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Batteries are powering a significant shift in how we go about our daily lives, ranging from the devices we carry to electric vehicles and energy storage systems. Batteries play a critical role across key sectors from data center infrastructure, military, and microgrid applications to consumer electronics and more. But as demand surges, so does end-of-life material that needs to be managed. Beyond serving as compact energy sources, batteries also represent a domestic source of essential critical minerals. To fully realize their value, it is crucial to close the loop at end-of-life by recovering these minerals and strengthening the supply needed to support a rapidly expanding battery market. To responsibly manage battery materials at end-of-life, extended producer responsibility (EPR) for batteries becomes essential. BATTERY RECYCLING INDUSTRY: GROWTH TRAJECTORY In the U.S., battery EPR laws are being enacted at the state level, leaving battery producers, automotive original equipment manufacturers, and energy storage operators to navigate complex regulations, which vary by state. In states that have passed laws and those with active legislation, jobs will be created to manage these requirements, and we will see an increase in economic activity through the creation of closed-loop supply chains. The battery recycling industry will continue to grow, and battery EPR regulation will only fuel that growth through the creation of a more responsible system to ensure batteries are recycled. When systems are in place that require companies to recover batteries at end-of-life, we will significantly improve our ability to reclaim valuable materials. This applies to all battery chemistries, whether lithium-based or alkaline batteries containing zinc and manganese—yes, alkaline batteries can be recycled, and the recovered minerals from those alkaline batteries can be reused as micronutrients in fertilizers. The groundwork has already been laid, and when you look at battery recycling as a whole, the value of recovering these materials is substantial. That value extends beyond financial benefits to include reduced geopolitical risk, improved logistics and supply chain resilience. THE NATIONAL CHALLENGE The country must address what happens to a battery when it’s no longer usable. Ultimately, through EPR legislation, we can make it a priority to recover critical minerals and increase the nation’s ability to produce battery-grade materials. In 2024 alone, the U.S. imported more than one billion batteries. These batteries are made of valuable materials such as lithium, nickel, cobalt, and manganese. EPR laws are designed to track a battery’s life cycle and, if done right, can help us take advantage of these materials once they are in the U.S. by recycling and reusing the minerals domestically to produce new batteries. STATE LEADERSHIP Battery recycling benefits everyone. Recyclers, producers, legislators, consumers, and the nation must work together to strengthen domestic supply chains, enhance national security, and keep batteries and the critical minerals they contain within U.S. borders. When states introduce EPR bills, they will vary based on battery format or size, but several core principles should remain consistent: Collection: In addition to standard collection sites, expanding to independent collection points increases accessibility. Recycling opportunities must be available to everyone, not limited to a specific group or location. Avoid forfeiture requirements: The battery industry functions as a unified ecosystem, and the goal is to build a closed-loop supply chain. Restricting who can recycle and process the batteries after they are collected jeopardizes existing business models and risks harming the broader industry. Transparency: Full visibility across the entire process from initial recycling through to metal recovery—is essential. Without transparency, innovation within the industry will stagnate. EDUCATION & ACCESS To better implement battery EPR laws, we must enhance consumer education on battery recycling. Many people do not understand how to handle and dispose of used batteries properly. For example, a recent study focused on lithium batteries found that nearly 40% of people do not know they can be recycled, and more than 60% do not know where or how to recycle them. Lithium batteries are far too prevalent in our daily lives for consumers not to have resources and access to responsible recycling. FINAL THOUGHTS I am hopeful that as battery recycling becomes more mainstream and visible to consumers, a larger collection network with increased access will be available, and end-of-life batteries can be properly recycled and processed to recover the critical minerals effectively. And not only is battery EPR a foundation for this and a stronger, more sustainable supply chain, it supports national security and ensures that we in the U.S. increase our global competitiveness through innovation and the domestic sourcing of critical minerals. David Klanecky is the CEO and President of Cirba Solutions. View the full article

