Carlijn Hermes

About Carlijn Hermes

After a career in the reintegration sector, Carlijn Hermes has gained a lot of experience as a project manager in realising projects with the aim of sustainable people-oriented value creation. Since 2014 she has been working on the effects of digital technology on people’s behaviour and well-being and has made this her mission. In 2016, she took the step towards independent entrepreneurship and founded SmartLife Academy. Carlijn is now a much sought-after speaker and trainer and has published her first book Samen zegt wij DAG*! For all parents who struggle with their children’s screen use.

The digital age has only just begun. The applications we have seen over the past 10 years are in stark contrast to the developments we will see over the next 5 years. We will have to continue to adapt to the ‘speed of light’ in our working and private environments.
In order to be able to handle new technology and its rapid development intelligently, we need to become aware of how we, as humans, are biologically composed. In this way we can make responsible and self-managing use of the unparalleled possibilities of digital technology. For now and for the future.

Most organisations have a multi-tasking culture. Always ‘being on’, and therefore unconsciously using digital technology, has a negative effect on employees. Always ‘to be’ means that employees are constantly exposed to uncontrolled interruptions that stand in the way of the real goals (at home and at work). It ensures that they hardly ever really end up in an FLOW anymore. In doing so, they leave up to 40% of productivity and creativity unused.

Because internet use is so integrated into our (working) lives – and it brings us a lot – it is easy to lose sight of the negative consequences. Unconscious use of digital technology increases stress levels and ensures that employees do not function in their ‘zone of genius’. This is at the expense of focus, efficiency and (work) happiness. In our multitask culture full of digital technology, it is not easy for employees to reduce stress and focus. Any moment of focus, attention and conscious engagement with a task or activity can be seen as cognitive endurance. This cognitive endurance is in poor condition for a large part of the employees, but for the rest of the… You can train this.

How do we as humans relate to digital technology? That is key in all the lectures that Carlijn gives. She talks about how our body, which has remained unchanged since prehistoric times, reacts to unconscious smartphone behaviour. How it leads to chronic sleep deprivation, dopamine-dependent habits and in-efficient brain use. The result is an increase in burnout in the workplace and children who lag behind socially and emotionally.

Carlijn’s lectures are informative, interactive and full of humour. They are of great value to employees. In the context of Sustainable Employability, a healthy use of digital technology is of vital importance. In addition, more and more parents with growing up children are seeing that this time demands answers to new educational issues around digital technology. Carlijn has developed the Healthy Digital Lifestyle Plan to help you get the best out of yourself in a digital world.

During a lecture, the audience is given insight into their behaviour and, subsequently, is offered practical tools that they can use directly in their work or home situation. They go home with a new vision on themselves and on digital technology and make a start with a Healthy Digital Lifestyle. The participants experience direct results in focus, efficiency, increased job satisfaction or social interaction within the family.

In addition to giving lectures, Carlijn provides workshops, training courses and her second book, aimed at employees, will be published soon.