The Best of Ness Labs
20+ most popular Ness Labs articles, as voted by our community.
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Curiosity Attractors: The Diffuse Obsessions that Shape our Lives
Curiosity attractors reveal deeper truths about who you are and what is most meaningful to you, offering insights into your past experiences and current creative drive, and even glimpses into…
«Psychologists call this need for cognition, which is usually triggered by ideas complex enough to highlight gaps in our knowledge but not so complex as to feel incomprehensible. Curiosity attractors tend to hit this sweet spot.»
Timeshielding: How to Do the Things you Actually Want to Do
Timeshielding allows you to protect blocks of time in your calendar for what matters to you, with no specific task list. This could be for research, reading, creative brainstorming, or even just doing…
Ness Labs Best Books of February 2024
What should you read this month? This is your February 2024 guide to discovering the most insightful, inspiring, and transformative books on mindful productivity, creative growth, holistic ambition,…
Ness Labs on Anxiety
Liminal Creativity
What happens in liminal spaces? Doubt, discomfort, unfamiliarity, anxiety. But also growth, change, and discovery. Liminal spaces offer all of the ingredients for creativity.
«What happens in liminal spaces? Doubt, discomfort, unfamiliarity, anxiety. But also growth, change, and discovery. Liminal spaces offer all of the ingredients for creativity.»
Anxious for no apparent reason? It may be time to press “reset”
Racing pulse, tense muscles, dry mouth, restlessness, irritability, difficulty concentrating… The symptoms of anxiety are many, but sometimes we can’t pinpoint why exactly we experience this panicky…
Ness Labs on Better Living
How to measure meaning in life
Meaningfulness is associated with greater well-being, and scientists have even devised ways to measure meaning in life.
«However, one of the strongest predictors of how meaningful people perceive their lives to be is… Being reminded of valued sources of meaning.»
From FOMO to JOMO: the joy of missing out
JOMO—the joy of missing out—is a way to live an intentional life. It’s realising that FOMO is distracting you from your life’s purpose.
«Associated with a fear of regret, FOMO is the apprehension that others might be having rewarding experiences from which you are absent.»
Ness Labs on Introspection
Fear setting: an exercise to define and conquer your fears
Fear setting involves identifying and defining your fears so that you can overcome them. It's a process of reflection to step away from the everyday grind to gain perspective on your fears.
«The good news is that if you can identify which fears are rational, and which are irrational, you can exert some level of control over them.»
The power of self-reflection at work
Self-reflection should not be reserved for our personal lives only. It can also be richly rewarding for our professional careers.
Ness Labs on Learning
Proprioceptive writing: a method for embodied self-reflection
Proprioceptive writing is a self-reflection method combining meditation and writing, two of the most effective ways to tap into the inner self.
«This process combines meditation and writing, two of the most effective ways to tap into the inner self.»
How to make more time to read
Many of us would like to have more time to read, but life can get in the way of picking up a book. What are strategies that actually work?
«However, speed reading limits your comprehension of the novel, reducing the accuracy of what you read and hindering how much you retain of the story»
Ness Labs on Mental Models
Present bias: how instant gratification impacts your long-term goals
The present bias is our tendency to seize short-term opportunities, settling for a small present reward rather than waiting for a larger future reward.
«seizing short-term opportunities can lead you to settle for a small present reward rather than wait for a larger future reward.»
How to think better
Learn how to think better with a guide on decision-making frameworks, cognitive biases, mental models, and tools for thought.
«metacognitive skills allow people to bring their thought processes to the foreground, so they can be analysed, and potentially improved.»
Ness Labs on Problem Solving
Systematic inventive thinking: the power of thinking inside the box
When talking about creativity, many people will tell you: “Think outside the box!” The catchphrase is so common in management consulting and business environments, it has become a bit of a cliché.…
«Thinking inside the box often provokes resistance as it runs counter to some of the most ubiquitous intuitions about innovation. However, it’s a formidable creative thinking tool which is actually fun to use.»
Creative Problem Solving: from complex challenge to innovative solution
When facing a difficult dilemma, Creative Problem Solving offers a structured method to help you find an innovative and effective solution.
«With brainstorming, Osborn suggested that it’s better to bring every idea you have to the table, including the wildest ones, because with just a little modification, the outrageous ideas may later become the most plausible solutions. In his own words: “It is easier to tone down a wild idea than to think up a new one.”»
Ness Labs on Productivity
The psychology of unfinished tasks
Unfinished tasks can overwhelm us or motivate us. These contradictory experiences are due to the Zeigarnik and the Ovsiankina effects.
«compared to a task that has not yet been started, individuals have a stronger urge to complete interrupted or unfinished assignments.»
Temptation bundling: stop procrastinating by boosting your willpower
Temptation bundling is a productivity technique that involves combining an activity that gives you instant gratification, such as watching TV, with one that is beneficial but has a delayed reward,…
«trying to reply to important work emails while watching one of your favourite TV shows may not be the best combination, as your concentration levels are likely to be affected.»
Ness Labs on Psychology
The science of motivation: how to get and stay motivated
Motivation only starts to build again once we have taken the first steps and gained some momentum in our task. It's all about getting started and consistently taking action, making sure we get back on…
«three innate psychological needs which must be satisfied to enhance self-motivation and mental health: competence, autonomy and relatedness.»
Self-Motivation: how to build a reward system for yourself
Building a reward system for self-motivation is a powerful way to boost your productivity, reducing the need to rely on intrinsic motivation to complete the work you need (and want) to do. However,…
«A reward does not need to be expensive. If it appeals to you, then you will be motivated to reach your goal so that you can treat yourself.»
Ness Labs on Self Esteem
The psychology of negative thinking
When negative thinking becomes the norm, it can contribute to mental health problems including social anxiety, low self-esteem, and even depression. To avoid falling into that pattern, let’s explore…
«when you’re already feeling anxious or depressed, succumbing to negative thought patterns is unfortunately likely to worsen the way you feel.»
The Praise Paradox: when well-intended words backfire
Most people would agree: praise is one of the most effective ways to build children’s self-esteem. We are told to be generous with our praise, and to find as many opportunities as possible to praise…
«Adults are inclined to give children with low self-esteem person praise (e.g., “You’re smart!”) and inflated praise»
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Interoception: The hidden ‘sixth sense’
Interoception is how we understand our body’s inner sensations. It’s our brain’s ability to sense what’s happening inside the body and adjust accordingly. And recent research suggests that this sixth…
«our brains didn’t evolve to merely react to the world around us, but rather to try to predict what will happen to us next based on both external and internal signals.»
Habit trackers: does tracking your habits actually work?
We rarely lack good intentions. Establishing habits, however, can feel like a struggle, and there’s often a gap between intention and execution.
«Apply the “never miss twice” principle»
Purpose Anxiety: The Fear of not Knowing your Purpose in Life
Our search for purpose can be associated with psychological distress, such as worry, fear, stress, frustration, and even jealousy. But we can make the search a lot less excruciating by applying simple…
«purpose has become a choice instead of a calling, we are no longer provided with a map outlining what it looks like to live “the good life”.»
Everything is Aiming
Kyūdō, the Japanese martial art of archery, offers an alternative philosophy where aims matter more than goals, and where success is the process itself.
«It is not the target that matters. It is not the finish line that matters. It is the way we approach the goal that matters. Everything is aiming.”»
Digital detoxes don’t actually work
A digital detox is a period in which a person voluntarily refrains from using digital devices including smartphones, computers and social media platforms. However, recent research has shown that…
«The internet has made it possible to talk at length with strangers who share your passion for any subject—make the most of it»
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