President says military budget should rise to $1.5tnView the full article

Gen Z is aging into the life moments that define entire industries. As this generation moves through milestones like marriage, homeownership, and family planning, they’re quickly becoming a core target market not just for weddings, but for a wide range of service-based businesses. What matters for these small businesses is how Gen Z’s arrival, set against today’s economic backdrop, is reshaping expectations for how they serve their customers. While about one in three couples on The Knot in the U.S. are Gen Z, the majority are still a few years away from the peak marrying age of 33. We do know, however, that they are interested in doing so, with 69% of unmarried adults ages 18–34 saying they want to get married—a nearly 10% increase since 2017. As this new generation prepares to celebrate one of life’s most meaningful moments, there will be a major shift in how small businesses are expected to deliver. We are seeing that Gen Z consumers expect more personalization, deeper authenticity, and faster digital-first communication, often alongside less flexibility in spending. Gen Z might be working with smaller budgets, but it’s not because they lack the desire to invest in their weddings. Rather, it is most often attributed to their current earnings potential. Due to their age, they have not had time to acquire the same amount of funds as millennials. Many Gen Z couples are being intentional about where they spend, investing in the parts of their day that matter most to them and finding creative ways to simplify or scale back elsewhere. For wedding professionals, this shift is already changing the reality of their work. Vendors are serving clients who want thoughtful, high-touch experiences, quick responses, personalization, and visuals that feel Pinterest-worthy, even as overall budgets are more constrained. That often means finding new ways to package services, streamline processes, or rethink how value shows up for each couple. For businesses looking to serve this shifting clientele, intentional adaptation is key. Small businesses should make these four moves now to navigate this market shift. 1. Embrace AI to help with productivity, core processes, and content AI and automation tools are table stakes for productivity and core processes, helping streamline communication, scheduling, content, and lead management. In fact, 77% of customers say they expect to interact with a business immediately when they reach out. For Gen Z customers especially, responsiveness is part of the experience, and falling behind on response time can mean losing business before a conversation even begins. Businesses that use AI thoughtfully to handle administrative work free themselves up to focus on what drives loyalty: creativity, care, and human connection. AI-assisted replies can help you respond quickly with personalized recommendations to start the conversation and save time. 2. Keep pace with trends and provide personalization When it comes to weddings, couples want celebrations that feel of-the-moment, yet deeply personal. For wedding vendors, this means being aware of the trends that are impacting planning decisions and simultaneously translating them in a way that feels truly unique and personal to the couple. No matter what your industry is, it’s important to maintain a balance between being trend-forward and creating personalized experiences. 3. Don’t go it alone—lean into community and upskilling Change can feel isolating for small business owners, especially when customer expectations are shifting quickly. The business owners who seem to navigate these moments best are rarely doing it alone. They’re talking to peers, comparing notes, and staying open to learning new tools and approaches. In weddings, we see this play out every day. Vendors share templates, swap tips on using AI to save time, and openly talk through what’s working when it comes to pricing, packages, and client communication. These conversations aren’t just about support, but also perspective. Learning from others who are facing the same challenges makes it easier to adapt with confidence. 4. Make your understanding of Gen Z’s values your competitive advantage Gen Z’s expectations are high, but they’re also thoughtful and values driven. They care about authenticity, transparency, and purpose, and are often willing to spend on things that feel meaningful to them. For small businesses, this means storytelling and customer relationships matter more than ever. Businesses that do this well tend to connect more deeply with younger customers. When customers understand the “why” behind what you do, price becomes part of a larger story, one that’s more closely connected to value. This matters because younger consumers aren’t brand-agnostic; they’re increasingly intentional about where they spend. In recent consumer surveys, Gen Z’ers say they’re willing to shop locally more often, signaling that values and community can meaningfully influence purchasing decisions alongside price and convenience. In other words, when business leaders feel budgets tightening amidst high expectations, leaning into what makes your offering distinct can turn pressure into loyalty. WHY THESE LESSONS EXTEND FAR BEYOND WEDDINGS Whether you run a salon, creative studio, catering company, or consulting practice, you may already be seeing similar patterns. After many years of working with small businesses, one lesson stands firmly in my mind: Adaptability is one of the greatest advantages an entrepreneur can have. The businesses I’ve seen thrive do so because they stay curious, embrace new tools, and meet clients’ evolving needs with empathy and creativity. If you are a small business owner, take this moment as an opportunity to reimagine how you deliver value, connect with clients and your community, and build a business that can grow with the next generation. Gen Z may be shifting expectations, but with the right adjustments, they just may become the next area of growth for your business. Raina Moskowitz is the CEO of The Knot Worldwide. View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Laptop screen extenders help add more display area without costing as much as two separate monitors. They’re also tidier, more integrated, and more portable, making them ideal for remote workers or students who want a mobile workstation with as much visual real estate as possible. The KYY 15.6-inch laptop screen extender, with its triple-screen setup (one on either side of your laptop's display), is a solid choice for anyone looking to give their laptop some extra elbow room—and right now, it’s 35% off, bringing its price down to $227.99 (originally $349.99). KYY 15.6" Laptop Screen Extender $227.99 at Amazon $349.99 Save $122.00 Get Deal Get Deal $227.99 at Amazon $349.99 Save $122.00 This portable monitor is built around a single-cable USB-C-to-USB-C connection for an easy setup. Each screen is 1080p with a matte finish and up to 300 nits of brightness. They rotate up to 360 degrees and have a built-in kickstand for added flexibility. While this screen extender works with macOS, ChromeOS, and Android, drivers need to be downloaded first rather than relying solely on the USB connection. One reviewer noted that the included USB stick wasn’t readable on their MacBook Pro, so downloading drivers is a must to set the monitors up as extensions. Also, installing these permissions might be an issue if you’re using a locked-down work laptop. In general, these displays rely on software instead of a purely plug-and-play video signal. It’s somewhat portable at 7.7 lbs, but it’s not exactly an ultra-light travel monitor for daily commuting. And if you’re used to ultra-crisp visuals, 1080p on the side screens might make text and fine details look less sharp. It’s also worth noting that at a 60Hz refresh rate, this monitor is best for work and everyday use rather than latency-sensitive gaming or anyone looking for a high refresh rate. Ultimately, if you don’t mind installing a driver—or using an adapter if your laptop lacks USB-C—the KYY 15.6" Laptop Screen Extender is worth checking out. Our Best Editor-Vetted Tech Deals Right Now Apple AirPods 4 Active Noise Cancelling Wireless Earbuds — $148.99 (List Price $179.00) Apple Watch Series 11 [GPS 46mm] Smartwatch with Jet Black Aluminum Case with Black Sport Band - M/L. Sleep Score, Fitness Tracker, Health Monitoring, Always-On Display, Water Resistant — $329.00 (List Price $429.00) Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Plus — (List Price $24.99 With Code "FTV4K25") Dell 15 DC15255 (AMD Ryzen 7 7730U, 1TB SSD, 16GB RAM) — $519.99 (List Price $688.99) Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ 64GB Wi-Fi 11" Tablet (Silver) — $159.99 (List Price $219.99) Google Pixel 10 Pro 128GB Unlocked Phone (Obsidian) — $799.00 (List Price $999.00) Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 — $279.99 (List Price $349.99) Deals are selected by our commerce team View the full article

Explore how to use a process map template with examples like detailed maps, value stream maps, and swimlane diagrams. The post Process Map Templates: Examples & How to Use Them appeared first on project-management.com. View the full article

Deal extricates the lender from one of the last businesses related to its ill-fated push into retail bankingView the full article

Loanlogics rolled out the LoanBeam NQM income analyzer in October and has four users for the non-qualified mortgage underwriting technology, including Pennymac. View the full article

Federal and local officials offered conflicting accounts of the incident that left one person dead View the full article

The company was founded in 1986 by current CEO Mat Ishbia's father Jeff and became the No. 1 originator by dollar volume in the third quarter of 2022. View the full article

