Jeroen Sangers

Research shows that not all interruptions during your work have the same effect. There is an important difference between work-related and non-work-related interruptions.

Work-related interruptions (such as your manager stopping by to ask about a task, or a colleague messaging you about a project you’re working on together) actually have a positive effect on how engaged you feel during your workday. This goes against the common belief that all interruptions are bad for your productivity. Work-related interruptions don’t break your concentration; instead, they help you stay more connected to your work and colleagues.

Non-work-related interruptions (just chatting about the weather, sports, or what you’re going to eat tonight) do have the negative effect you might expect: they make you less engaged and disrupt your work rhythm so much that it really gets in the way of your work.

Related:

• Interruptions aren’t intrinsically distinct from other events, they’re just events most professionals don’t want around. The distinction is in our head.
• Messy work environments have no effect on either creativity or executive functions

When you create a podcast and want to publish extra content related to a specific episode, this bonus content receives the same episode number as the original episode. This means that both episodes, the main episode and the bonus episode, are published under the same number in your podcast feed.

Picture this: you’re drafting an important email and want to make sure your tone is just right. Today, that means copying your draft, opening ChatGPT in a new tab, pasting the text, waiting for suggestions, then copying those back to your email and fixing the formatting of the text. All that tab-switching and copying/pasting just to get some quick feedback. It’s clunky, and it breaks your flow.

The future of AI isn’t about jumping between chatbots and specialized tools, it’s about having AI seamlessly woven into the fabric of our existing workflows. Think about how we use spell checkers today: they’re just there, quietly helping us write better without any fuss.

The Current Reality

I’ve experienced this seamless integration firsthand through my note-taking app, Tana. Instead of copying text to ChatGPT and back, I can just ask questions and get help right where I’m working. Whether I’m journaling or crafting an email, AI assistance is right there at my fingertips.

Microsoft is moving in this direction too with Copilot, embedding AI directly into their Office suite. This isn’t just convenient, it’s transformative for how we work.

The real magic happens when AI becomes invisible, operating in the background like spell check does for non-native languages. No more context switching, no more lost trains of thought. Just fluid, uninterrupted work with AI enhancement when you need it.

Looking Forward

Today’s standalone AI tools are just the beginning, stepping stones to something much more powerful. The real revolution will come when AI is so deeply integrated into our daily tools that we barely notice it’s there.

What excites me most is how this shift will boost our productivity. Not through flashy new apps, but through subtle, contextual assistance that enhances our existing workflows without disrupting them.

This is my vision for AI’s future: not as a separate destination we visit for help, but as an invisible assistant embedded in every tool we use, making us more capable without getting in the way.

“Revenge bedtime procrastination” is a phenomenon where you deliberately delay your bedtime to regain a sense of control over your life. This often occurs in people who have little personal time during the day due to busy schedules or demanding jobs. By staying up later at night, you try to reclaim some personal time, even if it comes at the expense of your sleep.

Although the term is relatively new, the behavior it describes has been known for a longer time. After a long day, you want to relax, for example by watching TV or scrolling on your phone, even though you know you have to get up early the next day.

While it’s understandable that you want this time for yourself, delaying your bedtime can have negative consequences for your health. Lack of sleep can lead to fatigue, reduced concentration, and even long-term health issues. Therefore, it’s important to find a balance between your personal time and getting enough sleep.

Related:

• Good sleepers are more productive and earn more
• Well-rested people are more positive
• The optimal amount of free time seems to be between 2 and 4 hours per day
• Hard work

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the learning process offers a unique opportunity to reduce unnecessary difficulties. For example, AI can help you by providing clear explanations, offering useful examples, and giving you quick feedback. This can eliminate frustrating obstacles that you often encounter while learning, such as unclear sources or insufficient practice material. By reducing this unnecessary hassle, you can better focus on truly understanding the material and developing your skills.

But beware: AI is not meant to avoid the essential efforts you need for effective learning. Essential efforts include activities like active practice, retrieving information from memory, and consciously working towards a good understanding of the subject matter. These activities are important for building knowledge that sticks. While AI can make your learning process easier, it should not replace the core activities you need to truly learn.

The danger exists that you might use AI to avoid the necessary effort, for example, by simply copying answers without understanding the underlying ideas. This can lead to superficial knowledge that does not last long. Therefore, it is important to find the balance between reducing unnecessary hassle and maintaining the essential effort needed to truly learn. By using AI wisely, you can reap its benefits without jeopardizing the real learning process.

Related:

• Working slower promotes deeper thinking processes and better results
• Motivation

Moderna’s merger of HR and technology isn’t just another reorganization — it’s a glimpse into the future of work. Have you ever wondered what HR departments will look like when AI becomes part of our daily routine? Well, this is exactly what they’re exploring.

