If employees always feel that they need to be available, even outside of work hours, it can cause a lot of stress. This constant stress can lead to health problems such as high blood pressure, sleep issues, and a weakened immune system. The feeling that you always have to be “on,” without a clear separation between work and personal life, can also harm your mental health and cause anxiety and fatigue.

Additionally, checking emails outside of work hours can also cause problems in relationships. The constant distraction and the need to handle work matters can reduce the quality of personal relationships. Partners and family members may feel neglected or frustrated by the continuous interruptions, which can lead to conflicts and a poorer relationship. It is important to set clear boundaries and discuss expectations to maintain a healthy work-life balance.

Finally, the pressure to check emails outside of work hours can contribute to feelings of anxiety. Employees may feel overwhelmed by the constant stream of work messages and the expectation to respond quickly. This can make them always alert and unable to relax properly, even in their free time. It is important for employers to have realistic expectations and encourage employees to set clear boundaries. This way, they have enough time to recover and ensure their well-being.

Related:

• The optimal amount of free time seems to be between 2 and 4 hours per day
• Working outside of normal working hours can undermine intrinsic motivation, as it prompts people to reflect on how they could have spent their day better if they had not worked
• Large organizations extinguish employees' passion
• A four-day workweek improves employee well-being without reducing productivity

Why am I still using 1Password? A few days ago I asked myself this question, and the only answer I could come up with was “Because that’s what I have been doing for years”.

Now don’t get me wrong, I like 1Password and in the past it was vastly superior to any alternative. I loved that it could handle two-factor authentication without needing an additional app, and I liked their password suggestions.

But most features are now also available in the iCloud Keychain.

So today I migrated.

For a moment I thought that this would be the perfect occasion to clean up my list of passwords and delete services that don’t exist anymore, update easy to guess passwords. But that would change a 30-minute project into a 30-day project.

The migration itself was fairly simple. I followed the procedure from Simon B. Støvring: simply exporting all items from 1Password and importing them into the iCloud Keychain. Then I did an advanced search in 1Password for all items with two-factor authentication and created a locked note in Notes to store the backup codes.

Easy peasy…

Today I should throw a party to celebrate this blog’s 25th anniversary.

But lately I am not too proud of my blog. In contrast to the early days, when I was very inspired to write, I feel like the blog has fallen outside my regular information– and content workflow.

That said, I should probably have a closer look at all parts implicated in that workflow and maybe even draw a diagram to get an overview. And maybe (just maybe) I will find a way to incorporate more original thinking to post here.

Anyway, cheers to all my readers! 🍻

Not so much for focusing, but simply because it solves a practical problem for me.

You see, just like many people of my age I need reading glasses. Now, when I am working at my desk, I usually have a pair handy, but when I am out and about I usually leave them at home.

My solution in those cases is incrementing the text size in iOS to Extra Extra Extra Large, so I can read everything without glasses. The issue is that when I get home and use my phone with my glasses in the text is way to big and I have to set the text size back.

Now to make these text size changes easier, I took a two-step approach.

First, instead of changing the size in the phone’s settings, I used Shortcuts to create a very simple one-step automation:

And in iOS 16, I can use focus modes to automatically trigger these shortcuts by creating automations in the Shotcuts app:

Now all I have to do is switch my phone from one focus mode to another, and since I have smart activation configured, my phone quickly learned when to activate each mode, so usually I have the correct text size.

People who have their own office talk 70% more often with colleagues than those who work in a large, open space. This is remarkable because many people think that those in an open office talk more with each other. But that’s not the case. In an open office, people are often less inclined to talk to each other. This is likely because they feel watched or because there are too many distractions. As a result, colleagues talk less spontaneously with each other, which is unfortunate for collaboration and new ideas.

Instead of talking directly to each other, people in open offices tend to send emails more often. Emailing can be convenient, but it’s not the same as a real conversation. For example, with emailing, you miss facial expressions and tone of voice. It also depends on what kind of person you are—some people are more introverted, while others are very social. However, the general pattern that emerges from the research is that private offices are preferred when it comes to promoting face-to-face interaction.

Related:

• Large organizations extinguish employees' passion
• Open-plan workspace