This section is all about energy and time. We look at four main factors: how much attention you can actually use each day, how quick your reactions are, how often you make mistakes, and how long it takes you to get back on track after being interrupted. All the numbers here come from direct measurements — either from lab experiments or from tracking large groups of people over time (observational studies). These figures are not converted into life expectancy or mortality rates. Most items in this section carry a B evidence grade; that’s just how this field works, and it doesn’t make the recommendations any less valid. Item 20 deals with what to expect when dealing with police, doctors, or bank tellers; it cites laws rather than experimental data, so its grade is C. Items 15 (treating pessimistic thoughts as symptoms) and 23 (treating the belief that “others expect me to be perfect” as a symptom) use mortality and suicide‑risk figures that follow a different calculation method than the rest of this section, so they’re not compared with the other numbers here.
English text comes from the independent translation maintained by dlgrv. New entries without a translation appear in Chinese. The author's Chinese original is authoritative for the latest content. Translation snapshot: dlgrv/HowToLiveBetter · 11818c6
Turn off non‑essential notifications and keep your phone out of sight while working
Even if you don’t look at or touch your phone when it rings, your performance on attention‑related tasks still drops. The drop is roughly the same as when you actually answer calls or send messages. Another scenario: even when the phone sits on the desk and you resist the urge to glance at it, the amount of mental capacity available still decreases. The more dependent a person is on their phone, the greater this drop tends to be.
Cost
No cost at all. It takes just a few minutes to adjust the…
Benefit
Merely receiving a notification — without looking at or interacting with the phone — noticeably impairs perfor…
02Evidence B
Keep a fixed wake-up time, even on weekends
For the top 20% of students with the most irregular sleep schedules, their circadian rhythm runs roughly 2.5 hours later than that of the top 20% with the most regular schedules. This is equivalent to living with a persistent jet lag. Moreover, students with more consistent sleep patterns tend to achieve better academic results.
Cost
No cost involved. Sticking to this on weekends requires a…
Benefit
Sixty-one university students tracked their sleep patterns over 30 days. The group with the least regular sche…
03Evidence A
Getting 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night — don’t settle for just 6 hours
After two full weeks of getting only 6 hours of sleep each night, brain performance drops to a level equivalent to going two full nights without any sleep at all. The tricky part is that people don’t notice this effect themselves. Their self-rated sleepiness only rises during the first few days and then plateaus — people sleeping 6 hours report the same level of fatigue as those sleeping just 4 hours. In other words, the belief that “6 hours of sleep is enough for me” is actually a symptom of chronic sleep deprivation.
Cost
No cost at all. You simply need to set aside 1–2 extra hou…
Benefit
In a randomized controlled trial, 48 healthy adults aged 21–38 were asked to get just 6 hours of sleep per nig…
04Evidence A
Avoid caffeine after 2 p.m.
Consuming a large cup of coffee containing 400 mg of caffeine 6 hours before bedtime reduces measured total sleep time by over 1 hour, yet personal sleep logs show no difference. To avoid any impact on sleep, a regular cup of coffee (107 mg of caffeine) must be consumed at least 8.8 hours prior to bedtime; for those going to bed at 11 p.m., 2 p.m. marks the cutoff point.
Cost
No cost involved. People accustomed to drinking coffee in…
Benefit
Intake of 400 mg of caffeine 6 hours before sleep results in a measurable reduction of 1.1–1.2 hours in total…
05Evidence B
Batch-process emails and messages a few times per day
The same group of participants was studied over two weeks. During the week when they limited email checks to just three times per day, their daily stress levels dropped noticeably compared to the unrestricted week — while the total number of emails sent and received stayed the same. Without any limits, people checked their emails an average of 15.5 times per day.
