🧹 Spring Clean Your Life (Not Just Your Closet)

Welcome to Effective Habits, a weekly newsletter where I share evidence-based strategies and tools to help you live a happy, healthy, and productive life.

Today at a Glance:

• Distraction Is the Whole Point

• How Exercise Fights Cancer

• How I’m Decluttering My Life This Spring

Distraction Is the Whole Point
Katie Jgln

Lights, Camera, ...
We’re drowning in information—but much of it is noise designed to keep us distracted. From plastic straw bans to bird deaths by wind turbines, from endless culture war headlines to sensational political stunts, we're bombarded by stories that feel urgent but steer us away from deeper issues like corporate accountability, climate change, and wealth inequality. This tactic—known as industrial distraction—isn’t just about misinformation; it’s about overwhelming our attention with technically true but strategically irrelevant narratives. The overload isn’t accidental; it’s the point. When we're too overwhelmed to think clearly, we’re easier to manipulate, easier to divide, and much easier to control.

Action!

• Make it a habit to step back and critically evaluate the information you consume. Limit your exposure to sources that bombard you with conflicting or inflammatory content, and practice the art of focusing only on what genuinely impacts your life and the world. Focus on gaining knowledge not just about the facts, but also on how to assess their relevance and reliability.

How Exercise Fights Cancer
Dr. Kerry Courneya & Dr. Rhonda Patrick

Lights, Camera, ...
Exercise isn’t just good for your health in general—it’s a powerful tool in the fight against cancer, with research showing it can lower the risk of several types, boost the effectiveness of treatments, and reduce recurrence rates. Regular physical activity, even in short bursts, enhances metabolic health, improves immune function, and strengthens the body for both prevention and recovery. Not only does exercise support the body's ability to tolerate treatments like chemotherapy, but it also helps reduce fatigue and muscle loss during cancer therapy. Beyond physical benefits, exercise boosts mental health, easing anxiety and helping survivors maintain long-term well-being. With myths about rest and exercise still prevalent, the key takeaway is clear: moving your body is one of the best ways to stay healthy and recover.

Action!

• Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise each week—think brisk walking, cycling, or strength training—to lower your cancer risk, boost your resilience, and improve overall health—even during or after treatment. If you’re short on time, commit to at least 15 minutes a day of strength training with compound movements (like squats, push-ups, or lunges).

How I’m Decluttering My Life This Spring
Ryan Holiday

Lights, Camera, ...
Spring is a natural time for a reset, and many are taking the opportunity to declutter—not just their closets, but their digital lives as well. From unused subscriptions to redundant services, small, overlooked expenses can quietly pile up, draining both money and mental energy. Reviewing and trimming these digital excesses can free up more than just cash—it can restore clarity, reduce stress, and even reveal room for new opportunities. Whether it’s canceling duplicate accounts or letting go of mental clutter, a little intentional pruning can go a long way.

Action!

1. Clean up your information diet. Audit what you consume—news, social media, group chats—and cut out sources that leave you anxious, angry, or drained. Follow fewer accounts, unsubscribe from low-value content, and replace doomscrolling with books, meaningful podcasts, or curated news summaries that actually inform and uplift. “Garbage in, garbage out.”

2. Empty a DOOM box. Pick one junk drawer, bin, or storage box full of random stuff you’ve just moved from place to place. If you wouldn’t buy it again today, donate, toss, or sell it. Clearing physical clutter clears mental clutter, too.

3. Break free from a vice. Identify a habit that controls you—social media, caffeine, junk food, alcohol, or even overworking—and take steps to reduce or eliminate it. Ask: have I lost the freedom to say no? If yes, it’s time to take back control.

4. Limit how people can reach you. Choose just a few ways to stay reachable—like email, text, or calls—and cut back on the rest. Turn off notifications from apps you barely use and stop checking a dozen inboxes every day.

5. Close open loops. Set a 15-minute timer and respond to those pending emails, approvals, or small tasks you’ve been avoiding. The relief of completion is greater than the effort to do them.

6. Delete what doesn’t need closure. Not every message needs a reply. Spend another 15 minutes clearing outdated emails or lingering to-dos that no longer matter. Let them go and reclaim your mental space.

7. Make amends. If you’re holding onto resentment or guilt, reach out and try to make it right—even if the other person doesn’t respond how you hope. Apologizing or forgiving clears emotional clutter and lets you move forward.

8. Cancel a pointless recurring meeting. Scan your calendar for regular meetings that have lost their purpose. If it can be replaced with a short email or skipped altogether, eliminate it.

9. Protect your time. Track how you’re actually spending your hours. What’s eating your time that isn’t giving you much back? Cut or restructure low-value activities to make space for what matters.

10. Simplify your to-do list. Instead of tackling 20 things, focus on 3–5 high-impact tasks each day. Write them down, cross them off, and call it a win. Doing a few things well beats doing a lot poorly.

TOOL TIP

Modern-Day Oracles or Bullshit Machines?: An educational platform with a masterclass on how to thrive in a ChatGPT world.

FUN FACT

Bats aren’t blind. Despite the famous idiom, bats can indeed see, but they still use their even more famous echolocation to find prey. 

If you’ve found value in what I share, buying me a coffee is a great way to say “thanks” and help me keep doing what I love. Every bit of support helps me spend more time creating useful, thoughtful content for you. Thanks for being here—it means a lot! 🙏

If you enjoyed today's newsletter, please share it with your friends and family!

If this email was forwarded to you, consider subscribing to receive them in future!

Disclaimer: The information provided in this newsletter is for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Please consult a medical professional for advice, diagnosis, or treatment. We are not liable for any risks or issues that may arise from using this information.