OpenAI has launched ChatGPT Health, a product that allows users to connect their medical records and wellness apps to the AI chatbot and get personalized health guidance. The feature, unveiled on Wednesday, creates a separate space within ChatGPT for health questions and discussions, where users can collect data from their connected health apps such as fitness apps and store their health files. Users can also connect to their electronic medical records through a partnership with b.well, OpenAI says. ChatGPT, then, does not have a direct integration with the MyChart patient records app from Epic, for example, but lets individual users make requests for their patient record data through integrations built by b.well. In practice, the patient will see a login through their provider’s portal, which often is a MyChart login page to authenticate into their account. In addition, users can connect ChatGPT Health to wellness apps including Apple Health, Peloton, MyFitnessPal, and Function Health. OpenAI say more than 230 million people globally already ask health and wellness questions on ChatGPT each week. The company says it developed ChatGPT Health over two years in collaboration with more than 260 physicians who have practiced in 60 countries, collecting over 600,000 pieces of feedback on model outputs. The new product gets its intelligence from a specialized OpenAI health model. In collaboration with doctors, the company also created an evaluation tool called HealthBench, which it uses to test the health model. OpenAI says health consumers can use ChatGPT Health to prepare for doctor appointments, understand clinical test results, get diet and exercise advice, and evaluate insurance options based on their healthcare patterns. ChatGPT Health is not FDA-approved, so it’s not to be confused with real clinician diagnosis and treatment. Right now, the new feature is available only to a small group of ChatGPT subscribers and free users. OpenAI plans to expand access and make Health available to all users on the web and iOS in the coming weeks. (You can sign up for the waitlist⁠ to request access.) OpenAI’s CEO of Applications Fidji Simo wrote in a blog post that she personally used ChatGPT to flag a potential medication conflict during a hospital stay last year, calling the experience an example of AI’s potential in healthcare. “Because I’ve been dealing with a chronic illness for years, I had already uploaded a lot of my health records into ChatGPT,” Simo writes. “I asked whether I should be taking this antibiotic given my medical history, and ChatGPT flagged that this particular antibiotic could reactivate a very serious infection I’d had a couple of years prior.” In the big picture, ChatGPT Health represents yet another front OpenAI’s growing platform war with legacy tech players such as Apple, Google, and Meta. View the full article

Some people love AI. If you're not one of them (or if you have a favorite AI tool that isn't baked into it), using Windows 11 can feel increasingly hostile. It seems like every part of it now exists to push you into using Copilot—even notepad.exe has a prominent AI button in the user interface at this point. If you'd like your operating system to go back to being an operating system, check out RemoveWindowsAI. This free script changes various registry keys to disable AI features including Copilot, Recall, and the Copilot integrations in applications including Edge, Paint, and Notepad. Using various workarounds , it then configures Windows Update to not install those updates again (the documentation breaks the process down, if you're interested). How to run RemoveWindowsAI on your machineTo get started you need to open Microsoft PowerShell on your computer. Make sure you're using Windows PowerShell 5.1, and not the updated PowerShell 7 (this only really applies if you've intentionally installed PowerShell 7, so don't worry about this step if you didn't actively do that). To start the script you will need to copy a command from the Github page for RemoveWindowsAI and paste it into your PowerShell window (I'm not including the command directly here in case it changes in the future). Once you do, the user interface will show up, allowing you to choose which AI features you want to disable. Make your choices and watch the changes take place in the PowerShell window. Credit: Justin Pot I tried this out, removing everything. I then opened Notepad—no Copilot icon in sight. The Copilot application was also gone, along with all reference to AI in the Settings application. It would be nice if Microsoft offered a way to do this without resorting to this sort of unofficial workaround, but that isn't the world we live in. View the full article

Walker & Dunlop Affordable Bridge Capital will originate flexible, short-term first-mortgage bridge loans for properties designated for government programs. View the full article

