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Why success feels empty, and how to counteract it
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There's nothing like achieving a goal after lots of hard work, only to feel disappointed or depressed. Why does that happen, and how can you fight it? - photo by Sarah Anderson
Our society is goal-oriented, from Olympic athletes' competing to bring home the gold to entry-level employees seeking to earn a promotion. But why would achieving those goals leave someone feeling empty rather than elated, and how can that let down be avoided?

That empty feeling is called the arrival fallacy, and it operates according to the premise that as you work toward a goal, you come to expect that you will reach it, Forbes explained. Expecting your goals future success triggers the brains reward centers, producing a soothing feeling. This feeling continues and you adjust to it, so much so that when you meet your goal its less satisfying than expected.

And this can develop into an endless cycle of searching for what will make you happy, chasing goal after goal and reinforcing self-doubt, Forbes continued.

Succeeding requires one set of skills, Adele Scheele wrote for Huffington Post. Managing success another set.

Harvard Business Review said, based upon reader input, that workplace wins leaving you empty can come from a trade-off between career and personal goals, such as violating deeply held personal beliefs to get ahead in office politics. You may also feel your success isnt recognized by others, or that your success may be the result of luck to an external factor such as luck.

Quora contributor Chrys Jordan wrote that it may be cultural influence and a question of expectations.

As an American, I grew up with the understanding that the purpose in life was to reach a goal; the goal was seen as everything, Jordan wrote. Then you might expect that on reaching a goal, you will feel amazingly good. And if you feel less than amazingly good, then it would seem as a disappointment.

Forbes, on a similar note, stated that its important to see success as fluid. What is a great career for a 20-something may be a poor work-life fit by the time you turn 35. Instead of buying completely into societys dictations of what career milestones you should have reached at your age, define success on your own terms.

Forbes, The Huffington Post and Puttylike suggested these tips for getting past what Puttylike called post-achievement depression:

  • Rediscover your original purpose. Its easy to fixate on professional objectives to where you would lose sight of this, and can be remedied with simple questions such as What would I be doing if money wasnt a problem? or When do I feel most alive?
  • Look back at previous accomplishments, even keeping a file or log of successes and praise so that you dont forget the worth of your actions.
  • Get started right away on the next task. The sooner you get your mind off what's getting you down, the sooner it goes away.
  • Remember, its the journey that matters, not the destination. Enjoy the process, not just the outcome.
  • Dont wait for praise from others. Give yourself praise.
  • Celebrate with a tangible gift to yourself, to remind you of your recognized efforts.
Its toxic: New study says blue light from tech devices can speed up blindness
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A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers. - photo by Herb Scribner
It turns out checking Twitter or Facebook before bed is bad for your health.

A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers.

That process can lead to age-related macular degeneration, which is a leading cause of blindness in the United States, according to the researchs extract.

Blue light is a common issue for many modern Americans. Blue light is emitted from screens, most notably at night, causing sleep loss, eye strain and a number of other issues.

Dr. Ajith Karunarathne, assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, said our constant exposure to blue light cant be blocked by the lens or cornea.

"It's no secret that blue light harms our vision by damaging the eye's retina. Our experiments explain how this happens, and we hope this leads to therapies that slow macular degeneration, such as a new kind of eye drop, he said.

Macular degeneration is an incurable eye disease that often affects those in their 50s or 60s. It occurs after the death of photoreceptor cells in the retina. Those cells need retinal to sense light and help signal the brain.

The research team found blue light exposure created poisonous chemical molecules that killed photoreceptor cells

"It's toxic. If you shine blue light on retinal, the retinal kills photoreceptor cells as the signaling molecule on the membrane dissolves," said Kasun Ratnayake, a Ph.D. student researcher working in Karunarathne's cellular photo chemistry group. "Photoreceptor cells do not regenerate in the eye. When they're dead, they're dead for good."

However, the researchers found a molecule called alpha-tocopherol, which comes from Vitamin E, can help prevent cell death, according to Futurism.

The researchers plan to review how light from TVs, cellphones and tablet screens affect the eyes as well.

"If you look at the amount of light coming out of your cellphone, it's not great but it seems tolerable," said Dr. John Payton, visiting assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. "Some cellphone companies are adding blue-light filters to the screens, and I think that is a good idea."

Indeed, Apple released a Night Shift mode two years ago to help quell blue lights strain on the eyes, according to The Verge. The screen will dim into a warmer, orange light that will cause less stress on the eyes.