Maximize Learning: 5 Simple Strategies

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:

• The Stories You Tell Yourself

• You’re Probably Using Your Air Purifier Wrong

• 5 Ways to Increase Your Learning Throughput

The Stories You Tell Yourself
Sahil Bloom

Lights, Camera, ...
The stories we tell ourselves shape our reality, guiding our thoughts, actions, and ultimately, our lives. From an early age, these narratives can either limit us or empower us, often without us realizing it. We naturally craft stories to make sense of the world, but when these stories are rooted in misconceptions or self-doubt, they can hold us back. To break free, we must question these narratives, challenge their validity, and rewrite them to foster growth. After all, the stories we choose to believe can either hold you back or push you forward—there is no in between.

Action!

• Identify and challenge the stories you tell yourself. Replace limiting beliefs with empowering ones to change your reality. Example: Let go of the belief, "I'm not smart enough to succeed." Replace it with, "I have the ability to learn and grow, and success is within my reach.”

You’re Probably Using Your Air Purifier Wrong
Lisa Wood Shapiro

Lights, Camera, ...
You're probably using your air purifier wrong, but don't worry—you're not alone. To truly benefit from your air purifier, focus on three key things: proper placement, filter maintenance, and understanding your device's settings. Make sure your purifier is the right size for the room, not tucked away against walls or furniture (even if that doesn’t result in the most aesthetically pleasing look), and check those filters regularly. A purifier needs space to breathe, and so do you! A little attention to detail can make a big difference in your air quality and overall health, so go ahead, give your purifier a quick check—you'll thank yourself later.

Action!

1. Check the Purifier Size: Verify if your air purifier is suitable for your room’s size by comparing its clean air delivery rate (CADR) with the room’s size (accounting extra for high ceilings). Ensure it can handle the room size at your typical speed setting, not just the highest, loudest one.

2. Match Speed to Room Size: For bedrooms, choose an air purifier that can handle at least double the area of your room at its highest setting. This ensures effective air cleaning even when the unit is on lower settings, like sleep mode.

3. Place It Correctly: Position your air purifier away from walls and furniture to allow for proper airflow. Consult the user manual for ideal placement, which may be 20”/50 cm from the wall or centered in the room.

4. Inspect Filters Regularly: Regularly replace and clean filters to maintain optimal air quality. Follow the owner's manual for specific guidelines on how often to change or wash each filter type. Ensure you remove any plastic wrapping from new filters.

5. Use Warranties: Invest in an air purifier with a strong warranty to cover potential issues like clogged sensors or malfunctioning controls. A good warranty can save you from future repair costs and ensure long-term reliability.

5 Ways to Increase Your Learning Throughput
Scott H. Young

Lights, Camera, ...
Want to supercharge your learning? Instead of obsessing over the perfect study method—whether it’s using flashcards with images or sentences—prioritize how much you’re actually learning. Whether it's mastering vocabulary with flashcards, devouring books, publishing essays, or tackling coding puzzles, the key to faster progress is simply doing more. The same principle applies across all learning: While efficiency is important, boosting your learning throughput by increasing the volume of what you learn can lead to faster and more significant progress.

Action!

1. Block off large chunks of time for learning: Dedicate significant, uninterrupted time to your learning projects by scheduling them on your calendar. Prioritize these sessions just like any other important task.

2. Maximize fragmented time: Use brief periods of downtime—like waiting in line or commuting—to engage in productive activities (even if they won’t quite surmount to “deep learning”). Swap out distracting phone apps for educational ones, making it easy to study flashcards, read, or watch lectures on the go.

3. Make each iteration more efficient: Eliminate inefficiencies in your learning process by pre-selecting materials (e.g. a backlog of things to learn), reducing idle time within tasks (e.g switching to another task while awaiting feedback for another), and batching similar activities. Focus on minimizing time wasted on non-learning tasks without compromising the quality of your learning.

4. Make learning enjoyable: Increase your motivation by making learning fun. Find ways to make the material meaningful, optimize tasks for success, and reward yourself often to keep your enthusiasm high and your learning consistent.

5. Prioritize learning by sacrificing less important activities: Recognize that learning more means doing less of something else. Make intentional trade-offs, reducing time spent on lower-priority activities, to focus on the skills and knowledge you value most.

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FUN FACT

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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.