Customer surveys are crucial tools for comprehending your audience’s needs and preferences. They help gather valuable insights that can drive improvements in products and services. By utilizing a variety of question types, you can capture different facets of customer experience. For instance, multiple-choice questions can reveal product usage, whereas Likert scale questions measure satisfaction levels. Exploring these effective examples can improve your survey’s impact and effectiveness, leading to better customer relationships. What strategies will you implement next? Key Takeaways Use a multiple-choice question like: “Which of our products do you use most frequently?” for clear product engagement insights. Implement a Likert scale question: “Rate your satisfaction with our service from 1 to 5,” to quantify customer satisfaction levels. Include an open-ended question such as: “What improvements would you suggest for our product?” to gather qualitative feedback. Ask a yes/no question: “Was our customer support response timely?” to assess service effectiveness directly. Utilize a ranking question: “Prioritize these attributes: price, quality, and service,” to understand customer value perceptions. What Is a Customer Satisfaction Survey? When you want to understand how well your customers feel about your products or services, a customer satisfaction survey serves as an essential tool. This survey is designed to gather feedback on customer experiences with your company’s offerings. By using a customer survey questionnaire, you can measure satisfaction levels, identify areas needing improvement, and improve the overall user experience. Common metrics in these surveys include Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT), Net Promoter Score (NPS), and Customer Effort Score (CES). Effective surveys typically combine quantitative rating questions and qualitative open-ended questions, which provide deeper insights into customer preferences and opinions. Nevertheless, be cautious of bad surveys that may lead to misleading data. Regularly conducting customer satisfaction surveys allows you to track changes in customer sentiment over time and adjust your strategies accordingly, ensuring you remain aligned with your audience’s needs and expectations. Key Components of Effective Customer Survey Questionnaires To create an effective customer survey questionnaire, you need to begin with a clear objective that guides the formulation of your questions. This guarantees that all inquiries align with your desired insights. Avoid real examples of bad surveys by keeping your questions straightforward and concise, steering clear of jargon. Mixing question types, like multiple-choice and Likert scales, helps capture varied data, improving customer experience insights. Incorporate neutral language to minimize bias, as leading questions can skew results. Timing is equally critical; distribute surveys at key customer experience touchpoints to boost response rates. Here’s a simple table to illustrate types of questions: Question Type Purpose Multiple-Choice Quick, quantifiable responses Likert Scale Measure attitudes or feelings Open-Ended Gather detailed, qualitative feedback Finally, consider asking, “How likely are you to recommend us?” to gauge customer loyalty effectively. Examples of Customer Survey Questions Effective customer survey questionnaires rely on well-constructed questions that yield valuable insights about customer experiences. Including a variety of question types can improve your survey’s effectiveness. Here are some examples to evaluate: Multiple-choice questions: “What features do you use on a weekly basis?” This allows respondents to select options relevant to their experiences. Likert scale questions: “How satisfied are you with our product on a scale of 1 to 5?” This helps assess customer sentiment by measuring agreement levels. Open-ended questions: “What improvements would you suggest for our service?” This encourages detailed feedback, providing qualitative insights into customer preferences. You can additionally use Yes/No questions for quick assessments, like “Did our customer service meet your expectations?” or ranking questions to prioritize preferences, such as “Rank the following service attributes in order of importance: responsiveness, clarity, and effectiveness.” Best Practices for Designing Customer Surveys Designing customer surveys effectively involves several best practices that can greatly improve the quality of feedback you receive. First, clearly define your survey’s objective to guarantee all questions align with your goal. This boosts the relevance of the collected data. Use simple and direct language to prevent confusion, which leads to higher completion rates and more accurate responses. Incorporating a variety of question formats, such as Likert scales and open-ended questions, captures both quantitative and qualitative insights. Here’s a quick reference table summarizing these best practices: Best Practice Description Benefit Define Survey Objective Align questions with your goal Relevant data Use Simple Language Prevent confusion with clear wording Higher completion rates Variety of Question Formats Include scales and open-ended questions thorough insights Avoid Leading Questions Keep questions neutral to encourage honesty Objective feedback Test and Refine Questions Regularly evaluate for clarity and effectiveness Actionable insights Analyzing and Utilizing Customer Survey Data While collecting customer survey data is crucial, the real value lies in how you analyze and utilize that information. By systematically categorizing responses, you can identify trends and patterns that inform strategic business decisions. Here are key ways to make the most of your survey data: Use real-time dashboards and analytics software to visualize results and track changes over time. Segment responses by demographics or user behavior to tailor strategies and offerings to specific customer needs. Implement follow-up surveys and open-ended questions for qualitative insights that deepen your comprehension of customer sentiment. Regularly reviewing and acting on survey feedback not just encourages a culture of continuous improvement but additionally shows customers that their opinions matter. This approach can lead to increased loyalty, as customers feel valued when they see their feedback translated into action. By leveraging these methods, you can improve customer satisfaction and drive your business forward. Frequently Asked Questions What Are Good Survey Questions for Customers? Good survey questions for customers should focus on clarity and simplicity, guaranteeing you avoid confusion. Use a mix of question types, such as multiple-choice and open-ended questions, to gather thorough feedback. Keep your wording neutral to prevent bias and make certain the questions align with your objectives. Furthermore, stick to relevant topics, avoiding unnecessary questions to maintain engagement. This approach will help you collect actionable insights that can improve customer experience. What Are 5 Good Survey Questions? To gather useful insights, consider these five survey questions: 1) How satisfied are you with our service? 2) What specific features do you value most? 3) How likely are you to recommend us to a friend? 4) What improvements would you suggest? 5) How well did our product meet your expectations? These questions encourage clear responses, allowing you to analyze customer feedback effectively and identify areas for improvement in your offerings. What Are the 3 C’s of Customer Satisfaction? The 3 C’s of customer satisfaction are clarity, consistency, and communication. Clarity means you provide straightforward information about your products or services, ensuring customers know what to expect. Consistency involves delivering the same quality of service across all interactions, so customers have a reliable experience. Communication focuses on maintaining regular contact with customers, addressing their needs swiftly, which helps build trust and nurtures long-term relationships, ultimately enhancing overall customer satisfaction. What Is a 1 to 10 Survey Question Example? A 1 to 10 survey question example could be, “On a scale of 1 to 10, how likely are you to recommend our product to a friend?” This question helps you gauge customer loyalty and satisfaction. By selecting a number, respondents express their feelings clearly. Using this scale allows you to collect nuanced data, identify trends over time, and make informed decisions to improve products or services based on customer feedback. Conclusion In summary, effective customer survey questionnaires are essential for gathering actionable insights. By incorporating a mix of question types—such as multiple-choice, Likert scale, open-ended, yes/no, and ranking questions—you can gain an extensive grasp of customer satisfaction and preferences. Implementing best practices in survey design guarantees clarity and relevance, whereas proper analysis of the collected data allows for informed decision-making. In the end, leveraging this information can improve your products and services, leading to enhanced customer experiences. Image via Google Gemini This article, "5 Effective Examples of Customer Survey Questionnaires" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Customer