News
Mindfulness won’t burn calories, but it might help you stick with your health goals
Mindfulness meditation aids in achieving health goals by enhancing motivation and resilience against challenges. With accessible resources available, its practice fosters self-awareness, improves habits, and facilitates a healthier lifestyle through focused attention and reflection.
Masha Remskar, Arizona State University
Most people know roughly what kind of lifestyle they should be living to stay healthy.
Think regular exercise, a balanced diet and sufficient sleep. Yet, despite all the hacks, trackers and motivational quotes, many of us still struggle to stick with our health goals.
Meanwhile, people worldwide are experiencing more lifestyle-associated chronic disease than ever before.
But what if the missing piece in your health journey wasn’t more discipline – but more stillness?
Research shows that mindfulness meditation can help facilitate this pursuit of health goals through stillness, and that getting started is easier than you might think – no Buddhist monk robes or silent retreats required.
Given how ubiquitous and accessible mindfulness resources are these days, I have been surprised to see mindfulness discussed and studied only as a mental health tool, stopping short of exploring its usefulness for a whole range of lifestyle choices.
I am a psychologist and behavioral scientist researching ways to help people live healthier lives, especially by moving more and regulating stress more efficiently.
My team’s work and that of other researchers suggests that mindfulness could play a pivotal role in paving the way for a healthier society, one mindful breath at a time.
Mindfulness unpacked
Mindfulness has become a buzzword of late, with initiatives now present in schools, boardrooms and even among first responders. But what is it, really?
Mindfulness refers to the practice or instance of paying careful attention to one’s present-moment experience – such as their thoughts, breath, bodily sensations and the environment – and doing so nonjudgmentally. Its origins are in Buddhist traditions, where it plays a crucial role in connecting communities and promoting selflessness.
Over the past 50 years, however, mindfulness-based practice has been Westernized into structured therapeutic programs and stress-management tools, which have been widely studied for their benefits to mental and physical health.
Research has shown that mindfulness offers wide-ranging benefits to the mind, the body and productivity.
Mindfulness-based programs, both in person and digitally delivered, can effectively treat depression and anxiety, protect from burnout, improve sleep and reduce pain.
The impacts extend beyond subjective experience too. Studies find that experienced meditators – that is, people who have been meditating for at least one year – have lower markers of inflammation, which means that their bodies are better able to fight off infections and regulate stress. They also showed improved cognitive abilities and even altered brain structure.
But I find the potential for mindfulness to support a healthy lifestyle most exciting of all.
How can mindfulness help you build healthy habits?
My team’s research suggests that mindfulness equips people with the psychological skills required to successfully change behavior. Knowing what to do to achieve healthy habits is rarely what stands in people’s way. But knowing how to stay motivated and keep showing up in the face of everyday obstacles such as lack of time, illness or competing priorities is the most common reason people fall off the wagon – and therefore need the most support. This is where mindfulness comes in.
Multiple studies have found that people who meditate regularly for at least two months become more inherently motivated to look after their health, which is a hallmark of those who adhere to a balanced diet and exercise regularly.
A 2024 study with over 1,200 participants that I led found more positive attitudes toward healthy habits and stronger intentions to put them into practice in meditators who practiced mindfulness for 10 minutes daily alongside a mobile app, compared with nonmeditators. This may happen because mindfulness encourages self-reflection and helps people feel more in tune with their bodies, making it easier to remember why being healthier is important to us.
Another key way mindfulness helps keep momentum with healthy habits is by restructuring one’s response to pain, discomfort and failure. This is not to say that meditators feel no pain, nor that pain during exercise is encouraged – it is not!
Mild discomfort, however, is a very common experience of novice exercisers. For example, you may feel out of breath or muscle fatigue when initially taking up a new activity, which is when people are most likely to give up. Mindfulness teaches you to notice these sensations but see them as transient and with minimal judgment, making them less disruptive to habit-building.
