Every week, we share the shortcuts, workspaces, and productivity tips of our favorite experts.

This week, were going behind the scenes at Lifehacker.

Im Beth Skwarecki, and this is how I work.

I majored in biology, because I thought I was going to be a veterinarian.

(Career advice: dont do this.)

I freelanced for most of a decade before ending up at Lifehacker.

Take us through a recent workday.

I have to get all three of my kids out of the house by 9.

(Favorite workouts: running, CrossFit, and whatever is the currentLifehacker fitness challenge.)

But then social media ends up giving me ideas for things I should write next.

Im not sure if thats a genius productivity hack or a vicious cycle that traps me for all eternity.

Besides your phone, what apps, gadgets, or tools cant you live without?

I always have a notebook next to my computer, and its sort of like my brains swap file.

Whats your workspace setup like?

I work in a finished room in my attic, with sloped roofs and cedar paneling.

The Society of Professional JournalistsCode of Ethics.

Roy Peter ClarksQuick 50 Writing Tools: tips like Order words for emphasis.

Place strong words at the beginning and at the end.

A little cartoon (source unknown,possibly Austin Kleon?)

that says It doesnt matter if its good right now.

It just needs to exist.

Whats your best shortcut or life hack?

I…I think Ive written about them all.

Okay, heres one I havent: I message things to myself all the time.

Ive started DMing myself on Twitter for non-work-related links or ideas I want to remember.

Its just simpler than running everything through Pocket or Evernote.

Take us through an interesting, unusual, or finicky process you have in place at work.

And then go to results: what were the raw findings?

Then you form your own opinions before reading the rest of the paper.

But most of the time I start reading a paper because Im trying to determine whether its newsworthy.

From there I skim the abstract and the articles metadata: when is it from?

Is it an observational or an experimental study?

Do I recognize any of the authors?

Am I interested in thiskindof paper?

The context for a paper matters so muchits what makes the meat of it worth reporting.

As Im gathering all this information, Im making a mental list of questions and red flags.

Basically, Im coming up with tests, constantly asking the paper are you still interesting?

Thats how I noticed that a widely reported study on yoga mats wasactually not about yoga mats at all.

Day care is a life saver.

Whats your favorite side project?

I build bots that tweet (or toot) silly things.

Its also on Mastodon as@[email protected].

@legendarycreaturestells you about mythical beings from all over the globe.

It just reads them froma list I found on Wikipedia.

For example: Chromacon - Used demon or fish.

What are you currently reading, or what do you recommend?

This summer I read thenew translation ofThe Odyssey by Emily Wilson.

I thought I just wanted to skim it, but I got sucked in.

A total page turner, with lots of parts that are shocking or poignant or hilarious.

Who else would you like to see answer these questions?

Im looking forward to Nicks answers!

He (presumably) reads everyones How I Works and has probably picked up some great tips.

No pressure, Nick.

Whats the best advice youve ever received?

Its also just a good rule for life.

Think about temperature the next time your kid is on the verge of a tantrum.

Whats a problem youre still trying to solve?

The whole emotional rollercoaster of being a writer.

And then you have to start a new cycle before the first ones even finished, because deadlines.

I dont think this is a problem any writer fully solves; mostly you just get used to it.

But I love to hear other writers mental productivity tips and coping strategies!

Have someone you want to see featured, or questions you think we should ask?