surveys are crucial tools for comprehending your audience’s needs and preferences. They help gather valuable insights that can drive improvements in products and services. By utilizing a variety of question types, you can capture different facets of customer experience. For instance, multiple-choice questions can reveal product usage, whereas Likert scale questions measure satisfaction levels. Exploring these effective examples can improve your survey’s impact and effectiveness, leading to better customer relationships. What strategies will you implement next? Key Takeaways Use a multiple-choice question like: “Which of our products do you use most frequently?” for clear product engagement insights. Implement a Likert scale question: “Rate your satisfaction with our service from 1 to 5,” to quantify customer satisfaction levels. Include an open-ended question such as: “What improvements would you suggest for our product?” to gather qualitative feedback. Ask a yes/no question: “Was our customer support response timely?” to assess service effectiveness directly. Utilize a ranking question: “Prioritize these attributes: price, quality, and service,” to understand customer value perceptions. What Is a Customer Satisfaction Survey? When you want to understand how well your customers feel about your products or services, a customer satisfaction survey serves as an essential tool. This survey is designed to gather feedback on customer experiences with your company’s offerings. By using a customer survey questionnaire, you can measure satisfaction levels, identify areas needing improvement, and improve the overall user experience. Common metrics in these surveys include Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT), Net Promoter Score (NPS), and Customer Effort Score (CES). Effective surveys typically combine quantitative rating questions and qualitative open-ended questions, which provide deeper insights into customer preferences and opinions. Nevertheless, be cautious of bad surveys that may lead to misleading data. Regularly conducting customer satisfaction surveys allows you to track changes in customer sentiment over time and adjust your strategies accordingly, ensuring you remain aligned with your audience’s needs and expectations. Key Components of Effective Customer Survey Questionnaires To create an effective customer survey questionnaire, you need to begin with a clear objective that guides the formulation of your questions. This guarantees that all inquiries align with your desired insights. Avoid real examples of bad surveys by keeping your questions straightforward and concise, steering clear of jargon. Mixing question types, like multiple-choice and Likert scales, helps capture varied data, improving customer experience insights. Incorporate neutral language to minimize bias, as leading questions can skew results. Timing is equally critical; distribute surveys at key customer experience touchpoints to boost response rates. Here’s a simple table to illustrate types of questions: Question Type Purpose Multiple-Choice Quick, quantifiable responses Likert Scale Measure attitudes or feelings Open-Ended Gather detailed, qualitative feedback Finally, consider asking, “How likely are you to recommend us?” to gauge customer loyalty effectively. Examples of Customer Survey Questions Effective customer survey questionnaires rely on well-constructed questions that yield valuable insights about customer experiences. Including a variety of question types can improve your survey’s effectiveness. Here are some examples to evaluate: Multiple-choice questions: “What features do you use on a weekly basis?” This allows respondents to select options relevant to their experiences. Likert scale questions: “How satisfied are you with our product on a scale of 1 to 5?” This helps assess customer sentiment by measuring agreement levels. Open-ended questions: “What improvements would you suggest for our service?” This encourages detailed feedback, providing qualitative insights into customer preferences. You can additionally use Yes/No questions for quick assessments, like “Did our customer service meet your expectations?” or ranking questions to prioritize preferences, such as “Rank the following service attributes in order of importance: responsiveness, clarity, and effectiveness.” Best Practices for Designing Customer Surveys Designing customer surveys effectively involves several best practices that can greatly improve the quality of feedback you receive. First, clearly define your survey’s objective to guarantee all questions align with your goal. This boosts the relevance of the collected data. Use simple and direct language to prevent confusion, which leads to higher completion rates and more accurate responses. Incorporating a variety of question formats, such as Likert scales and open-ended questions, captures both quantitative and qualitative insights. Here’s a quick reference table summarizing these best practices: Best Practice Description Benefit Define Survey Objective Align questions with your goal Relevant data Use Simple Language Prevent confusion with clear wording Higher completion rates Variety of Question Formats Include scales and open-ended questions thorough insights Avoid Leading Questions Keep questions neutral to encourage honesty Objective feedback Test and Refine Questions Regularly evaluate for clarity and effectiveness Actionable insights Analyzing and Utilizing Customer Survey Data While collecting customer survey data is crucial, the real value lies in how you analyze and utilize that information. By systematically categorizing responses, you can identify trends and patterns that inform strategic business decisions. Here are key ways to make the most of your survey data: Use real-time dashboards and analytics software to visualize results and track changes over time. Segment responses by demographics or user behavior to tailor strategies and offerings to specific customer needs. Implement follow-up surveys and open-ended questions for qualitative insights that deepen your comprehension of customer sentiment. Regularly reviewing and acting on survey feedback not just encourages a culture of continuous improvement but additionally shows customers that their opinions matter. This approach can lead to increased loyalty, as customers feel valued when they see their feedback translated into action. By leveraging these methods, you can improve customer satisfaction and drive your business forward. Frequently Asked Questions What Are Good Survey Questions for Customers? Good survey questions for customers should focus on clarity and simplicity, guaranteeing you avoid confusion. Use a mix of question types, such as multiple-choice and open-ended questions, to gather thorough feedback. Keep your wording neutral to prevent bias and make certain the questions align with your objectives. Furthermore, stick to relevant topics, avoiding unnecessary questions to maintain engagement. This approach will help you collect actionable insights that can improve customer experience. What Are 5 Good Survey Questions? To gather useful insights, consider these five survey questions: 1) How satisfied are you with our service? 2) What specific features do you value most? 3) How likely are you to recommend us to a friend? 4) What improvements would you suggest? 5) How well did our product meet your expectations? These questions encourage clear responses, allowing you to analyze customer feedback effectively and identify areas for improvement in your offerings. What Are the 3 C’s of Customer Satisfaction? The 3 C’s of customer satisfaction are clarity, consistency, and communication. Clarity means you provide straightforward information about your products or services, ensuring customers know what to expect. Consistency involves delivering the same quality of service across all interactions, so customers have a reliable experience. Communication focuses on maintaining regular contact with customers, addressing their needs swiftly, which helps build trust and nurtures long-term relationships, ultimately enhancing overall customer satisfaction. What Is a 1 to 10 Survey Question Example? A 1 to 10 survey question example could be, “On a scale of 1 to 10, how likely are you to recommend our product to a friend?” This question helps you gauge customer loyalty and satisfaction. By selecting a number, respondents express their feelings clearly. Using this scale allows you to collect nuanced data, identify trends over time, and make informed decisions to improve products or services based on customer feedback. Conclusion In summary, effective customer survey questionnaires are essential for gathering actionable insights. By incorporating a mix of question types—such as multiple-choice, Likert scale, open-ended, yes/no, and ranking questions—you can gain an extensive grasp of customer satisfaction and preferences. Implementing best practices in survey design guarantees clarity and relevance, whereas proper analysis of the collected data allows for informed decision-making. In the end, leveraging this information can improve your products and services, leading to enhanced customer experiences. Image via Google Gemini This article, "5 Effective Examples of Customer Survey Questionnaires" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

