All the self-help advice that actually works

The page says much self-help advice rests on weak evidence, so it recommends focusing on what research and practice suggest actually helps. It starts with basic health, mental health, and happiness habits, then moves through social skills, relationships, location, saving, productivity, learning, job performance, decision-making, useful work skills, expertise, and character.

Reading notes

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• The article treats positive thinking cautiously and says fantasizing about a perfect future can reduce motivation.
• It recommends working on one area at a time and choosing the change with the biggest payoff for the least effort.
• The basics come first: sleep, exercise, good food, and close friendships.
• If mental health is a problem, it should become the top priority, with a doctor as the first step.
• For physical health, the page stresses evidence-based advice and warns about back pain and repetitive strain injury.
• It presents positive psychology as one of the best evidence-backed sources of happiness advice.
• Suggested happiness practices include daily happiness ratings, gratitude journaling, using signature strengths, CBT exercises, mindfulness, kindness, active constructive responding, growth mindset, and job crafting.
• Basic social skills matter, and the page recommends practice, Succeed Socially, and CBT-based help for social anxiety.
• Relationships and networks influence jobs, information, norms, and opportunities, so the page advises building genuine connections.
• Where you live can affect career opportunities, pay, innovation, and life satisfaction, so moving to an industry hub may help early in a career.
• Saving enough for six to twelve months of living costs gives security and flexibility, and automatic saving is recommended.
• Productivity advice includes implementation intentions, task tracking, daily and weekly reviews, batching time, Pomodoro, routines, and blocking social media.
• Learning how to learn includes spaced repetition, habit building, and deliberate practice.
• Better job performance comes from identifying what actually drives advancement and focusing on that.
• Better decision-making comes from comparing options, studying bias, forecasting, and using mental models and statistics.
• Other useful work skills include analysis, learning, social skills, management, sales, persuasion, negotiation, and technical skills.
• Mastery takes talent, training, focused practice, and luck, and should be aimed at valuable areas with room for impact.
• The final section says becoming a better person means clarifying values, learning moral ideas, building character, and taking on moral challenges.