Cost
No monetary cost. However, it takes some time to explain t…
Benefit
In a two-week self-controlled trial involving 124 adults, those who limited email checks to three times daily…
06Evidence B
When doing tasks that require continuous thinking, keep out even brief interruptions
Even a brief interruption lasting 2.8 seconds on average doubles the chance of errors in subsequent steps of a sequential task. An interruption of 4.4 seconds triples that error rate. Field observations also show that it takes an average of 25 minutes to return to the interrupted task, with two other unrelated tasks squeezed in during that time. People who get interrupted do finish tasks faster, but they report higher levels of stress, frustration, effort, and time pressure.
Cost
No cost at all. Just close the door, put on headphones, or…
Benefit
On average, a 2.8-second interruption doubles the error rate for sequential tasks, while a 4.4-second interrup…
07Evidence B
Do one thing at a time — don’t reply to messages while in a meeting
Every time you switch tasks, your reaction time slows down and errors become more likely. People who regularly keep multiple screens open at once don’t actually get better at multitasking; in fact, they perform worse on task-switching tests.
Cost
No cost at all. It does take a bit of willpower to resist…
Benefit
Switching between tasks clearly slows reaction time and raises the chance of mistakes. This conclusion comes f…
08Evidence B
Avoid glowing screens one hour before bed; if you must, read paper books or e-ink devices instead
Reading from glowing screens before bed delays sleep onset by roughly 10 minutes compared to reading paper books. It also lowers melatonin production by 55%. The next day, the body’s internal clock shifts more than 1.5 hours later, making mornings harder and requiring extra time to feel fully awake.
Cost
No cost involved. Giving up phone use one hour before bed…
Benefit
In controlled lab experiments, the same participants were tested under both conditions (cross-over design). Th…
09Evidence B
Go to bed at a set time — avoid staying up late for games, short videos, or porn
In 2025, Chinese people slept an average of 6.97 hours per night, with an average bedtime of 12:10 a.m. Those who used phones or tablets before bed were more than twice as likely to get insufficient sleep, and 2.7 times more likely to feel drowsy during the day. Even just having devices in the bedroom without using them led to similar results. Thus, the simplest solution is to keep phones out of the bedroom.
Cost
No money is required. The hard part is fighting the habit…
Benefit
In 2025, Chinese residents averaged 6.97 hours of sleep per night, with an average bedtime of 12:10 a.m. (Chin…
10Evidence B
Don’t make major decisions or send important messages late at night
People who stayed awake for 49.5 hours were asked to take part in risk decision experiments. When well-rested, they quickly learned to avoid high-risk options; after sleep deprivation, they repeatedly chose high-risk choices instead. The older a person is, the more pronounced this effect becomes. This study looked at the extreme scenario of two consecutive sleepless nights; it did not directly test how much impact a few fewer hours of sleep would have, but the overall trend supports postponing important decisions until the next day.
Cost
No cost at all. You simply postpone these tasks until afte…
Benefit
Thirty-four healthy participants completed the Iowa Gambling Task after going 49.5 hours without sleep. This t…
11Evidence B
Take a 10‑minute nap in the afternoon — don’t sleep half an hour
A 10‑minute nap gives an immediate boost of alertness that lasts about two and a half hours. A 5‑minute nap provides almost no benefit, while a 20‑minute nap only starts to help after roughly half an hour. Sleeping 30 minutes brings on sleep inertia — you’ll feel groggy right after waking, making performance worse than if you hadn’t napped at all.
Cost
It costs nothing. Just set aside 10 minutes and find a pla…
Benefit
After a night of insufficient sleep, a 10‑minute nap quickly reduces drowsiness, fatigue, and improves energy…
12Evidence B
Using earplugs or finding a quiet room for memory-heavy tasks in open offices
When background noise rises from 39 dB to 51 dB, people remember fewer words, feel more tired, and are less motivated to work. Watching nature videos with sound during breaks helps restore energy far better than continuing to endure office noise.