The Department of Housing and Urban Development is selling more due-and-payable HECMs on homes that are occupied while reviewing the loan program. View the full article

Many freelancers believe inflation is just a distant line in government reports, something that barely dents their day-to-day hustle. If you find yourself thinking, “It’s just a few extra dollars at the store,” you are not alone. Yet behind those small changes is a slow but steady force that can quietly chip away at your financial security, often without immediate warning signs. Here’s a fact that may surprise you. Data from the 2025 Freelancer Rates Report shows that while rates have gone up slightly on average, many freelancers adjust their pricing less than once per year, often falling behind the real cost of living. If you skipped a rate adjustment, you are already making less than you did just a year ago, even if your workload hasn’t changed. But how exactly does this subtle erosion happen, and what can you realistically do to stop it before it harms your business? Why Inflation Matters for FreelancersInflation is the general increase in the prices of goods and services over time, but the real cost for freelancers is often misunderstood. Freelancers lack a boss to grant a cost-of-living raise, so when there’s inflation it affects them more, especially when they don't charge more for their services. Without insurance from union contracts or payroll formulas, every missed rate check eats away at financial health, often quietly and without immediate warning.​ It’s not just the price of eggs. Think rising software fees, equipment costs, utilities, professional memberships, almost everything takes a small jump year over year. A licensing renewal that was $100 is suddenly $110. Add that up across your entire business and household, and you could face hundreds in annual extra outlays, without even factoring in groceries or medical spend.​ The Hidden Erosion of Stagnant RatesIf your client rates or project fees haven’t shifted upward in a year or more, inflation is winning. Here’s the math: if you charged $3,000 a month from freelancing in 2023 and have the same figure today, you’re actually losing cash. That’s because $3,000 now likely covers only $2,880 worth of 2023 expenses if inflation ran at 4% this year. This subtle erosion, often “just” $50–100 a month, sneaks up and can eventually dent emergency savings, retirement funds, and day-to-day living. Many freelancers hold off on raising rates, worried about losing clients or sounding “pushy.” Yet the longer you wait, the harder it can be to catch up. Delayed increases often mean bigger, more abrupt jumps that clients notice, and sometimes resist. Meanwhile, you’re absorbing months or years of undervalued work, and that gap rarely closes all at once. What Freelancers Can Do About Inflation—Step by StepReview and Update Your Rates Annually Put a yearly date on your calendar, even if it’s just a 3% bump, regular reviews ensure you keep pace with rising costs. Benchmark rates in your specialty, but don’t ignore local inflation data, which is usually published monthly by central banks or government bureaus.Add a Small Buffer to All Quotes Instead of pegging your fee to last year’s costs, anticipate this year’s price jumps. Add 5–10% to quotes and project estimates to build in protection against unexpected expense hikes. This “inflation buffer” helps you absorb software fee jumps, energy prices, or insurance premium spikes without last-minute renegotiations.Explain Rate Changes in Plain Language When you need to raise your rates, don’t hide the reason. Tell clients directly: costs have changed, and you’re adjusting to continue delivering great work. Framing it around the actual value you deliver (fast turnarounds, reliable expertise, consistent results) helps make the change concrete and justified.Track Every Business Expense Monthly Set a recurring reminder to review your full business budget, subscriptions, travel, marketing, even co-working spaces. Spotting small rises early can help you negotiate, switch vendors, or pass along increases before small changes become budget busters. Favor annual or multi-year payment plans when possible to lock in lower rates.Invest Your Excess Earnings When inflation is high, cash loses value sitting idle. After covering living costs and building an emergency fund, consider putting extra funds in high-yield savings, short-term bonds, or other investment vehicles that at least match or beat inflation. Every percentage point counts for protecting your wealth.Diversify Your Clients and Services Widen your portfolio across sectors, geographies, and types of work. Different industries experience inflationary pressure at varying rates. If one segment slows, others may hold steady, or even increase. New clients are often the most open to new, inflation-adjusted rates.Use Tools and Calculators to Stay Informed Freelancer finance apps, budgeting tools, and inflation calculators are available for free or low cost. Tools like YNAB (You Need A Budget), Mint, or even spreadsheet templates make it easy to audit your progress and ensure your rates are keeping up with your spending profile.Build Automatic Increases into Client Contracts Whenever possible, write in annual percentage rate increases for ongoing or retainer work. This makes conversations easier and ensures clients expect, and plan for, routine adjustments.The Takeaway: You Are Your Own CFOInflation isn’t going away, and for freelancers, pretending it’s “not that bad” comes at real cost. But the fix doesn’t require genius. It’s built on simple routines: review, adjust, explain, and audit. Start now and you’ll regain control before invisible losses turn into a wealth gap you can’t outrun. Ready to take one concrete action this week? Add a rate review date to your calendar right now, and protect your future income, one micro-step at a time. View the full article

Many freelancers believe inflation is just a distant line in government reports, something that barely dents their day-to-day hustle. If you find yourself thinking, “It’s just a few extra dollars at the store,” you are not alone. Yet behind those small changes is a slow but steady force that can quietly chip away at your financial security, often without immediate warning signs. Here’s a fact that may surprise you. Data from the 2025 Freelancer Rates Report shows that while rates have gone up slightly on average, many freelancers adjust their pricing less than once per year, often falling behind the real cost of living. If you skipped a rate adjustment, you are already making less than you did just a year ago, even if your workload hasn’t changed. But how exactly does this subtle erosion happen, and what can you realistically do to stop it before it harms your business? Why Inflation Matters for FreelancersInflation is the general increase in the prices of goods and services over time, but the real cost for freelancers is often misunderstood. Freelancers lack a boss to grant a cost-of-living raise, so when there’s inflation it affects them more, especially when they don't charge more for their services. Without insurance from union contracts or payroll formulas, every missed rate check eats away at financial health, often quietly and without immediate warning.​ It’s not just the price of eggs. Think rising software fees, equipment costs, utilities, professional memberships, almost everything takes a small jump year over year. A licensing renewal that was $100 is suddenly $110. Add that up across your entire business and household, and you could face hundreds in annual extra outlays, without even factoring in groceries or medical spend.​ The Hidden Erosion of Stagnant RatesIf your client rates or project fees haven’t shifted upward in a year or more, inflation is winning. Here’s the math: if you charged $3,000 a month from freelancing in 2023 and have the same figure today, you’re actually losing cash. That’s because $3,000 now likely covers only $2,880 worth of 2023 expenses if inflation ran at 4% this year. This subtle erosion, often “just” $50–100 a month, sneaks up and can eventually dent emergency savings, retirement funds, and day-to-day living. Many freelancers hold off on raising rates, worried about losing clients or sounding “pushy.” Yet the longer you wait, the harder it can be to catch up. Delayed increases often mean bigger, more abrupt jumps that clients notice, and sometimes resist. Meanwhile, you’re absorbing months or years of undervalued work, and that gap rarely closes all at once. What Freelancers Can Do About Inflation—Step by StepReview and Update Your Rates Annually Put a yearly date on your calendar, even if it’s just a 3% bump, regular reviews ensure you keep pace with rising costs. Benchmark rates in your specialty, but don’t ignore local inflation data, which is usually published monthly by central banks or government bureaus.Add a Small Buffer to All Quotes Instead of pegging your fee to last year’s costs, anticipate this year’s price jumps. Add 5–10% to quotes and project estimates to build in protection against unexpected expense hikes. This “inflation buffer” helps you absorb software fee jumps, energy prices, or insurance premium spikes without last-minute renegotiations.Explain Rate Changes in Plain Language When you need to raise your rates, don’t hide the reason. Tell clients directly: costs have changed, and you’re adjusting to continue delivering great work. Framing it around the actual value you deliver (fast turnarounds, reliable expertise, consistent results) helps make the change concrete and justified.Track Every Business Expense Monthly Set a recurring reminder to review your full business budget, subscriptions, travel, marketing, even co-working spaces. Spotting small rises early can help you negotiate, switch vendors, or pass along increases before small changes become budget busters. Favor annual or multi-year payment plans when possible to lock in lower rates.Invest Your Excess Earnings When inflation is high, cash loses value sitting idle. After covering living costs and building an emergency fund, consider putting extra funds in high-yield savings, short-term bonds, or other investment vehicles that at least match or beat inflation. Every percentage point counts for protecting your wealth.Diversify Your Clients and Services Widen your portfolio across sectors, geographies, and types of work. Different industries experience inflationary pressure at varying rates. If one segment slows, others may hold steady, or even increase. New clients are often the most open to new, inflation-adjusted rates.Use Tools and Calculators to Stay Informed Freelancer finance apps, budgeting tools, and inflation calculators are available for free or low cost. Tools like YNAB (You Need A Budget), Mint, or even spreadsheet templates make it easy to audit your progress and ensure your rates are keeping up with your spending profile.Build Automatic Increases into Client Contracts Whenever possible, write in annual percentage rate increases for ongoing or retainer work. This makes conversations easier and ensures clients expect, and plan for, routine adjustments.The Takeaway: You Are Your Own CFOInflation isn’t going away, and for freelancers, pretending it’s “not that bad” comes at real cost. But the fix doesn’t require genius. It’s built on simple routines: review, adjust, explain, and audit. Start now and you’ll regain control before invisible losses turn into a wealth gap you can’t outrun. Ready to take one concrete action this week? Add a rate review date to your calendar right now, and protect your future income, one micro-step at a time. View the full article

