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Habits and routines

Photo of a person wearing sunglasses sitting in dappled sunlight with a thoughtful expression. Shadows cast on the face.

Anxiety

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How to tell whether you’re being careful or giving in to anxiety

It’s not always easy to tell what’s a sensible safeguard, and what’s an anxiety-fuelling habit. A few questions can help

by Jemma Todd, Amelia Scott, Rachel Menzies & Louise Sharpe

Photo of a person in a yellow jacket and turquoise hat running through a blurred forest path, conveying motion.

The body and physical health

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Even a single exercise session can help shift depression

The long-term benefits of regular exercise for mood are well-known. What’s surprising is that just one session can help

by Matthew Bourke & Rhiannon Patten

Photo of a green bowl holding a smartphone various keys a yellow accessory and a blue card on a white surface.

Technology and media

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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

Photo of a person using a laptop on a wooden table with stationery books and a plate of snacks also visible.

Focus and attention

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Go on, admit it. You’re multitasking. Here’s how to do it better

Our limited mental resources make multitasking inefficient. As you’re unlikely to stop it, you can learn to do it better

by Virginia Clinton-Lisell

Photo of gym shoes, a red rolled yoga mat, a water bottle and a speaker on a carpeted floor in a cosy room.

Goals and motivation

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To meet your goals, forget willpower and fill your toolbox

Achieving your goals has nothing to do with willpower and everything to do with using the right mix of psychological tools

by Marina Milyavskaya

Photo of two inmates in orange uniforms sitting on benches watching a TV at Orange County Jail.

Habits and routines

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Prison life puts the ‘time work’ we all do into sharp relief

Trapped in an ocean of time, prisoners exemplify the human impulse to take temporal experience into our own hands

by Michael G Flaherty

Bronze statue head with curly hair and beard on black background, depicting a solemn expression, sculpture.

Thinking and intelligence

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Lost perspective? Try this linguistic trick to reset your view

By using ‘distanced self-talk’, you can leverage the structure of language to take a step back and see the bigger picture

by Ariana Orvell

Photo of a ski jumper in blue gear at the top of a snow-covered ramp preparing to jump at night.

Goals and motivation

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There’s a way to avoid the slippery slopes of over-optimism

Optimistic people tend to enjoy more success, but that’s only when they put the effort in – wishful thinking is not enough

by Heather C Lench