The idea behind feel-good stories is that it’s important to counteract the negativity of bad news.

Of course, there will always be skeptics who say maintaining optimism in the long run is impossible and that every attempt to prove otherwise is just a form of escapism, but every now and then something happens that puts a smile on your face and makes you believe that we’re all going to be OK.

So we at Bored Panda put together a new collection of such moments to remind you that there’s still good in this world. Whether it’s someone beating an illness or caring for an animal in need, we people are strong and have an endless capacity to love, and we can’t forget that.

Continue scrolling to check out the list and if you need more positivity, fire up our earlier publications of the series here, here, and here.

#1 One Year Ago They Gave Me A 30% Chance Of Survival. Today I’m Still Standing Through My Last Day Of Chemo

Image credits: GlowStone05

#2 The Breathtaking Bravery Of Russian Citizens Who Know They’ll Be Arrested For Protesting The War And Do It Anyway

Image credits: Ace-Ventura1934

Sometimes, the impulse to consume negative news can be difficult to resist. “We are evolutionarily wired to screen for and anticipate danger, which is why keeping our fingers on the pulse of bad news may trick us into feeling more prepared,” says Cecille Ahrens, clinical director of Transcend Therapy in San Diego, California.

Following the news may be necessary to stay informed, especially during a crisis but according to Ahrens, the feelings of fear, sadness, and anger triggered by negative headlines can keep people stuck in a “pattern of frequent monitoring,” leading to worse mood and more anxious scrolling (doomscrolling).

#3 I Made My Own Wedding Dress. I Feel Just Okay About It, But I Thought I’d Share Anyway

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#4 This Is The Way

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#5 I Can Finally Stand With No Hands

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Ddoomscrolling can take a toll on mental health. Studies have linked the consumption of bad news to increased distress, anxiety, and depression, even when the news in question is relatively mundane.

Graham Davey, professor emeritus of psychology at the University of Sussex, says exposure to bad news can make personal worries seem worse and even cause acute stress reactions and some symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder that can be quite long-lasting.

#6 That’s Amazing

Image credits: nictoobomb

#7 My Son Is Autistic And Loves Cats, So For The Past 4 Years He Has Volunteered To Socialize The Cats And Kittens At Our Local Animal Shelter To Help Get Them Adopted

Image credits: HisMomm

#8 A Ukrainian Man With Down Syndrome Bakes Bread To Feed Ukrainian Soldiers Fighting The War

Image credits: goodbread_fromgoodpeople

#9 This Dad Has One Great Son

Image credits: sandwoman-23

The root of our interest in bad news may be the result of feeling vulnerable or helpless or overwhelmed.

“Let’s say you are feeling stressed out at work and you disengage from your tasks to pick up your phone and doomscroll. Once you catch that compulsive behavior, check in with yourself and ask what it is you are thinking and feeling,” says Megan E. Johnson, a licensed clinical psychologist and researcher specializing in trauma and brain-behavior relationships.

“Once you understand your need, then you can find a realistic and appropriate way to get that need met, rather than compulsively turning to doomscrolling.”

#10 I Don’t Usually Like To Smile For Photos, But This Month Is The One Year Anniversary Since My Overdose And The 6 Month Anniversary Of Being Sober

I figured I deserve a smile.

Image credits: nikktea

#11 I Volunteer At The Humane Society And Fell In Love With This Girl. I Cried When I Found Out She Had Been Adopted. Two Weeks Later And She Was Returned For Being “Too Lazy”

Took her straight home to her new couch where she is the cutest potato. Don’t know her name yet but just look at that face.

Image credits: reddit.com

#12 Hikmet Kaya, An Engineer From Turkey, Standing In Front Of A Land Which He Afforested For 41 Years

Image credits: -cuco-

#13 An Incredible Turnaround

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Turning to your phone might just distance you from the colleagues and friends and family who could help.

“All it will do is temporarily distract you from your uncomfortable emotion,” Johnson adds. “But those unpleasant feelings are there for a reason, and they communicate to us our needs, so we cannot just silence them with distractions. Once you become aware that what you actually need is support, then maybe you can reach out to a colleague and delegate some tasks.”

#14 This Man Spoke With Every Parent In Uvalde, Texas To Build Personalized Caskets For All 19 Children Who Were Shot. His Name Is Trey Ganem

Image credits: jcepiano

#15 The First Portrait I Ever Did Back In 2011 vs. The Most Recent Portrait From 2021, It’s Been A Long Journey

Image credits: Proka1234

#16 12-Year-Old Kid Is Adopted By The Family Of His Best Friend

We don’t know which is sweeter: Andrew and Joc’s love of KelloggsUS PopTarts, or the bond these two share! We are thrilled that Andrew has found his forever family with his best friend and new brother, Joc, and the Gill family

Image credits: youthvillages

#17 This Goose At My Hospital Laid Eggs And Is Nesting In A Large Planter, One Of Our Maintenance Guys Built This Umbrella For Her And Set Her Up With Nearby Water

Image credits: OrangeCosmos

“We believe that if we have all the facts, we can make better decisions and protect ourselves from danger,” Johnson says.