If Nike hired Michael Jordan to work at headquarters, would you expect the marketing team to start sinking three-pointers? Of course not. He’s extraordinary, but skill doesn’t spread by proximity. Here’s a better question: What do Nike employees need to know about basketball? The rules. Game duration. Equipment specs. Enough to design better shoes, write sharper campaigns, and forecast demand accurately. They don’t need to play in the NBA. And Nike doesn’t need to hire NBA players to improve its business. The same is true for AI. Most companies don’t need extreme AI talent to unlock real efficiency gains. They need people across the organization to understand how AI applies to their work. Until leaders get specific about which AI skills matter, where they live, and how they show up in day-to-day work, no amount of hiring AI experts will make an organization truly AI-enabled. THREE TYPES OF AI SKILLS “AI skills” aren’t a single capability. In practice, it’s three categories, each with its own learning curves, and business outcomes. 1. AI literacy: Everyone’s baseline 2. AI integration: Technical professionals’ everyday craft 3. AI creation: Specialists’ deep work 1. AI literacy is everyone’s job I like to think of this as teaching the entire company how to drive with GPS. Not everyone needs to build the map. But everyone should know when the directions are reliable, when the route is risky, and when the system is confidently wrong. First is AI literacy. Employees need to understand what AI can do, what it can’t, and what it will do when it doesn’t know the answer. Literacy prevents common failures: over-trusting outputs, under-using tools, and feeding poor context. Second is AI tool fluency, which is role-specific. A marketer generating content, a recruiter screening candidates, and a support lead drafting responses all need different AI tools. One reason I like IKEA’s approach is that they’re treating AI literacy as every employee’s responsibility, and the company’s responsibility to enable it. They equipped thousands of coworkers with Microsoft’s generative AI tools and gave them time to learn. What did this look like in practice? Designers generate product visualizations, store managers create training presentations, and supply chain analysts draft forecasting reports. Everyone, not just one department. 2. AI integration is a core skill for technical teams If AI literacy is “drive with GPS,” AI integration is “install the GPS into the car.” This is where engineering teams earn their keep. Integration skills include prompt design, system evaluation, and knowing when AI belongs in the flow. Here is what this looks like when done as a system. Salesforce created an internal demo series called Thoughtluck Thursdays, where engineers show short, practical demos of how they integrated AI into their processes and then share patterns other teams can reuse. Salesforce’s approach works because it creates repeatable templates and guardrails other engineers can ship. 3. AI creation is a specialty, not a company-wide requirement AI creation is the ability to develop, train, and refine models. It requires deep expertise in data collection and preparation, model training, evaluation, and specialized techniques. It is also the smallest cohort of most organizations. If you are not building models as a core part of your product strategy, you do not need a large AI creation team. You need a small number of specialists, and the rest of the organization needs to become competent in usage and integration. EXTERNAL HIRING HAS ITS PLACE Let me be clear: External hiring isn’t wrong. It’s necessary when you need skills you genuinely don’t have, especially in AI creation. But hiring people with “AI skills” on their résumés cannot be your primary path to AI literacy and integration. First, there is no established market for AI skills. The capabilities are too new, the demand is everywhere, and the talent pool is impossibly thin. Every company is chasing the same small group of people, and most of those people are already employed or starting their own companies. Second, it is harder to teach someone the ins and outs of your business than to teach them how to incorporate AI into their daily work. The biggest returns come from reskilling the people who already understand your business, your culture, and your systems. This is where hiring and training stop being separate motions and start becoming one system. HR OWNS THIS Don’t get me wrong, IT teams are essential. They evaluate vendors, manage security, and integrate systems. But selecting the right tools doesn’t determine whether AI changes how work gets done by the people doing the work. Building the right skills does. That’s why HR needs a seat at the table from day one to ask the right questions: Who gets trained first? How will we train them? Which roles evolve? How will performance be measured? Are there larger talent mobility needs? Here’s where to start: 1. Pick one team. Choose a group that’s already eager to experiment, has clearly defined processes already, and can measure impact. 2. Give them three months and a small budget. Let them explore AI tools relevant to their work. Provide training. Remove barriers. Measure what breaks and what works. 3. Share the results company-wide. The wins, the failures, the unexpected friction points. Make it real and specific. That’s your AI strategy. Not a nine-figure hire or a top-down mandate or a hope that capability spreads. Build the skills where work happens, scale what works, and repeat. Tigran Sloyan is the CEO and cofounder of CodeSignal. View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Nothing, an upstart tech brand from the U.K. that makes products like phones, smartwatches, and headphones, has quickly become one of my favorites lately. Its products offer unique features and designs, and the prices are competitive. Right now, Nothing's latest budget over-ear headphones, which were released in October, the CMF Headphone Pros, are just $79 (originally $99), the product's lowest price ever, according to price-tracking tools. This is a great option for anyone looking to get budget over-the-ear headphones that punch above their weight. CMF Pro ANC Wireless Headphones (Dark Grey) Bluetooth 5.4 Over The Ear Headset, 50H ANC Playtime, Bass&Treble Slider, Custom EQ&Spatial Audio, Hi-Res LDAC $79.00 at Amazon $99.00 Save $20.00 Get Deal Get Deal $79.00 at Amazon $99.00 Save $20.00 Very much like Nothing's CMF Buds Pro 2 earbuds, the CMF Headphone Pros are budget headphones that punch above their weight. They are an affordable alternative to the popular Headphone 1 (which will cost you $299), and are the first to seamlessly integrate into the Nothing/CMF ecosystem, including smartphones, watches, and other audio products. There is a companion Nothing X app that allows you to customize action buttons, among other things, but the cool thing about these headphones is the control you get without needing the app. There is a multi-function roller on one side of the headphone that you can roll to adjust volume or press to control the ANC modes, which include adaptive ANC (adjusting cancellation/transparency in real-time) and Spatial Audio (creates an immersive, 3D soundstage for music/movies). On the other side, you'll find an "Energy Slider," which tunes your sound in real-time, instantly adjusting the treble and bass balance. You get an impressive 100 hours of playback on a single charge (reduced to up to 50 hours with ANC turned on) as well as AAC, SBC, and LDAC support. They have an IPX2 rating for resistance against sweat, and there is a 3.5mm audio jack for wired listening. Nothing is well known for its minimalistic design, but these headphones go a bit further by allowing you to mix and match the earcups with different colors (they sell for $25). These are a good option for those looking for a bold style budget over-ear headphones that have great battery life and punch above their price point. View the full article

