How you communicate online has an impact! Readers do pick up clues and insights from your style and tone.
Click here to read the full article on Business Email Etiquette.
Caution: SmartPhones May Be Hazardous to Your Health
Smartphone use isn’t formally recognized as an addiction – yet. But we have all caught ourselves in addictive behavior. Not long ago, I headed to my bank which is a mere 3 miles from my house. About halfway there I realized I had forgotten my phone. I started to turn around to go get it! REALLY?!?! I used to make cross-country trips without a phone. Now I can’t drive 3 miles to the bank? In town on a sunny day?
The addiction is bad enough in adults but children, teens and young adults are even more susceptible as they have grown up with a phone in their hands.
Why is it hazardous?
- Constant notifications and activity interfere with concentration.
- People become less social when they focus on their phone instead of the people around them. Technology can never replace a friendly face and a smile.
- Children and young adults are particularly damaged as they are still developing social skills and miss experiences that help them grow.
- Scrolling through news feeds can be huge time sucks lowering productivity, happiness and even the amount of sleep you get.
- We literally get a hit of happy hormones (dopamine) from some phone activity. We are training ourselves to want more and more.
- Multiple studies have shown increases in depression, anxiety and other mental health issues are directly related to phone usage time.
- Even communities, cities and social groups lose opportunities when people sit in public spaces using their phones instead of interacting with others.
How do you disconnect?
No, don’t throw away the phone! Small adjustments in your behaviors can have big results. Our lives will become more and more connected to our phones with SmartOvens, Informed Mail Delivery, integrated calendars, etc. etc. etc. So there is no better time than TODAY to start intentionally disconnecting from your phone.
Research recommends these actions:
Notifications
Set notifications from social media platforms, your emails, services to come in a one time once a day instead of separate notifications from each one at each little action. (This will also make you more productive as you get into “email mode” and answer several emails at once.) Not having all those dings and blips on your screen will also lower your stress level.
Hide your social media and email apps
Drag the icons for your social media platforms, email apps, service providers to your 2nd or 3rd screen so you don’t see them all the time. You can even put them into a “Once A Day” folder. Or delete the apps from your phone completely and only access the apps from your laptop.
Hide the phone
There really is some truth in “out of sight, out of mind.” During meals, put everyone’s cell phones in another room. In the office, put the phone behind you and on silent for a set period of time to let you focus on a project.
Make access a little inconvenient
Don’t use biometrics or Facebook ID or other shortcuts for logging in. Make logging in a little bit harder to give yourself time to think “Do I really need to do this right now?” Science shows this small pause reduces phone and app usage!
Gray your screen
We are attracted to colors and images. Set a time – maybe 2 hours behind bedtime – to gray out your screen. It will reduce usage. It will reduce anxiety by making the screen less attractive therefore easier to turn off.
Make a list of tasks or set time limits
Before you pick up the phone, make a list of the tasks you need to do. Don’t just pick it up and “walkabout!” Mindless wondering eats up a lot of time. Setting time limits will also help you focus on what you need to do.
Your support team from Building Bridges Business Solutions and Your Computer Lady want you to be happy, healthy and productive with all of your technology! Call us if you need further assistance!
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- (602) 604-5000
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- (480) 929-0335
Book Review: Your Brain At Work by David Rock
Very interesting book! I highly recommend it for anyone who has stressful days, difficult situations in their life or who wants to make a change in the world.
There is so much new information coming out now with improved technology about the brain and how it works. Mr. Rock takes the studies and theories and applies them to real life situations.
First he gives us a scenario. Then he discusses the new knowledge. Lastly, he re-writes the scenario using the knowledge so you can see it in action.
So it is easy to understand. Practical advice and application. And he’s funny at times.
The 2026 Digital Hygiene Plan
“As we move further into 2026, the term “digital hygiene” has evolved. It is no longer just about changing your passwords or clearing your browser cookies. In this hyper-connected era, where AI-curated feeds and constant notifications are the norm, digital hygiene has become a vital practice for protecting our cognitive focus and emotional well-being.
Most of us wouldn’t go a day without brushing our teeth or washing our hands, yet we often allow our digital lives to become cluttered, chaotic, and intrusive. This lack of boundaries has a documented impact on our internal state. The link between heavy social media and mental health is more evident than ever, with researchers pointing to “notification anxiety” and “passive scrolling fatigue” as primary drivers of modern stress. To reclaim your time and your peace of mind this year, you need a proactive Digital Hygiene Plan.”
9 Business Ethics: Why Transparency Matters More Than Ever
“The advanced and highly interconnected world, businesses are under increasing scrutiny. Customers, investors, and stakeholders are no longer satisfied with just the products or services a company provides where they are paying attention to how companies conduct themselves.
