In this column I share articles, books, research, and thoughts related to the science of self-help, along with experiments and random rabbit holes I’ve gone down across the previous month.

I got highly distracted in the last three months, so I’ve had to combine them all together for this roundup.

A lot of my habits have gone dormant, so I’m trying to figure out a way to restart them quickly, while at the same time adding more all at once. This is not usually a good thing, but I’ve been ruminating about a new, solid behavioral method to do this well. There’s more than one way to skin a habit, and I think having different behaviors rest on different methods of habit formation might alleviate the system wide strain that I’ve experience in the past of doing too much too fast.

I’ve also been working on a book proposal for a better way to train meditation. It’s risen out of a number of articles and thoughts I’ve had, but came to a head when someone on Reddit asked for the best practices for an intensive retreat. It got me wondering how would I form my own retreat, and how could it take advantage of all the behavioral principles I’ve learned.

INTERESTING STUFF

How to take a mental health day [New York Times]
How different cultures define happiness [The Atlantic]
Can meditation apps be harmful? [Tricycle]
Building a rest ethic that’s as strong as your work ethic [Fast Company]
Using awe to spark creativity [Writers Helping Writers]
Does perfectionism really kill creativity? [Bulletproof Musician]
A master course on how to use tea and coffee effectively for studying [Mike and Matty]
Does Lo-fi music actually help you study? [Mike and Matty]

RESEARCH

Daytime napping vs cramming [study]
When to get to sleep to consolidate memories [study]
Studying consciousness without content [paper]

SOCIAL

How to use meditation to deal with jealousy/envy [Reddit]
How to get things done if you have executive dysfunction [Reddit]
Techniques for being mindful under pressure [Reddit]
Meditations for insomnia [Reddit]
Techniques for stopping mental chatter at night [Reddit]
What to do when taking breaks from Pomodoros [Reddit]
How to naturally wake up early [Reddit]
Finding a balance between self improvement and rest/living [Reddit]
Dealing with morning anxiety [Reddit]
How to be UNFOCUSED and productive [Reddit]

MISCELLANEOUS & ESOTERIC

Using the horse stance to develop willpower
Essential oil nasal inhalers for a boost in mood
A “good morning” simulator game
The Art of Memory - a forum on mind palaces and memory techniques
Using “forced empathy” as a negotiation tactic
Diffusion techniques for unhooking your mind

If you’ve got any interesting links, books, comments, or suggestions, shoot me an email at scienceofselfhelp (at) gmail.com. I’d love to hear from you!