Digital minimalism 101: How to clear out your digital clutter and find focus and calm in 30 days

Digital minimalism 101: How to clear out your digital clutter and find focus and calm in 30 days

“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 […]

The Great American Burnout is just getting started

The Great American Burnout is just getting started

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 […]

A day off work and ‘Zoom-free Fridays’ aren’t going to cut it. Here’s how to really tackle burnout.

A day off work and ‘Zoom-free Fridays’ aren’t going to cut it. Here’s how to really tackle burnout.

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 […]

6 best Android parental control apps and other methods

6 best Android parental control apps and other methods

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. […]

How Long It Takes to Start Enjoying Exercise, According to Reddit

How Long It Takes to Start Enjoying Exercise, According to Reddit

“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 […]

Never Have an Unproductive Day Again With This Simple Hack

Never Have an Unproductive Day Again With This Simple Hack

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 […]

10 Tips To Get Great Sleep, No Matter How Stressed You Are

10 Tips To Get Great Sleep, No Matter How Stressed You Are

Chances are, you know the frustration of lying awake in bed with a busy mind. Stress from the day can keep even the most exhausted of people up at night. When stress has sent you into a sleep rut, it can feel difficult—if not impossible—to get out of it. But these 10 strategies can all help your mind and body calm down so you can get the restorative sleep you’re after. Source   1. Emphasize relaxation one to two hours before bedtime. In the evening hours, decrease stimulation as much as possible. Dim the lights and slow things down. Do something you find relaxing, such as reading while wearing blue light blocking […]

The Best Foods to Help You Sleep

The Best Foods to Help You Sleep

Whether it’s a jolt after a cup of coffee or drowsiness after Easter dinner, most people have personally experienced how food and drinks can affect their energy and alertness.   Source With as many as 35% of American adults suffering from symptoms of insomnia, it’s understandable that there’s a strong desire to take advantage of food and drinks for better sleep. Both diet and sleep are complex, which means there’s no silver bullet or single food that is guaranteed to help with sleep. However, there are some foods and drinks that may make it easier to get a great night’s sleep. Specific Foods That Can Affect Sleep Researchers, including nutritionists and […]

6 Unique Ideas to Get Active at Home

6 Unique Ideas to Get Active at Home

These days, physical activity is more important than ever! Most of us are spending more and more time at home, whether it be for work or school, and we are not getting the physical activity that we need.  Source When you get off track with your workouts or fitness, it can be quite overwhelming to think about jumping in again. Instead of setting a goal of 10,000 steps every day, focus on small movements that bring your heart rate up and increase blood flow. Here are 6 ideas to get you started: 1. Use Commercial Breaks as An Exercise Timer There’s nothing wrong with binging your favorite TV shows, but […]

Calming Tools & Techniques that Hold Up Even During COVID Times

Calming Tools & Techniques that Hold Up Even During COVID Times

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 […]