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.

The last month has been almost exclusively dealing with massive amounts of depression and constructing a new way of inducting multiple habits at once.

Depression has really been pushing into doing my own version of a meditation retreat, using behavioral methods. I’ve been coaching some people on meditation and am now putting together a proposal for a behaviorally informed meditation book. I’ve also successfully coached one person into forming two full habits - the first two habits this person has ever deliberately made.

In addition, I’ve been watching in awe as Lydia levels up her running habit, tackling half marathon after half marathon with seeming ease using an amazing running system which I’d like to not only copy, but apply to other skills.

INTERESTING STUFF

• When is the best time to exercise? [New York Times]

• Methods for Non Sleep Deep Rest [Inc]

• Even a little light can mess up sleep [CNN]

• The master control neuron for habits [Big Think]

• Warmer offices increase productivity for women [The Atlantic]

• Where emotions get trapped in the body [Healthline]

• Not all screens are the same for developing cognition [Get Pocket]

• How to regain focus [Psychology Today]

• Stretching before sleep leads to better sleep [Sleep.com]

• Getting enough sleep might lower the amount of calories you eat [New Scientist]

• How to train your body to recover faster [8 Weeks Out]

• Edison’s sleep wakeup strategy to boost creativity [Science.org]

• Mike and Matty’s Ultimate Study Guide [Mike and Matty]

• “Quiet Eye” training to improve performance [Bulletproof Musician]

• An overview of spaced repetition learning [College Info Geek]

• Optimizing the coffee nap [Crescent.co]

• How to be more likable according to science [Refinery 21]

RESEARCH

• A list of scales for measuring mindfulness [measures | writeup]

• A study that I believe confirms my newer habit model which separates habit starts and habit loads [study]

• 3 seconds of eccentric weight lifting per day improves strength [study | writeup]

• A behavioral analysis of toothbrushing [article]

• A meta analysis on the optimal number of walking steps for longevity [study | writeup]

SOCIAL

• How to avoid stagnation in meditation [Reddit]

• The science behind affirmations [Instagram]

• How to balance multiple hobbies, work, and a social life [Reddit]

• Tim Ferriss’ DiSSS method for learning any skill [Instagram]

• Behavioral advice for coping with depression [Reddit]

• How to stop intrusive imagery when meditating [Reddit]

• How to find what hobby you like [Reddit]

• How to change your luck [Reddit]

• Ways to turn around a day that starts crappy [Reddit]

• How to stay emotionally invested in becoming better [Reddit]

MISCELLANEOUS & ESOTERIC

• Visual focus is connected to mental focus. This is really weird - they talk about Olympic runners and how they focus on the finish line visually, and tried to apply this to regular people. 2 groups were weighted and told to walk to a finish line. The intervention group was told to visually look and narrow focus towards the finish line, and they found that their effort was subjectively less, they subjectively thought the finish line was closer, and they got there faster compared to the control group.

• Forward - a health care provider that focuses on preventative health. Finally! These guys say they do a lot of behavioral stuff, from weight management and stress control, to sleep health. I hope this trend continues.

• The Quantified Scientist - a scientist who breaks down and assessing trackers. He has a great video on the Garmin sleep tracking algorithm and the studies that went into it, as well as how it compares to other devices.

• A training paradigm for Mini Workouts spread across the day. The author argues that you can still get gains, and incorporates a number of studies and his own experiences in the article.

• How to transition to floor sitting. She includes a lot of reasons why you should do it, but more importantly, discusses potential props and progressions.

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!