Most full-time employees spend around half their waking hours at work. It is therefore perilously easy to slip into depression if you aren't enjoying your job. Here's some advice to help you get into the right headspace and rise above the negativity.

Not to get too morbid, but we're all going to die. Some of us sooner than expected, as this piece by Emily Maloney in The Billfold reminds us. Writing about the unexpected loss of a family member, Maloney explains why she has become a "now" person. A person who does things, rather than talks and dreams about them.

Cognitive bias occurs when we make subjective assumptions about people or situations based on our own perception of reality. This can lead to irrational decisions and judgement calls that affect those around us. They can alter the way you see everything without you even realising it.

Identifying the problem is the first step towards rational thinking. Here are 24 distinct biases that you need to be aware of - from "declinism" (believing the past was better than the present) to "fundamental attribution error" (judging others on their character but yourself on the situation).

By rights, this story should have been written half an hour ago. Instead, I was playing Rolling Sky on my mobile and arguing with random people on the internet. Such are the perils of procrastination.

If you never seem to get things done on time, you're probably suffering from a productivity problem of one form or another. Fortunately, it's not difficult to yield more out of the workday via a few tried-and-trusted adjustments. This infographic provides 11 caffeine-free tips.

You're taught about history, science and maths when you're growing up. Most of us, however, aren't taught how to identify or deal with our own emotions or the emotions of others. These skills can be valuable, but you'll never get them in a classroom.

Children need to feel their feelings, but too often, they become overwhelmed by them. When they're visibly upset, that's when parents tend to swoop in and offer comfort, perhaps with words or hugs (or OK, sometimes goldfish crackers and YouTube Kids). But it's even more important to teach them how to calm themselves.

Psychotherapist Amy Morin, who wrote the new book 13 Things Mentally Strong Parents Don't Do, says that being able to deal with stress, anger, frustration, and anxiety requires a specific set of skills. And that's where brain training comes in.

Lately (as I’ve mentioned) my mantra is, “Is this strategic, or just cathartic?” I’m training myself to repeat it when I feel tempted to say something really stupid during a tense discussion or basically any interaction on Twitter. So far, I mostly say it to my friends when they’re about to say something stupid. And after reading this article by M.J. Ryan, author of Habit Changers: 81 Game-Changing Mantras to Mindfully Realise Your Goals, I realised I already have lots of mantras.

Manipulation is generally a bad skill to use to get what you want, but sometimes it's justifiable when you have a noble cause. Perhaps you're trying to get someone to live a healthier lifestyle or enjoy an activity with you. When other tactics fail you and it's time to resort to a little manipulative behaviour, here are some tricks you can use to get what you want without being completely abandoning your ethics.

Every year, Lifehacker celebrates the dark side of life hacking with Evil Week. From today, we'll be highlighting all the things you shouldn't do - assuming you're a good person. Let the trolling begin!

I talk too much crap on the internet. I go to social media, the place we all go to scream now, and I see something bad. I quote the bad thing to mock it, thus spreading the bad thing, and inviting bad replies. I do this despite already having a job pointing to bad things and inviting bad replies for money, otherwise known as blogging.

So lately I'm using this mantra, not something I tell myself, but something I ask myself, before saying anything — especially a reply or reaction — on the internet. I ask myself, "Is this strategic, or just cathartic?"

Even the busiest worker suffers from poor motivation every once in a while. Maybe it's been too long since your last holiday or maybe that work project you poured your heart and soul into failed miserably. Whatever the reason, you need to buck up before it starts affecting your professional reputation. This infographic explains 10 tried-and-tested methods that will help you to stay motivated.

You've likely heard that body language accounts for up to 55 per cent of how we communicate, but reading non-verbal cues isn't just about broad strokes. The same gesture can indicate a number of different things depending on context.

In this guide, we're going to take a look at three common situations in which non-verbal cues are especially important - detecting lies, going on a date and interviewing for a job - then explain how to interpret body language more accurately so that you can read between the lines when a person's words aren't necessarily conveying the way that they honestly feel.

It may seem like some people are born likable, but everyone is capable of developing charisma. No matter what your personality, there are certain traits you can practise and apply to your own behaviour that can make you seem more magnetic, trustworthy and influential. Here are the basics to developing charisma.

When someone is diagnosed with a mental health disorder such as depression or anxiety, first line treatments usually include psychological therapies and medication. What’s not always discussed are the changeable lifestyle factors that influence our mental health. Even those who don’t have a mental health condition may still be looking for ways to further improve their mood, reduce stress, and manage their day-to-day mental health.

Unless you're a masochist and/or sociopath, you probably don't indulge in bad habits by choice. Instead, it's usually something you "fell into" and can't seem to navigate your way out of. This infographic explains the psychology behind bad habits along with some tried-and-trusted tips to help you break them.

Think about something that happened to you this morning. That there, is your memory. We recall thousands of events and procedures every day, but how exactly does the brain do it? This comic-esque infographic breaks down the science behind this essential and primeval mind hack alongside some valuable improvement tips.

Most of us are familiar with the concept of "inbox zero", the state (and long-term goal) of having and keeping an empty inbox. Productivity blog Johnny Moneyseed explains why it's even more important to apply this concept to your mind.

Making conversation seems easy enough on the surface. You talk and they talk back, right? But then you find yourself in one of those awkward situations where you're just staring at someone you barely know and you have to figure out how to keep the conversation interesting. Here are the most common mistakes we all make and how to avoid them.

Feeling so busy, so pushed around and bullied that you don't have time to be stressed? Australian researchers have found that workplace aggression and stressful situations get better by adding a little humour.