This week’s must-reads: Loneliness isn’t only depressing; it’s deadly

In my work as a behavioral designer, I come across important stories on how psychology influences our behavior. Every week, I share my round-up of the most important stories at the intersection of psychology, technology and business. I hope you enjoy them!

Become ‘Indistractable’ By Making Work Your Playground (Entreprenuer)
Our notions regarding both work and fun are limiting, i.e. work does not have to feel burdensome, and fund does not have to feel good.

Getting a Handle on Self-Harm (The New York Times) Cutting and other forms of self-injury are on the rise among adolescents. Researchers are beginning to understand the phenomenon, and how to treat it.

By mollycoddling our children, we’re fuelling mental illness in teenagers (The Guardian) Of course we want to keep children safe. But exposure to normal stresses and strains is vital for their future well-being.

How to Keep Productivity High When Motivation is Low (Entrepreneur) We all go through periods of low energy and low motivation. Here are four pieces of advice that help you keep productivity high when your motivation is low.

Do You Have the #1 Skill for Success? (Medium) Your ability to focus and your success are intertwined. Knowing this, how do you become ‘indistractable’ in a world filled with distractions?

Let’s Wage a War on Loneliness (The New York Times) Social isolation is more lethal than smoking 15 cigarettes a day, or than obesity, according to recent research.

Happy reading!

- Nir