There are cultures around the world that have perfected the art of balancing self-care with busy schedules. But for many of us, we like busyness. Being busy signals to us that we’re productive. We want more clients, more business, more work…more time. But being busy isn’t always good. In order for us to be productive, we need to declutter our surroundings, get organised, and focus on our goals that truly matter. Here are some of the self-care routines that boost productivity that I have learnt from my travels.
Taking Ice Cold Showers – Finland
Ice cold showers are shown to increase your alertness, boost your energy, and keep you in the right physical and mental state for you to focus on more productive tasks. Ice cold showers are common for people in Finland (and the rest of Scandinavia). I got introduced to taking ice cold showers from my friend from Finland. And yes you’re right, my Jamaican ass was not sold on the idea that ‘ice water’ was going to improve my day. Not at first anyways. Now? I try to rinse off with the coldest water as often as possible.
How to do this self-care routine to boost your productivity:
It’s simple. Take a quick 2 minute cold shower each morning. You’ll need really cold water (almost ice cold) but don’t shower for longer than 2-3 minutes as it can backfire and cause hypothermia. When I’m living in warmer countries like Jamaica, I legit take a jug of cold water from my fridge and pour it on myself as the final rinse in the shower. It perks me up just as much as coffee or tea…every time.
Drinking Matcha Tea – Japan
Speaking of tea and an energy boost, Matcha tea from Japan is another go-to of mine. I love love drinking tea. If you’re Jamaican like me then you know a cup of bush tea cures everything lol. A Japanese acquaintance I met in Paris introduced me to matcha and I’ve taken to starting my day with matcha ever since.
What is Matcha? Matcha is green tea leaves that are finely ground into a powder. While matcha was traditionally used as ceremonial tea in Japan, it became mainstream for its calming yet stimulating qualities. Matcha gives a longer energy boost than coffee…without the caffeine crash. Matcha is also full of anti-oxidants and other nutrients that help to keep you more alert throughout the day.
How to do this self-care routine to boost your productivity:
Give yourself an energy boost by replacing one of your morning cups of tea or coffee with a hot drink of matcha. Another way is to add in some matcha to your usual morning tea. My personal favourites are matcha with ginger tea, or matcha with fever grass (lemongrass) tea.
Petit Squares is a great Jamaican brand to get premium grade matcha to buy at an affordable price. It’s the only place I buy matcha when I’m in Jamaica. (By the way this isn’t sponsored, I just really like their matcha products.)
Niksen: The Art of Doing Nothing – The Netherlands
If you’re wondering why “the art of doing nothing” would ever be productive, then I’m here to tell you that it is an essential self-care routine that will boost your productivity. Niksen, the Dutch concept of doing nothing, is about carving out time to just be. To let our minds wander. The aim is to not have an aim. To be purposefully unproductive can lead to you being even more productive. It sounds counterintuitive right?
Renowned researcher and author Dr. Brene Brown, calls it “white space”. Niksen or white space, helps you to reduce your preoccupation with busyness, and allows more creativity and productivity to creep into your day. By making time for yourself, Niksen forces you to work smarter and not jampack your day with busy-nothings. You’ll end being more productive and even more thankful you did nothing.
How to do this self-care routine to boost your productivity:
To practise Niksen, set aside one hour every day where you do nothing. The aim is to not have an aim, to just be. Don’t even read. Leave cellphones, social media, and all distractions behind. The best way I achieve Niksen is by being out in nature, or by sitting in a quiet corner with soft instrumental music playing in the background.
Sheet Mask and Multitask – South Korea
Korean Beauty or K-Beauty skin care routines have been kicking up a storm in the international world. Sheet Masks are one of the winners of skincare: it’s packed with yummy nutrients for your skin and face; it’s affordable; and it’s portable. Usually putting on a sheet mask is considered a night time routine that helps you to wind down.
But dare I say, adding sheet masks to your morning skin care routine boosts confidence. The portability of sheet masks is an even bigger benefit – you can multitask! Sheet masking on the go has become one of the biggest beauty trends for busy women around the world. What’s more productive than successfully multitasking and getting a face glow while you’re at it?!
How to do this self-care routine to boost your productivity:
Add a sheet mask to your morning routine. You only need 15-25 minutes to properly sheet mask and hydrate your face.
- Sheet mask while you meditate.
- Sheet mask and check emails
- Sheet mask sipping that matcha tea
- Sheet mask while taking a phone meeting
I’m obsessed with Korean skincare retailer – Peach and Lily. They have amazing sheet masks and affordable bundles.