Transparency in business ethics is no longer a luxury; it has become a necessity. From trust-building to regulatory compliance, transparency helps businesses navigate the modern landscape, fostering long-term success and sustainability.
In this blog, we will explore why transparency matters more than ever in business ethics, examining its various aspects and the significant impact it can have on a company’s reputation, customer loyalty, and overall growth.”
4 Tips for Matching Your Social Media to Speaker Voice
“A great keynote speech is a powerful and transformative experience. It can inspire a room, challenge a long-held belief, and leave an audience buzzing with a new sense of energy and purpose. But in today’s digital world, that powerful conversation doesn’t have to end when the applause fades. Your social media channels are your “virtual stage,” a place to continue the dialogue, to deepen your connection with your audience, and to build a lasting community around your core message.”
Surviving the Scam Surge
Yes, you are getting hit with more spam emails and calls — and now spam texts — than at any point in the history of these devices. These messages are frequently dangerous! They often try to steal your data, identity and/or money — and the crooks are getting better and better.Here with some tips from security experts on how to protect yourself:
Simply do not answer calls or respond to texts from numbers you don’t recognize. If it’s a legitimate call/text, they’ll leave a message and you can call right back. Even if the area code indicates the number is local, don’t answer.
Likewise, don’t respond to emails from people you don’t recognize. That’s the easiest way for the spammer to verify your email so they can share it with their buddies and hit you with more junk mail. Just delete the message.
Only report as spam if you recognize the sender. For example, if I suddenly get an email from ABC manufacturing and I am sure I didn’t sign up to get their emails, I would report it as spam. I would know they grabbed my email from a membership list somewhere.
Don’t have your actual email show on your website. Instead of Pamela@YourComputerLady.com put “Email Pamela” and make the words a link to the email address. The link opens an email on the visitor’s computer so they can easily email you. But it’s harder for a spammer to grab the link. They’re too lazy to make the extra step.
Verify everything. If you get what looks like a request for information or a bill from a government office or retailer, call that agency or company to verify that it’s real. Scammers try to hit your hot buttons to suck you in. Offers to pay off your student loans or telling you there’s an issue with your online shopping order.
Pay attention even to emails from people you know. I recently received an email from a client. But the subject line was odd and the attachment was a file type she typically wouldn’t send me. Sure enough, when I texted to confirm it was legit, she told me her email had been hacked.
I absolutely, with no reservation, promise you Dell, Microsoft, Apple – hardware and software retailers of that level – will never call you to tell you there is a problem with their computer or with their software. Hang up!
Never click a link in a text from a number you don’t know.
Don’t even respond if you get a robocall that tells you to press a certain key on your phone to stop getting calls. Getting you to click on something is one of the quickest ways for scammers to get your personal information or at least verify that what they have is correct.
You can quickly forward spam text messages to 7726 to report them.
Put your landlines and cell phones on the FTC’s Do Not Call list to avoid telemarketers. Or better yet, do not answer calls from numbers you don’t recognize.
Want more info? Here are some guides on avoiding spam calls and texts and emails.
Source Data: Robokiller. Chart: Baidi Wang/Axios.
Business Software Applications That Transform Modern Companies
“Companies cannot rely only on manual processes to stay competitive in today’s digital world. Business software applications have become essential tools that help organizations work faster, smarter, and more efficiently. From managing customers to analyzing data, these applications are transforming modern companies’ operations.
The right software can be the difference between struggling and succeeding for startups and large enterprises.”
Productivity
I’ve been using ToDoIst for 5+ years now to manage the many tasks I have for clients and big projects. They recently emailed a tool to help you decide which productivity method is the right one for you to use. It has to be something that you really will use over a long period of time.
I use a mix of electronic and printed. I put the tasks in ToDoIst so they don’t get lost then print them each day so I can get that endorphin rush when I check off a task. I print a list before a client meeting to be sure I talk about all the projects we’re working on.
Request for Reviews
Testimonials have always been an important part of marketing. Today, in our digital world, online reviews are critical. Many prospects check for reviews on Google or Facebook before they even visit a company’s website.Best Option
Ask your clients for reviews right after you finish a project. They are happy and the work is fresh on their minds. Give them the links they need to get to the site or sites you want to build up. Follow up once or twice. People are busy and they may get distracted on the way to
doing the review.
doing the review.
Continuing Efforts
- Put a request for reviews and the appropriate links in your
email signature. - Add a reviews block to your email template so that each email asks for reviews. Use logos and link directly to the sites.
- Add a section on your Home Page with logos and links to review sites. When clients visit your site they get a reminder request.