The Best of Nir Eyal
20+ most popular Nir Eyal articles, as voted by our community.
Nir Eyal on Addiction
Kids’ Video Game Obsession Isn’t Really About Video Games. It’s About Unmet Psychological Needs.
Fortnite has created concern about technology addiction. However, when people say they are addicted to chocolate, they are generally not addicted.
The Addictive Products Myth: Who Is the Culprit Here?
Addiction isn’t about feeling good, it’s about not feeling bad. In this article Nir explores the addictive product myth and a new model for understanding addiction.
Nir Eyal on Better Living
Labeling Yourself is Keeping You Down, Do This Instead
Recently, after I gave a virtual presentation on my book Indistractable, a listener wrote something in the Zoom chat that drove me bonkers: “This is great but wouldn’t work for me. I’m a Gemini.”…
Nir Eyal on Body Language
“Digital Body Language” Is Everything: Interview with Erica Dhawan
You have a "digital body language" in your video calls and emails to coworkers. Here's how you can still build trust and connection, even when not face-to-face.
«reading carefully is the new listening, writing clearly is the new empathy, and a phone call is worth a thousand emails.»
Nir Eyal on Ego
It’s How You React to Failure that Matters: Why Ego is the Enemy
Nir’s Note: This guest post is an excerpt from my friend Ryan Holiday’s new book, Ego Is the Enemy. Ryan is the author of three other books and his monthly reading recommendations, which go out to 50,000+ subscribers, can be found here. It can ruin your life only if it ruins your character. —Marcus Aurelius John DeLorean ran his car […]
Nir Eyal on Planning
Planning Ahead Is the Key to Living With More Spontaneity
It seems counterintuitive, but spontaneity can’t happen without a bit of advanced planning. Only people with spare time can be spontaneous.
Planning a Vacation Is Practice for a Great Life
When I was 13, my parents and I went to Europe on vacation. It was miserable. My father wanted to hit all the major sites, while my mother just wanted to relax. Because they couldn’t agree on what to…
«plan is the only way to e»
Nir Eyal on Productivity
One Question to Ask Yourself to Know Your Future
The German writer and philosopher Goethe believed he could predict someone’s future based on one simple fact. “If I know how you spend your time,” he wrote, “then I know what might become of you.”…
«But here’s the thing: Your life in the future isn’t going to look the way you want it to unless you take control of your time and attention.»
4 Mental Traps That Kill Productivity
Productivity has many enemies: too many meetings, external triggers like interruptions from coworkers, whether virtual or in person, and multitasking the wrong way, to name a few. But more often than…
«we tend to prioritize the completion of the five-minute menial task rather than the important project that will take us hours of work.»
Nir Eyal on Psychology
6 Habits That Are Secretly Making You Miserable
You wake up in the morning irritable and groggy but determined to be productive. Yesterday didn’t go well. You didn’t complete even the one big priority project that would have taken just a couple of…
«Don’t shut out the feeling; by deliberately avoiding specific thoughts, they become more persistent, a phenomenon called ironic processing.»
The Ultimate Guide to Unstoppable Motivation
The Pacific Crest Trail is renowned as one of the most arduous—and sometimes dangerous—hiking trails in America. Every summer, thousands of intrepid walkers set off on the trail, beginning in spring…
«those who had higher levels of both introjected and identified motivation were far more likely to complete the trail.»
Nir Eyal on Relationships
Why Values In a Relationship Are What Make It Last (Or Not)
You don’t have to agree on everything, but you do have to be aligned. Divorce sucks. My friend is going through one right now. The worst part is that he saw it coming. And he’s not the first of my…
Score Your Spats: How to Stop Arguing and Enhance Your Relationships
I got this message from Shane Parrish: “Oh I meant to tell you... I remember something you told me that I now share with everyone. It's made a difference for so many.” The “something” he’s referring…
«Whenever you have a disagreement with someone you care about and who cares about you, pose this straightforward question:»
Nir Eyal on Willpower
Good News! Your Willpower Isn’t Limited–Don’t Believe the “Ego Depletion” Theory
Ego depletion theory says that willpower uses a reservoir of mental energy. Psychologists have thought it's why we run out of willpower. Here's why I disagree.
«Just let that sink in–mindset mattered more than physical dependence! What we say to ourselves is vitally important. Labeling yourself as having poor self-control actually leads to less self-control.»
The Way You’re Think About Willpower Is Hurting You
New studies suggest that we’ve been thinking about willpower all wrong. Even worse, holding on to outdated ideas can actually be hurting you.
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You’re Not Addicted to Technology. Here’s What’s Happening Instead.
This essay is adapted from the book Build For Tomorrow, in which Entrepreneur magazine editor in chief Jason Feifer shows how to thrive by…
Distraction at work is a symptom of dysfunction. Here’s how to fix it.
It seems we’re all checking our phones constantly these days. But all that time spent on our phones leaves little time for anything else. We need time to think in order to come up with novel solutions…
Get Comfortable With Being Uncomfortable
Humans have an evolutionary need to be challenged—to feel discomfort. We may not enjoy whatever discomfort we expose ourselves to in the moment—be it a physical, mental, or spiritual hardship—but…
«Stepping outside your comfort zone seriously improves your life. Humans have an evolutionary need to be challenged—to feel discomfort.»
People Make Time for What They Want — Rightfully So
People make time for who and what they want, and you should, too. Though the author is unknown, this saying has become an axiom to soothe distraught thoughts. Some use it as reasoning to understand…
The 4 Steps to Becoming Indistractable
Overcoming distraction is the struggle of our time. Here are 4 simple steps to manage your wandering mind.
«Answer the question: Is this trigger serving me, or am I serving it? That way, you can hack back the external triggers that aren’t serving you»
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