Putting mindfulness into practice
A classic mindfulness exercise includes observing the breath and counting inhales up to 10 at a time. This is surprisingly difficult to do without getting distracted, and a core part of the exercise is noticing the distraction and returning to the counting. In other words, mindfulness involves the practice of failure in small, inconsequential ways, making real-world perceived failure – such as a missed exercise session or a one-off indulgent meal – feel more manageable. This strengthens your ability to stay consistent in pursuit of health goals.
Finally, paying mindful attention to our bodies and the environment makes us more observant, resulting in a more varied and enjoyable exercising or eating experience. Participants in another study we conducted reported noticing the seasons changing, a greater connection to their surroundings and being better able to detect their own progress when exercising mindfully. This made them more likely to keep going in their habits.
Luckily, there are plenty of tools available to get started with mindfulness practice these days, many of them free. Mobile applications, such as Headspace or Calm, are popular and effective starting points, providing audio-guided sessions to follow along. Some are as short as five minutes. Research suggests that doing a mindfulness session first thing in the morning is the easiest to maintain, and after a month or so you may start to see the skills from your meditative practice reverberating beyond the sessions themselves.
Based on our research on mindfulness and exercise, I collaborated with the nonprofit Medito Foundation to create the first mindfulness program dedicated to moving more. When we tested the program in a research study, participants who meditated alongside these sessions for one month reported doing much more exercise than before the study and having stronger intentions to keep moving compared with participants who did not meditate. Increasingly, the mobile applications mentioned above are offering mindful movement meditations too.
If the idea of a seated practice does not sound appealing, you can instead choose an activity to dedicate your full attention to. This can be your next walk outdoors, where you notice as much about your experience and surroundings as possible. Feeling your feet on the ground and the sensations on your skin are a great place to start.
For people with even less time available, short bursts of mindfulness can be incorporated into even the busiest of routines. Try taking a few mindful, nondistracted breaths while your coffee is brewing, during a restroom break or while riding the elevator. It may just be the grounding moment you need to feel and perform better for the rest of the day.
Masha Remskar, Psychologist and Postdoctoral Researcher in Behavioral Science, Arizona State University
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Our Lifestyle section on STM Daily News is a hub of inspiration and practical information, offering a range of articles that touch on various aspects of daily life. From tips on family finances to guides for maintaining health and wellness, we strive to empower our readers with knowledge and resources to enhance their lifestyles. Whether you’re seeking outdoor activity ideas, fashion trends, or travel recommendations, our lifestyle section has got you covered. Visit us today at https://stmdailynews.com/category/lifestyle/ and embark on a journey of discovery and self-improvement.
Local News
Santa Ana Police Seek Woman Accused of Intentionally Running Over Puppy
Santa Ana police are asking for the public’s help identifying a woman accused of intentionally running over and killing a puppy with a minivan on September 8.
Last Updated on September 30, 2026 by Daily News Staff
SANTA ANA, Calif. — Santa Ana police are asking for the public’s help identifying a woman accused of deliberately running over and killing a puppy after leaving the animal in a residential street earlier this month.
The disturbing incident occurred at approximately 9:15 a.m. on September 8, 2026, in the 900 block of West Park Lane, near 926 W. Park Lane. Police said the dog, described as a pit bull mix puppy, was later found dead in the street.
Investigators subsequently obtained home-surveillance footage showing an older-model green or blue Honda Odyssey minivan stopped along the street.
According to police, the female driver opened the vehicle’s door and placed the puppy on the ground. The puppy went underneath the minivan, and the woman then allegedly placed food on the street near the driver’s side of the vehicle.
As the puppy approached the food, the driver moved the minivan forward. Police said the vehicle’s rear driver’s-side tire went over the puppy and that the minivan remained stopped on the animal for approximately 15 seconds before the driver drove away.
A nearby resident later told officers that they had seen the minivan in the area and believed the puppy had been deliberately run over. Police and animal services personnel spent several weeks canvassing the neighborhood and eventually located surveillance footage that authorities said corroborated the witness’s account.