Here’s $10 off (Recommendation: search for their Original Glow Sheet Mask Set to get a month’s supply for less than US$3.50 per mask.)
Yoga + Stretching – India
Yoga is an ancient tradition of focused breathing and stretching that developed in India over 5000 years ago. This alignment of mind and body makes yoga a perfect way to lead a more productive life. Yoga is scientifically proven to relieve the negative impacts of stress which, in turn, will make you more productive. Yoga also reduces fatigue and physical pain. Simply stretching every hour for just 10 minutes increases blood circulation, gives you more energy, and gears you up to tackle your next task.
How to do this self-care routine to boost your productivity:
The great thing about yoga is that you can do it at any time of the day. In the mornings, night time, just before a work meeting, or even randomly at your desk. A few minutes of light stretching and yoga poses can do wonders to clear your mind, keep you focused, calm and relaxed.
Including yoga in your self-care routine is easy and you can start by doing just 15 minutes of stretching. To practise, there are tons of yoga teachers and even more free videos on YouTube. My two favourite yoga teachers are Kino McGregor aka KinoYoga and Jessamyn Stanley from “Every Body Yoga”.
Meditation + Mindfulness – Thailand
Like yoga, meditation increases your concentration and focus but meditation takes it up a notch. Thailand has a long tradition of using meditation to set intention for the day. Meditation helps to silence the noise and clear the clutter, letting you be more mindful, alert and focused. Meditation and mindfulness go hand in hand. When you meditate, you practise being present in the moment, on task and focused.
How to do this self-care routine to boost your productivity:
Generally, 15-30 minutes of meditation is a good way to gain focus and clarity during your day. If this is your first time meditating or maybe you feel that you can’t sit still for 15 minutes, then start with 5 minutes of meditation. After you’re comfortable then increase to 10 minutes and work your way up to 30 minutes.
There are many ways to meditate: mantra meditation, focused breathing, sitting in total silence, or guided meditation with a teacher. One of my favourite ways to meditate is using the Simple Habit app on my phone. There are tons of meditation practices to suit your mood. Try it here for free for 2 weeks!
Siesta – Spain
The Spanish take napping seriously, so much so that they have a whole word for it – siesta. AS it relates to productivity, napping during the day can help to “reset” your brain and also gives you an energy boost. Taking a siesta also sets you up for staying alert and getting some additional work done at night…or the “second shift” as I like to call it. Funny enough I have some of my most creative thoughts immediately after waking up.
How to do this self-care routine to boost your productivity:
If your job does not allow you to enjoy a full REM cycle of sleep (about 1.5 hours) then taking power naps of 15-25 mins work just fine. Taking 15-20 minutes out of your lunch break might be worthy of the energy boost you’ll receive after your siesta. When I worked in an office long ago with a not so flexible boss, I would find creative ways to take my power nap. I’d drive to a secluded area in the parking lot (or drive to a different parking lot altogether) and sleep for 15 minutes, or say I have a headache and need to rest for 20 minutes. I’m not saying you should do exactly what I did but try to find ways to include 20 minutes of nap time during your day.
Do you incorporate any of these self-care routines in your day? If yes, how has it helped with your productivity? If you’re not familiar with these, which one would you try? I’d love to know what you think. Leave a reply in the comments!
Disclosure: Please note that some of the links above may be affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I earn a commission if you make a purchase. I recommend only products and companies I trust and the income goes to keeping the site up and running.
That was so interesting to read Deidre! I have a learned a few tricks that I didn’t know! Thanks for sharing, I will try to practice the ones I was not doing so far!
Thanks for stopping by Ophelie!
Love these ideas! I studied abroad in Spain and learned to appreciate the siesta! I’ll have to try out these other suggestions too 🙂
Yea the siesta does wonders 🙂
Self-care is always a must and one doesn’t have to go into any department store and buy those high priced skin care products you can make your own concoction, which oftentimes works wonders more than the store-bought ones. Remember as individuals only we know our skin very well no one else does. Selfcare is not just taking care of your outer appearance but always taking take of the inner body. What you put into your body also involves self-care so until we decide to do this we will be on our way to great self-care.
Claudine you’re so right that self-care is not just taking care of the external. I definitely learned that when I started meditating more and also paying attention to what I put in side my body. Thanks for this reminder!
I really enjoyed reading it! Thank you for sharing! I am definately lacking self care and I really need to step up my game!