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

Under pressure, we can indeed accomplish more work in less time, but this often comes at the expense of accuracy and depth. Researchers like Don Moore and Elizabeth Tenney have shown that while deadlines can help us complete tasks that might otherwise be left unfinished, the quality of the work often suffers due to the rush. This is because, under pressure, we tend to make quicker decisions and spend less time checking our work, increasing the likelihood of errors.

Additionally, the heightened state of alertness we experience under time pressure, caused by substances like dopamine and adrenaline, can give us the feeling that we are performing better. However, this state of readiness can also be achieved in other ways, without the drawbacks of hasty work. For example, some people use physical activities like trampoline jumping to get into an energetic and focused state. This can help to be productive without the risks associated with working under time pressure, such as overlooking details or making unnecessary mistakes.

Finally, it is important to recognize that while time pressure can help us work faster, it is not always the best way to ensure quality. It is essential to find a balance between speed and accuracy and to understand when it makes sense to use time pressure as a tool to increase productivity. By being mindful of deadlines and how we allocate our time, we can work both efficiently and effectively.

Related

• Do the right thing, in the right way, and at the right moment
• Take the time before doing something you can’t undo
• Try to complete new tasks on the day you receive them
• Before you start (a task, a work session, a project…), set a time budget
• Working slower promotes deeper thinking processes and better results
• A little time pressure while working on your tasks helps to reduce ‘attention residue’

Trust is the foundation of coaching and personal growth.

It starts with self-confidence, which is very important for any coach or professional. When you believe in yourself and your knowledge, you can better help and support others. This self-confidence helps you remain calm and assured, even when things get tough. Remember, as a coach, you don’t need to have all the answers; your task is to help the client find their own answers.

The process, such as the GROW model (Goals, Reality, Options, Will), offers a structured approach that helps streamline conversations and provide direction. By following the process, coaches can work step by step towards the client’s goals. Trusting this process means believing that the client, by taking the right steps, will come to important insights. The model helps both the coach and the client stay focused and goal-oriented.

Finally, trust in the client is essential. Every client already has the answers within them, and the coach helps them find these answers. This means believing that the client can grow and change. By being genuinely interested in the client and their story, you naturally ask the right questions that help them move forward. This mix of self-confidence, trust in the process, and trust in the client ensures successful coaching and personal growth.

Related

• The client being coached already has the answer within themselves

Have you ever noticed how some conversations with AI flow effortlessly, while others feel like speaking different languages? The secret might be simpler than you think, and it lies in a beautiful Japanese concept called “kaizen” — the art of continuous improvement.

Imagine having a friendly assistant who not only helps you today but also thinks about making tomorrow easier. That’s what adding a simple kaizen section to your prompts does. It’s like leaving a note in your recipe book saying, “Next time, remember to soften the butter first!”

Here’s the golden phrase I’ve discovered works wonders:

“Please look over the instructions and changes I’ve asked for in our conversation. Can you suggest ways to improve the original prompt so I won’t need to request these things next time?”

What if every prompt you wrote could learn and evolve? What if each interaction left your templates a little bit better than before? That’s the power of adding a kaizen section to your AI prompts.

What do I want Tana to be for me? The truth is, Tana can be anything you need it to be.

For me, Tana started as a simple notepad where I jotted down quick notes during my workday. Then, I began adding links and my thoughts on them, turning Tana into my personal knowledge hub. Next, I created projects and tags, and Tana became a versatile to-do list app. Now, Tana is also my research assistant, my brainstorming partner, my podcast script writer, and my contact manager.

Tana can be anything you want it to be. What do you want Tana to be for you?

On MacOS, you can easily hide files or folders by using the command line. This can be useful if you want to keep certain files out of sight without deleting them.

To do this, first open a terminal window. You can do this by pressing Command+Space, typing “Terminal,” and pressing Enter. In the terminal window that appears, use the command chflags hidden <file path>, replacing <file path> with the path to the file or folder you want to hide. This command marks the file or folder as hidden, making it no longer visible in Finder.

If you later decide that you want to make the file or folder visible again, you can use the same command with nohidden instead of hidden. This will make the file or folder visible again in Finder.