Your inner voice significantly influences your quality of life, and while it can motivate you, psychologist Ethan Kross warns it can also lead to negative thought cycles, or "chatter," but his research offers tools to regain control and foster a positive mindset.

Skim or scan this. No need to deep-read.

"I call it a tyranny of attention because there's so many demands on our attention coming from so many different directions that we are simply overwhelmed and we don't have the mental bandwidth to cope with it."

Books don’t just stimulate the mind — they trigger physiological changes throughout the body.

What 150-year-old Japanese workshop Kaikado can teach us about finding calm through focus in an age of distraction.

Elite athletes train their “quiet eye.” What happens if the rest of us do the same?

The Stoic philosopher argued that most of life is outside our control — but the little we do control defines who we are.

AI can now generate entire worlds from text prompts. What does this mean for how we think, create, and connect?

Welcome to The Nightcrawler — a weekly newsletter from Eric Markowitz covering tech, innovation, and long-term thinking.

Reflecting on the final moments she spent with her mother, and the weeks afterwards spent cataloging her life in objects and memories, Poet Laureate of the Ordinary Kelly Corrigan shares how important it is to attune, to behold, and to notice — even if it’s difficult or uncomfortable:

Despite the pitfalls of multitasking leading to burnout, productivity expert Cal Newport advocates for "slow productivity," which emphasizes focused, intentional work that prioritizes long-term output over performative tasks, ultimately enhancing both accomplishment and well-being.

Nir Eyal argues that to become "indistractable," one must first address internal triggers rather than external distractions, emphasizing that effective time management is fundamentally about managing emotional pain.

This class explores the link between neurobiology and productivity, teaching participants to optimize willpower and focus through strategies like meta-awareness, the Pomodoro Technique, and the importance of rest, while experts share insights on achieving peak performance amidst modern distractions.

Strengthen your focus like a muscle.

Wonder is like a guest you haven’t planned for.

“We know that as little as 10 minutes of walking can improve your mood, getting that bubble bath with the dopamine, serotonin, endorphins going. Anybody can do that.”

“The very same time that’s making you anxious is actually your most valuable asset. You can always create more energy and more money—but you can never create more time.”

Magicians use “change blindness” to delight audiences — and you can use it to become an excellent colleague.

Welcome to The Nightcrawler — a weekly newsletter from Eric Markowitz covering tech, innovation, and long-term thinking.

Welcome to The Nightcrawler — a weekly newsletter from Eric Markowitz covering tech, innovation, and long-term thinking.

Rather than allowing technology to exacerbate stress and disconnection, we can use it to actively support our wellbeing.

Welcome to The Nightcrawler — a weekly newsletter from Eric Markowitz covering tech, innovation, and long-term thinking.

“How is it possible to do work that you’re proud of and not feel like your job is encroaching on all parts of your life?” Cal Newport, Author of ‘Slow Productivity,’ explains.

Cognitive systems famously posited by psychologist Daniel Kahneman (1934-2024) may hold the key to a more productive and focused work environment.

Psychologist Daniel Goleman on how to train your brain with just ten minutes a day.

Memories aren’t mental recordings, but pliable information we can use to better manage the present and conjure future possibilities.

Being bilingual benefits children as they learn to speak — and adults as they age.

Social media distorts reality. Here’s how to take it back.

To make a ton of information stick in your mind, you have to make it chunky.

It may seem as though top performers are always on, but the secret to their success is taking the time to recharge.