Productivity Tip:

Laugh Your Way to a Productive Day

Did you know that starting the day with a laugh can make you more productive? We’re not kidding: let’s look at the science. For one thing, research shows that happiness boosts productivity. Meanwhile, laughter lowers stress by flooding your brain with feel-good hormones.

Says Professor Daniel Sgroi, laughter “fast tracks networks in the brain to help you concentrate and focus”—though he adds that a genuine giggle works better than forced laughter.

So, how about starting your day with some humor? It can be a simple exchange of funny memes with your bestie or hitting play on a humorous podcast (a la Rob Bell below)—whatever gets you giggling. 

Got any recommendations for us? What gets your sides aching?

Routine Breakdown

Rob Bell, British TV Presenter and Podcast Host

How a TV Presenter Wins the Day

The co-host of the funny and fascinating Sketchplanations podcast says he purposefully doesn’t access his phone for a good hour after he’s woken up and made his first coffee.

The Routine:

• Does his coffee ritual. “I like the somewhat involved process of using a stove-top moka. There’s a precise method to it, which I feel helps me maintain a bit of ‘slow’ in the first part of my day before the pace inevitably ramps up.”
• Takes his coffee back to bed for half an hour so he can “gradually start engaging with the day ahead” while listening to the news headlines on BBC Radio 5Live.
• Does his regular “physio stretches and joint manipulation.” Though not strenuous, doing this first thing means it gets done and doesn’t nag on his mind. “When the body feels fine, it’s all too easy to let these exercises slip, but I’ve finally accepted the mantra that prevention is so much better than cure, and this thoroughly tedious part of the day is crucial to my physical and, as a consequence, mental wellbeing.”
• Does about 40 mins of exercise. “Either a run, a trip to the gym, or more recently as a new Dad I’ll take the baby out for a walk around the neighborhood. I’ll pop my headphones on and listen to my favorite podcasts—usually The Elis and John Show or Three Bean Salad. Both regularly make me laugh out loud.”

Why it works:

• Using your morning coffee to slow down is a great idea. Research shows small rituals like these can even help us deal with stress and uncertainty.
• Stretching is important! It helps us maintain mobility as we age and reduces muscle tension and tightness that can lead to pain. As Rob says, prevention is better than cure.
• Starting the day with movement and laughs is an excellent combination. 

Rob says that, as someone who does a fair bit of sport, he may well have more physical activity planned for later in the day. “But getting active early on means that when I do sit at my desk (at around 9am), I feel energized and a little bit smug—both of which thoroughly help my creativity and productivity in my workday.” 

Do you ever feel a bit smug after you’ve smashed your morning routine?