Happiness & Habits

From happiness to productivity, from meditation to self-organization. Insights, research and life hacks on how to live a more fulfilling life.
Collection by Katja Evertz
sciencefocus.com
Sleep and your health: Everything you need to know~12 min read · Jun 12th · Our 24/7 society seems to be slowly robbing us of our slumber, but at what cost? Sleep expert, professor of neuroscience and author of Why we sleep Dr Matthew Walker explores all the ways sleep can…
health
better living
sleep
Highlights
In other words, you cannot accumulate a sleep debt during the week, and then hope to pay it off in full at the weekend
Dreaming is the only time when our brain is completely devoid of the stress-related molecule called noradrenaline (the sister chemical of adrenaline). At the same time, key emotional- and memory-related structures of the brain are reactivated during REM sleep as we dream. During the act of dreaming, we are therefore able to reactivate emotional memories in a brain that’s free of this key stress chemical. As a result, we get the chance to re-process upsetting memories in a safer, calmer environment.
medium.com
Why A Daily Writing Habit Improves Your Life4 min read · From 2018 · One of the most important habits that I’ve formed in my life is daily writing.
medium.com
The Idea-to-Paper Process I Followed to Publish 176 Articles in 13 Months10 min read · Jun 14th · And reach 681,022 readers.
Lifehack
Why Making Yourself a Priority Boosts Your Productivity6 min read · Jul 13th · You won't have the mental energy needed to accomplish your goals if you don't prioritize yourself. Here's why you should make yourself a priority.
productivity
Highlights
this is your life, and the focus has to be on what you want to achieve in that life
The New York Times
How Walking Can Build Up the Brain4 min read · Jul 14th · Older men and women who walked for six months showed improvements in white matter and memory, while those who danced or did stretching exercises did not.
brain
Highlights
white matter, which connects and supports the cells in our brains, remodels itself when people become more physically active
James Clear
The Daily Routines of 12 Famous Writers~12 min read · From 2018 · What to develop better daily routines? Read this article to discover the daily habits of famous writers and how you can use their strategies.
Highlights
How many people die with their best work still inside them?
A writer who waits for ideal conditions under which to work will die without putting a word on paper.
Aeon+Psyche
How to experience more wow~18 min read · May 12th · Awe might seem an unobtainable luxury to many but, with the right approach, you can enjoy it daily – no mountain required
better living
experience
Highlights
to Keltner’s Eight Wonders of Life for experiences that can make you feel awe: moral beauty and courage, moving with others, nature, music, visual art and film, spiritual and religious experiences, big ideas, life and death.
Awe can seem mind-bending in part because it is; it forces us to adjust our mental structures to assimilate new information
James Clear
The Habits Guide: How to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones6 min read · From 2017 · How do habits work? How do you change your habits? How do you hold yourself accountable? This complete habits guide contains everything you need to know.
Ness Labs
Not-to-do list: a conscious way to break bad habits3 min read · Jul 1st · The good old to-do list is a staple of most productivity systems, used to keep track of tasks and manage your focus throughout the day. While to-do lists are powerful, a complementary method can…
productivity
Highlights
Do not eat lunch at your desk. Taking breaks is essential for your mental and physical health.
Do not abuse time blocking. While blocking time is a great way to regain control over your schedule, being overzealous can prevent you from experiencing serendipitous opportunities and spontaneous creativity.
Tiago Forte
Mise-en-Place for Knowledge Workers: 6 Practices for Working Clean~14 min read · Jun 29th · Knowledge work is unique among skilled professions in that we lack a culture of systematic improvement. Other skilled trades – from carpenters to welders to nurses to pilots – have been around long…
productivity
career
productividad
Highlights
We spend tens of thousands of dollars on our education, plus thousands of hours learning specialized skills. Yet so little time and effort is spent mastering the most fundamental skill of all: how to manage our work.
Like us, chefs only have so much energy and working memory at their disposal. Chefs use mise-en-place – a philosophy and mindset embodied in a set of practical techniques – as an “external brain.”
Ness Labs
The psychology of revenge bedtime procrastination4 min read · Jun 28th · Have you ever come home after a long day at work, with a narrow window of time to eat, shower, and go to bed, but decided to carve out some leisure time at the expense of your sleep? This is called…
productivity
sleep
Highlights
Revenge bedtime procrastination is harmful to your physical and mental health. Staying up a bit later to carve out some leisure time may feel good in the short-term, but will lead to some pretty worrisome negative effects in the long-term. It’s okay if we slip from time to time, but breaking this pernicious habit will result in a healthier, more balanced life.
Bedtime procrastination becomes revenge bedtime procrastination when the decision to delay sleep is in response to a lack of free time earlier in the day
Lifehack
7 Different Learning Models: Which One Fits You Best?5 min read · Jun 17th · Choosing among the different learning models can help you maximize your learning ability. Read on to learn which learning model suits you the best.
education
career
Ness Labs
An ode to slowness: the benefits of slowing down4 min read · Jun 24th · Slowing down can be a faster way to achieve your goals. Fighting our urge to live fast can lead to clearer thinking, deeper connections, and better mental health.
productivity
brain
mental health
Highlights
It may seem counterintuitive, but slowing down can be a faster way to achieve your goals. Fighting our urge to live and work faster can lead to clearer thinking, deeper connections, and better mental health.
Speed may sometimes be a goal in and of itself, but it should be an intentional goal rather than an automatic need to “keep up” with others.
Fast Company
4 science-backed ways to identify and stop negative self-talk3 min read · Jun 13th · There’s no switch to completely turn off our negative self-talk, but the most important thing we can do in these instances is to get mindful.
mindfulness
Highlights
Usually negative self-talk is so automatic that it happens outside of conscious awareness
Start the day off with some positive affirmations
blog.doist.com
How to Plan Your Day: The Complete Guide to Everyday Productivity~18 min read · 2020-10-03 · Learn how to plan your day to increase your productivity, achieve your long-term goals, and make time for the things that matter.
blog.doist.com
Want a More Productive Morning Routine? “Pay” Yourself First5 min read · 2020-10-07 · Apply David Bach's personal finance advice to "pay" yourself first by putting your personal “non-negotiables” before work obligations.
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