Darya Sinusoid, Author at Shortform Books

Being in Denial: How Lying to Yourself Corrupts Your Soul

Do you feel like you’re living in denial? Why do people deny what they know deep down is true? Denial is a psychological coping mechanism for protecting yourself from pain or discomfort. While being in denial about something can help you numb the negative feelings that will result from facing the truth about a situation (or yourself), it can be dangerous in the long term. Keep reading to understand the psychology of denial, why living in denial is harmful, and how to overcome it and face the truth.

Why Is Multitasking Bad? It Hurts Productivity

Why is multitasking bad for productivity? How does multitasking diminish your capacity to be productive? While multitasking may make you feel busy, it actually eats away at your productivity. This is because multitasking requires frequent switching between different tasks, and switching is costly in terms of cognitive resources. Here’s how multitasking hurts your productivity, according to productivity expert Chris Bailey.

Chris Bailey: Productivity Isn’t the Same as Busyness

What exactly is productivity? What are some things you can do to become more meaningfully productive? According to productivity expert Chris Bailey, productivity isn’t just about trying to do more for the sake of doing more. Rather, productivity is the ability to identify and prioritize what matters most. In this article, we’ll explain Bailey’s definition of productivity and how it challenges a common misunderstanding about what it means to be productive.

How to Overcome Cognitive Biases: The Top 3 Methods

Do you want to free your mind from psychological biases? Is it possible to be 100% free from bias? While it’s not possible to be totally free from bias, you can actively work to reduce it with study and practice. As a result of overcoming your biases, you will view the world more objectively, make better decisions, and become less prone to anxiety fueled by biased thinking. Keep reading to learn how to overcome cognitive biases.

Managing Distractions: Tips From a Productivity Expert

Do you get distracted a lot? How do distractions hinder your performance? Getting distracted not only wastes your valuable time but also makes it more difficult to resume focus. Attention research has shown that employees focus on a project for 11 minutes before being interrupted, and on average it takes them 25 minutes to refocus. Here are some tips for managing distractions and preventing them from stealing your focus.

How to Set Value-Based Goals (Instead of Desire-Based Goals)

What are value-based goals? How do you connect your goals and values? According to Ryan A. Bush, the author of Designing the Mind, your goals should be informed by your values. Pursuing value-based goals (instead of desire-based goals) will bring you fulfillment and success. Keep reading to learn how to set value-based goals, according to Bush.

How to Use the Brain’s Neuroplasticity to Your Advantage

What is neuroplasticity? How can you take advantage of your brain’s capacity to rewire itself? Neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to grow and reorganize itself in response to stimuli. According to Ryan A. Bush, the author of Designing the Mind, you can harness your brain’s neuroplasticity to rewrite your self-sabotaging mental programs and replace them with programs that prime you for success. Here’s how you can harness the power of neuroplasticity to your advantage.

Managing Priorities: The Key to Being Productive

Do you struggle to manage your priorities? What are some criteria you can do to identify the most important tasks on your to-do list? Managing priorities is the key to being meaningfully productive. When you’re able to identify and tackle the highest priority tasks first, you’ll progress a lot faster. However, it’s not always easy to identify what is most important from your to-do list. Productivity expert Chris Bailey gives some tips on how to identify the most significant, highest-impact tasks.

Breaking Bad Habits: 2 Strategies for Success

Why is it so hard to break bad habits? How can you break the tendency to engage in habitual behaviors that sabotage your success? Bad habits tend to be the behaviors that make us feel good in the short term. Because we seek instant gratification over long-term results, bad habits often seem more appealing than many good habits that require us to put in more work. Here are two strategies for breaking bad habits and forming beneficial habits in their stead.

5 Common Self-Sabotaging Behaviors to Avoid

Do you constantly self-sabotage by engaging in behaviors that take you further away from your goals? How can you stop doing what you know is hindering your progress? Self-sabotage is engaging in behaviors that prevent you from achieving your goals. While the way you sabotage is unique to your personality and life circumstances, the patterns of self-sabotaging behaviors are not that different from person to person. Keep reading to learn about some of the most common self-sabotaging behaviors and how to stop doing them.