Cost
Earplugs cost just a few dozen yuan. Booking a quiet meeti…
Benefit
Students working in simulated open offices showed similar effects: at 51 dB LAeq background noise, they recall…
13Evidence B
Do not work more than 49 hours per week
Records from British munitions factories during World War I show that when workers kept weekly hours under 49, output rose in direct proportion to the time spent working. Once they exceeded 49 hours, the growth rate began to drop. Output from workers putting in 70 hours per week was practically identical to that of those working 56 hours — those extra 14 hours yielded no additional results. In total, this data covers a period spanning 100 years.
Cost
You might earn less in overtime pay. You may also need to…
Benefit
Data from British munitions factories in World War I demonstrates that output rises steadily with working hour…
14Evidence B
When you notice yourself endlessly replaying a distressing memory, do something hands‑on instead
Endlessly dwelling on the same bad memory won’t yield any answers. It only deepens depression, cements negative thoughts, makes it harder to solve problems or take action, and can drive away friends who’d otherwise listen. As soon as you realize you’re stuck in this cycle, get busy with a physical task.
Cost
No cost at all. The hard part is first recognizing that yo…
Benefit
A review of multiple studies shows that repetitive rumination on distressing events worsens depression. This p…
15Evidence B
Treat thoughts like “things will definitely get worse” as symptoms, not as facts
In a 20-year twin study, each additional step up on a pessimism scale correlated with a roughly 13% higher risk of dying during that period, and a roughly 20% higher risk of dying from cardiovascular disease. Conversely, higher optimism scores did not bring any comparable benefits. Thus, the focus should be on reducing pessimism, not on simply “being more positive.”
Cost
No cost involved. The hard part is viewing such thoughts a…
Benefit
This study followed 2,978 twins aged 50 or older in Australia for an average of 20 years;
16Evidence C
Cut back on draining relationships and learn to say no to unwanted requests
The harm caused by a draining person is greater and more consistent than the benefits brought by a supportive one. That is why it makes sense to first reduce such relationships before trying to add healthier ones.
Cost
No monetary cost. In the short term, this may cause social…
Benefit
A survey of 120 widowed women aged 60–89 found that unpleasant interactions showed a stronger and more consist…
17Evidence C
Lock in low‑value decisions such as what to wear or eat
There’s no solid evidence for this idea. The original experiment claiming that making choices drains willpower failed in two large‑scale replications. One involved 2,000 participants, the other 3,000, with multiple labs conducting the same tests — and the effect was essentially zero. Still, it’s worth fixing these routine decisions because they save you a few minutes and a bit of mental effort; they don’t actually conserve willpower.
Cost
No cost at all. At first you’ll need to spend some time se…
Benefit
Not quantifiable. Early research suggested that decision‑making and self‑control draw on a single limited reso…
18Evidence B
Walk away when angry; treat the other person as weather, not an enemy
Reframing what just happened or trying to see things from the other person’s perspective can genuinely lower emotional intensity; the latter approach works especially well. Simply suppressing emotions has no effect. Additionally, people who punish those who offend them end up dwelling on the incident far longer afterward; those who do not retaliate move on more quickly. People also tend to overestimate how satisfying revenge actually is.
Cost
No cost at all. You must resist the urge to retort on the…
Benefit
A meta-analysis combining 306 separate experiments shows that reframing events (cognitive reappraisal) yields…
19Evidence A
Best low-cost actions when you’re feeling down: move, get sunlight, stick to a schedule, talk to someone, call 12356
According to a meta-analysis of 218 randomized trials, brisk walking and running produce the strongest benefits for depression, with yoga and strength training also helpful — the greater the intensity, the better the effect. Sunlight therapy works very well for seasonal depression and also helps with non‑seasonal cases. Online self‑guided cognitive‑behavioral therapy programs are effective; having a therapist guide you makes them even better, especially if your symptoms are moderate to severe. When you’re feeling overwhelmed, dial 12356 first.
Cost
Costs little to nothing. Just a few brisk walks, runs, or…
Benefit
This meta-analysis combined data from 218 randomized controlled trials involving 14,170 participants;
20Evidence C
Treat police officers, doctors, and bank tellers as rule‑following workers, not as archetypes: paperwork and deadlines — not emotions — drive results.
