clips of contestants’ guesses — some more embarrassing than others — often go viral. One recent win had the internet cheering: A veteran chaplain walked away with over $64,000. Watch him solve the puzzle.
With BetterHelp, Shine a Light on What’s Been Weighing You Down
Tired of carrying it all alone? Therapy is a place to sort through the heavy stuff — stress, grief, relationships, self doubt, burnout — and start building steadier footing. With BetterHelp, members can match with a licensed therapist in as little as 24 hours and connect in a way that feels natural (phone, video, or live chat). It’s private, it’s flexible, and it meets people where they are. The goal is not perfection: It’s relief, insight, and practical steps that help life feel lighter.