Picture a space where human talent and technology don’t compete, but dance together. This is how Moderna is rethinking resource management. It no longer makes sense to keep those who manage people separate from those who handle the technology we use every day.

The reality is that AI is taking on more and more tasks that humans used to do. But instead of seeing this as a threat, Moderna sees it as an opportunity to create something better: a department that understands both people and technology.

It’s like learning to cook: having good ingredients on one side and good utensils on the other isn’t enough. You need to know how to use both in harmony to create something extraordinary.

This move shows us that the future isn’t about “humans vs. machines,” but about finding the best way to work together. And perhaps, very soon, more companies will follow this path.

In communication, it’s important to adapt your style to that of your conversation partner. This can be challenging if your partner speaks quickly and you struggle to keep up. Instead of speeding up your own speech, which can lead to stumbling over words and confusion, it’s better to use non-verbal cues. Hand gestures and head movements are super helpful in this regard. By subtly moving your hand or nodding, you can encourage your partner to continue talking without having to speak faster yourself.

Non-verbal communication is a powerful tool in conversations. With hand gestures, you can hold your partner’s attention and encourage them to speak faster. By nodding your head, you show that you understand and that they can continue. These tricks ensure that your partner feels understood and can tell their story at their own pace, while you can think and respond calmly.

By smartly using non-verbal signals, you can communicate better without having to speak faster yourself. This is especially useful in work situations where it’s important that you both understand each other well. If you adjust your non-verbal communication to your partner’s pace, your conversations become more effective, and you both feel better understood.

A day without electricity can be an unexpected challenge, especially when it not only affects the power but also the internet goes down. This was precisely the case during a general outage throughout Spain, which not only cut off electricity but also the ability to communicate via the internet. This situation forced many, including myself, to creatively adapt to the sudden change in our daily routine.

Phase 1: Doing nothing

The initial reaction to the power outage was one of passivity. Without electricity, I couldn’t continue my work, leading to a feeling of helplessness. In this phase, I decided to pass the time by reading and taking a walk. It was a moment of surrender to the situation, where I accepted that there was nothing else to do but wait.

Phase 2: Preparation

As the hours passed and it became clear that the power outage would last longer than a few hours, I shifted to a more proactive approach. It was time to prepare for a longer period without power. This meant going to the market to buy food that required no preparation, such as salad and fruit, since cooking was not an option. I also made sure there were enough candles for the evening. This phase was about ensuring basic needs and creating a sense of control over the situation.

Phase 3: Creative approach

Once the basic needs were secured, I began to see the situation as an opportunity. Without the usual distractions of phone calls and digital notifications, there was a rare chance to think deeply and reflect. I picked up my notebooks and started a brain dump on ongoing projects and future plans. This unusual silence provided the perfect setting for introspection and strategic thinking. Additionally, I used the time to do small household chores that usually get neglected.

These three phases—doing nothing, preparing, and creatively utilizing—reflect the different ways people can respond to a sudden change like a power outage. It is a reminder of the resilience and adaptability we can show in unexpected situations. The question I pose to you is: which of these modes have you experienced during the power outage?

The idea that you can concentrate better by hiding your phone sounds logical, but research shows that this is not always effective. Although people indeed reach for their phones less often when they are further away, they often replace this time by sitting at their computer, keeping the total screen time roughly the same.

In the study, participants had to work for 5 hours, of which an average of 3.5 hours was spent productively, regardless of whether their phone was within reach or not.

Notable findings:

• With your phone within reach, you spend almost twice as long on it, an average of 14 minutes more per session
• The duration per use remains the same, but you pick up your phone more frequently when it’s nearby
• When the smartphone was not accessible, participants spent more time on their computer, but the number of activities on the computer remained unchanged

This suggests that the problem is not the devices themselves, but rather your habits and time management. Concentration issues seem to be more related to your environment and activities than to the technology itself.

The research emphasizes that it is more important to adjust your habits around technology use than to focus on the devices. Hiding your phone is therefore not necessarily the solution; a more conscious and controlled approach to technology can be more effective in reducing distraction and stress.

Related

• Reduce mobile phone use to improve your life satisfaction, well-being, and health
• Mindfulness meditation reduces the size of your amygdala, making you less prone to distractions and procrastination
• We pick up our phones over 350 times per day, almost four times more than in 2019

The anticipation builds as I lift my new Dell laptop from its box. That familiar excitement of unwrapping a fresh piece of technology - we’ve all been there. Today’s mission: setting up what will become my trusty companion for Outlook training sessions.