Police searching for driver
Investigators have not been able to obtain a readable license plate from the surveillance footage.
As of September 30, Santa Ana police were seeking information that could help identify either the woman or the older green or blue Honda Odyssey seen in the video.
Anyone with information about the case is being asked to contact Santa Ana police at 714-245-8378.
The case comes two years after another highly publicized animal-cruelty incident in Santa Ana involving a woman accused of intentionally running over a 2-month-old Rottweiler puppy in August 2024. In that case, the puppy survived after emergency treatment, and the suspect subsequently turned herself in to police.
STM Daily News will update this story if authorities announce an identification, arrest or charges in the case.
Sure and Related Links
Los Angeles Times — “Santa Ana Police search for woman who appears to deliberately run over puppy in disturbing video”
Los Angeles Times report
CBS Los Angeles — “Santa Ana police seek minivan driver who allegedly intentionally ran over puppy”
CBS Los Angeles report
NBC Los Angeles — “Female driver wanted for ‘intentionally’ running over a puppy in Santa Ana”
NBC Los Angeles report
MyNewsLA — “Santa Ana Police Seek Help Woman Who Fatally Struck Puppy”
MyNewsLA report
Business and Finance
Handshake Launches Free AI Skills Studio to Help Job Seekers Prepare for an AI-Driven Workplace
Handshake has launched AI Skills Studio, a free project-based learning hub designed to help students and job seekers develop practical AI skills and demonstrate what they can do to prospective employers.
As artificial intelligence becomes a bigger part of everyday work, knowing how to actually use AI tools may become just as important as knowing what they can do.
Career platform Handshake is betting on that shift with the launch of AI Skills Studio, a free learning hub designed to give students and job seekers practical experience using AI through short, hands-on projects.
Handshake’s AI Skills Studio aims to help job seekers build practical, hands-on AI experience as artificial intelligence becomes increasingly important across the workplace. Image: Rod Washington and Firefly.
Announced September 22, AI Skills Studio offers project-based learning “missions” that generally take between 10 and 45 minutes to complete. Instead of focusing primarily on lectures or traditional coursework, participants work directly with AI and technology tools to create something tangible.
Projects can include automated workflows, software, interactive games, data dashboards, portfolios, and tools aimed at preparing users for jobs in areas such as sales and marketing.
The program was developed with a broad group of technology companies and educational partners, including Clay, Figma, Gamma, Google, Lovable, Notion, OpenAI, Replit, Salesforce, Southern New Hampshire University and Vercel.
Turning AI knowledge into something employers can see
One of the more notable aspects of AI Skills Studio is its emphasis on demonstrating skills rather than simply listing them on a résumé.
After completing a mission, learners can add their projects to their Handshake profiles and potentially feature them in the platform’s AI Showcase. Participants also receive verified skill badges intended to provide employers with evidence that they have applied particular AI skills.
That approach reflects a growing challenge for both applicants and businesses: simply saying someone is familiar with artificial intelligence doesn’t necessarily show an employer what that person can accomplish with it.
“Employers know they need people who can work effectively with AI, but a résumé can’t tell you what someone is truly capable of,” Handshake Chief Operating Officer Jon Stull said in announcing the program.
For job seekers, that could make small AI projects increasingly useful as part of a professional portfolio, particularly for people entering the workforce without years of experience.
Students see AI skills becoming increasingly important
Handshake says its own research indicates that many students recognize the importance of AI but don’t necessarily believe their education has kept pace.
According to the company’s 2026 Network Trends Report, 58% of graduating seniors surveyed said they would need a stronger understanding of AI to succeed in the workplace. Only 28%, however, said AI had been meaningfully integrated into their educational programs.
Those figures come from Handshake’s own research, but they highlight a broader issue confronting workers, schools and businesses as generative AI moves rapidly into professional environments.
