Focus and attention

Self-knowledge and personal growth Relationships, work and leisure Values and ethical living

A older man lying on a bench against a white wall near a wooden door. Sun shines on his face.

Money and economics

idea

Why efficiency is dangerous and slowing down makes life better

The urge to do everything faster and better is risky. Far wiser to do what’s good enough for the range of possible futures

by Barry Schwartz

A close-up of a delicate blue flower next to a cluster of small yellow flowers, with a blurred green and yellow background.

Mind and brain

idea

Slow down, it’s what your brain has been begging for

It’s no small task to live a life of sustained attention. So slow down, and give your brain a break to do its work

by Teodora Stoica

A young woman in cut-off jean shorts on a brown-and-white horse in a town street looking at her phone, with people and buildings behind her.

Focus and attention

guide

How to be indistractable

Stop blaming technology – distraction starts within. Manage your inner triggers to enjoy greater focus and a fuller life

by Nir Eyal

Silhouette of person standing before an orange light, creating a glowing halo effect on a neutral background.

Painting and sculpture

film

Toxic materials become sculptures of light and air in this artist’s hands

Directed by Anika Kan Grevstad

Person sitting cross-legged on the floor with instructions book to assemble flat-pack furniture with a cat getting in the way.

Thinking and intelligence

idea

When a tricky task makes your brain hurt, here’s what to do

Although thinking hard is a daily experience, psychologists are only just beginning to understand how aversive it can be

by Todd Vogel

Blurry image of a person walking in a park with green grass, trees and an urban background.

Focus and attention

idea

Sometimes, paying attention means we see the world less clearly

Does attention distort knowledge, or am I overthinking it? What visual illusions say about the secret workings of the mind

by Henry Taylor

Abstract line drawing with intersecting lines and shapes in various colours on a light beige background.

Creativity

guide

How to be lucky

Most of us think that luck just happens (or doesn’t) but everyone can learn to look for the unexpected and find serendipity

by Christian Busch

Traffic on a rainy motorway with a sign indicating a stranded vehicle and a 40 mph speed limit.

Decision-making

idea

Why small annoyances can harm us more than big disruptions

A largely forgotten psychological concept helps explain the insidiousness of minor problems – and what to do about it

by Shayla Love

A bowl containing a mobile phone, keychains, earrings, a key, and other small miscellaneous items.

Technology and media

idea

The pleasure, the pain and the politics of a digital detox

Studying why and how people take digital-media breaks can reveal what individuals and societies value in unmediated spaces

by Trine Syvertsen

Black-and-white photo of people sitting at a bar; a man lights a pipe while others converse, drinks and food are on the counter.

Thinking and intelligence

guide

How to think like a detective

The best detectives seem to have almost supernatural insight, but their cognitive toolkit is one that anybody can use

by Ivar Fahsing