3 Ways To Boost Your Productivity
The best way to start your work day: Read a poem
We always harp on about finding self-care in the most usual and unusual of places. Poetry is one. Poetry is a willful act of self-care. Much like reading an inspiration book, making sense of strange groupings of words requires an agile form of listening aka poetry, one that can bridge ambiguity and keep pace with a poet’s linguistic leaps.
It’s precisely these skills that make poetry pleasurable, and also useful in the workplace.
“In poetry, one allows ambivalence and ambiguity of multiple meanings to coexist. It creates space for hospitality and complexity,” says Pádraig Ó Tuama, an Irish theologian, poet, and the host of the new podcast Poetry Unbound.
Choosing a work-from-home scent can boost focus and productivity
What does a workday smell like to you? Do you even remember what your old ‘office space’ smelt like? In a typical office setting, the answer might involve the smoky scent of coffee grounds, a whiff of citrus-tinged disinfectant or worse, a smelly co-worker. But working remotely in the wake of Covid-19 means being the master of your own working universe, much like a boss. Yes in this space you are the boss and that comes with responsibility and awareness. Being aware of scent is one of the most undervalued and powerful senses we own as human-beings.
Scent has the power to help us focus or destress, it can improve cognition by interacting with our brain chemistry. Smells are known to stimulate the limbic system (an area of our brain), which affects our levels of arousal. It helps us either relax or perk up according to the particular scent. According to research, lavender can improve in relaxation while chamomile and lemon balm are also good options for winding down.
Long story made short, by assigning a work scent, your brain will automatically get a signal that would allow for you to work better. What is yours?
How to structure your day better
When you wake up in the morning, do you immediately check your email or social media accounts? If so, you’re starting your day off in reactive mode instead of proactive.
Start your days focused on YOU and you will be in a much better state-of-mind to help others and get more accomplished all day.
Here are some more tips to help you boss your working days through structure