Julia Stiglitz, Handshake’s Chief Education and Workforce Officer, said people shouldn’t necessarily wait for the technology—or the workplace—to stop changing before beginning to develop AI skills.
“The best thing people can do is start learning and start building,” Stiglitz said.
Learning with tools used in the workplace
Rather than teaching AI only as a theoretical subject, the Studio is designed around tools people could encounter professionally.
OpenAI, for example, is participating with projects involving ChatGPT and Codex. Google is contributing training involving its AI tools and workflows, while other partners bring experience in areas ranging from software development and design to productivity and enterprise technology.
An AI Skills Instructor provides learners with guidance and feedback while they complete projects.
Handshake says connecting those projects directly to a career profile could also give employers another way to evaluate applicants—allowing recruiters to look at what candidates have actually built instead of relying entirely on degrees, résumés or self-reported skills.
AI could change what “experience” means
The development is especially interesting for students, career changers and early-career workers.
Traditionally, gaining experience has often created a familiar problem: employers want applicants with experience, while applicants need employment opportunities to acquire that experience.
Project-based AI training doesn’t eliminate that problem, and completing a short AI exercise isn’t the same as performing a job professionally. But projects can provide another way for someone to demonstrate curiosity, technical familiarity and the ability to apply new tools to a specific task.
As AI becomes embedded in more occupations, portfolios demonstrating how someone uses the technology could become an increasingly useful complement to conventional credentials.
That doesn’t mean everyone needs to become an AI engineer. The more immediate workplace skill may simply be understanding how to use AI effectively within an existing profession—whether that’s marketing, design, software development, sales, research or business operations.
Handshake’s new program is another indication that career preparation is beginning to adjust to that reality.
AI Skills Studio is available free through Handshake’s website and mobile app.
Source: Handshake press release, September 22, 2026. Statistics regarding graduating seniors and AI education are attributed to Handshake’s 2026 Network Trends Report.
Source and Related Links
Handshake — Introducing AI Skills Studio: AI Skills Studio launch and overview — Details the program, project-based missions, participating partners and how completed projects can be displayed to employers.
Handshake — What is AI Skills Studio?: AI Skills Studio Help Center — Official information on how the program works, eligibility, missions and access.
Handshake — Class of 2026 Graduation Report: AI and the Workforce Ahead — Supports the article’s statistics that 58% of graduating seniors say they need stronger AI skills while only 28% say AI has been meaningfully integrated into their academic program. Handshake
Handshake — Workforce Outlook: Class of 2026 in the AI Economy — Additional research on AI adoption, employer demand and attitudes toward AI among graduating students.
Stay informed. Stay curious. From business and technology to lifestyle, entertainment, transportation, science and the stories shaping everyday life, STM Daily News brings you news, insight and useful information that matters.
Discover more stories at STM Daily News: https://stmdailynews.com
Transportation
LAX SkyLink Delayed Again, With Passenger Service Now Targeted for January 2027
LAX SkyLink has been delayed again. The long-awaited airport train is now targeting passenger service in January 2027 as final testing and certification continue.
The long-awaited airport train is nearly complete, but additional testing and certification have pushed its anticipated debut beyond 2026.
LOS ANGELES — Travelers waiting for Los Angeles International Airport’s long-delayed SkyLink train will apparently have to wait a little longer.
The automated train system, previously expected to begin carrying passengers as early as October 2026, is now being targeted for early January 2027, according to new project disclosures.
LAX Integrated Express Solutions, or LINXS, the consortium responsible for the project, indicated in a September 16 disclosure that passenger service could begin around January 6, 2027, if remaining work proceeds successfully. However, LINXS also cautioned that additional delays remain possible.
Importantly, January 6 is not an official opening date announced by Los Angeles World Airports.
LAWA’s official SkyLink website currently says only that the system is in its “final testing and certification phase”and that opening information will be announced when available.
What Happened to the October Opening?
As STM Daily News previously reported, the project had been moving toward a possible October 2026 passenger-service launch.
That timetable has now slipped.
