Most Useful

The optimal noise level for carrying out abstract thinking and creative tasks is 70 dB, which is the average noise level of a coffee shop.

Productivity

Teaching 7th graders that intelligence is not fixed but malleable (and that it can be improved through hard work) resulted in an upward trajectory of math grades in junior high school.

Power-posing for two minutes (i.e. feet resting on a surface while sitting with fingers interlaced behind the head or, standing and leaning slightly forward over a surface supported by firmly planted hands) temporarily elevates testosterone levels and lowers cortisol levels. This increases feelings of power and promotes focus on reward instead of risk.

When faced with a temptation, such as eating unhealthy food or skipping out on studying, telling yourself and others "I don't eat unhealthy food" instead of "I can't eat unhealthy food" will help you adhere to your resolution better.

Journal of Consumer Research

Shielding your eyes from blue light for a few hours before sleep, either by using amber-tinted lenses or using an app such as f.lux on self-luminous devices, helps improve sleep quality and mood by promoting melatonin production.

The most successful sales people, measured by sales revenue, are not extroverts, but “ambiverts” – those halfway between extreme extroverts and extreme introverts.

Psychological Science

Detaching from work (i.e. thinking about things other than work) when returning home at the end of a bad day reduces negative emotional spillover from work to home life.

Journal of Vocational Behavior

A diet with a modest increase in protein content and a reduction in high-glycemic foods (i.e. white bread, white rice, corn flakes, bagels, potatoes) helps maintain weight loss.

Personal beliefs about obesity are predictors of actual body mass: Individuals who believe obesity is caused by a lack of exercise are more likely to be overweight than individuals who believe that obesity is caused by a poor diet.

Psychological Science

Getting a good night's sleep facilitates attentiveness and joviality throughout the following workday.

Journal of Management