GetBetter

vice.com Japanese Rope Bondage Is the Kink That Could Save Your Relationship Ashley Fike 3–4 minutes

theguardian.com Single dose of magic mushroom psychedelic can cause anatomical brain changes, study finds Ian Sample 4–5 minutes

Health reasons aside (not that you need additional reasons, but still), a study published in Population Health Management determined that people who predominately make unhealthy food choices are two-thirds more likely to be less productive than those who actively make healthy choices.

It’s easy to decide to create a new habit. It’s a lot harder to turn that decision into a lasting habit.

Entrepreneurship is a famously busy, high-stress way to make a living. So it probably won’t come as a shock to most business owners that studies suggest entrepreneurs are more likely to be overweight than the general population. The lack of time for self-care and stress eating can easily catch up with you.

All writing is autobiographical. Even if you’re not explicitly writing about your own experience, it shows up in the topics you choose, the details you focus on, even the things you leave out.

How can you tell when someone is out to manipulate you? There are a variety of signs to watch for, including their posture. But there’s one nearly foolproof sign that they are a manipulator: They create a false sense of urgency.

Can you run a successful business if you aren’t good with numbers? Yes. There are a lot of entrepreneurs doing just that. But if you believe that you are good at running the business but bad at understanding its finances, think again. You’re probably better at numbers than you think you are.

“Easiest way to get bigger.” “Ordering pump to Asia.” “Will a penile traction device cause scar tissue?” “Is this safe?” The r/gettingbigger Reddit thread sees, on average, 30 posts a day, all inquiring and/or sharing pics of growth. Oh, and you can’t forget the cute little scoreboard: 124K Embiggened and 4.3K Elongating now.

What can you do to make yourself happier? If you’re like most people, the idea of increasing your own happiness probably appeals to you. But here’s a second question: Do you think it’s possible? Or do you believe some people are just born with a happy outlook on life, while other, less lucky, people are not? Your answer to that last question could make a very big difference.

“Your brain doesn’t pay attention to boring things,” said Dr. John Medina, molecular biologist and author of Brain Rules. “If it doesn’t see a reason to pay attention, it will move on to something else. It has plenty of other stuff to do.”

Since no one ever accomplishes anything truly worthwhile on their own, every successful person I know is really good at persuading and influencing other people. (Not as an influencer, but as a formal and informal leader.)

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Liz Weselby, a 53-year-old communications executive based in Sydney. It has been edited for length and clarity.

You want to be happier. You want to feel more fulfilled. You want to live longer, healthier lives.

When I was in law school, people used to say: “If you don’t know who the class jerk is, it’s you.”

It started with two incidents on the same day. In a fairly empty train carriage, a stranger in her 70s approached me: “Do you mind if I sit here? Or did you want to be alone with your thoughts?” I weighed it up for a split second, conscious that I was, in effect, agreeing to a conversation: “No, of course I don’t mind. Sit down.”

How can you build a new habit and make sure you stick with it? Use the power of the streak. That intriguing advice from behavioral scientists showed up in a recent New York Times article geared to help people keep to their New Year’s resolutions. Tracking a streak lets you use gamification to subtly reward yourself for sticking with your new habit.

“I want to be worth $10 million in liquid assets within ten years,” a reader and aspiring entrepreneur wrote, “so I’m going to open a restaurant. Any advice for me?”

Aerobic exercise such as running, swimming or dancing can be considered a frontline treatment for mild depression and anxiety, according to research that suggests working out with others brings the most benefits.

For anyone telling themselves their physical peak is long behind them (along with their 20s), a long-running Swedish study might have some good news.

Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green once told me he enjoys being the dumbest person in the room.

Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) have more in common with cigarettes than with fruit or vegetables, and require far tighter regulation, according to a new report.

For many founders, late nights at the office and nonstop schedules are all part of the routine. Kevin O’Leary, however, is pushing back on that mindset, arguing that young entrepreneurs should stop worshipping 18-hour workdays.

About a decade ago, many media outlets—including WIRED—zeroed in on a weird trend at the intersection of mental health, drug science, and Silicon Valley biohacking: microdosing, or the practice of taking a small amount of a psychedelic drug seeking not full-blown hallucinatory revels but gentler, more stable effects. Typically using psilocybin mushrooms or LSD, the archetypal microdoser sought less melting walls and open-eye kaleidoscopic visuals than boosts in mood and energy, like a gentle spring breeze blowing through the mind.

Even though we all define “success” differently (as well we should), most of us factor wealth into our success equations, if only to achieve the peace of mind that comes with some level of financial freedom.

Day or night, many of us grind or clench our teeth, and don’t even realise we’re doing it. Here are three questions to ask yourself.

I think this is relevant to self-improvement project as I very, very often see Stoic thought appropriated in the wellness culture. Stripped from it’s deep self-reflection, reduced to pithy motivationals.

Dealing with manipulative people is one of the greatest frustrations in the workplace. Is there a foolproof way to stop manipulative people from getting under your skin? Yes, says Shadé Zahrai, PhD, organizational behavior expert and author of the new book Big Trust. In an insightful piece at CNBC.com, she lays out her simple method for stopping manipulators cold: Do not engage with them emotionally.

The first time my daughter got sucked into screens for more than a few minutes, we were on a JetBlue flight coming home from vacation. She was about 3, I think, binge-watching cartoons.

We live in a conspiracy theory culture now. Nobody trusts institutions; everything from online communities to political debates to public policy is all conspiratorial now. A new psychological study suggested this isn’t just a social media problem, it’s a problem of mindset

Higher levels of muscle mass and less visceral fat are linked to younger brains, according to a new study. It’s another sign that consistent exercise may be crucial for a healthy brain.

Chronic back pain is a serious health issue affecting hundreds of millions of people worldwide. It is not uncommon for back pain to significantly impair quality of life, forcing people to take time off work or undergoing long-term treatment. Furthermore, the cumulative medical costs can place a strain on people’s lives financially.

Salads top the avoid list for people who deal with foodborne illness for a living. Bill Marler, a lawyer known for outbreak cases, says he skips them when he eats out. Leafy greens are processed in large batches and shipped widely. Problems spread fast. Food scientist Bryan Quoc Le adds one more issue: greens never get cooked. There’s no final step to stop bacteria. 2. Raw sprouts