Trying to focus too much on a task can sometimes be counterproductive, writes Elizabeth Grace Saunders. Switching tasks more often when trying to complete menial assignments or when solving a major problem can lead to a mental state that helps breed more useful ideas.

If you make a major mistake at work, it's best to understand the feeling of shame and let it go instead of hiding from it, writes Manfred Kets de Vries. While feeling hostility toward yourself or others is a natural reaction to feeling ashamed, Kets de Vries advises dealing with shame by finding its source and embracing yourself for who you are.

Using LinkedIn's Advanced Search function can help sales professionals generate targeted leads, writes John Nemo. By drilling down on niche audiences and using filters to select users in your vicinity or who went to your alma mater, sales professionals can find more potential connections.

Private-sector employers hired 253,000 workers in May, with 83,000 jobs coming from small businesses, 113,000 from midsize firms and 57,000 from large companies, according to ADP. This growth follows April's revised gain of 174,000.

The highest performers don't always follow the rules when it comes to applying for jobs, writes Scott Anthony Barlow. By finding contacts within the company to get a leg up or researching the company and its employees before accepting an interview, job seekers can gain confidence and be more selective.

The pursuit of meaning in life may be more satisfying than the pursuit of happiness, writes Emily Esfahani Smith. While searching for meaning can help people get through tough times and find a reason to live, the pursuit of happiness merely seeks to fulfill whims and can ultimately lead to feelings of emptiness, she notes.

A recent study suggests that human tongues can detect the taste of water, but it is still unclear whether the detection of water is a separate sense or whether it just carries forward other flavors.