Restoring balance in a connected world
Restoring balance in a connected world
14 September 2026, 13h30 - 17h
General context
Constant connectivity can erode focus, productivity, and work-life balance. This interactive workshop helps you understand your personal “disconnection profile” and offers practical tools to combat digital, psychological, and emotional overload. Through reflection and real-life strategies, you’ll learn how to set boundaries, prevent digital stress, and create sustainable routines for better focus and well-being.
After this training, you will:
- Understand your personal connectivity habits and their impact on focus and well-being.
- Identify and manage common digital stressors in your work routine.
- Apply practical strategies for digital, psychological, and emotional disconnection.
- Set healthy boundaries and communicate them assertively.
- Build sustainable routines to enhance concentration, recovery, and work-life balance.
This training uses a blended learning approach to create lasting behavioral change:
- Pre-session: Complete an intake questionnaire and disconnection profile via the online platform.
- Interactive workshop: Includes real-life scenario discussions, individual reflection exercises, and practical tools for digital, psychological, and emotional disconnection.
- Follow-up support: Optional “buddy challenge” and post-training nudges via the platform to reinforce new habits.
The program is highly practical, focusing on sustainable strategies for better focus, recovery, and well-being.
The course focused on the different forms of connectivity and provided a framework of thinking as well as practical ways to improve the ability to disconnect. The importance of this was explained in context of different forms of energy and rest activities. The interaction was nicely done as well.
Participant edition 2024
Trainers
Katrien Giebens
Katrien has over twenty-five years of experience in management roles in academia and retail. She excels at delivering messages in an engaging way, persuading and inspiring people—something she both enjoys and does well. Regardless of age, language, or background, Katrien knows how to successfully draw anyone into a story, thanks to her experience in various professional contexts.
Program
The program of this training is composed of 6 parts in which the transfer of what has been learned is always guaranteed.
Your connected brain
- Your brain in hyperconnection
- Exercise: Your 'connection' profile and its impact
- 3 forms of disconnection (digital, psychological and emotional)
Digital disconnection: The digital brain
- The neuroscience of Digital Wellbeing
- Exercise: mapping digital 'gains & drains
- Exercise: handles for digital comfort (example: Appendix A.2.)
- Digital Etiquette: the brain balance
Psychological disconnection: The ON/OFF switch
- Why a digital detox works for zebras, but not for us
- Exercise: How to make the bridge
- Exercise 'Grip on time': about loose ends, priorities and goals
- The ON/OFF switch: unplugging techniques
Emotionally disconnecting: rumination can be (un)teached
- Why your brain sticks to your work
- From disconnection to connection-equilibrium
- Exercise: Work Related Thought Questionnaire
Personal action plan
- The disconnection framework©: your guide after today
- Exercise: Completing the disconnection framework©
- Exercise: How do I bring this to my supervisor/team?
- Post-work framework
Practical info
14 September 2026
Leuven - Campus Gasthuisberg
Herestraat 49
3000 Leuven
Belgium
14 September 2026
Leuven - Campus Gasthuisberg
Leuven train station is approximately 4 km from the campus Gasthuisberg. Buses depart very regularly to the Gasthuisberg Campus from Leuven train station.
For tickets and up to date schedules visit website De Lijn or use the De Lijn App.
Exit at the very last bus stop ‘Gasthuisberg Campus) make sure not to exit at ‘Gasthuisberg Kliniek =
hospital)
Once you get off the bus, go to your right and go up the street until you see stairs to your left. Climb the stairs all the way up between two buildings. Look for the signs containing blue circles and white numbers and follow them all the way from 2 up to number 12. You will cross several buildings and the walk will take max. 10 minutes. When you reach number 12, you have reached O&N 5, where you can find the reception.
14 September 2026
Leuven - Campus Gasthuisberg
The Gasthuisberg campus is west of the Leuven ring. Our buildings are situated behind the hospital (see black arrow near ‘RING NOORD’ on the map). If you come from the city center, you will arrive on campus from the east side (taking Mgr. Van Waeyenberglaan and roundabout Het Teken). If you come from Heverlee or Campus Arenberg, you will arrive from the west side (taking the Celestijnenlaan and Taborweg). When you arrive uphill at the intersection with the Rega Institute and the Red Cross building, you need to take the road down to the bicycle parking at Rega Institute (see map) where you can park. Next, follow the ‘Onderwijs & Navorsing blue route’ description below (start point is #9).
14 September 2026
Leuven - Campus Gasthuisberg
You arrive via the E314 highway – EXIT 16
After 200 m, keep left to drive underneath the roundabout and into the tunnel.
Keep left and follow the arrows to Parking West.
You arrive via the Leuven ring road
At the roundabout, take the exit towards ‘Spoed / Ziekenhuis’.
Follow the ring around Campus Gasthuisberg and pass the entrance of SPOED.
Continue right until you arrive at a second roundabout.
Follow the directions for E314.
Near the Fire Brigade Station, make a U-turn and follow the directions for ‘Ziekenhuis’.
Keep left and drive downhill, underneath the roundabout and into the tunnel.
Keep left and follow the arrows to Parking West.
Next, leave the parking at level +1 using the big stairs near the vending machines.
Follow the red carpet and arrows to 'Onco Dagcentrum' to get to the O&N buildings. Take the stairs on your left after exiting Parking West. You are now in front of the O&N4 building; on the left you will find O&N5.