The Reality Check

Like a child eager to play with a new toy, I quickly power up the device and prepare for an afternoon of customization and exploration. But Windows has other plans. A series of system updates appears on screen, bringing my enthusiasm to an abrupt halt.

Hours tick by as I watch the progress bar crawl forward with glacial speed. 54% complete, and still counting. Not exactly the productive first day I had envisioned.

That initial spark of excitement now flickers dimly behind endless update screens. I find myself staring at the loading bar, contemplating the irony of how our relationship with technology often begins with a lesson in patience rather than productivity.

Sure, I understand why these updates matter. Security patches and performance improvements are crucial in today’s digital landscape. But sitting here, watching that progress bar inch forward, I can’t help but smile at how universal this experience is. It’s one of those modern rituals we all share - the hurry-up-and-wait dance with a new Windows laptop.

Sometimes the most authentic first impressions aren’t about dramatic revelations or instant gratification. They’re about these quiet moments of anticipation, teaching us that even in our fast-paced digital world, some things still require us to slow down and wait.

Artificial intelligence is transforming the way we write. As a content creator, I experience daily how AI enriches and challenges the creative process. What does this development mean for the future of text creation?

Evolution of Writing Tools

Technology has been a trusted partner in the writing process for years. We’ve grown accustomed to spell check and grammatical support. But AI takes this to a higher level: it can restructure texts, refine style, and make content more accessible.

In my own work, I notice how AI has become more than just a correction tool. It helps develop structure and shape ideas. This collaboration between human and machine creates new possibilities for creativity.

Transparency in the Digital Age

With AI’s increasing role in text creation comes a new challenge: how do we make the use of AI tools transparent? Initiatives like the Badge AI, similar to Creative Commons, address this need. For this specific text, I use the label T-AI-1, indicating that AI has contributed to the writing process.

The question arises: are these labels truly necessary? While they offer transparency, what does this information actually mean for the reader?

We stand at the dawn of a new era in content creation. As technology continues to evolve, we search for the optimal balance between human creativity and AI support.

As writers, we carry the responsibility to be honest about our methods. Not out of obligation, but because it contributes to understanding modern content creation. It’s an exciting journey where transparency and authenticity go hand in hand with technological innovation.

The excitement of discovering Apple Intelligence in the latest macOS 15.4 update quickly turned into a puzzling journey through language settings and unexpected limitations. Let me share my experience — it might save you some frustration.

Initial promise and setup

Like many multilingual users in Europe, I was eager to explore Apple Intelligence. Though my system usually runs in Dutch, I also work in Spanish, Catalan, and English. I made the switch to Spanish, hoping to dive into these new features. The initial setup seemed promising — everything appeared to work smoothly, though I didn’t have time to explore every corner of the functionality.

Those first few days felt like a glimpse into the future of Mac interaction. But then, something strange started happening.

The unexpected twist

It began subtly — the Siri icon mysteriously reverted to its old version. Then I noticed my notification summaries had vanished into thin air. These small changes were just the tip of the iceberg.

The real surprise came during my investigation: Apple Intelligence wasn’t compatible with Spanish Siri settings, despite Apple’s help documentation claiming April availability. It seems Apple released version 15.4 with Spanish support for Apple Intelligence, only to quietly pull it back — perhaps due to technical hurdles they hadn’t anticipated.

You might think, “Why not just switch to English?” Well, here’s where it gets tricky. In my home, we share a HomePod, and changing Siri’s language would mean everyone in the household needs to switch Siri on all their devices to English. That’s quite a commitment just to test a new feature, don’t you think?

Sometimes the simplest solutions create the most complex problems. For now, I’ll wait patiently for Apple to sort out these multilingual mysteries. After all, technology should adapt to us, not the other way around.

Politiek is niet iets waar ik vaak over praat, maar een recent nieuwsbericht heeft mijn aandacht getrokken en mijn zorgen gewekt. Het gaat over een voorstel voor een nieuw kiesstelsel in Nederland, dat een grote verandering zou betekenen voor hoe we onze Tweede Kamerleden kiezen. Dit voorstel, dat door de minister wordt uitgewerkt, houdt in dat 125 van de 150 Tweede Kamerleden gekozen worden via regionale lijsten, terwijl de overige 25 op basis van de totale landelijke uitslag van de politieke partijen worden gekozen.

