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Oliver Burkeman

Oliver Burkeman is a Guardian writer based in New York. Read his column here. He is the author of The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can't Stand Positive Thinking

December 2023

  • An illustration of a man slumped in a clock face with a baby on his chest and the numbers on the clock all falling on top of him

    Don't bother: an anti-resolutions special
    The key to keeping new year resolutions? Don’t make them in the first place

    Setting endless goals can lead to a downward spiral. Stop wasting your life resolving to improve yourself and you might just find you enjoy it more

October 2023

  • Intelligence<br>CB44XA Intelligence

    Book of the day
    Determined: Life Without Free Will by Robert Sapolsky review – the hard science of decisions

    The behavioural scientist engagingly lays out the reasons why our every action is predetermined – and why we shouldn’t despair about it

October 2022

  • Illustration for Guardian long read 27 April 2021.

    The Audio Long Read
    The clockwork universe: is free will an illusion? – podcast

    A growing chorus of scientists and philosophers argue that free will does not exist. Could they be right? By Oliver Burkeman

August 2022

  • Solar power plant

    Book of the day
    What We Owe the Future by William MacAskill review – a thrilling prescription for humanity

    Unapologetically optimistic and bracingly realistic, a philosopher’s guide to ‘ethical living’ for dangerous times

June 2022

  • Hourglass with blue sand on the table.

    How to age well
    In your own time: how to live for today the philosophical way

    What’s gone is gone, but don’t waste time worrying about that.
    Or on what comes next. The ideal way to age is to be in the moment

January 2022

  • Professional cyclists have performed better as a result of the placebo effect

    Book of the day
    The Expectation Effect by David Robson review – mind-changing science

    From exercise to old age, the latest research shows that what we believe can have some very concrete consequences
  • A new year clock decoration in Lebanon, Beirut

    Today in Focus
    The joy of missing out: how to manage your time in 2022

    We only have about 4,000 weeks of life on average, says the writer Oliver Burkeman, so make sure you are prioritising what really matters
  • Photograph: Kellie French/The Guardian, assisted by Harry Brayne. Set styling: Elena Horn. Model: Kaeleen Stammers at Bame Agency. Makeup: Sarah Cherry using Nars cosmetics

    New year, same old you
    New year, same old you! The secret to self-improvement is embracing your messy, imperfect life

    It’s only when you learn to accept who you are, flaws and all, that you can make real, worthwhile change

September 2021

  • oliver burkeman baby books long read Illustration WIDE

    The Audio Long Read
    From the archive: The diabolical genius of the baby advice industry – podcast

    This week, from 2018: Every baffled new parent goes searching for answers in baby manuals. But what they really offer is the reassuring fantasy that life’s most difficult questions have one right answer

August 2021

  • An illustration of pairs of eyes on an orange background

    At best, we’re on Earth for around 4,000 weeks – so why do we lose so much time to online distraction?

    Silicon Valley makes billions by stealing your attention. No wonder it’s so hard to focus…

April 2021

  • nathalie lees free will/illusion of choice illustration

    The long read
    The clockwork universe: is free will an illusion?

    The long read: A growing chorus of scientists and philosophers argue that free will does not exist. Could they be right?

March 2021

  • The Self-styled “Professor Against Political Correctness” Jordan Peterson Speaks To The Cambridge Union<br>CAMBRIDGE, CAMBRIDGESHIRE - NOVEMBER 02: Portrait of Jordan Peterson at The Cambridge Union on November 02, 2018 in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire. (Photo by Chris Williamson/Getty Images)

    Book of the week
    Beyond Order by Jordan Peterson review – more rules for life

    Despite the psychologist’s role in the culture wars, his books present him as a personal trainer for the soul ... Is his latest advice bracing and useful or merely humourless and banal?

February 2021

  • a jogger celebrating

    Book of the day
    The Hidden Spring by Mark Solms review – the riddle of consciousness solved?

    I feel therefore I am ... In this fascinating study, a neuropsychologist argues that the mystery of consciousness centres on emotions

January 2021

  • A happy face juggling and dropping one ball

    How to be happy in 2021 (despite everything)
    Want to improve focus and productivity? Do one thing at a time

    Juggling too many activities wastes time and energy, so shelve at least some for those life goals (for now)

September 2020

  • Illustration of car on a road trip

    This column will change your life
    Oliver Burkeman's last column: the eight secrets to a (fairly) fulfilled life

    After more than a decade of writing life-changing advice, I know when to move on. Here’s what else I learned

August 2020

  • Illustration of person diving into swimming pool in shape of a head

    This column will change your life
    Suffering from brain mush? Here’s how to get things done

    It’s hard to focus on one thing if you’re anxious about multiple tasks, but there’s a way through the fog of distraction
  • Sofa with cushions reading 'Be productive' and 'Stay home'

    This column will change your life
    The best thing you can do to make the world a better place? Sometimes the answer is nothing

    Don’t be fooled into overachieving – it’s often more valuable to simply not screw things up
    • This column will change your life
      Want to really live in the present? Embrace life’s nasty bits, too

    • The Audio Long Read
      From the archives: Why can’t the world’s greatest minds solve the mystery of consciousness? – podcast

    • This column will change your life
      Psychoanalysing Trump isn't a distraction - it helps us stay sane in troubled times

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