The honeymoon phase of "figuring out hybrid" is officially over. View the full article

Announcement comes as Donald The President’s desire to acquire Arctic island leads to alarm among European alliesView the full article

There are likely occasions in your day-to-day life in which you allow someone else to use your phone, whether it's letting your kid play a game or sharing content with a friend. You may do this without thinking about the privacy implications and what might happen if another person has access to everything on your device and—accidentally or on purpose—uses it to view your search history, scroll through your photos, or send messages to your contacts. If you're an Android user, you should enable app pinning to keep others from snooping around your device. This feature keeps the user in the pinned app until you enter your PIN, pattern, or password. (On iOS, you can achieve a similar effect with Guided Access, which also allows you to set time limits and disable the keyboard and touch input.) Enable app pinning on AndroidTo pin apps, you'll need to enable the feature in your phone's Settings app. To do so, go to Security or Security & location > Advanced > App pinning and toggle on Use app pinning and Ask for PIN before unpinning. Before handing your phone over, open to the app screen you want to pin, then swipe up to the middle of the screen and hold to open your Overview. Tap the app's icon, then tap Pin. This will keep the user locked into that app until you unpin (using your PIN, pattern, or password). Depending on your device navigation settings, there are a few ways to unpin an app: Gesture navigation: Swipe up and hold 2-button navigation: Touch and hold Back + Home 3-button navigation: Touch and hold Back + Overview Note that pinning won't prevent someone from using the app fully, such as swiping through your photos or typing in the search bar, as Android doesn't have the option to disable touch. Pinned apps can also open other apps. At the very least, though, it keeps someone from having access to anything and everything on your device. View the full article

President The President said he would prohibit large institutional investors from buying single-family homes. While the executive couldn't bar such investments on its own, a legislative ban could gain bipartisan support. View the full article

I write a lot about productivity, which means I also read a lot about it. Over the last few months, I've noticed an uptick in people discussing something called "cognitive overload," citing it as a potential reason for a decline in output. The phrase stuck out to me as one of those buzzy terms that has the potential to be overused until it's meaningless—but at its core, it certainly has a real, clear definition that can be helpful tool in maximizing productivity. Basically, cognitive overload is what happens when you're inundated with more information than your brain can process, so your brain just gives up altogether, making hard to focus on anything at all. Here's what to know about it and what to do once you identify it. What causes cognitive overload?You know all those jokes on social media about how a single news item or food product from modern times would kill a person born just a few centuries ago? They're funny and hyperbolic, but they're grounded in the fact that while the ways in which we produce things and share information have advanced wildly, the human brain has basically remained the same. We say it all the time but it bears repeating: We're just not cut out to handle the onslaught of stimuli we get on a daily basis. Think of how many times your phone lights up on a given day. I just checked my screentime app and discovered that though it's only early afternoon, I've gotten 150 notifications straight to my lock screen already today. It's only Wednesday, so I'm averaging 213 a day, which my phone assures me is down 20% from last week and I'm quite sure I'll pick back up by the time Sunday rolls around. Considering that a few months ago, I redid all my phone settings so not all of my notifications got blasted to my lock screen, this is concerning. That's just a lot of information to constantly see. As it turns out, text-based info is the main cause of cognitive overload, at least according to one study. Emails, Slack and Teams messages, texts, calendar notifications—the never-ending stream of these bad boys is a major contributor to the overall feeling of being unable to process or do anything. If you think about an average day when you've felt too zapped to work, it probably included plenty of those. Audio-visual stimuli are less debilitating, according to the study, so a Zoom or phone call or a manager stopping by your desk may not trip you up as badly. Beyond feeling like you can't even think straight or like you're too overwhelmed to take action on any one task, you may be able to recognize cognitive overload from other signs. If incoming messages make you feel frustrated or detached, for instance, no matter what they say, this could be happening to you. That's actually the symptom I experience most often, for what it's worth. When I'm overwhelmed by too much information, I find myself thinking, "What do you want?!" every time my phone lights up, before I even see who is reaching out. (Sorry, Mom.) How I'm battling cognitive overloadAs I was going through the study and thinking over cognitive overload, I realized I've already been implementing a few tricks that may have been helping me avoid it. As mentioned above, I banned my least-used apps from sending me notifications a few months ago. For years, I've also tinkered with my MacBook settings so I don't get any form of push notification on my computer. My phone is next to me at all times; there's no good reason for the top right corner of my laptop screen to be whacking me with the same notifications the phone is already showing me. A few other tried-and-true productivity approaches came to mind for me once I got a good grasp of what cognitive overload actually is. The one-touch rule of inbox management could be useful for you if you find that messages get you worked up. With that, you open each message as you get it and make an instant decision about what to do with the contents. It might seem counterintuitive to face each incoming message head-on if you're trying to avoid feeling burned out by the sheer volume of them, but I've found that when I see a message preview at the top of my screen and do nothing about it, it nags at me all day. Addressing it instantly helps me clear my mind and keep working. Otherwise, the way you go about battling this is going to be pretty subjective, although I do have one more recommendation: If you're not familiar with the Pomodoro technique, get familiar now. With it, you work for a set amount of time (usually 25 minutes) before taking a small break (usually five). When you're in those focus sessions, you should be completely distraction-free, putting your devices in Do Not Disturb mode or even using specialized apps to block other, distracting apps. Knowing you have to work seriously for a certain amount of time can help get you in the zone and push you away from information and decision paralysis while knowing you eventually get a break can help you stay relaxed as you go. View the full article

Robert F Kennedy Jr accuses past administrations of ‘lying’ to the public ‘to protect corporate profit-taking’View the full article