Elevate Your Questions & Discover Truths 🌟

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:

• How to Ask Good Questions: 5 Ways to Discover the Truth

• Using Light for Health

• How to Feel Like You Have More Free Time Even If You Don’t

How to Ask Good Questions: 5 Ways to Discover the Truth
Chris Meyer

Lights, Camera, ...
Are you tired of having shallow conversations that don't lead to any meaningful insights? The power of asking good questions is often underestimated, but it can be a game-changer in discovering the truth. Whether you're trying to elicit information or persuade someone, questions are the principal intellectual instruments available to all of us. However, not all questions are created equal. Closed questions can be limiting, while open questions can lead to more elaborate and insightful answers. By asking the right questions, you can steer the conversation towards discovering the truth, and who knows, you might be surprised at the insights you'll gain.

Action!

1. Use Story-eliciting Questions: Ask questions that prompt the respondent to share a narrative, revealing more about their personal journey and thought process. Examples include "What's one of the hardest choices you've made in your life?" and "When have you said to yourself, 'I'll never do that again!'?"

2. Apply Chunking Questions: Use chunking questions to navigate the level of detail in a conversation. "Chunk down" by asking questions like "Can you tell me more about...?" to elicit more specific information. "Chunk up" by asking questions like "How does that fit into the larger picture?" to encourage respondents to connect details to a broader context.

3. Utilize Calibrated Questions: Harness the power of open questions that start with "how" to prompt respondents to think deeply and consider your problems. For example, "How am I supposed to trust you if you don't tell me the truth?"

4. Employ the Columbo Method: Make others feel "smarter than you are" by asking casual, random open questions while appearing harmless and confused. Drop a question that gets to the heart of what you really want to know when your counterpart's defenses are lowered.

5. Try Alexander's Question: Ask "What new information would it take to make you change your mind?" to prompt respondents to reassess their confidence in their decisions and confront potential biases.

6. Use Upward Inflections: Turn any piece of information into a question by echoing a sentence, phrase, or the last few words someone has said with an inquisitive upward inflection to prompt elaboration.

7. Practice Pausing: Give your conversation partner time to gather their thoughts and formulate an answer after asking a question. Embrace the awkward pause to encourage more thoughtful and truthful responses.

Using Light for Health
Dr. Andrew Huberman

Lights, Camera, ...
Did you know that light can strongly impact your overall health and well-being? It affects your mood, sleep, focus, hormone levels, immune system, and ability to cope with stress. But there's good news! You can harness the power of light to improve your mental and physical health without spending any money. Here are some tips to get you started:

Action!

1. View morning sunlight: Spend 5-10 minutes outside in the morning sunlight to regulate your circadian clock and increase early-day cortisol release, which supports immune function, metabolism, and focus.

2. Get afternoon sunlight: Spend time outside in the afternoon to reinforce your sleep and serve as a second anchor point for your circadian clock.

3. Use bright light during the day: Increase ambient light in your workspace and place your desk near a window to improve alertness and focus.

4. Avoid bright lights at night: Minimize exposure to artificial light sources and screens between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m. to protect mood and neurotransmitter levels.

5. Use red lights at night: Employ dim, red lights in the evening and during nighttime wake-ups to minimize the impact on melatonin levels and promote better sleep quality.

6. Expose skin to sunlight: Spend 20-30 minutes in the afternoon sun 2-3 times per week with skin exposed to increase hormone levels, mood, and libido. Just make sure not to get sunburned!

How to Feel Like You Have More Free Time Even If You Don’t
Nikki Campo

Lights, Camera, ...
Are you feeling like there just aren't enough hours in the day? Are you struggling to find time to do the things you love? You're not alone. It's a common feeling called "time poverty," and it affects everyone from busy parents to overworked professionals. But did you know that having too much free time can also be a source of stress and dissatisfaction? According to a recent study, the sweet spot for discretionary time is two to five hours per day, and what you do during that time is key to your happiness. So, instead of focusing on what you don't have, try making the most of the time you do have. Here are five easy ways to do just that and start living a more leisurely life!

Action!

1. Calculate your discretionary time: Assess your day to identify and appreciate the free time you already have, even if it's in small increments.

2. Eliminate time-wasters: Cut out time-wasting habits, like excessive social media scrolling, to reclaim valuable minutes for more meaningful pursuits.

3. Outsource tasks when possible: Delegate or share chores to save time, whether by using paid services or collaborating with friends and community members.

4. Give time to others: Spend some of your time helping others, which can result in feeling like you have more time for yourself and increased happiness.

5. Prioritize important activities: Schedule your most valued activities first, including designated "do nothing" time for relaxation and spontaneity.

6. Stay focused and present: Avoid distractions and practice mindfulness during your leisure time to enhance the quality of your experiences.

TOOL TIP

Waldo: A free online tool that cuts the time you spend researching on the web in half. Instead of being stuck with Google’s limited page previews, Waldo instantly deep scans each result and pulls out the useful parts in an easily skimmable, searchable format.

FUN FACT

A group of ferrets is called a business.

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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.