According to the latest project information, SkyLink still must successfully complete several important requirements before passengers can board.
Those include 30 consecutive days of successful testing, an independent review, an assessment by LAWA and completion of a utility agreement involving the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power.
The project’s contractual completion deadline currently stands at December 8, 2026, but LINXS has indicated that additional time may be necessary.
That puts the tentative January 6 passenger-service target roughly one month beyond the current contractual completion deadline.
Those Trains You See Are Still Test Trains
For passengers traveling through LAX, the delay might seem particularly puzzling because SkyLink trains can already be seen moving around the airport.
Those trains aren’t carrying passengers.
LAX says the vehicles are operating throughout the system as part of testing required before passenger service can begin.
The airport’s official SkyLink page specifically warns travelers that any trains currently moving are part of testing and are not in service.
The project is reportedly about 99% complete, meaning the primary infrastructure is essentially in place while testing, certification and remaining agreements continue.
Another Delay in a Long-Running Project
Construction on the 2.25-mile automated train system began in 2019, and passenger service was originally expected to begin in 2023.
That opening has repeatedly slipped as the approximately $3.3 billion project encountered construction issues, technical challenges and disputes between LAWA and LINXS.
The relationship between the two sides has also become increasingly contentious.
LINXS sued the City of Los Angeles earlier this year, alleging that actions by LAWA contributed to delays and additional costs. LAWA has said completing a safe and reliable SkyLink remains its priority.
The financial stakes are also increasing. Bondholders recently agreed to consolidate an earlier October deadline into the December 8 project deadline, giving the consortium additional time to complete the remaining work.
Why SkyLink Still Matters
Despite the delays, SkyLink remains one of the most consequential pieces of LAX’s massive modernization program.
The free, all-electric automated train will operate along a 2.25-mile elevated guideway with six stations.
Three stations will serve the airport’s Central Terminal Area, while others will connect passengers with parking, rental cars, ground transportation and the LAX/Metro Transit Center.
That last connection is especially significant.
The Transit Center provides access to Metro’s C and K Lines. Until SkyLink opens, however, passengers using Metro must continue transferring to shuttle buses to reach the airport terminals.
Once operational, SkyLink is designed to eliminate that final shuttle connection.
LAX says the train will operate 24 hours a day, with trains approximately every two minutes during peak periods. The trip from one end of the system to the other is expected to take about 10 minutes, and passengers won’t need a ticket, fare or app to ride.
Could SkyLink Be Running Before the Super Bowl?
The January target carries added significance because Super Bowl LXI is scheduled for February 14, 2027, at SoFi Stadium.
If SkyLink begins passenger operations around January 6, the system would have just over a month of regular service before another major international influx of visitors arrives in Los Angeles.
But after several missed opening targets, January 6 should be viewed as just that — a target.
LINXS itself has warned that there is no assurance passenger service won’t be delayed further.
LAWA, meanwhile, says it will not compromise the testing necessary to ensure the automated system operates safely and reliably.
The Finish Line Moves Again
For LAX travelers, SkyLink has become a familiar sight: sleek automated trains moving above airport traffic but carrying nobody.
The latest delay doesn’t change the project’s ultimate purpose. When SkyLink finally opens, travelers will have a direct connection between LAX terminals, Metro rail, rental cars, parking and other ground transportation without relying on many of the shuttle buses currently circulating through the airport.
But the project’s history also offers a reason for caution.
October 2026 is effectively off the table. January 6, 2027 is now the contractor’s target. And LAWA has yet to announce an official opening date.
After a project originally expected to welcome passengers in 2023, perhaps the most important milestone will be the simplest one:
The day LAX finally removes the word “testing” from those trains.
STM Daily News will continue following the LAX SkyLink project and will provide an update when Los Angeles World Airports announces an official passenger-service date.
Source & Further Information
For current official information, visit the LAX SkyLink project page.
For more updates, subscribe to our newsletter STM Morning Brief!