“This illusion of control and safety is a fallacy, though. There is a never-ending supply of information to consume, so we never feel like we have all the information—because we don’t, and we can’t.”

#18 I’m A Father! My Wife Didn’t Want Me To Share Any Pictures With Family Yet But I Can’t Hold It In. He Is Perfect And Since None Of You Are Family, I’m Just Hoping I Can Spread My Joy

Image credits: jaybro861

#19 During The Memorial Day Siren, An Holocaust Survivor Is Being Honored By Her Granddaughter

Image credits: Sinotek2

#20 Awww

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#21 6 Months Ago, Our Psycho Neighbor Trapped Our Cat And Released Him 12 Miles Away. Today, We Found Him! Welcome Home, Iggy

Image credits: lochnessa7

Given that avoidance might not be practical, experts suggest these three ways to make your experience on the internet more positive:

• Be mindful of what you consume on social media. If you log on to connect with other people, focus on the personal news and photos shared instead of the latest headlines;
• Seek out the content that makes you happy to balance out your newsfeed. This may be images of cute kittens, beautiful landscapes, drool-worthy food videos, or something else. You could even follow a social media account dedicated to sharing only happy and positive news;
• Use social media to promote positivity and kindness. Sharing good things that are happening in your life can improve your mood, and your positive mood can spread to others. You may also like to compliment others on social media. While this might sound awkward, people will appreciate it more than you think.

#22 Had Me At The First Part For Sure

Image credits: skweezy

#23 My 9-Year-Old Found This Rock A Month Ago And It Became His “Lucky” Rock. He Takes It Everywhere. Today I Have An Important Job Interview And I Found His Rock On My Seat

Image credits: buckeyespud

#24 After 170 Hours I Finally Finished My Drawing

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#25 An 80-Year-Old Who Showed Up To Join The Ukrainian Army, Carrying With Him A Small Case With 2 T-Shirts, A Pair Of Extra Pants, A Toothbrush And A Few Sandwiches For Lunch

He said he was doing it for his grandkids.

Image credits: Heathenstothemax

You might also want to consider doing something nourishing for yourself – such as being outdoors in nature or making your favorite meal. This might help shift your mind from troubling news and create a more positive and resilient mindset that can better deal with worries.

At the end of the day, we have to accept that some things are just out of our control and focus on the ones that we can, in fact, change.

#26 These Are What We Stay Alive For

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#27 A Round Of Applause To This Lady

Image credits: Next-Caterpillar-393

#28 I Cleaned My Depression Room

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#29 A Very Proud Dad

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#30 Ukrainian Soldier And A Rescued Dog

Image credits: PotatoFromTwitter

#31 My Son Got His First Pair Of Glasses

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#32 Our Neighbor From India Asked If We Have A Sauté Pan For Him To Lend. We Had And This Is How He Returned It

Image credits: BabbelMatze

#33 Found Out Today My Great-Uncle (Right) Is Dog Walking Buddies With Stephen King

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#34 Members Of The Un Council Walked Out On The Speech Of Russia’s Minister Of Foreign Affairs

Image credits: AnActualPlatypus

#35 A Pic I Took Of My Husband With All The Books He Wrote

Image credits: FaolansPen

#36 My Radiotherapy Treatments Worked! Most Tumors Has Reduced In Size And Are Less Painful

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#37 Shout Out To The Parents For Being Wholesome And Inclusive

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#38 My 18-Year-Old Donating Stem Cells Today To A Stranger With Blood Cancer. Proud Is An Understatement

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#39 My Father, 67. Finally A Us Citizen After 17 Years Of Processes And Paperwork

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#40 Seeing My Husband The Day After Donating 68% Of My Liver To Him

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#41 Look At This Guys

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#42 I Think I Found My Favorite Photography Genre

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#43 I’m Opening A Brewery/Taproom And Modified The Men/Women Restrooms To All Gender

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#44 Blessed Family

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#45 Just Landed My Dream Job… To Teach People About Dinosaurs And Prehistoric Animals At A Natural History Museum

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#46 My Wife Receiving An Anonymous Donor’s Bone Marrow That Can Potentially Save Her Life

Image credits: never-sleeps

#47 For My 18th Birthday I Got A Tattoo Of My Dad’s Laugh On My Arm, He Passed 3 Years Ago. I Have His Smile And Joy Wherever I Go Now

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#48 This Restaurant Not Only Welcomes Dogs, It Offers Dog Portions For Cheap

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#49 Not All Heroes Wear Capes (Bottom Right)

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#50 This Is Somehow Super Cute

Image credits: alystockton