Children tend to think “police exist to catch bad guys; doctors exist to heal people.” Adults should instead view these professionals as employees bound by job rules, paperwork, deadlines, and oversight. How friendly they are has little bearing on whether your task gets done or how quickly. What matters is obtaining receipts, noting deadlines, and filing appeals through proper channels — not winning an intellectual debate.
Cost
No expense involved. You only need to adjust your expectat…
Benefit
Switching to this approach means moving from “pleading, getting angry, and reiterating your grievances” to “ha…
21Evidence A
Don’t make “how others are doing” a daily habit: set limits on apps that show peers’ updates or turn them off
People who habitually compare themselves to others online tend to feel worse emotionally and have lower self‑esteem. Meta‑analysis of over 36,000 participants shows a moderate correlation between upward social comparison and poorer psychological outcomes. Correlation does not equal causation, but randomized trials back this link: after four weeks without Facebook, participants reported a slight rise in happiness. Another study limited three major platforms to 10 minutes per day; after three weeks, loneliness and depression both declined. The trade‑off? Knowledge of current events also dropped during those four weeks of abstinence.
Cost
This costs nothing. Setting time limits or deactivating an…
Benefit
The combined results of 54 independent studies — 94 effect sizes and a total N of 36,583 — analyzed via a thre…
22Evidence B
When you feel like “everyone saw me make a fool of myself,” cut that estimate in half.
Imagine someone wearing an embarrassing T‑shirt into a room full of people. On average, they estimate that 46% of onlookers can identify who the shirt depicts; the actual figure is only 23%, exactly half as much. When they wear a T‑shirt of their own choosing that they consider decent, the estimate jumps to 48% while the true rate drops to just 8% — a six‑fold difference. Other studies show that after a conversation, people consistently underestimate how much their partner likes them. Thus, the belief that “I messed up and everyone noticed” is itself an over‑estimate; cutting it in half still leaves it too high.
Cost
No cost at all. It simply requires asking yourself once, w…
Benefit
Experiment 1: Participants donned T‑shirts featuring Barry Manilow’s portrait and entered rooms with other sub…
23Evidence B
Treat “others expect me to be perfect” as a symptom, not a fact
The correlation between the feeling of “people around me expect me to be perfect and will reject me if I fail” and suicidal thoughts is 0.28. When the phrasing changes to “I myself expect myself to be perfect,” the correlation drops to just 0.10. The real risk does not come from having high standards per se, but from perceiving those standards as being imposed by others. Even after accounting for pre-existing suicidal thoughts, the former feeling still helps predict an increase in such thoughts over time.
Cost
No cost involved. The hard part is viewing this thought pa…
Benefit
A comprehensive meta-analysis was conducted using data from 45 studies involving 11,747 participants — includi…
24Evidence A
When angry, don’t try to vent by smashing things, punching a bag, or going for a run — first calm your body down.
Activities that rev up the body — like punching a bag, throwing things, or going for a run — generally don’t help you cool off. On the other hand, techniques that calm the body, such as slow breathing, mindfulness, and meditation, noticeably reduce anger and the urge to lash out.
Cost
No cost at all. When you’re angry, try a few minutes of ac…
Benefit
A meta-analysis of 154 studies involving 184 sample groups and 10,189 participants shows that calming techniqu…
25Evidence B
Writing down thoughts and feelings about a troubling issue over several days can be helpful, but don’t expect it to cure anything
Writing about upsetting matters generally provides a small benefit on average, though the results are inconsistent. Two meta-analyses found no effect at all. Since it costs almost nothing, it’s worth trying. However, if emotional problems are severe, it should not replace professional medical care.
Cost
This costs nothing. Typical practice in studies is to writ…
Benefit
One meta-analysis combined data from 146 randomized studies in which participants wrote or spoke about persona…