De overstap naar regionale lijsten

Nederland heeft altijd een systeem gehad waarbij je op een grote lijst kon stemmen en zelf kon kiezen welke kandidaat je wilde steunen. Dit systeem biedt een breed scala aan keuzes en zorgt voor diversiteit in de Tweede Kamer. In Spanje, waar ik woon, is het systeem anders. Hier worden al lange tijd regionale kieslijsten gebruikt, en ik heb altijd gevonden dat het Nederlandse model superieur is. Het nieuws dat Nederland mogelijk overstapt naar een systeem zoals dat van Spanje, baart me zorgen.

Het probleem van voortijdige afronding

Een van de problemen met regionale kieslijsten is het risico van voortijdige afronding. Dit kan het beste worden uitgelegd met een anekdote: stel je voor dat je een zak snoepjes koopt voor 1 euro, met 21 cent BTW. Als je die snoepjes één voor één koopt, betaal je geen BTW omdat de belasting op een enkele snoepje wordt afgerond naar nul. Dit probleem kan zich ook voordoen bij het nieuwe kiesstelsel. In plaats van alle stemmen op te tellen en te kijken welke partijen recht hebben op zetels, worden stemmen eerst verdeeld over kleinere regionale lijsten. Dit kan leiden tot een situatie waarin kleine partijen veel meer stemmen nodig hebben om een zetel te behalen, wat hun kansen aanzienlijk verkleint.

Minder diversiteit in de Tweede Kamer

Het nieuwe systeem zou betekenen dat een partij nu 8% van de stemmen in één regio nodig heeft voor één zetel, in plaats van de huidige 0,6% tot 0,7% van de landelijke stemmen. Dit benadeelt kleine landelijke partijen die nu één of twee zetels kunnen halen. Het gevolg is minder diversiteit in de Tweede Kamer, omdat alleen grotere partijen de drempel kunnen halen.

Daarnaast speelt het fenomeen van de ‘nuttige stem’ een belangrijke rol. Kiezers willen niet dat hun stem verloren gaat aan een partij die uiteindelijk geen zetels behaalt. Zelfs bij middelgrote partijen die mogelijk net de 8%-drempel kunnen halen, zullen kiezers twijfelen en uiteindelijk vaak kiezen voor een grotere partij die enigszins overeenkomt met hun voorkeuren. Dit versterkt de positie van de grootste partijen nog verder.

In landen met regionale kieslijsten, zoals Spanje en de Verenigde Staten, zien we dit effect duidelijk terug. De VS heeft effectief een tweepartijenstelsel, terwijl Spanje lange tijd werd gedomineerd door twee grote partijen met slechts enkele kleinere partijen daarnaast. Dit leidt tot een meer gepolariseerd politiek landschap met minder ruimte voor nuance en diversiteit aan opvattingen.

Het gewicht van elke stem

Een ander probleem is dat niet elke stem hetzelfde weegt. Bij het indelen van kiesdistricten is het moeilijk om ervoor te zorgen dat elk district evenveel stemgerechtigden heeft. Dit kan leiden tot situaties waarin stemmen in sommige districten zwaarder wegen dan in andere. In de Verenigde Staten wordt dit vaak gebruikt om politieke voordelen te behalen, een praktijk die bekend staat als ‘gerrymandering’ of ‘kiesdistrictmanipulatie’. In Spanje zien we een vorm van positieve discriminatie, waarbij stemmen in dunbevolkte gebieden meer waard zijn. Dit roept de vraag op waar de grens ligt bij positieve discriminatie en of het uiteindelijk niet leidt tot onrechtvaardigheid.

Conclusie: een stap terug?

Het nieuwe kiesstelsel roept bij mij veel zorgen op. Het risico van voortijdige afronding en het ongelijke gewicht van stemmen kunnen leiden tot minder diversiteit en meer polarisatie in de politiek. Het lijkt een stap terug voor Nederland, een land dat altijd bekend heeft gestaan om zijn inclusieve en diverse politieke landschap. Laten we hopen dat deze zorgen serieus worden genomen voordat er onomkeerbare veranderingen worden doorgevoerd.

People can often solve their own problems. They sometimes just need a little help to find the right solution. A coach therefore does not provide ready-made answers but helps people find answers themselves. This is like peeling an onion: layer by layer, you get closer to the core of the problem.

A coach asks questions, listens carefully, and helps people think about what they are saying. This makes someone feel safe to think about what they want to achieve and the problems they encounter. By discussing this together, someone gets to know themselves better. This gives more confidence to make decisions on their own. The coach only helps - the person themselves knows best what is good for them.

It is important that the coach believes that someone can find answers themselves. When people realize they can come up with solutions on their own, they feel stronger. They then take more responsibility for their own growth. Because they have found the solution themselves, it suits them well. As a result, the changes they make are often lasting and they feel good about them.

Related

• Trust in yourself, the process, and the client