“How do you simplify your digital life?” is quickly becoming the question of our generation. Between packed calendars, overflowing inboxes, and the constant pull of social media and news (and Netflix) it can feel like how you spend your time online isn’t really up to you. Source But what if there was a way to use your technology without feeling used by it? The answer is Digital minimalism. Coined by author and computer science professor Cal Newport in his book of the same name, Digital minimalism is a philosophy of technology use based on the understanding that our relationship with our apps, tools, and phones is nuanced and deserves more […]
As we look towards a post-pandemic future, many employers are making plans to bring their teams back to the workplace. But with over a year of home working under our belts, we’ve solidified new ways of working in our homes and as such, many team members are reluctant to return to the office as we know it. Source The key to attracting employees back to the workplace is gaining a fundamental understanding of what people liked about working from home, as well as what they disliked, and integrating the common themes into your workplace. In a nutshell, learn from the lockdown experience to create a mutually beneficial workplace for businesses […]
Here’s what to do if you’ve developed back pain from poor posture habits picked up in the last year. Source Move over, “Quarantine 15.” That term, coined for pandemic-era weight gain, isn’t the only catchy phrase from this challenging time. Now there’s “pandemic posture,” referring to poor posture from slouching at a desk or on a couch during time at home — and it brings lots of back pain complaints with it. We asked Dr. David Binder, a physiatrist and director of innovation at Harvard-affiliated Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, about this phenomenon and what to do if you’re experiencing it. Q. Is “pandemic posture” real? Dr. Binder: Yes, we have seen increased […]
On Monday, Citigroup’s CEO, Jane Fraser, sent a memo outlining new perks meant to curb burnout. The proposed benefits may help in the short term, but they don’t address the root causes of burnout. Employers need to get serious about overworking, mismanagement, and pay inequality, experts said. Source On Monday, Jane Fraser, Citigroup’s CEO, sent a memo telling staff that the bank would be eliminating Zoom meetings on Fridays and adding May 28 as a mental-health holiday. It was an attempt to curb skyrocketing burnout rates on Wall Street, especially among junior bankers, who, in some cases, are working upwards of 98 hours a week. In addition to these benefits, Citigroup also added an extra […]
Ariane Ollier-Malaterre answered my call from Canada. “It’s a holiday here today,” she told me: The National Holiday of Quebec. She had the day off from teaching at the University of Quebec in Montreal’s School of Management. Source Never mind that Ollier-Malaterre studies the future of work, focusing specifically on how people set boundaries between their personal and professional lives. She was excited to share some of her research findings, and getting on a 30-minute call from home seemed easy enough. This blurring of boundaries is a trap Ollier-Malaterre knows that others will fall into as well. She is especially worried now that many people are returning to the office […]
Parental control is a lot different now than it once was, but here’s how you can stay ahead. Source Parental controls on phones evolved a lot over the years. Back in the day, devices had kid modes that turned off the UI basically entirely, trapping the child in a specific app. Unfortunately, kid mode is easy to work around and it doesn’t work really well. There are better alternatives out there anyway. These new options give your children more freedom to do what they want while still keeping you in control. Here are the best parental control apps for Android and some other methods in case you need further control. […]
“Once you start to see the results of your hard work, you become hooked.” Source Exercise isn’t always fun, and if you’re doing it to benefit your health or to support a weight-loss goal, it may feel like an awful chore. “People who enjoy exercise, when and how did you start to like it?” Here are some of the answers. If often takes a few months to start enjoying exercise Among people who named a specific period of time, 2-4 months seemed to be a common answer. Some pinpoints 80 days: I’ve exercised for 100 days straight now – 15 minutes of quick walking up steps + walking and yoga. It took […]
James Clear is an author and productivity expert who uses behavioral science to help nearly half a million newsletter subscribers optimize their habits. Nir Eyal is a tech entrepreneur, Stanford University educator and the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products. The two recently sat down to discuss how to put technology in its place, build a better work culture and supercharge your daily productivity. Source Nir: You’ve done a lot of work on how to change behaviors within a workplace environment. How do we prioritize properly, and how do you change productivity by developing good habits? James: So there’s a story. It’s 1918 or so, and the CEO of Bethlehem Steel, one of […]
As we all navigate shifting responsibilities and uncertain futures, coronavirus-related anxiety is climbing around the globe. Needless to say, as important as it is to stay on top of our physical health right now, checking in with our mental health is also essential. The following stress-reducing tools have long been tried-and-trues at mbg, and we’re more grateful for them now than ever before: Source: MBG Health 1. Meditation You’ve heard it before, but we’ll say it again: Meditation is a proven way to reduce anxiety and increase overall feelings of well-being. There are so many ways to start a meditation practice, so don’t be discouraged if you haven’t been able to stick with one […]
Zillow founder Rich Barton offers advice for helping work-from-home teams maintain work-life balance. Employees working from home are likelier to suffer burnout than they were when they worked in the office. This is why you should watch for burnout signs in your remote team, and take action to help them avoid burning out before it happens. Source: Inc. That advice comes from Rich Barton, founder of Zillow, Expedia, and Glassdoor. Barton took part in a recent GeekWire virtual event where he talked about the burnout dangers Zillow’s more than 5,000 employees face while working remotely. Barton tweeted in late April, My personal opinions about WFH have been turned upside down over the past two months. In the same tweet, he […]