Uncover And Manipulate Your Triggers To Optimise Your Work And Life 
How I Tricked Myself Into Being Awesome 
How Superstitions And Rituals Encourage You To Achieve Your Goals 
How To Handle Your High-Maintenance Friends And Family Without Losing Your Mind 
How Beginner's Luck Works And How You Can Reproduce It Anytime 
How To Spot The Mike Daisey In Your Own Life If your morning routine consists of a mad rush to get out the door on time, it’s time for an upgrade so you can frame your day better. Weblog Daring to Live Fully details two methods for feeding your mind the best stuff and setting the tone for the rest of the day.
It’s easy enough to decide to go to bed strictly at a certain time, but actually doing it is another story. We often get carried away in the late hours of the night, trying to knock off just a few more things we wanted to do, whether it’s for work or fun. The next day, we’re tired and filled with regret, yet we don’t stop. If this sounds like you, it’s time to start “force quitting” yourself at the end of the day. Here’s how.
Habits are formed when you do something over and over again, which is great if you want them. The problem is when you end up with a bad habit because you start repeating a behaviour you don’t want without necessarily realising it. If you want to get rid of this problematic mannerism, the first thing you need to do is figure out its trigger so you’re aware.
Nobody likes to give negative feedback to a friend or colleague. In fact, most people, especially if you have a lower self-esteem, don’t give negative feedback at all. The reason? A new study in the British Journal of Social Psychology suggests that you withhold negative feedback to protect yourself, not the person being judged.
Dear Lifehacker, I’ve read about how to plant ideas in someone’s head, but the whole idea of manipulation makes me uneasy. Still, I’m not great at making a case for what I want, even though I know it’s a skill that would be incredibly useful. Can you offer any suggestions to help me better convince others to do what I want?
We all have that one friend or family member who’s a constant drain on our energy. You want to keep that person in your life (or have to), but you could do without the huge amounts of stress. While you can’t change who someone is, you can do a lot to remove the dysfunction from the situation. Whether you’ve got one or many high-maintenance people in your life, here’s how to handle them.
You’ve probably heard that keeping secrets is a burden emotionally, but new research in the Journal of Experimental Psychology suggests it may also be a physical encumbrance. The research suggests that when you’re holding onto a secret, you can’t judge spatial distance and you rate physical tasks as more difficult than they really are.
At some point in your life you’ve won a game you’ve never played before or witnessed a young child say or create something with worldly depth. These are both examples of events we attribute to something called beginner’s luck, as if chance caused them to happen. The reality is that the effects of this supposed beginner’s luck have very real causes that can be reproduced under the right circumstances. Here’s how the phenomenon works and how you can use that information to incite good fortune when you need it.
Dear Lifehacker, Lately I’ve been completely unmotivated to do anything. Getting things done at work is a challenge, and it’s even worse at home. My apartment is becoming a mess, I never cook anymore, and I’ve been unable to keep up a healthy diet. I don’t feel depressed or all that unhappy — just very unmotivated. Is there anything I can do to recharge?
Have an important presentation or interview coming up and need to psych yourself up for it? Use your body to manipulate your brain. Don’t feel silly trying one of these postures, which include strutting and a superhero pose: It might keep the stress down while helping you “unleash your inner alpha dog”.
