Productivity

Viewing cat videos or photos boosts feelings of energy and positive emotions (hope, happiness, contentment) and decreases negative emotions (anxiety, annoyance, sadness, guilt). However, viewing more cat videos was also associated with less emotional stability.

Computers in Human Behavior

Having a competent supervisor was more predictive of job satisfaction among workers than worker education, tenure, industry, or earnings.

Stress due to high demands and low control at work is associated with increased death risk in men with pre-existing cardiovascular disease or diabetes.

The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology

Procrastinating studying for exams by going on Facebook made anxiety worse for undergraduate students.

More dependence on GPS was associated with using spatial memory strategies less often and less effectively when navigating. Habitual use of GPS might impair spatial memory.

Scientific Reports

In a small sample of men aged 19-35, 12 weeks of interval training on a bike improved cardiovascular health similarly to endurance training, but required much less time per workout.

Re-reading or highlighting textbooks to study is a less effective learning strategy than frequent practice and testing over periods of days, weeks, or months.

Ten minutes of moderate exercise (stair walking) increased feelings of alertness more than caffeine in chronically sleep-deprived women.

One night of sleep loss impaired working memory in women, but not men, although neither men nor women felt as though they had worse memory the next day.

Even short breaks of less than a minute help people stay focused and attentive during demanding tasks. Watching dog videos during breaks can also make such tasks feel less stressful.

Consciousness and Cognition