New research makes the case for a spillover effect — The weeks leading up to the new year involve a kind of déjà vu: The vague sense, as we brainstorm all the things we’d like to accomplish come January, that we’ve made these plans already. “Haven’t I been here before?” I wondered last night, as I downloaded a half-dozen apps…

The way you relate to other people may be the key to staying engaged at work — When psychologist Michael Leiter gets called in to consult for a company that wants to reduce burnout in its employees, his options for advice are typically limited. Reducing staff workload, the most obvious answer, is rarely a possibility. So instead, he focuses on another way to ward off the exhaustion…

Research suggests we over-reward people for what is essentially sheer, dumb luck — Every success requires a dash of luck. Sure, you may have landed a great job based on your excellent work ethic, but it also helped that you saw the job listing the moment it was posted, or had a great day that helped you ace your interview. …

Research suggests that each of us should aim to be wrong a certain percent of the time if we want to absorb new information — Math has never been my strong suit. When I was applying to graduate school a few years ago, thinking about the math section of the GRE left my stomach in anxious knots. (Yes, this is a story about a standardized test, but bear with me.) In a move that was…

New research suggests that sometimes it’s okay to avoid the thorniest topics — In the canon of well-meaning marriage advice—Have a regular date night! Never to go bed angry! Laugh together!—one chestnut stands out as especially unhelpful: Pick your battles. Which battles are worth picking? How do you know? Can you take a stand after the third time your mother-in-law makes a snotty…

New research explores a common psychological obstacle to creativity — Your boss stands in front of a whiteboard, wielding a dry-erase pen. “We’re just brainstorming!” she says. “There’s no such thing as a bad idea.” You look around at your co-workers, hoping one of them will go first. As you clear your throat to speak, your palms start to sweat. …

Over time, our romances tend to fall into the same patterns, for better or worse — When you’re in the throes of post-breakup misery, your friends and family might try to comfort you by trashing the person who stomped all over your heart: You can do better, they’ll tell you. Your ex is going to regret letting you go. They never deserved you anyway. It’s nice…

For a meaningful life, research says, you need to embrace extremes — My sister recently did something either impressive or utterly baffling, depending on your point of view: She organized and led a 16-day rafting trip down the Colorado river, navigating roughly 250 miles of whitewater through the Grand Canyon, entirely cut off from civilization. As soon as she regained cell service…

If a holiday is supposed to leave you refreshed and restored, why are you often more tired than when you left? — Have you ever come back from vacation feeling like you badly needed, well, a vacation? Complaining about how exhausted you are after a week in Cancun isn’t going to win you any sympathy from co-workers, but it isn’t unusual to experience a crash, even after a lovely holiday. It’s increasingly…